The battle of VPNs: Who is the winner?

Among the threats to the national security of the UK are cybercrimes. The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure recognizes that cybercriminals “also use malicious software (or malware) to disrupt and damage cyberinfrastructure.”

In fact, according to CBR online, during 2019 and 2020, cyber-attacks “have hit most organizations across the UK, with 96% of companies reporting that a breach has negatively impacted their businesses. Specifically, ransomware attacks have “evolved into a really amazing degree of sophistication.

Also, anyone living in the UK or wanting to access the internet through a UK portal needs to be aware that British authorities closely monitor users’ online activity. The most effective way to avoid that surveillance and protect online privacy in the UK is through a VPN, which is entirely legal.

When shopping around for a VPN, the best choice is a premium VPN. The user can be assured of the best encryption for a low monthly price, no user tracking through a “no-logs” policy, and the most reliable leak-proof connections.

On the other hand, free VPNs only remain free by meeting their maintenance costs in other ways. Free VPNs, among other things, track their users and sell the user activity logs to marketers and online advertisers. Some free services deposit trackers on the user’s browsers, and others have been detected as facilitating third-party cyber-attacks.

Surfshark in the UK, for example, heads the winners’ list of the strongest premium VPNs in the UK, which include the following seven benefits:

1. Along with the security features and built-in firewalls of the popular computer operating systems, a strong UK VPN adds an important layer of continuous security and privacy protection. It does that through location masking and strong data encryption.
2. When conducting financial transactions, online UK users need the VPN’s added security. Their financial institutions do not always provide that extra layer of anonymity. The top advantage is how it protects financial data—fund transfers, invoices, etc.—as it proceeds from the customer to the financial institution. A VPN makes the user far less vulnerable to surveillance and MITM (man-in-the-middle) attacks.
3. Speaking of MITM, in London alone, there are over 750,000 mobile free Wi-Fi spots. Users should never sign on to an insecure public Wi-Fi server without connecting to a VPN. Mobile phones can also be a source of vulnerability to a man-in-the-middle attack. A VPN on the user’s mobile device is the best protection from hackers who perform live spying, spoofing, and luring unsuspected victims to fake websites.
4. A strong UK VPN bypasses ISP bandwidth throttling, which slows online gameplay. The user can also gain access to restricted or locally banned games. In addition to remaining anonymous online, another VPN benefit to the user is its protection against rival players’ interference and dirty tricks like denial of service attacks.
5. When using VPN, the user can sign into UK streaming services like iPlayer and Netflix from outside the country. Because of programming policies or copyright restrictions, streaming services often do not broadcast popular series outside their coverage area. So, a strong UK VPN can unlock a vast amount of out-of-area content–without having to log into dangerous websites that illegally pirate content.
6. A strong UK VPN thwarts unfair pricing practices. Online e-commerce sites and other businesses frequently block out-of-area shoppers or show different prices when they detect customers’ log-ons in more affluent areas. For example, airlines frequently display different ticketing prices based on the location of the user’s ISP address. So, shopping for the same airline ticket at different IP locations can give the user access to lower prices for the same trip.
7. It protects every user device connected to a home router. The home router can be a shield against compromising personal privacy and close the door to hackers seeking entry through home security and other web-connected devices. Installing a VPN on the router is the best way to protect every device that uses an internet connection.

A VPN protects UK users from spies and government surveillance. It adds an encrypted layer of online security as well as location masking. The VPN masks the user’s location and encrypts online traffic.

The best choice is a premium VPN. Free VPN services are less secure and slow down the user’s internet connection. Premium VPNs with no-logs policies provide the best online protection, especially for financial transactions, and by preventing man-in-the-middle attacks on public Wi-Fi networks.

A premium VPN also provides reliable access to UK streaming sites and can protect against unfair pricing practices. Likewise, installing a VPN on a router covers every device serviced by the router.