Expatriate professionals advised to use a VPN

Whilst online security isn’t often as first priority in the relocation to-do list, the increasing sophistication of hackers, scammers and even a few foreign governments means it’s a must-have.

Staying safe when online isn’t just for those sharing secrets best kept quiet, it’s for every expat who uses the internet for business and banking purposes as well as social media sites for keeping in touch with family and friends in the home country. Online scammers, banking fraudsters, hackers and other denizens of darkness are rife nowadays in every world country, and certain governments have strict rules covering what’s written or read online by expats as well as their citizens, with criticism of their intentions high on the list for arrest and conviction.

If, as are many expats, a regular business traveller and need to log on in a café, hotel or restaurant offering free public wi-fi, unless you’ve installed a VPN you’ll be at the mercy of data thieves and hackers, and any information you’ve sent or received is up for grabs. It’s essential nowadays to be able to use a secure connection whenever you go online for whatever reason. Even your ISP (internet service provider) won’t be able to decipher data or monitor your online activities. as layers of encryption protect your online privacy. Safe online banking is a major reason for the use of a VPN, and especially important nowadays.

Even banks using HTTPS in order to secure your connection are being hacked every day by cyber criminals, making the added encryption provided by a VPN crucial for the safety of your money. VPNs are also useful in countries who don’t allow their citizens free access to the worldwide web, with China the worst offender at the present time. Even if you only want to send photos to your kids in the home country, you’ll need to bypass their geo-blocking systems to stay in touch, especially if you use Skype or WhatsApp audio. As well as protecting your data, VPNs hide the sender’s IP address allowing connection to an overseas server not affected by censorship.

Certain world countries restrict access to entertainment programmes they consider unsuitable for their populace, a problem that’s easily solvable via your VPN’s ability to bypass such restrictions. One useful tip for travelling expats is that flight comparison websites offer flights at prices dependent on the user’s home country, meaning if you’re living in a first-world city you’ll pay more. Your VPN allows you to set your IP address to one in a lower-income country, masking your actual location and allowing you to save on the cost of your trip by paying less for your flight. If you’re on a tight budget, this really helps.