It's said that with great power comes great responsibility. IoT devices have enabled us to control our environment like never before. From checking home CCTV while at work to giving voice commands – these are just some of the ever-growing possibilities.
Unfortunately, IoT is another way for cybercriminals to benefit from when breaking into just one of the devices that could literally open the door to your house. So is there a reliable way to protect your data and your home? It turns out a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can help you out.
In essence, VPN is a tool that helps establish a secure connection between you and the internet. When you connect to a VPN server, your traffic becomes encrypted with a bank-grade cipher. This way, no third party can see what you're downloading or uploading.
Encryption solves the main IoT security problem. That's because the biggest issue is someone intercepting the data you send and using it for their own purposes. And breaking a VPN cipher with a brute-force attack would take billions of years.
Moreover, the best VPN services hide your IP address, which can be used to determine your location and hack into your devices. Also, they would be immune to Denial of Service (DOS) attacks because it needs your real IP to work. What's more, you can access geo-blocked sites and streaming platforms that may be unavailable in your country.
Hiding your IP enhances the privacy of IoT. Using a VPN means it's virtually impossible to track you down because all attempts end with the IP of the VPN server. Therefore, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or your government can only see that you're using a VPN, and that's about it.
The lack of security in IoT devices is well known, and cybercriminals are always happy when they can attack them. However, your computer or smartphone can also become vulnerable due to the lack of protection. If there's a way to control your IoT devices from your iPhone, someone can also take them over with malware disguised as some performance improvement app.
Luckily, one VPN account can make your entire home network safe. They allow multiple simultaneous connections that should be enough for all devices. What's more, installing a VPN on a router means one connection is enough to protect every piece of hardware.
There are plenty of good and bad VPNs on the market, and separating one from the other requires some basic knowledge. Moreover, even some of the best providers might not offer everything for IoT security and privacy.
But before we move on, let's address the question of costless providers. Most free VPNs don't value your privacy and gladly sell the data to third parties. Moreover, some even inject malware into your devices, compromising the whole home network.
Even if that's not the case, free VPNs for IoT are always slower. Their server selection is poor, and they are often overcrowded. And if the distance from you to the server is significant, you may be unable to use the service effectively.
Having this in mind, here's what you should consider when picking the top IoT VPN:
To sum up, choose the more reputable service if you can't decide between two similar VPNs which offer all of the above. After all, you can't buy a good name.
IoT devices are some of the least secure ones, and VPN is arguably the best way to protect them. What's more, these services will secure the whole home network, including laptops and smartphones. And before you buy a VPN for IoT, check its no-logs policy, tunneling protocol, and device support, among other features.