Mainstream Virtual Private Networks (VPN)

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are mainstream now, which is good news! People finally want to keep their personal information confidential, but do you have a firewall to protect your computer from intruders? VPNs protect you while browsing the internet. A firewall protects your computer system from intruders. What if you could have a firewall with a built-in VPN to be protected all the way around? With the increasing number of people working from home, computer hackers have increased.

Hackers Search IP Addresses & Use Malware on Other Webpages

Virtual private networks (VPNs) have increased in popularity over the last three years. A noteworthy trend can be seen in Top10VPN’s and GlobalWebIndex’s joint report. 2021 has been no different.

VPN Usage Surge

When most of the world’s internet users are in isolation due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the surge in VPN usage is probable and predictable, considering most employees are working from home. VPNs are the best tried-and-true option currently when employees are accessing sensitive files, local apps, and other internal resources for their job at home instead of the office’s secure internet connection. A work-from-home spike isn’t the sole reason why VPNs are in high demand nowadays. If anything, its stable growth was sporadically increased due to the global pandemic. The global pandemic has introduced a record-setting usage spike. At the same time, internet users are thrown into a “new normal” of being home daily with their families. Thus, keeping you away from your friends, colleagues, extended family, and clients.

There are Other Enticing Elements to Encourage the Use of VPNs

The report titled “50 VPN Statistics for 2021: Key Trends & Data” sheds light on these elements and more. You can take a look at the present VPN usage trend for yourself.

Why use VPNs?

Over 30 percent of internet users use VPNs. The most substantial VPN users reside in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Specifically, Indonesia and India are home to 61% and 45% of VPN users. Additionally, the two countries have the most significant number of VPN users compared to all other countries.

Both the Middle East & Africa (MEA) and the Asia Pacific (APAC) regions are heavy users of VPNs. (Courtesy of Top10VPN and GlobalWebIndex)

VPN as a Censorship Means

The VPN growth in particular countries may be attributed to the attempt to censor their citizens. Remember, VPN popularity is high in regions where government oppression is strongest. Dually noted, these are the same countries where the use of VPN is legal. Surprisingly, citizens in democratic countries, such as Australia (69%) and the Netherlands (76%), have seen a prominent market growth over the last three years.

“In 2017, the Netherlands passed a law which gave the intelligence services permission to wiretap online communications around suspects on a large scale and stores the data for a period of three years,” explains Pieter Arntz, malware intelligence researcher for Malwarebytes. Regarding this trend, “For that reason, the law was called the ‘Sleepwet’ (or dragnet law). Amnesty International and local privacy advocates made objections against the scale and the long retention period. Since the introduction, we have seen a big rise in the use of VPNs in the Netherlands.” A data retention law drew closer into effect that year in Australia, which may have been the possible trigger for citizens to start using VPNs. The report provides other explanations as to why and how people use VPNs, summarized below.

The paradigm has shifted. Currently ranking as the sixth top reason, VPN users typically claim they want to access entertainment content that they otherwise cannot normally access. (Courtesy of Top10VPN and GlobalWebIndex)

In some countries, government surveillance isn’t a massive concern for its citizens. What makes their citizens choose to use VPNs? Typically, these countries’ citizens use VPNs to hide their internet activities from possible snoopers, whether their ISP, advertisers, or other threats.

Here in the United States, we have been slightly less concerned about our privacy until recently. With more than just hackers trying to access and obtain our information, we have to worry about the federal government too.

A firewall can provide the following:

• Content filterings, such as web filtering, social networks, and more
• Built-in VPN for your privacy while browsing the internet
• Superior intrusion protection

BAA-Solutions can provide these for home and business use.