We now use our smartphones almost around the clock and can no longer do without them in our daily lives. Whether it is Googling information, maintaining our friendships via social networks or using messenger services such as WhatsApp, Signal, iMessage and the like – it all happens completely online.
And then there are the countless apps that make our lives easier with practical navigation services, help us plan and organize or simply provide entertainment.
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The fact is that we are constantly exchanging a huge amount of data and sometimes releasing very personal information. This makes the issue of data security for the iPhone all the more important, which fortunately can be easily achieved thanks to special VPN solutions. Here we explain what exactly this means and how you can find the right VPN service for you.
Why is effective data protection essential?
Using a mobile device like a smartphone, tablet or laptop without any protection mechanism is like living in a brightly lit house without curtains. Literally anyone can monitor all our activities, learn intimate details, observe us, spy on us and use the knowledge gained in illegal ways.
It is inevitable that we leave behind many traces online that provide information about us as a person, our click and purchase behavior and our interests. In addition, we also have to provide very sensitive credit card numbers and the like in order to make successful online purchases. Even identification procedures via the iPhone are no longer a rarity, in which very personal data such as passport numbers or dates of birth are collected.
What are the dangers arising from the permanent exchange of data?
Obviously, this leaves you vulnerable to third parties who misuse this valuable information in various ways. This can happen through hacker attacks, data theft or credit card fraud. Viruses and other malware can also much more easily get into your devices through such backdoors and cause a lot of damage.
Another serious problem is the risk of spying and stalking. In addition, some people are out to manipulate us digitally, for example by making us the target of massive marketing attacks.
How to effectively protect yourself
There are several ways to better protect your data and make yourself less vulnerable to cybercrime and online bullying:
- Enable powerful antivirus programs that perform regular scans, proactively fight malware, and warn you about suspicious websites.
- Limit yourself to opening trustworthy websites with a high SSL Security Certificate.
- Only download apps from the App Store and not from any other source.
- Delete spam emails immediately and ignore strange attachments.
- Use nicknames and provide only the most necessary personal information.
- Always turn off automatic WLAN, NFC and Bluetooth connection when you are traveling, otherwise the iPhone will constantly try to dial in and be detected as a device.
- Use extremely secure passwords stored through a reputable management system.
- Make regular backups so you can access them in case of data loss.
- Activate a VPN service that protects your privacy.
How exactly do VPN systems work?
When a website is visited online, the terminal device used connects to the server and reveals its unique IP address. This allows the device to be identified online, which means that its location and sometimes even more sensitive data can be traced. This makes you physically traceable and you lose your anonymity while surfing.
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) restores this anonymity at the push of a button by instead forwarding your own IP address to us as an external server, thus hiding the real data. The data sent and received via an existing VPN connection is thus cleverly encrypted and can no longer be traced back to its source.
Free VPN services establish a server connection at their own discretion, without you having any influence. With paid downloads or subscriptions, you have the option to select a specific VPN region and pretend online that the device is located in South Africa, for example.
Why do you benefit from using these services?
Although iPhones are significantly less susceptible to virus attacks and other hacking attacks compared to Android models, a VPN is still recommended as it provides an extra protective shield. If you were previously completely transparent as an internet user and therefore inevitably a target for illegal activities, you can now enjoy anonymity and increased security with the VPN service.
Installation via a download program is extremely easy. The service is then immediately accessible and can be deactivated at any time. In some rare cases, the VPN can block certain online processes, so it is crucial to be able to adjust this manually if necessary.
Another big advantage is the choice of VPN region. For example, if you want to access streaming content from your favorite TV channel while traveling, you will very often get an error message. In this case, the streaming platform recognizes a foreign IP address, but only releases its content within the Netherlands. By temporarily generating a Dutch IP address on request via the VPN, this hurdle can easily be circumvented.
What should you pay attention to when choosing a supplier?
All major VPN providers have now optimized their service for the iOS operating system, so you can easily protect your iPhone. You should definitely choose a proven service that also works smoothly for the above-mentioned streaming purposes. Unfortunately, this is not the case with all available VPN services and that is why it is worth doing extensive research beforehand.
Independent comparison portals are often an excellent source of information to directly compare current options and make an individual decision based on your own needs. VPNs are sometimes integrated as an additional component in paid antivirus programs. If you still want to upgrade the protection of your device, you can kill two birds with one stone and save money at the same time.
You should also check how long the VPN service lasts and whether or not the region can be selected manually. If you use multiple mobile devices at once, you can often find licenses that can be installed on up to 7 devices at once. This is usually the most cost-effective option for couples and families.