Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an enhanced security measure that requires users to provide two separate forms of verification when accessing resources on a network. Beyond just entering a username and password, 2FA typically involves an additional step, such as a code sent to a mobile device or a biometric scan, providing an extra layer of protection. This approach significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.

How Does 2FA Work?

When users attempt to log in to a cloud-based or on-premise network – either as part of their job, or when using consumer software such as banking apps and ecommerce platforms – 2FA requires them to verify two pieces of information, also known as ‘factors’, from the below categories:

1. ‘Knowledge’ factor – something the user knows, most commonly a password or PIN number. Knowledge factors are also known as ‘secrets’.
2. ‘Possession’ factor – something the user owns or has access to, such as a mobile phone authenticator app, a physical device (ID card, key fob) or a token.
3. ‘Biometric’ factor – this is anything that can identify the user as being themselves through biological information such as fingerprints, speech patterns or iris patterns.
4. Timed factor – restricts login attempts to a specified time period.
5. ‘Location’ factor – where the authentication attempt originated from, verified by methods such as IP addresses or GPS information obtained from a laptop or mobile phone.

IT administrators can specify which of the above factors are required, prior to a user being granted access to a network. In general, most 2FA platforms ask for the first three – location and timed factors are usually reserved for internal IT networks and remote working policies.

2FA vs. Standalone Passwords

2FA is deployed with the sole purpose of preventing unauthorized access to a computer or network system. If your organization is content with relying solely on a username and password to authenticate users, you need to revaluate your security procedures. The logistic considerations are insignificant next to the prospect of a data breach. Companies who fail to enact robust 2FA authentication procedures run the risk of exposing their IT infrastructure and financial assets to cyber criminals looking to exploit lax security protocols.

Passwords, when used in isolation, are markedly less secure than requiring several methods of authentication. Usernames are relatively easy to guess, and follow a standard ‘firstname.surname’ or email address format. Passwords should, in theory, be a lot harder to crack, but in practice there are several methods that cybercriminals use to take advantage of unsecured login information.

Password Complexity

Passwords should be of an appropriate length (usually a minimum of 8 characters) and contain a complex string of alphanumeric information, including uppercase and lowercase letters, and special characters.

Users often forego standard practice and use the same password across multiple private and public platforms. This can cause data breaches to escalate from relatively minor intrusions involving personal email accounts, to large scale instances of corporate theft, using the same password information across multiple platforms.

Social Engineering

Hackers use all manner of methods to gain access to a user’s password, including ‘social engineering’, whereby users are contacted directly by cyber criminals posing as someone else (such as a manager at work or a member of a law enforcement agency), and fooled into handing over passwords and sensitive information.

Password Cracking

Passwords are essentially small pieces of data, and as such can be disassembled or accessed just like any other string of data, albeit in a much more complicated way. Hackers use highly specialized, sophisticated software to gain direct access to a user’s password.

Poor Off-Boarding Procedures

When employees leave your organization, it is essential that they do not retain access to your IT assets. All too often, companies fail to change a former employee’s password, which can lead to all manner of problems, not limited to IP theft, data breaches and reputational damage.

By requiring multiple forms of verification, such as linking a user’s account to an official authentication app (‘possession’ factor), firms are ensuring that disgruntled employees are provided with the fewest number of opportunities to cause havoc.

High-Profile Hacks

2FA plays an integral role in securing personal and commercial information in the era of high-profile corporate data breaches.

When a user logs into an online service, the information they enter – everything from usernames and passwords to personal information – is stored by the website. User’s have no control over how this information is kept secure by third party companies and place their trust in multinational organizations to enact robust security protocols to keep it out of the hands of opportunistic criminals.

LinkedIn Data Breach

It’s not all about password security. A hacker by the name of ‘God User’ exploited a security vulnerability in the professional networking site, LinkedIn, and stole the personal information of its user base (approximately 700 million users) in what is widely regarded as one of the biggest website hacks of all time.

While the breach did not include passwords, it contained the following information:

• Email addresses
• Phone numbers
• Geolocation records
• Genders
• Social media details

All this information can be used to guess or reset passwords across various different online platforms. Unless those platforms utilize 2FA to secure accounts, the potential for additional breaches is enormous.

An Essential Tool for the Digital Age

Enacting 2FA is the minimum that organizations can do to secure their data and protect the identity of their employees and customers. It is no longer sufficient to rely on usernames and passwords alone.

If your organization doesn’t already use 2FA, consult with your teams immediately on how best to implement it. The technology has been around for over a decade and IT staff are broadly familiar with its requirements.

Modern day antivirus software fulfils a variety of different functions across several platforms, including desktops and laptops, smartphones, tablets and any other Internet-connected devices. Robust, well-managed anti-malware software represents the first line of defense in the global fight against cybercrime and the proliferation of malicious software designed to extract money and sensitive data from unsuspecting users.

How Anti-Malware Software Works

Anti-malware software engages with multiple techniques to differentiate malicious files from legitimate data within a computer system.

Signature detection

Signature detection is the primary method cybersecurity companies use to identify malicious code. Once discovered and analyzed, a virus’s ‘signature’ (unique code relating specifically to that virus) is added to a huge database of similar viruses. Signature databases are updated daily, as and when new viruses appear all over the world.

Rootkit detection

A ‘rootkit’ is the method used by a virus to control the underlying operating system of the computer that it has infected. Anti-malware platforms contain rootkit detectors to eliminated the problem at its source and prevent a virus from gaining administrative control over the host device.

Consequences of Not Using Anti-Malware Software

For businesses and individuals alike, the consequences of failing to operate with a modern, feature-rich anti-malware platform are a loss of business continuity, theft of personal information and in extreme cases, monetary loss.

You may think that it will never happen to you, but history has shown us that virus attacks pay no heed to organizational size, revenue, employee number or geographical location. Ultimately, business-disrupting attacks are on the rise.

Insurance companies often require a comprehensive analysis of cybersecurity measures before paying out on business interruption plans. If your organization is found to be lacking in this regard, you could face a cancellation of your policy and significant financial damage in the event of an attack.

Key Features

Real-time protection

Most modern antivirus platforms feature real-time protection tools that scan incoming file attachments, opened files and executable programs for instances of malicious code. They alert the user accordingly.

Scheduled scanning

Antivirus scans can be scheduled at daily, weekly or monthly intervals to cater to the unique requirements of each organization and user type.

Automatic updates

Virus definitions are downloaded from a global definitions database as and when they are released, populated by the collective research of prominent cybersecurity professionals all over the world.

‘Sandboxing’

Sandboxing involves an anti-malware platform running a virtualized instance of an operating system (e.g. Windows) to ascertain the threat level of a suspicious object or program. The virtual environment is separate from the host OS and totally isolated from a company’s business network.

Managed vs. Unmanaged Anti-Malware Platforms

Antivirus software can broadly be classified into two main formats – managed and unmanaged.

Managed antivirus platforms

Managed antivirus platforms are integral to any PCI or HIPAA compliance strategies. Managed anti-malware solutions offer a centralized hub for administrative staff to perform automatic updates, install and uninstall virus software, produce reports on a per-user basis and populate a visual dashboard of anti-malware adherence across multiple sites and platforms. These days, it’s pretty much inexcusable for organizations to operate with anything other than a managed anti-malware platform, even for small organizations of 5-10 users.

Unmanaged antivirus platforms

Unmanaged platforms eschew the need for centralized management and incorporate individual installs of software that require standalone updates and user management. Unmanaged antivirus solutions are ideal for single users, easier to install and don’t require the same ongoing levels of expertise to manage them on a day to day basis. However, they are inherently less secure than their managed counterparts and are usually the choice for companies who are looking to cut corners, rather than to pay adequate attention to their cybersecurity obligations.

The Top Anti-Malware Platforms

Sophos

Best for: SMEs

Sophos are a prominent cybersecurity solutions provider who offer an extensive range of anti-malware and virus detection tools across an exclusively cloud-based and cloud-managed platform. Their ‘Intercept X’ anti-malware tool is specifically tailored to meet the antivirus requirements of US and European SMEs. Intercept X integrates with many of Sophos’ other endpoint security products and email management tools, offering a powerful one stop shop for all your cybersecurity needs.

Malwarebytes

Best for: Basic option

Malwarebytes grew from humble beginnings in a computer repair shop in Chicago to become the go-to anti-malware option for hundreds of thousands of users worldwide. The platform is renowned for its feature-rich option that provides personal users with most (but not all) of the functionality they need in a modern antivirus platform. The software also contains Adwcleaner – a browser based anti-malware tool that prevents programs from amending your default search engine or adding unwanted toolbars and menu items.

Webroot SecureAnywhere

Best for: Blocking malicious programs

Webroot consistently scores top of the tree on malware blocking tests and system resource usage. Webroot’s SecureAnywhere uses sandbox-based technology to virtualize the operating system and open a suspicious file within a bubble environment, mitigating the real-time risk of executing malicious code.

Norton Antivirus

Best for: Features

Norton Antivirus is highly popular anti-malware platform distributed by the cybersecurity multinational NortonLifeLock (formerly the Symantec Corporation). Norton AV has a reputation for its enormous array of features, industry-leading technical support, fast and efficient real-time protection techniques and cross-compatibility with other cybersecurity platforms.

How to Choose the Right Platform

Anti-malware services have become a catch-all term for any antivirus program that seeks to identify and eliminate malicious software at source, but in reality, the main distinction to be made is between a business-oriented, commercial platform, and an unmanaged instance of domestic antivirus software.

Ads can range anywhere from mildly annoying to downright intrusive, but online advertisements are part of our digital world, like it or not. They might present you with products that are in no way related to your life, or they may have enough information about you to persuade you into buying things that you may or may not need. However they find you, ads get annoying.

AdBlock Plus

AdBlock Plus is the most popular ad blocking software on the internet today and is available for Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Yandex web browsers. It’s also available on mobile devices.

AdBlock Plus works by having the user create filter lists. Basically you decide what you want the ad blocker to let through and what you want it to block out. You can choose to block all ads or only the blacklisted ones, allowing acceptable ads to come through.

Vivaldi Web Browser

Vivaldi is a web browser that has a multitude of awesome features, one of which is a built-in ad blocker. Along with the ad blocker, Vivaldi also has a built-in tracker blocker. Websites will no longer be able to track you or bombard you with ads as long as you are using the Vivaldi browser.

Vivaldi has an amazing amount of customizability within their browser, but the ad blocking and tracker blocking are the best default options of any web browser we’ve used. Vivaldi was created and spun-off from the Opera browser when Opera decided to switch to the Chromium-based Google software.

AdBlock

AdBlock, not to be confused with AdBlock Plus, is an independent ad blocking service that works with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, and mobile devices. AdBlock removes pop-up, pop-under, and third-party tacking ads from your browser experience. Along with this, they also provide some protection from malware and viruses while surfing the web.

AdBlock will also block YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook ads so you can carry on with updating your socials and spend less time navigating unwanted ads.

Ghostery

Ghostery is an ad blocker that adds a unique element to its ad blocking ability. Not only will it steer you clear of pop-ups and unwanted trackers, but it will tell you who is trying to track you and give you the option to deny the ones you don’t want. Ghostery enables customizability to really take control of your browsing and decide what you see and what you don’t, as well who does or doesn’t see you. Just recently, Ghostery launched a web browser with all of these features built in.

The Premium edition of Ghostery will provide you will access to Ghostery Insights, a tool designed to audit the trackers that are crawling your website, to identify privacy risks and optimize your page.

AdGuard

AdGuard is an ad blocking tool that does more than just stop ads from reaching your screen. AdGuard will block trackers from finding your data, protects you from phishing and malware attacks, as well as give you the option to enable parental controls and block certain content from being accessed by your children.

AdLock

AdLock is a stand-alone program that blocks pop-ups, banners, and video ads from your web browser as well as from the different programs and apps you use on your device. AdLock will warn you about suspicious websites as well as malware and other unwanted software.

Stands Fair Adblocker

Stands is an ad blocker that aims to hide the malicious ads, trackers, and malware from your device, while allowing through the respectful ads that websites rely on to survive. They refer to these respectful ads as “Fair Ads”. Through their browser extension, you can decide how many of these Fair Ads you want to let through or whitelist the websites that you want to support.

Stands also takes your privacy and data storage seriously. They are transparent about what they use your data for.

AdBlocker Ultimate

AdBlocker Ultimate is a stand-alone program that blocks out your pop-up ads, banner ads, video ads, sponsored content on social media pages, as well as the ads that appear atop your search results. On top of this, AdBlocker Ultimate will also block ads from all other programs on your device.

AdBlocker Ultimate has a free browser extension instead of their full-service version that will block ads, trackers, and malware.

Conclusion

While not all ads are bad ads, you likely want to limit the number of ads that you see while browsing the internet. They can be manipulative at worst and distracting at the best of times.

Whether you want to block them all, allow only the good ones, or find an option that will block ads across all of your programs, there is an ad blocker that suits your needs. We wish you happy, safe, and ad-free surfing!

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) redirects Internet traffic through dedicated servers, allowing users to funnel their online activities through specific geographic locations. This enables access to region-locked content and adds an extra layer of privacy. Additionally, VPNs connect workstations and devices to private, commercial IT networks securely, making them valuable for businesses that need remote access to secure systems and sensitive information while protecting data from cyber threats.

How Do VPNs Work?

VPNs come in many different formats, from ‘site-to-site’ VPNs that link offices together in different regions on the same local network, to Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connections used by companies to connect remote workforces together across the globe.

Standard VPNs used by regular Internet users operate through a complex set of interactions between your computer or mobile device (the ‘client’), a VPN server and your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Your computer initiates a connection with the VPN server via the Internet. Once that connection has been established, instead of your ISP assigning you an IP address (a unique number that identifies your computer on the Internet), the VPN server allocates it instead and becomes the funnel through which data is transferred to your machine.

Modern VPN Features

1. Killswitches

A VPN killswitch is a security measures that disconnects your computer or mobile device from the Internet if your VPN connection drops, preventing your IP from being published in the event your VPN tunnel is no longer active.

2. Double encryption

Double encryption technology, as the name suggests, ensures that your data runs through two VPN servers and is encrypted twice – once when data reaches the first VPN server and again before it arrives at another VPN server, where it’s decrypted and processed.

3. Jurisdiction and location

The laws and regulations that VPN companies must adhere to is dictated by the country that the VPN service is registered in. This may not seem all that relevant for common users, but an application that resides in the U.S. will inevitably be subject to a more stringent set of laws than those that are registered in Central America or The Netherlands, for example.

4. Multiple device support

Early VPNs were only able to support workstations and servers. Nowadays, modern VPN applications are compatible with a broad range of operating systems across multiple devices – desktops, laptops, mobile phones and tablets.

5. WiFi security

You may not have thought about it before, but public wireless access points are notoriously unsecure. When your device uses a public hotspot to connect to the Internet, hackers or irresponsible companies can extract all kinds of information from the device you’re using, based on its IP address. Using a VPN provides you with anonymity and masks your identity when you’re browsing on the go.

Commercial vs. Consumer VPNs

The term ‘VPN’ is a catch-all definition for any private networking solution that masks an IP address, but there are important distinctions to be made.

If you’re a business owner looking to network offices together or provide employees with VPN access to your servers from their homes to facilitate remote working, the VPN software you use will largely be dictated by what kind of firewalls and routers you use, rather than independent software applications.

Top VPN Applications

1. NordVPN

Best overall

NordVPN has risen from humble roots to become the most popular consumer VPN brand available in what has been a consistently crowded marketplace. NordVPN benefits from higher-than-average speeds across 6 simultaneous connections, with very little intermittency. The company did suffer a minor security scare when one of its Finland servers was accessed without authorisation, but since then the company has remained a popular choice for VPN subscribers all over the world.

2. ExpressVPN

Runner up overall

Founded by two Pennsylvania tech entrepreneurs, ExpressVPN seems to be in a perpetual battle with NordVPN for top spot in the consumer VPN rankings year-over-year. ExpressVPN arguably had the upper hand last year when it won several Editor’s Choice awards across several tech media platforms, but there’s very little difference between the two in terms of functionality, speed and security.

3. Surfshark

Best value

Surfshark began as a VPN service for iOS devices, but has since branched out to all major operating systems and device platforms. Surfshark’s two main selling points are its usability and price – it’s GUI is far and away the easiest to use of all the products mentioned here and its yearly subscription options make it the cheapest big-name VPN platform available, outside of free subscription models. The platform is also noted for minimal speed losses and year-on-year improvements in general connectivity.

4. ProtonVPN

Best for security and transparency

ProtonVPN was developed in Switzerland, by Proton Technologies AG – a team of computer scientists from the CERN research facility in Geneva. The company owns and operates all of its own VPN servers and is cross-compatible with all major OS platforms including Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS. The software is renowned for its watertight security standards, high levels of transparency and open-source platform.

5. IPVanish

Best to support U.S. company

IPVanish started out as a subsidiary of the Orlando-based Highwinds Group. The company distinguishes itself by owning most of its own access points and communications infrastructure, allowing it to exercise significant control over its network with an unlimited number of simultaneous connections allowed. The platform was accused of handing over subscriber data to authorities, but has since undergone a managerial change who have pledged to upholding user anonymity.

Choosing a Provider

As with all other consumer technology platforms, how you choose a VPN provider should be dictated by what you need it for. If you’re someone who is just looking to browse Netflix from a different geographical region, then the likelihood is that you simply need a cheap, verifiable application that can get the job done, without the need for expensive security features or complex front-end functionality. Whatever your reason, VPNs are there to make the Internet more accessible and easier to use.

While free VPNs offer basic privacy, paid VPNs deliver the robust protection, speed, and features essential for today’s digital landscape. Investing in a reputable paid VPN ensures secure data encryption, consistent high-speed connections, and access to global content without interruptions. With advanced security protocols and enhanced reliability, paid VPNs are an invaluable tool for safeguarding personal information, bypassing geo-restrictions, and achieving a smooth, unrestricted online experience that free options simply can’t match.

Understanding VPNs

Paid VPNs – or ‘virtual private networks’ – are pieces of software that allow Internet users to mask their identity online and fool websites or streaming services into thinking that a request for data has originated from a different geographical region than where the user actually is.

VPN services have been developed by private organizations to combat the increasing amount of encroachment on user data by government organizations and cybercriminals, and to counteract the growing trend of region-based data access policies emanating from large, subscription-based media services (Netflix, YouTube) and SaaS providers.

Individual VPN platforms often span thousands of dedicated servers, across multiple cities and global regions, all of which require a significant amount of maintenance and development. Fast, reliable VPN services aren’t free, but they are relatively inexpensive for what they offer.

Common Features of a Paid VPN

All VPN services – free or paid – share the ability to mask a user’s IP address from their Internet Service Provider (ISP) and route traffic through a specific global region.

In addition to this, paid VPN services offer a variety of features that maintain privacy and enhance their basic offering:

Killswitches

A kill-switch works by disconnecting (or ‘killing’) your Internet connection if your VPN drops, ensuring that your IP address isn’t visible to the wider world, at point of disconnection.

Cross-platform functionality

While functionality differs between applications, paid VPN services are available on a wide range of desktop and mobile operating systems, including Windows, iOS and Linux.

Anonymous DNS

On a basic level, DNS – or Domain Name System – is a system for converting textual Internet addresses into numeric IP addresses that are recognizable across the Internet. VPN providers mask user browsing activity by offering DNS servers that convert data anonymously without identifying user activity.

Data independence

VPN platforms are independent entities who are governed by the data laws of the country they are registered in. Legislation differs from region to region, but some providers are under no legal obligation to hand over your information to the relevant authorities.

Benefits of a Paid VPN

Using a paid VPN service offers numerous benefits to Internet users who are looking to circumvent region-specific access rules and keep their information away from prying eyes and would-be criminals.

For a small monthly cost, you’re enhancing your browsing experience by increasing the amount of online services you have access to and giving yourself the best possible chance of stopping your data from falling into the wrong hands.

1. IP masking

There shouldn’t be a stigma attached to keeping your browsing habits secret online. The need for privacy does not indicate any malicious or criminal activity on the part of the user. If anything, it’s the mark of a responsible Internet user. Hackers intercept IP addresses and use them in a number of different ways – from establishing where someone lives, to gaining unauthorized access to a device or initiating a so-called DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack. A VPN service anonymizes the practice of browsing the Internet and prevents your personal information from being used against you.

2. Public WiFi protection

Public Wi-Fi hotspots are focal points for cybercriminals looking to exploit weaknesses in unsecured hardware such as routers or wireless access points. Hackers use a variety of methods to extract information from unsuspecting users including ‘evil twin’ attacks that attempt to fool the user into connecting to compromised routers, to ‘wireless sniffing’ techniques that mine the information of every device connected to the network. VPNs combat these methods by sending traffic back and forth on the Internet using private ‘tunnels’, that prevent unauthorized personnel from obtaining your information and keep your IP address private.

3. Protection from ISPs

ISPs aren’t generally interested in the browsing habits of every single customer, unless they’re compelled to investigate user activity by a law enforcement agency or they otherwise have reason to believe something untoward is going on. That being said, some users and influential tech business leaders consider it a moral imperative for browsing activity to remain anonymous, as a point of principle.

ISPs are able track the following information:

• Browsing history
• Search queries
• Purchases
• Email metadata
• Downloaded applications
• Location

While it’s true that most of this data is protected via HTTPS encryption, there is still a lot to be said for protecting your online activity by using a VPN that provides total anonymity.

4. Enhanced encryption

One of the primary features of a VPN should be to stop any attempt to intercept, read or block your Internet connection. It achieves this primarily through the use of encrypted data transfers. When you use them to connect to a website, VPNs use the following three main methods to encrypt your data and render it useless to unauthorized personnel.

5. Accessing region-specific services

If you’ve used Netflix, Amazon Prime or YouTube to stream content, you’re likely familiar with the scenario of not being able to access a movie or TV show based on the region you’re trying to access it from. VPNs fool streaming platforms into thinking that a user is from a different country than where they’re actually accessing services from, enabling subscribers to enjoy content from different global regions.

The One Drawback of All VPNs: Speed Issues

There’s no getting away from it – using a VPN can be noticeably slower than not using one. As data is transferred around multiple server ‘hops’ around the world, it slows down a user’s Internet connection to a speed less than it would be, were they to be utilizing a standard ISP Internet connection.

That said premium VPNs are so advanced that you often won’t notice speed reductions. There are multiple factors that dictate how fast your VPN connection is, from the physical distance between your computer and your chosen server to the level of encryption you’ve selected, the relative capacity of the VPN server and how many connections it reliably supports.

Drawbacks of a Free VPN

We’ll start with the one and only advantage of using a free VPN … they’re free.

That’s it.

In general, free VPNs should be avoided like the plague. Robust, secure VPN services cost money to provide and maintain. It’s impossible to know where a free VPN is compromising on security and performance, or how your data is being used.

Free VPNs rely on advertising to generate revenue. That means you’re going to be bombarded with annoying pop-ups left right and centre as you try to navigate your way around the application.

Most alarmingly, a recent study has shown that 72% of VPNs embed 3^rd party tracking software within their application, which is precisely the opposite of what a VPN should be doing!

We could go on and talk about data caps, bandwidth re-selling and their poor performance alongside streaming services, but the bottom line is that free VPNs aren’t doing what they claim to be doing.

Top Paid VPN Applications to Consider

1. NordVPN

NordVPN is the market-leader in consumer VPN services. The application consistently ranks first in speed and connectivity tests, and due to it being registered in Panama, is not subject to the same strict set of data governance laws as its major competitors. Prices are low and can fall further if you sign up for an annual plan.

2. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN boasts an enormous number of VPN servers (3,000) across 160+ locations worldwide. When it comes to privacy and security, the company enjoys an impressive record and although it is marginally slower than NordVPN, the underlying functionality is more or less the same, making it a top choice for VPN users all over the world.

3. Surfshark

Surfshark models itself on being the easiest to use VPN service available on the market. The service is available across a staggering 32,000 global servers, servicing 65 regions. While it lacks the functionality of some of the industry’s big players, its simple, user-friendly interface has proved popular with consumers for years.

Learn More About VPNs

VPNs provide essential security, privacy, and accessibility benefits for online activity. By encrypting data and allowing safe access to global content, they enhance internet experiences while protecting personal information. Whether for privacy, streaming, or secure browsing, VPNs offer solutions to navigate the web confidently. Learning more about VPNs empowers you to make informed choices, ensuring you get the best balance of security and functionality for your online needs.

If you’ve shopped around recently for a VPN service, chances are you’ve come across the name NordVPN. Despite the proliferation of VPN platforms over the last five years or so, the Panama-based service provider has remained a popular choice for global VPN users, spanning 5,000 servers across multiple regions. Discover everything you need to know about NordVPN.

Specifications

• Encryption method: AES-256
• IP address format: Dedicated, static, or shared
• Number of server: 5,200
• Number of countries: 111
• Registered HQ: Panama
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux and Android TV
• Simultaneous connections: 6

NordVPN – An Overview

NordVPN was first launched as a public service in 2012 and enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence within a relatively short period of time. Within just six years from its launch, the company had released a popular Android app, an iOS app, a Chrome extension and an application for Android TV. A year later, the platform was spread out over 5,000+ VPN servers in over 60 countries.

If there is such a thing as a “household name” in the VPN industry, NordVPN is it, which is perhaps the best indicator there is of its underlying ability as a big-name VPN service. The service is available across all major desktop and mobile operating systems (including Linux), and the Android app in particular has won praise from IoT cybersecurity organizations for its underlying functionality and levels of security.

User Experience

NordVPNs popularity has a lot to do with its usability across its various desktop and mobile applications. While things can sometimes get a little muddled in this regard – almost as if the platform becomes too smart for its own good – the service maintains a relatively simple front-end experience that presents clear choices for its users.

In line with most other applications, NordVPN gives users the chance to select a region from a list of global servers, presented in a standard list. Where the application falls somewhat short is the inability to pinpoint specific servers within a given region – a useful feature when you’ve found a server that performs well on your device. Users instead select a region, and the application decides which server to use, presumably based on load requirements and connection suitability. It’s not a game-changer, but certainly something to be considered, though it can’t be said that this alters connection speeds in any meaningful way, which is what really matters.

NordVPN also offers users the ability to scroll across a global map, to locate a connection region. While it’s a graphically neat addition, it’s hard to understand what this adds to the platform when most users just want to connect to a region as quickly as possible. When it was first introduced, NordVPNs maps were notoriously cluttered, but recent updates to the platform have grouped together multiple servers into one large ‘pin’.

Speed

This is where NordVPN really does come into its own. VPN speeds are notoriously difficult to categorize due to the number of factors that contribute towards a reliable connection, but nevertheless, NordVPN consistently performs extremely well throughout industry-wide download and upload connection tests. Most of this can be attributed to a piece of technology called ‘NordLynx’ – a relatively new VPN protocol, developed by the company themselves, specifically designed to improve connection speeds across multiple geographic regions based on the widely-available open-source VPN software, WireGuard.

Tests have consistently shown that NordLynx is fast becoming a game-changer for increasing connection speeds without compromising security. The protocol is easily installed from within the NordVPN application and – best of all – it’s totally free for NordVPN users.

Privacy and Security

If you spoke to the company themselves, NordVPN’s biggest selling points are undoubtedly its security and privacy features. All the standard security features are present, including a killswitch that terminates an Internet connection if your VPN drop, DNS blocking and industry-standard encryption methods.

The platform is registered in Panama, well outside of the ‘Fourteen Eyes’ region of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Sweden and Italy. This may seem like a random assortment, but there’s an important distinction to be made. Panama has no mandatory data retention laws, meaning that unlike certain other providers, NordVPN isn’t burdened by state legislation when it comes to protecting their users’ identities, and provides the platform with the ability to operate a “no logging” policy that remains a major benefit for security-conscious users.

Streaming Functionality

Perhaps the most attractive feature for global consumers, especially those in Europe and the United States, resides in the application’s ability to transport Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime and Disney+ subscribers from region to region, allowing users to stream content that is otherwise restricted in their country of origin. Netflix in particular – despite putting a significant amount of effort into blocking global VPN services – is seemingly unable to prevent NordVPN from fooling its streaming platform into thinking someone is viewing content from a region other than where they reside.

Plans

It’s hard to agree with the common industry sentiment that NordVPN is somehow expensive. Pro tip – it isn’t. The application offers three main products across several pricing plans that offer good value:

• NordVPN: The standard VPN service
• NordPass: An online password manager
• NordLocker: An encrypted storage service

When you first purchase NordVPN, you’re given the option of a 1-month, 1-year or 2-year plan (the latter reverting to a 1-year subscription when your renewal comes around).

Pros

• A huge array of servers across multiple global regions, that provide users with a breadth of connectivity options, second only to CyberGhost.
• Unparalleled privacy parameters, in line with its location outside of the ‘Fourteen Eye’ zone.
• Industry-leading streaming service functionality that consistently outperforms its competitors across several global streaming platforms.
• A user-friendly front end that spans multiple popular desktop and mobile operating systems and reliably delivers multiple fast concurrent connections.
• An extensive knowledge base and tutorial catalogue, that provides users with everything they need to know, in terms of initial setup and ongoing use.

Cons

• The map interface doesn’t add a great deal to the overall experience of using NordVPN, despite some recent developments. Most users are simply looking to select a region from a list
• NordVPN is yet to introduce a ‘Favorites’ option that allows users to save a list of preferred servers, instead relying on a ‘Recent servers’ menu.
• Browser extensions only provide the option to connect to countries, instead of cities, which are available from the desktop application.

Learn More About NordVPN

Taking everything into account, it’s hard to look past NordVPN for a fast, cost-effective, secure VPN service that meets the needs of its users and provides a simple, efficient set of applications to facilitate multiple connections. The company is clearly invested in driving innovation in the industry, evidenced by ground-breaking new protocols such as NordLynx, and considering the hands-off relationship it has with users’ information, is far and away the best platform when it comes to data privacy. Learn more about NordVPN to discover if it’s right for you.

When you hear about a website being “brought down” by hackers, a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is usually the culprit. If you’re the target of a DDoS attack, the damage to your business goes beyond the loss of revenue while your customers can’t access your website. It can take years to rebuild trust with your customers and repair your reputation. In this guide, we’ll examine what a DDoS attack is and what you can do to get your website back online.

What Is a DDoS Attack?

A distributed denial-of-service attack is a type of cyberattack used to disrupt the availability of a website to end-users. A hacker uses malware to control multiple compromised devices and flood the target website with requests. Ultimately, this overwhelms the server, and the website becomes inaccessible.

This type of cyberattack is becoming increasingly common. The number of DDoS attacks worldwide is expected to exceed 15.4 million annually in 2023, up from 7.9 million in 2018.

The first noticeable sign of an attack is that the website suddenly becomes much slower or is unavailable to users. However, there could be a legitimate cause behind a spike in traffic that causes these performance issues.

One of the biggest challenges in identifying and repelling a DDoS attack is that it can be difficult to separate legitimate website traffic from compromised attack traffic.

How To Mitigate a DDoS Attack

Prevention is often the best form of defence, so we’ll discuss how to protect your website from a DDoS attack and what to do in the event of one.

1. Know What a DDoS Attack Looks Like

The faster you recognize a DDoS attack, the quicker you can mitigate the effects and get your website back online.

You should familiarize yourself with your average website traffic profile. If you know what your average number of visitors looks like, you can spot an unusual spike that could be a sign of a DDoS attack.

Analyzing your traffic in more depth may reveal that lots of traffic is coming from a single IP range – indicating that the traffic may be artificial. The same goes for large amounts of traffic that share the same geolocation or device type.

If you are receiving lots of requests for a single page on your site, that could indicate that the traffic is not natural.

You can also look for patterns to see if anything looks unusual. For example, if you experience large spikes in traffic at regular intervals, it could indicate that a DDoS attack is ramping up.

2. Defend at the Network Perimeter

Once you have confirmed your website is being targeted, there are several ways you can slow down the attack.

The first measure is to rate-limit your router. You can assign a bandwidth restriction to specific connection types or categories of traffic to stop your server from being overwhelmed.

You can also add filters that tell your router to drop packets from sources of the attack and implement a more aggressive timeout for half-open connections.

The challenge with a DDoS attack is that traffic usually comes from an extensive range of IP addresses. It can be difficult to determine which IPs are legitimate and which are part of the attack.

These tactics can prevent your website from being brought down, but DDoS attacks are getting more sophisticated. The above measures may buy you some time, but they are unlikely to stop a DDoS attack entirely.

3. Contact Your ISP or Hosting Provider

Your next option is to contact your ISP or hosting provider and inform them of the attack.

If you use a hosting provider, your corporate network will be separate from your website server. This means you will still be able to use your company email, VoIP phones, and other services that use your LAN.

You may find that your ISP or hosting provider has already detected the DDoS and started to implement mitigation measures.

This usually involves “blackhole filtering.” The packets being sent to your web server are dropped rather than being forwarded to your website.

Blackhole filtering acts as a basic firewall that keeps all traffic from reaching your server. Unfortunately, this means legitimate traffic will also be dropped, and real visitors will be unable to access your website.

4. Traffic Scrubbing

The vast majority – over 97 percent – of DDoS attacks last for less than an hour:

If your website is under sustained attack, your next option is to engage an internet security company that offers a traffic scrubbing service.

Traffic scrubbing works by intercepting the traffic trying to access your website and filtering out malicious packets. As a result, legitimate traffic is forwarded to your website, and malicious traffic is blackholed.

There is an impact on performance for end-users, but the alternative is that your website would be completely inaccessible due to the server being overwhelmed.

Traffic scrubbing services can be expensive. It will depend on the size and duration of the attack as to whether it is worth engaging an internet security specialist.

In 2018, GitHub was the target of one of the biggest ever DDoS attacks. However, the company had a documented playbook on how to deal with a DDoS attack and quickly sounded the alarm to its cybersecurity partner Akamai Prolexic. By using traffic scrubbing, Akamai Prolexic was able to get the GitHub website back online within 20 minutes.

5. Use a Content Delivery Network

When you use a CDN, your website files are cached on multiple servers around the world. This means that your website visitors can access the website files on the server closest to their location, and loading time is significantly reduced.

A CDN can also help to protect your website from a DDoS attack.

Because the CDN redistributes your website traffic to multiple servers, it can prevent malicious packets from reaching your origin server and bringing down your website. Instead, the cached version of your website is used, and your origin server is left untouched.

In many cases, the capacity of the CDN network is enough to handle the size of the DDoS attack. CDN providers usually offer additional security features to help mitigate DDoS attacks, including network perimeter protection.

It’s still possible for a DDoS attack to reach your server, but a CDN does offer an extra layer of protection.

6. Be Aware of Secondary Attacks

A DDoS attack is often used as a distraction tactic for an even more damaging cyberattack. While your attention is focused on mitigating the DDoS and getting your website back online, a hacker can access your server. According to a survey by internet security company Kaspersky, 56 percent of companies that have been the target of a cybercrime believe that a DDoS attack was used as a smokescreen for other criminal activities.

It’s important to see the bigger picture and make sure there are protections in place to mitigate data theft and other nefarious activities that could be performed during a DDoS attack.

7. Create A DDoS Response Plan

Like any other risk to your business, you should have documented protocols on how to respond if you are hit with a DDoS attack. Staff should be trained on how to respond when a DDoS attack is detected.

Make sure all contact information for ISPs and hosting providers are readily accessible and up to date. If you have a contract with an internet security service provider, make sure their contact information is available to staff.

8. Test Your Response With a DDoS Simulation

Once you have drafted a playbook, consider running a simulation DDoS attack to test your strategy and identify ways you can improve your response.

You’ll need to inform your ISP or hosting provider of the DDoS simulation and make sure it doesn’t breach the terms of your contract. In addition, some companies require you to use approved DDoS testing partners.

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DDoS attacks are a persistent and evolving cybersecurity challenge that can have wide-ranging consequences for organizations of all sizes. While prevention cannot be guaranteed, understanding how DDoS attacks work, recognizing the signs, and implementing proactive strategies can reduce the risk and impact of these incidents.

Regular monitoring, a scalable infrastructure, DDoS protection services, and a solid response plan are critical for managing and mitigating the effects of DDoS attacks. As technology advances, staying informed and prepared is essential in defending against this constantly shifting threat.