Why a personal VPN is a cyber lifesaver in 2023

We need to talk about your Internet security. Millions of people have subscribed to ChatGPT this year, and many of its users are sharing personal information on public Wi-Fi.

Given the rise of AI software, a paid VPN is a potential lifesaver, as chatbots can be hacked to launch dark web phishing attacks.  

While advancements in SSL certificates have significantly reduced malware risks, complete online safety remains elusive.

Here we’ll examine different types of VPNs, the pitfalls of unprotected public Wi-Fi, and how a VPN can protect you against ChatGPT hackers.

Personal vs Business VPNs

VPNs provide anonymity and freedom online, but they are not all created equal.

Most people use a personal VPN for everyday activities such as online banking, streaming Netflix while on vacation, or watching the Superbowl on public Wi-Fi.

However, business VPNs focus primarily on security within large organizations so workers can access company servers on their devices.

While corporate VPNs can safeguard a company’s security network, they are not for anonymous browsing or unlocking geo-restricted content. For these benefits, a personal VPN does the trick. 

Personal VPN 

An everyday VPN is designed for individual users, offering enhanced online privacy, security, and anonymity. 

Every time you use one, you will receive a dynamic IP address distributed among multiple users.

With this virtual IP address, you can browse the Internet privately as it hides your device’s physical location. You can also use a reverse IP address lookup tool to track other people’s geolocation data.

Business VPN

A business VPN secures corporate data and communications, allowing remote employees to access company resources safely while protecting sensitive information across multiple locations.

Corporate VPNs usually have static IP addresses, which provide workers with security and convenience.

IT managers are responsible for managing VPN access and can add or remove users at their discretion. 

Personal VPNs: Worth the investment?

Since most of our private lives live on our devices, it pays to lock the back door properly.

Despite SSL certificates securing most websites, a personal VPN provides you with an additional support layer, creating an encrypted tunnel between your Internet traffic and malware scammers. 

Coffee shops and transport hubs, especially those that require no password to connect to the Wi-Fi, are especially vulnerable to criminal activities, so logging onto public Wi-Fi without protection is risky. Scammers are notorious for creating fake Wi-Fi public hotspots that rob people of their funds. 

VPNs protect you against “evil twins”

Let’s say you want to use “Peet’s Coffee Wi-Fi” on your lunch break but mistakenly log into a fraudulent “Peet’s Coffee FREE Wi-Fi” network. 

By doing so, your phone or laptop’s connection will be re-routed to the hacker’s rogue access point. Sometimes criminals combine this threat with a denial of service attack, which paralyzes the official network, making the fake network the only one available. 

Once you’ve logged into the scammer’s evil twin network, they can access all your pre-stored login and password details, photos, etc.

One of the best ways to stop this is to always use a VPN on public Wi-Fi, as masking your IP address makes it extremely difficult for criminals to hack your device. 

Dark web criminals plot ChatGPT takeover

Hackers are continually innovating and responding to technological change. The race to hack ChatGPT has sparked a seven-fold rise in criminals discussing how to manipulate the chatbot.

The number of posts on dark web forums about ChatGPT surged from 120 in January to 870 in February 2023 — a 625% increase. Forum threads rose 145% – from 37 to 91 in a month – as exploiting the software became the dark web’s favorite topic. 

With ChatGPT in their pocket, criminals can potentially take advantage of its generative qualities to conduct fraud — like romance scams — on an industrial scale, targeting multiple victims simultaneously.

According to CheckPoint Research, criminals are using it to develop malicious tools such as infostealers and encryption software. They also reported hackers are bypassing ChatGPT’s restrictions to create malicious content, such as phishing emails.

A VPN can protect you from hackers by encrypting your Internet traffic. By masking your IP address, you can avoid being targeted for your location and browsing history. So if someone attempts to unleash malware on your device, a VPN can help reduce the risk of infiltration.

Browse fearlessly with a virtual private network

As we increasingly rely on AI algorithms for information, the need for VPN protection becomes greater. 

With a VPN, you can confidently engage with smart apps knowing your personal information is safe and help maintain a free and open Internet

Given the rise of generative AI, cyber threats will continue to evolve in 2023 and beyond. So, downloading a VPN is a potential lifesaver if you want to browse securely in a fast-changing world.

FastVPN by Namecheap is easy-to-use and hides your location, so you can shop and pay people securely on public Wi-Fi. It also provides you with a “no-log” guarantee, as it’s none of our business what you search for online. Try it out today for only $0.99/1st mo.