How Can I Protect My Personal Information from Hackers?
Summary: Recently a group of hackers made good on their promise and released tons of stolen personal information from the controversial site AshleyMadison.com.
What a lot of users don’t realize is their information can actually be stolen before it even gets to its destination.
If you use a VPN, you can encrypt your connection and protect yourself from being hacked.
By blocking your IP address and encrypting your connection, your personal information stays safe and secure.
For the best protection of your information while online, get Express VPN now.
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Why Is My Information at Risk?
Recently a group of hackers fulfilled their threats, and released a long revealing list of all of Ashley Madison’s customer’s information.
After the owners didn’t heed their warnings and take down the site (and other similar ones they own) the hackers released the personal information of over 30 million users.
While we’re in no way condoning what goes on at sites like Ashley Madison, this situation brings up an incredibly important issue – just how safe is your personal information online?
The thing is, Ashley Madison had pretty decent security, but even their servers were breached, and their entire customer base is on display for the world to see now.
A lot of protecting your personal information definitely goes into who you trust with it, you can also make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands by using a VPN.
What is a VPN?
VPNs, or virtual private networks, are a simple and effective way to keep your information secure over both public and private Wi Fi connections.
Basically, you find a company that offers a VPN with the features you like (check out some of our reviews for more on that), and sign up for a service plan.
From there, you just download and install the software, choose a server location, and connect.
Your IP address is blocked, and you’re given the one associated with the server you’ve chosen, giving you access to any content that is available in that country.
And of course, all of your traffic is encrypted, so even if it is intercepted, it’s totally private and secure.
Top 3 VPNs for Protecting Your Personal Information from Hackers
There are a lot of VPNs out there to choose from, and with all of them claiming to be the best, it’s hard to know which one to go with.
Here’s a basic rundown of some of the most popular ones on the web, and how they perform with securing your personal information online.
#1 Choice: Express VPN – 9/10 – Military grade encryption on any device
Express VPN is definitely the one I use the most, and for good reason.
Their connection is always fast and reliable, so it’s not just great for protecting your data – it has the power to stream movies and music too.
Express VPN is also compatible with almost any operating system, including Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, and iOS, so you can use it interchangeably.
It’s not a bad deal either – for just over $8 a month, you get two simultaneous connections included for no additional fee, so you can use their software on both a home and mobile device.
Express VPN also employs ultra-secure military grade encryption, so nobody can see what you’re doing online but you.
Though their software is extremely easy to use, if you’re worried about the technical stuff going a bit over your head, Express VPN has support you can actually depend on.
Their team is available 24/7 via live chat and e-mail, with an average turn-around time of less than 20 minutes for e-mail inquiries.
With a rock-solid 30 day money back guarantee and a referral program that actually gives you free service, Express VPN is way more than just data security – it’s a freaking steal.
For the best protection of your information while online, get Express VPN today.
#2: IPVanish – 7/10 – Secure connection, but limited customer support
If you’re just not able to access Express VPN, IPVanish is another good one to try.
Their service definitely has some limitations, but all in all, it’s a fast, reliable VPN that has the same 256 bit encryption as Express VPN.
IPVanish has very user-friendly software, with a simple download and install process that anybody can do to get it set up.
The only trouble is, their support doesn’t have a live way of getting in touch with them.
Though they are available 24/7, you can only reach them by e-mail, so you may be waiting a few hours to hear back.
In addition, their software is only compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and Linux, not iOS.
If you need a VPN to secure your personal information on a mobile Apple device, you’ll need to get Express VPN.
IPVanish can be found at this website.
#3: HideMyAss– 6/10 – Unreliable connection could be security issue
This isn’t a VPN I recommend very much, primarily because there tend to be so many issues with the connection quality.
Despite HideMyAss’s large network of servers, I find that their connection is almost always painfully slow, and that I have a really hard time keeping the servers from dropping me.
This is of particular concern when worried about protecting your personal information, since when the connection gets dropped, your data is just left wide open and exposed.
However HideMyAss, like Express VPN, gives you two simultaneous connections with each of their service plans, and has software that is compatible with most major operating systems.
The programs themselves are terribly difficult to use, and you may run into some problems when it comes to contacting them for support.
I’ve always had a hard time getting a response from HideMyAss.
Though their support is 24/7 and available on live chat, phone, and by e-mail, it seems there’s always a hold time, ‘wait for the next available representative’ message – it can be maddening at times.
What’s more is that e-mails usually take at least 24 hours to get a response on.
While HideMyAss will do the job with their 256 bit encryption, the unreliability of their connection and for customer support quality just isn’t worth it in my eyes.
If you want quality without a catch, just stick with Express VPN.
HideMyAss is here.
Conclusion: Use Express VPN for Fast, Unlimited Access
With so much of our lives happening online now, more of our personal information than ever before is floating around in cyberspace.
Hackers are swiping credit card numbers and PayPal logins by the thousands, and the rate of identity thefts continues to rise.
One simple step you can take to protect your information as it’s in route to websites and servers is to use Express VPN. With Express VPN, you get:
- a securely encrypted connection (256 bit)
- a kill-switch so your data isn’t left exposed
- 24/7 stellar customer service
- access to any blocked content you want
- anonymous browsing with IP address blocking
Part of the battle is definitely visiting well secured sites, but as we’ve seen in the case of the Ashley Madison leaks, sometimes even this isn’t enough.
To protect your personal information from hackers, get Express VPN now.