Can You Stop Malware and Viruses with VPN software?

by Paul Davies, December 31, 2014

If you ask a general user who has both Anti-Virus and Firewall protection installed on their network whether their data is fully protected from malware and virus attacks they would probably answer with a resounding β€˜yes’.

But in reality, this is far from the case.

You May Not Be As Protected As You Think

Though anti-virus software and firewalls aim to protect the data that sits on your computer when you are connected to the network, it does nothing to protect your information when it is in transit or if your computer is being used off site.

You could be exchanging data over a local private network, over Wi-Fi or through your own internet service provider, as soon as that information leaves your computer, it is open to the same hostile attempts as your computer would be, should you not have any basic security software installed.

Furthermore, it is common knowledge within the internet security business, that virus protectors and firewall software are actually far less effective than most people consider.

One recent survey estimated that that only approximately 85% of all malware and virus issues are identified by standard software, leaving a further 15% possibility that you could come under threat.

In the same way, the information you receive into your computer is also open to such violation. And if this comes in a form that you do not recognise as dangerous, you could easily open an email or click on a link before you realise the harm it can cause.

How VPN Protects Against Malware and Virus

VPN works in a completely different way to basic anti-virus and firewall software. Instead of waiting to recognise potential harmful code as it enters your hardware, VPN protects the most vulnerable part of any online information exchange – the internet connection, stopping the risk of potential invasion before it has happened.

As soon as a user accesses a VPN website, or opens up a browser using VPN software, the connection becomes fully secure. It doesn’t matter where you are or what type of device you are using. The full connection becomes protected, safeguarding any data exchange.

And this doesn’t just combat the threat of viruses or malware that can harm your hardware. It also stops the threat of data and information theft which can lead to financial loss or ultimately identity theft.

Effectively, VPN not only protects your own computer but also those that you communicate with. And by eliminating most potential attacks before they even come close to causing harm, it also maximises the potential of your own security software.

Who Uses VPN

While historically VPN has primarily been used by corporate businessmen working away from the office, today anyone that uses any online device could benefit from VPN.

No matter whether you are logging onto the internet to check your bank statement, make a purchase or download vast amounts of corporate data, a VPN service will improve your online protection and stop malware and viruses in their tracks.

Easy Hide VPN is one of the most popular of the VPN services and in addition to allowing the user to choose which country they want the server in they can also choose the actual IP.

  • doug_jensen

    What is the performance impact of using a VPN when browsing–latency, bandwidth, … ? For general purpose protected browsing (e.g., not circumventing IP address blocking, etc.) is it reasonable to assume that the user should choose a VPN server close to his own ISP, or close to the physical location of the remote site (if that is known–but would result in having to change servers too frequently), or what?

    • Harvey

      My experience with Private Internet Access is that it slows the connection by about 5 seconds, typically.

      • doug_jensen

        Do you mean like clicking a link via VPN adds about 5 seconds to the response? If so, I wonder if that is equally divided between the outgoing request and the return. I originally asked that question because I used to have only about 20mbps download capability so I didn’t care that the Sonic firewall with total protection I wanted had a max download speed of 40 mbps because of all the computation being done by a slow processor. But then my ISP upped me to 80 mbps and the Sonic cut that in half. I see that a 100mbps total protection firewall costs in the $1000-$2000 range, and like the Sonic, the total protection software is priced on an annual subscription–almost $300/year for my Sonic.

        • Harvey

          Yes, that’s what I meant. I’m not sure about any other details other than my particular experience as described.

  • markww

    I have VPN UNLITITED no slow down,no locks on my DSL My DSL DOWN 12 megs before VPN. AFTER VPN with unlocks full access my down speed 48 megs Mark