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What you need to know about VPNs?

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You may have heard the term “VPN” banded about a lot, but what is it and what does it do? In this blog, we will cover what you need to know about VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) including when you should and shouldn’t use them, safely and efficiently use the web and the networks you need to access.

The concept of a VPN (Virtual Private Network) and how they work can be quite confusing and complex. Here we walk you through some of the pros and cons of a VPN and answer some of the common questions associated with VPN use. 

What you need to know about VPNs

A “Virtual private network” connects your device to another network over the internet safely. It works as if you were physically connected to the network you are VPN’ing into and usually gives you the same accessed and credentials as if you were directly on the network. 

When should you use one?

Some common uses for VPN’s include;

  1. To connect to a central location (eg the office) from a remote location
  2. To encrypt communications coming out of, or getting into, a target location (or both)
  3. To encrypt the communications coming out of your device, but not targeted towards any particular location
  4. To connect business networks securely on the internet or to access a business network from one location.
  5. To safely browse the Internet without privacy invasion on public Wi-Fi and also it protects your data.
  6. To access region-restricted websites.
  7. Hides your true identity and helps you to remain somewhat anonymous.
  8. To access local network resources remotely by bypassing the censorship.
  9. You can also conduct your online banking transactions using its secure servers.
  10. Watch Netflix or some other streaming media website content.

 

Is VPN safe for banking?

Yes, it is safe for banking as long as you are using a reputable and trusted provider. 

There are some unreliable free VPNs who keep logs and can pose a threat. Therefore, it is very important to choose a secure and reliable VPN connection. 

What are the disadvantages of a VPN?

VPN, though very useful, has few disadvantages as well.

Does VPN slow down your internet? 

Yes, it does cause a bit decrease of a few MBPS here and there and so you can expect your browsing to be speed lagged. However, if you have a strong CPU and high-speed internet connection, then decreased speed might not even be noticeable.

Privacy can be endangered by using the wrong VPN. 

This often happens with inexperienced providers and especially free service providers as they do not offer properly configured encryption or can expose you to malware. Also, some providers keep logs about your online activities and can endanger your privacy.

 Good quality VPNs can be expensive. 

As free VPN providers are not that reliable, the only option left is a paid one which can cost you a bit more, especially in the long run. Though there are some good “virtual private network” providers with an affordable cost like  which can serve your purpose.

VPNs are not always supported by the device. 

While most of the operating systems do support VPNs, some of them don’t like Chromebook, Boxee Box etc. In such conditions, a VPN has to be manually setup on the device or operating system that requires to be used. Sometimes you have to set up a VPN on your router as well.

When should you not use a VPN?

 If you prefer Targeted Advertising

If you like targeted advertising depending on your browsing history, then “Virtual private network” might not be the best option for you, as it doesn’t track your activities. 

You don’t care much about security

If you are unaware or not so concerned about your privacy leaking out then yes there is no need to take extra effort to set up a VPN. 

You want to live like local when visiting another country

For instance, when visiting in a country like China and Russia where there is marked restriction in using the internet, and you seriously don’t want access to your social media or any other app then, also setting up a VPN is not necessary, unless you plan to do otherwise. 

You are not interested in watching foreign shows

In such a case, a VPN is not required. Because a VPN can give you access to watch the geographically restricted shows easily. 

Does my ISP know I use a virtual private network?

YES, it is quite likely that your ISP knows you are using a VPN. Even if you are using a secure VPN it will be routed through your ISP.

Mostly the connection between your device and the VPN server is encrypted therefore the “virtual private network” company can see your IP address. Therefore, they can assess how much data is flowing by in the form of Bytes, but the encryption will make sure that everything seems to be in a coded gibberish.

It is important to note that the VPN company themselves will know what you are connecting to, hence it is important to make sure to pick the ones that keep no logs. 

Is VPN safe for iPhone?

iPhones Support the setup for a VPN connection and it is completely safe to use it.

They have incorporated a VPN setup section in their interface. Hence, they want you to be able to access all kinds of online functions. 

Should I use a it all the time?

At present, the VPN is recommended only when you are using public Wi-Fi, or for privacy.

It is not recommended to use a it all the time. Use it when you need it for the tasks that are appropriate but not when you access Netflix for example.

It is also useful in securing online banking and shopping activities if you want to keep your data secured or prevent them from getting sold to 3rd party marketers who intend to track your browsing activity for their agenda. 

What is a VPN app?

For making your life easier and to set up a “virtual private network” connection on your Android or iOS devices, there are many free as well as paid apps that provide VPN connection.

You just need to install one and get started.

It provides a connection on demand and doesn’t suck up your battery life as well as running in the background. And for countries like China, a VPN connection can be very helpful as cellular networks do not always provide the best connections. 

Is a VPN legal?

It can be associated with illegal activities which tends to raise questions over its legality. In most countries including Canada, and the USA it is legal to use VPN. 

Note that there are some countries that it is illegal to use a VPN and anything that hides your IP address and encrypts your data. 

It is illegal to use Virtual private network is some of the following countries; 

  • North Korea
  • Iraq
  • Belarus
  • China
  • Turkey
  • Russia
  • UAE.

Though some VPNs keep logs and are not quite as secure, whereas others can be secured by clearing off all the log activity.

Conclusion: There might be many points which can be added to understand the working of VPN, the above should provide a good starting point to understanding VPN. We hope this blog post helped you with what you need to know about VPN. As always, if you have any question about VPN or any other IT support you are experience , feel free to reach out to our team and we would be happy to help. 


Toronto Businesses at Risk from Cyber Security Threat

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In this blog post we will cover Cyber security threat and how to deal with it.

In the time of 1950s, Cyber word used to refer to Cybernetics – The technology of understanding the control and movement of machines and animals.  But today, the term is almost exclusively used to describe cyber security matters. Because it’s hard to visualize how digital signals traveling across a wire can represent a harmful digital attack, we’ve taken to visualizing the digital phenomenon as a physical one.

A cyber security threat is an attack that is mounted against us by means of cyberspace. Cyberspace, a virtual space in the digital device or system that doesn’t exist, has become the metaphor to help us understand digital weaponry that intends to harm us.

Network Infrastructure

As noted the evolving threats to Canada’s cyber network, the government of Canada has outlined a robust plan to make top level security to address the risks to the Canadian government and its business owners from the cyber attacks, and cyber crime.

Most parts of Canada cyber security strategy are focused at protecting confidential information of government, business owners and critical infrastructure, but the plan does directly affect ordinary Canadians through a series of specific security measures designed to make Canadians more secure online. In particular, the government of Canada has concerned itself with what ordinary Canadians worry about most: the security of their sensitive personal and confidential business information.

The National Cyber Security strategy of Canada recognizes that each Canadian has a significant role to play in protecting themselves from becoming the victim of cyber threat. 

As such, much of the government’s initiative is aimed at Canadian centers for cyber security to educate citizens on the most critical cyber security practices, frequently changing key passwords, including keeping antivirus protection up-to-date and only using secured wireless networks. 

The government of Canada is also trying to increase general awareness of the types of cyber threats that common online crimes generally present.

Toronto Businesses at Risk from Cyber Security Threat

There are many risks from a cybersecurity threat. It is vital that information security is taken seriously within an organization’s information technology systems.

What are the risks of a cybersecurity threat?

  1. Data Breach
  2. Loss of Data
  3. Internet of Things (IoT) 
  4. Malware
  5. Social Engineering
  6. Hacking

The following are some of the cyber threats or risks that you should watch out for.

Data Breach:

Cloud data storage is very popular and rapidly increasing in popularity. Many businesses follow traditional methods of data storage and are transferring their data to the cloud. This leaves you vulnerable while you are backing up your data. It is possible that some systems can have unauthorized access to your information. Your cryptographic keys can be vulnerable during this process. There are also some transfer protocols that transmit sensitive data in plain text which is a significant vulnerability and not always obvious it exists. 

To mitigate the risks of a data breach, business owners need to be picky when it comes to choosing a cloud provider. Cloud security is an important part of protecting sensitive information such as intellectual property, credit card data and other important sensitive data that is at risk if a data breach were to occur.

Loss of Data:

Loss of data can be devastating to a business and it happens far too often. Sometimes important data may get lost due to many reasons. The reason behind loss of sensitive data may be through deletion, alteration and use of an unreliable, unsecure storage medium. 

Loss of data or a data breach can ruin the reputation of a business, cause a loss of customers, and drain your finances. 

Internet of Things Insecurities:

In this blog post we will cover

Internet of Things (IoT) technologies connects and networks devices across the world. They are perhaps the most vulnerable and prevalent type of cybersecurity threat in existence today. Many IoT devices are treated as “set and forget” when it comes to cybersecurity. They typically reside on a process network with default or admin-level credentials at the patching and firmware versions they were released with. 

This is a very vulnerable state and they are significant targets, representing a large part of the attack surface a potential hacker may try and exploit. Given the nature of IoT devices, they are usually not considered as directly connected to the internet and usually don’t use protocols and interfaces people are familiar with and consider as the “internet”

Malware/Ransomware Attack:

A malware attack refers to the activity when cybercriminals create malicious software that’s installed on the owner’s device or system without their knowledge to gain access to personal information or to damage the system, usually for financial gain. There are many causes of malware attacks from cyber criminals. 

Some common reasons are behind the malware attacks, the use of many free software programs, removable media, and not having an internet security software program in place. To prevent this, Software updates are important because they repair security holes that have been discovered on a regular basis, and fix or remove computer bugs.

Social Engineering or the Human Factor:

Whether with intent or without malice, people are the biggest threat to cybersecurity. Most of the businesses continue to face insider threats as a major form of cybersecurity breaches. The users in organizations are the weakest link.

This can be due to a lack of cybersecurity awareness — such as using easy-to-guess passwords or falling for phishing emails.

Social engineering is a very real problem. It is the practice of using human nature and tricking people either directly or to circumvent security systems.

The best solution for this problem is training staff on cybersecurity measures, monitoring their activities, and testing. 

Hacking Toronto businesses:

Hacking is a general umbrella term. Most hacks are multifaceted and not as direct as people imagine. Sharing or leaking of seemingly benign information can lead to a privilege escalation that forms the basis for a broader more substantial hack. Many hacks are automated, at least on initial attack surface probing. 

Conclusion: IT support services in Toronto are providing accurate and timely threat intelligence, thought leadership and education on cyber security. We hope this article helped you understand more about the Risk from Cyber Security Threat and solutions that are available.

Are you concerned that your business is not secure from the cyber attacks? Our expert at Eyes Everywhere, have experience in analyzing and implementing robust security plans, from prevention all the way to mitigation, to protect our client’s critical information. Contact us Eyes Everywhere today to secure your systems and reduce your risk from cyber security threat.


Network Security and Support in the Toronto Area

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Network Security and Support

Eyes Everywhere network support will get your network security up and running in no time. Keeping your business productive and your network secure.

Eyes Everywhere offers IT support and consulting services in the greater Toronto area. We keep your network running and your business productive. We have vast experience and expertise in network security and network support. Call Eyes Everywhere on 416.731.1012 today for support.

Network Support

Network Support

We provide Tech Support Services for small business computer networks. Eyes Everywhere will keep your business going and keep you productive.

  1. Managing wireless networks
  2. Disaster recovery & Backups
  3. Cloud services
  4. Mobile devices
  5. Software and Hardware Setup.
  6. Application support

 

Network Infrastructure

Information technology is evolving at a rapid pace. Managed it services and support companies are needed to help keep your business running and reduce downtime. Outsourcing this support to us saves a lot of money over hiring a support technician / system administrator full time, or addressing emergencies and downtime when those happen. Eveys Everywhere mobile technicians can be rapidly deployed to your facility anywhere within a 100 KM radius of Toronto.

Every company and situation is different but our experienced technicians will be able to quickly diagnose and resolve your problems. As all our staff is highly-trained and highly-experienced.

 

Networked Computer Systems

Whatever your network topography, we have the solutions to fix your problems. We can help fix and identify problems with a wide variety of network services such as

  • Databases
  • Cloud services
  • Servers and Virtual Services
  • Email and Email Servers
  • Desktops
  • Laptops
  • Security
  • Firewalls
  • Disaster recovery
  • Backups
  • Setting up new hardware and software

We deal with all 7 layers of the OSI Model  from application specific details right down to the physical network hardware that data is transferred over to.

OSI Network Layer Model

Image Source: Fossbytes

 

Network Security

Harden and protect your Network Security with the Eyes Everywhere Service

Keep your business data secure and your company up and running.

Eyes Everywhere has been securing networks since 2004, we have the skills and experience to meet the demands of your business.

Network Drives

Businesses can’t ignore the importance of a modern network infrastructure, which includes good security and intrusion prevention systems (IPS). Most networks are constantly under attack by malicious actors trying to gain access.

Don’t be one of the businesses that gets hacked! Let Eyes Everywhere help to make sure your network is secure, stable, fast and productive.

 

Most network breaches take advantage of holes in your network and systems on your network in a multi hierarchical fashion. They prey on the weakest point in your network and pivot and escalate privileges through your systems. The stronger your weakest link, the safer you will be.

Eyes Everywhere can help set up, configure and harden

  • Antivirus
  • Anti-spam
  • Backups
  • Configuration and Enhancement
  • Disaster Recovery
  • Integration
  • Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS)

Where do we provide support?

We serve the following locations within a 100 KM radius of Toronto and can be on site fast.

We have been providing fast response IT support and tech support services for businesses since 2004 and have built up a great reputation with many references from happy customers.

  • Brampton
  • Oshawa
  • Vaughan
  • Bowmanville
  • Toronto
  • North York
  • Mississauga
  • Scarborough
  • Markham
  • Whitby
  • Thornhill
  • Richmond Hill
  • Pickering
  • Oakville
  • Burlington
  • Georgetown
  • Orangeville
  • Newmarket

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