A Virtual Private Network, or a VPN, is a connection method that allows the secure traffic of data between the connected devices. A VPN protects the data by encrypting it and thus granting its secure transfer. People use a VPN service to safeguard their privacy and ensure the secure sharing of sensitive information.

At the same time, there’s a question of speed, namely, how all that encryption process affects the speed of your Internet connection. In this article, we will explore this topic in detail.

So, can a VPN slow down your Internet?

The short answer is yes, it can. However, everything is not that simple, as it all depends on the circumstances.

If you are using a high-quality, reliable VPN service, you will not notice the difference. Most VPN providers offer a decent speed with a minor decrease, as compared to the usual Internet speed. This reduction is caused by the encryption process, which protects your network.

With that said, certain factors make the connection through a VPN slower.

1. Slow Internet

If your Internet speed is slow to begin with, a VPN will not solve the problem. Some users may purchase a VPN service only to make their Internet perform faster, but in most cases it is ineffective and they end up with even a slower connection than previously. So, if you believe that a VPN affects your Internet, first ensure that you have an adequate speed by running a speed test, as described in this guide.

2. The physical location of the server

When it comes to the speed, the distance to the VPN server you are connected to is important. The farther the server is, the longer it takes for the packets of data to be transmitted. That is why, for faster performance, make sure to connect to the server that is located nearest to you. Good VPN providers have a range of servers all over the world, so you can easily choose the most suitable one.

3. Server overload

It is possible for a server to get overcrowded when there are too many users and not enough bandwidth. This situation happens rather frequently with free VPNs. In this case, the solution is to try connecting to a different server, where there may be fewer visitors. Ultimately, you should choose a provider with no bandwidth limitations on their servers.

4. Interference

Some firewalls or anti-malware programs may interfere with your VPN and slow down your connection. Although it is not that common, some of the security programs may be configured to affect the traffic and the CPU usage of your computer. Make sure to use one of the best antivirus options to avoid interference.

5. Encryption

The level of encryption has its effect on the speed as well. The stronger it is, the more CPU it takes up. Mostly, it concerns older devices though. In this case, you may switch to a lighter protocol.

In conclusion

So, as you can see, it is not a myth that a VPN can make your Internet slower. That is why you should stay away from a free VPN and choose a legitimate provider that offers reliable service.

Big data security breaches are no longer the fictitious thoughts of the ester years. Hackers whether solitary or organized continue to wreak havoc with complex spear phishing or drive-by attacks on institutions with big sets of data to secure. That artificial intelligence and machine learning can now be used to further complicate attacks. This makes it inevitable for enterprises with big data to take systems security even more seriously.

To avoid the enormous cost rising out of a data breach and the reputation loss that an institution has to deal with, it becomes paramount to look for ways of preventing big data from honed breaches. Compounding the scenario is the fact that many firms offering security solutions are relying on the same algorithms that hackers use to perpetrate an attack. But what to do?

Establish a security-focused attitude

Companies with big data sets under their care need to know that breachers are always looking for better ways to gain access. As such, it’s important that you have the right people onboard. The superb data security policies you want to invest in will be in vain, if the personnel is unwilling to stick to them. Before you invest mysql backup protocols and practices, make sure that your staffs are dedicated to data and information safety.

Limit access to critical data

The big data sets that a company is entrusted with are the most critical assets. When everyone on board acknowledges the cost of a data breach, it becomes unanimous that limits and restrictions need to be in place. Not every staffer has to have access to your most valuable data. By whittling down the number of employees who can accidentally open a harmful link, you consolidate your data the more.

Reduce data storage locations

Big data chunks spread across different locations open up the possibility of exposure. The more managed data centres you have, the higher the chances that information will slip into the wrong hands. A robust system will have less data storage locations and devices. If your data is stored in a centralized cloud based location with water tight restrictions, encryption and strict access control, you can breathe knowing breachers won’t be getting to your prised data soon. Remember, it’s important to keep monitoring since hackers keep inventing ways of getting through.

Verify third-party vendor compliance

If your enterprise deals with several third-party vendors, it’s crucial to question their allegiance to data security. A simple case of unlawful entry or unauthorized data access can lead to a big breach. If a vendor has access to your crucial data, you need to demand their compliance to privacy laws and privileges.

Employee security awareness training

In many firms, employees are the weakest links in the data security context. Unaware, an employee can click on a suspicious links or email. The results can be devastating. Don’t put your staff through one cyber security class and think it’s enough. It should be a continuous exercise, if you expect to counter the ever witty alternatives that hackers are using.

Involve white hat hackers

Ethical hackers can provide an enterprise with the immunity that a company needs. White hat hackers have the knowledge to test systems using penetration tests. This helps a firm to point out vulnerabilities that breachers can exploit. Additionally, you can resort to security tightening measures such as configuring the mainframes for optimum security and use.

Intrusion, detection and prevention applications

One combination that big data endowed firms can employ is the intrusion, detection and prevention strategy. Your organization will be able to monitor system activity, configuration and still assess the integrity of mission critical systems. Remember, it’s wise to perform proactive vulnerability assessments in real-time.

Marketing is something that every growing business and brand has to invest in. You will seldom find that in this day and age, a brand will become a household name without any marketing efforts. Although virality does play a role in those who do, this isn’t something that businesses can depend on. For this reason, marketing has become something that companies are trying to master as it’s the primary way of improving their bottom line. However, marketing takes on a different face for each brand, so figuring out what works best for you is key. Below you’ll find five ways that you can improve your marketing efforts and get better results.

1.) Carry Out an Audit

Before carrying out any vigorous marketing activities, you should think about doing a marketing audit. In case you don’t know what a marketing audit is, it’s an in-depth analysis of your marketing activities, goals, and objectives. By conducting one, you’ll be able to identify areas that are ineffective as well as realign your activities with your goals. In addition to this, it’s a chance to open yourself up to new ideas and strategies.

2.) Invest More Money

Although it is still possible to leverage organic traffic, if you want to see quicker and more significant results, spending money is a necessity. Create a paid ads budget that will give you a decent return on investment.

If you don’t have the money to invest in paid ads, you should be thinking about getting an additional stream of income to support your business and help manage your personal expenses.

There are endless ways to make money working from home,whether it be by becoming a vlogger, dropshipping, or publishing an eBook.

3.) Be Open to Experimenting

Aside from the mentioned, being open to experimenting could also go a long way. As mentioned earlier, after doing an audit, you’ll likely discover new ideas that you can try implementing. Marketing is about trying to mold your brand’s perception in the eyes of your audience as well as converting them to loyal customers. This often demands creative thinking as well as out of the ordinary strategies.

4.) Use Your Data

If you’re doing marketing, you should have data that is being used to inform your decisions. Without data, you can liken your marketing attempts to trying to capture your target in the dark. Use existing data alongside data that you collect and decide how best to communicate with your audience. Big data, can be used to create real-time personalization to buyers and identify the type of content that moves buyers down the sales funnel.

5.) Focus on Quality

The last tip for improving your marketing efforts as a business or brand is to focus on quality. When creating content, whether it’s for social media, blog posts or ads, ensure that its well-thought-out. You want content that coverts as opposed to just putting out information that only adds to the existing noise online. Quality content adds value to its audience and has a clear-cut purpose.

Technology is in a state of flux and will continue to have a great impact on the future of businesses and the way that we live. However, as recent developments in technology shows, there are some elements of emerging technology that will help to change the future of tech and its surrounding industries drastically. This article covers some of the most important tech developments and how they will affect the future.

• Miniaturization

The miniaturization of devices will become a dominant factor in the potential of upcoming electronics, and this is mainly enabled by the development of PCBs. PCBs are currently being designed to become miniaturized, which will influence a business’s ability to create wearable tech such as watches and flexible displays. All of these rely on developments in PCBs to ensure that their circuits can be made flexible and that their technology remains workable. If you are looking for software that can help you to design your PCBs, PCB design largely comes down to low-priced professional PCB software such as Altium’s CircuitStudio. These allow you to create PCBs for professional layouts, ensuring that you have the expert tools needed for any PCB design.

• Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence will also affect the future of technology. Artificial Intelligence will allow programs to be run solely by machines to perform time-consuming tasks and improve the accuracy of processes. AI can be used for many purposes, and these include the increasing of sales, detecting fraud, better security measures, and even the implementation of tools. Not only this, but AI chatbots and virtual assistants can help businesses to interact with customers without the necessary personnel, and large companies such as Amazon have already started using AI for their delivery practices, as well as their algorithms and in their voice assistant, Alexa.

• AR and VR

AR and VR are not just for entertainment experiences, and although VR gadgets are great to play with, they can also have a vast effect on other industries. For instance, manufacturing and engineering companies can use VR and AR to immerse themselves within an experience and apply these elements to real life. This is perfect for aspects such as fixing issues with production and assembly lines, testing products and ensuring that their processes will become more accurate. AR and VR will also start to have benefits to other business aspects such as marketing, where companies can provide consumers with realistic assimilations of their product and how they might use it.

• Automation

Soon, you may be more likely to work alongside a robot than a human as automation starts to take over in workplaces. From manufacturing to delivery companies to food chains, automation may become a key prospect to their industries. These automated services will be able to perform detailed and difficult duties accurately, such as assembling products, which will reduce the need for a human workforce.

While the future is still unknown, emerging technologies give us an astute prediction of the types of tech we may see in the future. This then also give us an idea of their effect that this will have on our lives and on local and national businesses.