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How to use a VPN to stop hackers and scammers
The use case for VPNs has come a long way from being a means for remote workers to connect to their business' networks.
Now it's about offering the everyday user better online security, particularly as online scams and hackers become ever more sophisticated with their attacks.
Luckily, the best VPN providers are meeting these threats with force, offering ever more powerful, advanced cyber security tools to stop these attacks in their tracks.
Here are some tips and tricks on how to better utilize your VPN to protect yourself against hackers and scammers.
How to use a VPN to stop hackers and scammers
Before determining what features a VPN offers to stop both hackers and scammers, it's worth establishing the distinctions between the two.
While both pose threats to your data, their approach and intended outcomes slightly differ. That means different VPN features will be best for targeting either hackers and scammers, while some features will protect against both.
- Hackers: Generally, hacking targets the software rather than the person. Hackers look for vulnerabilities in computers systems, networks, and applications and endeavor to gain unauthorized access in order to spy, sabotage, or, more often than not, for financial gain.
- Scammers: Scammers target individuals or organizations through a number of methods, including phishing and malware distribution.
Being familiar with what features your VPN has on offer and configuring it for maximum security will help in both having strong security foundations and detecting any incoming threats from both hackers and scammers before either can cause serious harm.
Kill switch
Hackers will be seeking any vulnerability within your device or the network you're connected to – and a VPN can certainly help with the latter, making your network more secure whether you're connected to private or public Wi-Fi. And a kill switch is pretty much a VPN fundamental at this point with most top providers equipped with one.
A kill switch comes into play should your VPN connection drop for whatever reason. Of course, when your connection to a server drops, that leaves your traffic without encryption and at bigger risk. A kill switch activates in this instance and prevents you from connecting to the internet altogether, avoiding there being any amount of time in which your data could be vulnerable.
Double VPN
Another great feature to have on side when phasing off hackers, a Double VPN is pretty self explanatory, but essentially it sends your data through not one but two servers, giving you double the encryption and reassurance of better online anonymity.
Auto connect
Sort of like the sibling of the kill switch, auto-connect can be set up to ensure your VPN is always active and protecting you when your device is connected to the internet. This feature can be configured when connecting to specific networks, and disabled where you're connecting to a known, secure one; for instance, your home Wi-Fi.
Having this set-up to your preferences mean you won't have to think about launching your VPN and connecting to a server, it'll do it for you, reducing the chances of any hackers getting through the gaps.
Ad blockers
When it comes to targeting scammers, having an ad-blocker is a good tool to have in your arsenal, with many VPN providers now offering them as a part of their packages. Surfshark, for instance, has its own ad-blocker called Clean Web built into its clients. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Proton VPN are other examples of VPNs that offer this feature.
As well as making your browsing experience less cluttered, ad-blockers can also protect your against more malicious ads, trackers, and many flag when you're about to visit an untrustworthy website.
Phishing email detection
Spotting phishing attempts can be a fine art. While some may feel obvious, over the years they've definitely become more sophisticated, with emails and the like adopting the design and voice of organizations in order to trick you into a sense of legitimacy in these comms. This has only got easier still for bad actors thanks to the advancements of AI.
Thankfully, there are VPN features out there that can detect and help you identify these phishing attempts. Surfshark's email scam checker comes as a part of its Chrome extension, for example (though it's worth noting it's currently only designed to work exclusively on Gmail). NordVPN's Threat Protection Pro is considered anti-phishing software, while ExpressVPN's Threat Manager detects and blocks phishing domains.
All-in-one security suites
It's also worth looking beyond just a subscription to a VPN, with many VPNs now going above and beyond their original use case and expanding into other cybersecurity measures.
Many of the top VPNs now allow you to upgrade to full, all-in-one security suites. For instance, Surfshark One bundles together a ton of other tools, including Alternative ID, its own antivirus, and – if you subscribe to One+ – Incogni, its very own data removal service.
How else can I prevent hacks and scams?
As seen in many of the all-in-one suites offered now by VPN services, there are other tools that can help protect you against hacks and scams. The obvious and more traditional piece of software is antivirus software. This protects you on a hardware level, able to run regular scans to ensure no harmful viruses or malware are present on your system.
Other things to consider are your cyber hygiene. This is everything from utilizing strong passwords to having two-factor authentication set-up on important logins. It's also as simple as ensuring your device is up-to-date with the latest software, as these often include security patches to iron out any vulnerabilities detected.
