People Are Using VPNs To Work from Home Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic Bruce Wyatt Follow Apr 20 · 4 min read

State-wide lockdowns, mandatory work from home and self-quarantine directives bring light to a treasure-trove of security challenges. Is it time to sanitize your online presence by using a VPN?

Well, seeing how people are being affected by cyberattacks, scamming attempts, and facing issues in remote working, there is a need for people to take their online privacy/security seriously.

Hackers Exploit Coronavirus “Fearware” to Target Victims

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Panic about the COVID-19 creates a new “Fearware” trend that sees victims being more susceptible to hacking and scamming attacks.

Individuals seeking more information about the pandemic are opening dangerous links and downloading files containing viruses/malware.

Intelligence researchers at Malwarebytes recently identified a clever ploy, wherein cyberattackers used a variant of the AZORult malware in coronavirus maps to steal user data.

Cybercriminals Pretending to be WHO Officials

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Cybercriminals are taking advantage of the lack of knowledge regarding online privacy/security, as an opportunity to scam individuals behind the cloak of WHO.

They ask you to reveal your username/password to access private info, visit links outside of www.who.int, and click on email attachments.

Some are even using phone calls, text messages, and fax messages for their scams with plenty succeeding at fooling people.

WFH is Bringing Security Challenges in Remote Working

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COVID-19 sends Apple, Cisco, AT&T, Amazon, Google, and small-to-middle scale businesses scrambling to securely support an enormous rise in “Work from Home” employees.

With this, malware attacks like the recently spotted APT-style campaigns, and increased stress on remote-access networks are further complicating matters, as most are not familiar with distance learning/working and safety practices to follow with it.

Lockdowns = More Binge-Watching and Gaming

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On a lighter note, the Coronavirus pandemic has also led to an influx of users asking about “what to binge” or new games to play, as they remain in self-quarantine for social distancing.

Streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ are also accelerating their timeline, while Pornsites are offering premium subscriptions for free, presenting a treat for VPN users.

Many are looking at the pandemic as a much-needed break from the outside world in an attempt to get rid of the anxiety surrounding it.

What Role Does a VPN Play in All Of This?

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A Virtual Private Network (VPN) focuses more on the digital well-being of those working from home or in self-quarantine because of the Coronavirus pandemic; something not many are thinking about, but need to!

Similar to wearing masks on your faces, a VPN employs IP address masking and encryption to keep you anonymous and prevent your private info from getting exposed to malware/viruses and during other scamming attempts.

At the same, it presents a host of benefits for remote working by offering dedicated/static IPs and split tunneling features, which are even being utilized by Microsoft and other major companies to help their workforce telecommute.

Interest Over Time for VPNs has Increased Significantly!

Google Trends / Via Trends / trends.google.com

For the common man, these cheap tools are incredibly useful for unblocking geo-restricted content, streaming platforms like Netflix, torrenting sites, and gaining protection from DDoS attacks and swatting hoaxes when gaming.

All of these reasons contribute to an increase in its “interest over time” according to Google Trends particularly from January to March 2020; as fear of the Coronavirus has grown, leading to state/city lockdowns and people spending more time at home to work or practice social distancing.