I'm a privacy expert, here’s 5 things I'd buy to stay safe over Cyber Monday
Grab premium services at their ever-smallest prices
If you want to avoid data breaches, malware attacks, online scams, ID theft, or unwanted tracking, Cyber Monday is a great time to save. Some of the best Cyber Monday VPN deals, antivirus deals, and password manager savings offer great ways to access the best security services for less.
I've been writing about privacy for years, and have seen how shoppers can fall victim to online threats over the sales period. To help avoid this, here are the five key tools I recommend you pick up over Cyber Monday. Plus, they're all on discount for the sales weekend, so you can get them for less right now!
1. Virtual private network (VPN)
A virtual private network (VPN) is security software that encrypts your internet connections to prevent third-party access while spoofing your real IP address to grant online anonymity and access to otherwise geo-restricted content.
Together, these two skills bring many advantages. They reduce online tracking, for instance, while ensuring the content of your online activities remains private. You need IP-spoofing to bypass geo-restricted content, whether that's a foreign streaming library, censored apps, or workplace firewall. A gaming VPN also helps you prevent cyberattacks and bandwidth throttling.
While there are many free applications, most are scams or offer poor privacy protection and performance. The good news is that some of the best VPN providers on the market have seriously axed their fees thanks to some great Cyber monday VPN deals so, if you need a reliable VPN, make sure not to miss out.
NordVPN: Up to 73% off + 3 months free
Our recent testing confirmed NordVPN as the top VPN solution on the market right now. For this Cyber Monday, it can be yours starting at $2.99 per month. You can expect great speeds, impeccable performances, and strong security from this all-round product. Check it out risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Antivirus
Clicking on a dodgy link or downloading unsecured files is all it takes to infect your device with malware, viruses, or other malicious programs – whether you're browsing with your laptop or mobile. Attackers often do so to compromise your most sensitive information for financial gains or worse.
This is why it's important to have a reliable antivirus on at all times when browsing the web. These services can proactively protect you by preventing malicious software from reaching your device in the first place. They regularly scan for threats, while helping you maintain healthy cyber hygiene.
Even though the likes of NordVPN have become very effective in malware and phishing protection, I recommend complementing tools provided by VPNs with a standalone antivirus solution. Many big names have cut their prices this year, including Norton, Avast, and McAfee, so check out these Cyber Monday antivirus deals before it's too late.
Bitdefender Total Security: Save 50%
TechRadar's top antivirus axed its prices in half for this year's Cyber Monday. You can get one year of Bitdefender Total Security on up to five devices across desktop and mobile with anti-phishing protection for 449.99 with this time-limited deal. You can even add Bitdefender's new VPN Premium for only $34.99.
3. Password manager
If you had to think about how many active passwords you have, you'd probably struggle to remember them all. Recent data suggests that every internet user handles an average of 168 passwords in 2024.
The struggle to come up with a new password – and then remember it – leads many to use the same one repeatedly. This means if one account gets compromised, cybercriminals can use credential-stuff attacks to gain access to others using the same login details.
A password manager can fix this problem for you. While storing all your log-in details for you – something that your laptop or web browser already does – such software also helps you create strong and unique passwords each time. Some VPN services, including NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and ProtonVPN, as well as antivirus bundles offer a password manager as a free extra tool, so this would save you a subscription – even if that's discounted!
McAfee+ Family: Save up to $190
One of the leading brands in the antivirus world, McAfee is among my favorite picks if you're looking to protect your family with just one subscription. Save up to $190 for one year of McAfee+ Family and get its award-winning antivirus, ID theft protection suite, which features financial monitoring and $1m in coverage, as well as a secure VPN and, well, reliable password manager software.
4. ID and credit protection
Identity theft and financial fraud incidents are on the rise. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) counted over 550,000 cases of ID theft reported in the US in the first half of 2024, This number is set to exceed all reports throughout the 12 months in 2023. Hence, you increasingly need identity protection and credit monitoring solutions to take control of your most precious data.
While you can get standalone products, opting for an antivirus provider with these included can save you some bucks and the hassle of signing up for a different service. For instance, McAfee+ Family comes with both identity and credit monitoring, among other things, and it now costs $150 less than in normal times.
Also, VPN providers have been beefing up their offerings on this front recently. Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN have launched an identity protection suite alongside their VPN. While NordProtect only comes with the provider's more expensive plans, the ExpressVPN ID suite is my top choice if you're living in the US.
ExpressVPN: Up to 82% off + up to 6 months free
If you opt for ExpressVPN's new two-year plan, you can bag yourself a comparable package to NordVPN's Prime plan, but for over two dollars less – the equivalent of $4.99 per month! Alongside its feature-packed secure VPN, you'll get ExpressVPN's new Identity Defender suite, Credit Scanner tool, and six months of free protection on top. Remember, though, the ID theft bundle is available only for the US market at the moment.
5. Data removal service
You are now all geared up and ready to surf the web with your security and privacy armor but, wait a minute, what about all the data you have already leaked online?
Besides cybercriminals, data brokers are very hungry for your information. They use this data to build a digital profile of you and tailor targeted ads. Yet, under privacy laws like the GDPR in Europe and similar, you can exercise your right to be forgotten and ask these firms to delete all the data they have on you.
Data removal services are handy because they manage this process for you. Again, some antivirus and VPN providers offer security bundles that include data removal and other extra tools – and are now a bargain thanks to Cyber Monday discounts.
Surfshark: Up to 81% off + up to 6 months free
Surfshark isn't just the best cheap VPN out there, but also a great value-for-money security suite, which includes its secure VPN, ID alerts, antivirus, private search, and data removal service. For Cyber Monday, Surfshark One+ can be yours for the equivalent of $3,99 per month and six extra months for free. Try it out for yourself for 30 days risk-free!
Chiara is a multimedia journalist committed to covering stories to help promote the rights and denounce the abuses of the digital side of life—wherever cybersecurity, markets and politics tangle up. She mainly writes news, interviews and analysis on data privacy, online censorship, digital rights, cybercrime, and security software, with a special focus on VPNs, for TechRadar Pro, TechRadar and Tom’s Guide. Got a story, tip-off or something tech-interesting to say? Reach out to chiara.castro@futurenet.com