Why VPNs matter in today’s UK digital landscape

With the constantly evolving security threat landscape introducing new and ingenious methods for hackers and organisations alike to track our movements on the web, our online privacy is increasingly difficult to protect. It can feel like an overwhelming task just to stay safe in a digital world in which so many of our activities have moved online.

The UK government recently introduced its UK Online Safety Act to stop younger users encountering harmful content online. It’s a great start to tackling some of the new threats we face today, yet everywhere we look another hazard pops up – be that spyware or fake networks that watch our activity over public Wi-Fi, or use our data and even device configurations to build profiles that might impact the prices we’re offered on insurance and holiday booking sites.

One of the best tools to combat these new and emerging threats is a Virtual Private Network (VPN). So, what is that, and how can you choose one you can trust?

What is a VPN?

A VPN is software that creates an encrypted connection between your device and the online servers you access when using the internet. This means that all the data that travels between the two – the websites you visit, the pages you access, details you type into text fields, account logins, online banking and similar activities – is invisible to hackers and organisations. Even the VPN provider won’t know what you’ve typed or where you’ve been. With a VPN, your online activities have protection from any prying eyes.

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For more information on how they work, you can also read Are VPNs legal in the UK?

When should you use a VPN?

VPNs are useful in a wide range of settings. One of the most important is when using public Wi-Fi networks, such as in airports, trains stations or coffee shops. It’s easy for hackers to set up fake networks that look like the real thing, but steal all your data or watch what you do. With a VPN your connection is encrypted, so the attackers can’t see your actions.

Online banking is another time when a VPN should be used, as it adds an additional level of security to your transactions.

A helpful feature offered by VPNs is the ability to hide the location of your network or even make it look like you’re in another country. This can be useful when you’re travelling and want to access the content you would normally use back home. The VPN could make it appear that you are still browsing from your home location.

VPNs are not intended to contravene local legislation, but when they are used in the correct way they are incredibly powerful tools that can bolster your online privacy and security.

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Which VPN should you use?

It’s important to choose the right VPN, as you’ll need to trust that it’s doing what it says and protecting you from the attacks that exist online. Norton is a brand synonymous with security and data safety, so Norton VPN is an excellent choice.

The service offers the assurance of the Norton name and has a no-logs policy, meaning the company keeps no records of your online browsing and can’t see your data, all of which is verified by independent audits from VerSprite.

Norton VPN is quick and easy to use and includes a built-in ad-blocker to help stop you being pestered or tracked while you browse.

Norton VPN Standard costs £19.99 for the first year, but you’ll find additional features available on two other tiers if you want even more convenience and protection online.

Norton VPN Plus (£24.99 for the first year) gives you everything from the Norton VPN Standard package, but adds powerful AI technology that actively works to detect and help protect you from online scams. It also monitors the dark web for your personal information that may have been compromised. And it includes a password manager, which makes logging into your online accounts incredibly simple as you need only remember one password – Norton does the rest, and it throws in for Windows PCs 10GB of cloud storage for valuable files.

The most comprehensive toolset is found in Norton VPN Ultimate (£29.99 for the first year), which boosts the cloud storage to 50GB and introduces parental control features including location supervision for iOS and Android devices, so you can not only keep your family safe online but also know where they are in real life.

Each of the Norton VPN suites offers a 7-day trial: so you can try Norton VPN and see for yourself how it can improve your online safety.

The digital world is continually changing, as are the threats to its users, so it’s a good idea to keep your privacy and security tools up to date. A VPN is a simple way to defeat some of the most prevalent attacks out there, all while staying out of the way and letting your get on with your life. If only everything was this easy.