The internet is a wonderful resource that has become so ingrained in our society that it is almost impossible not to use it. However, it also has its risks. In addition to having a vast repository of nearly all human knowledge and funny cat videos, the internet is also a stalking place for predators, criminals, cyber bullies, and anything that anyone in their right mind would not want their kids to touch.
When children surf the web, not only because they can access some questionable content, but more importantly because they are likely to fall prey to malware or schemes that bring a wide range of viruses and different serious threats, even if They’re just playing some Facebook games. If you’re affected by this concern and simply can’t take your eyes off the screen; fear no more, because today we bring you some tips so you can rest assured of their safety.
According to the NSPCC, a quarter of 8-11-year-olds and a quarter of 12-15-year-olds have a social media profile. 25% of children will experience disturbing or disturbing things online. As parents, what can we do? We need to educate them, not just use technology to keep kids busy. We need to tell them about the dangers of online life, not let them put their phones in their little hands as they get younger and younger. Instead of hoping that everything will be okay, we need to take action, check our kids’ activities and make sure everything is going to be okay.
The good news is that it’s not difficult to implement certain technical controls to protect your kids online.
Use one of the best VPNs for security and privacy
In addition to protecting your computer with software such as an antivirus program, it is also important to protect your internet connection. Wi-Fi networks, especially public ones, are not always secure. In fact, public Wi-Fi in places like hotels and airports can be risky, and even your home network can be manipulated.
Wi-Fi networks often fall victim to hackers, as unsecured networks are ideal for cybercriminals to access all of your personal or sensitive data. In addition, the website builds a visitor’s profile by tracking all the pages you visit on your web browser. They can use the information themselves or sell it to other companies. This type of profile can also be used for identity fraud.
Fortunately, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can be installed on your computer. This is software that encrypts your connection and anonymizes your web browsing. This will make it harder for hackers to access and steal any private information. If you and your kids use many different devices at home, consider installing a VPN on your router. This way, all internet traffic going through the router will be protected without having to install a VPN on every device.
As far as the best VPNs for security and privacy go, we recommend the following VPNs.
1. NordVPN – Best Overall
One NordVPN account will cover up to 6 devices, enhancing your internet security at home and on the go.
NordVPN also has threat protection features that neutralize cyber threats before they do any real damage to your device. It can help you identify malware, stop you from landing on malicious websites, and block trackers and intrusive ads on the spot.
30-day money-back guarantee
Free trial for 30 days
Pros
- Excellent privacy protection
- Pro fast speed with virtually no delay impact
- pro easy to use
- pro30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Problems with downloading content on some websites
There is also an automatic termination switch that immediately blocks access to the internet if you accidentally lose connection to the VPN tunnel. This means that when NordVPN is working, it is almost impossible for you to inadvertently expose yourself to the internet.
2. Surfshark – Best Value
Surfshark is the only VPN service on our list that offers unlimited connections for less than $60 a year. It’s also one of the fastest VPN options we’ve looked at, with impressive download speeds and excellent performance almost on par with NordVPN.
Surfshark is as easy to use as the other brands in our line-up. Simply download the app, log in and select your server.
30-day money-back guarantee on any form of payment
Free trial for 7 days
Pros
- Unlimited equipment
- Fast
- Simple user experience
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Expensive monthly plans when using fewer devices
- Lower-rated Android apps
Overall, Surfshark VPN has some of the lowest annual costs. It is a good choice for families on a budget and with multiple devices.
3. ExpressVPN – Best for Streaming
ExpressVPN stands out for its educational tutorials. the ExpressVPN website offers security tips, online privacy news and step-by-step guides on the basics, such as how to delete your search history.
There are no delays or degradation in video or audio quality when streaming – downloads are fast.
30-day money-back guarantee
Risk-free 30-day free trial
Pros
- Premium streaming experience
- Pro Easy Setup
- Pro-education privacy tutorial
- Pro 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- A smaller number of servers
- Only 5 devices in the scam
Overall, ExpressVPN handles the multiple streaming service options cleverly and its solid tutorials make it a great choice for VPN newbies. The connection and server options aren’t the best, but at least it makes things easy so you don’t have to scroll through endless lists of servers to find what you need.
4. IPVanish – Best for Anti-virus Software
We love the intuitive nature of the IPVanish app and how it works with almost all operating systems and devices. IPVanish is one of only two VPN services on our list that supports unlimited devices. This means you can use IPVanish on every device in your home, perfect for protecting your entire family. (Vipre Antivirus on the annual plan only supports 10 devices.)
Although IPVanish performed well in our connection speed tests, our testers noticed some delays on their iPhones.
30-day money-back guarantee
No free trial available
Pros
- Fast speed
- Unlimited devices
- The annual plan comes with free anti-virus software
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Lagging on iPhone
- Based in the USA
Overall, IPVanish is a great choice for combining your VPN client and antivirus program into one subscription. It even supports unlimited devices, so you can share your VPN privileges with your family.
5. CyberGhost – Best Features
CyberGhost stands out for its educational tutorials. In terms of specifications alone, CyberGhost is technically superior. This VPN service can connect your seven devices to over 6,000 servers in 90 countries. There is a server that can be used for almost any purpose.
If you do not want to commit to the full twelve months or two years of CyberGhost service, you can sign up for a free trial.
45-day money-back guarantee
24 to 48-hour free trial
Pros
- Connect up to seven devices
- A large number of servers
- High speed
- Low-cost three-year plan
Cons
- Expensive monthly plan
- Sometimes server overload
- 24 to 48-hour free trial
6. Private Internet Access – Best Annual Plan
Private Internet Access stands out for its educational tutorials. In terms of Private Internet Access (PIA) may not support the same number of devices as Surfshark, but it has a better annual plan. It also has consistently fast upload speeds and is second only to NordVPN in terms of keeping latency impact low. it also accepts more cryptocurrencies than any other brand we’ve seen, so you can keep your payments anonymous.
30-day money-back guarantee
Free trial for 7 days
Pros
- The most affordable annual plan on the list
- Fast upload speeds
- 10 devices
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Based in the USA
- Average download speed
Private Internet Access can connect up to 10 connections at once – roughly twice as many as NordVPN and ExpressVPN. That said, PIA VPN is a far cry from the unlimited devices available on Surfshark and IPVanish. However, the lower annual fee helps to compensate for this.
Nevertheless, we like the fact that the company enforces a strict no-login policy and has even stated in court that it does not retain user data. Overall, private internet access is a good option for those who want a low annual price for more devices than typical VPN applications.
Final Word
VPNs are all about privacy, so when you use one you don’t want to leave a record of your online activity. We think NordVPN is up to the task, with advanced features, fast performance and operating away from the “14 eyes” of Panama. This means that its no-logging policy is more legitimate than VPNs operating in countries with monitoring protocols, such as the US.
While its monthly fee is quite affordable, it doesn’t offer as big a discount as some competitors when you switch to an annual plan. Nevertheless, we think it’s worth it. But if you want a cheaper option, we think Surfshark is a good choice.
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