PC Mag Security Watch

At the time, I didn’t understand how a VPN worked, or why it slowed my network speeds. A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel for your web traffic and makes it more difficult for any person or company to monitor you online. VPNs can also blind your ISP to your web activities, which means that it can’t sell your anonymized data.

However, the process of routing and encrypting your traffic is bound to reduce your upload and download speeds, as well as increase your latency. Many VPN services, unfortunately, slow your speeds significantly. We encourage you to foremost choose a VPN based on its privacy protection prowess and value, but we do conduct tests to determine how much of an impact a VPN has on browsing speeds.

This week, PCMag Senior Security Analyst Max Eddy takes you through his process for testing VPN speeds, plus the results of his trials. He also has tips for speeding up your VPN connection and using features such as split tunneling to avoid a VPN ban from Netflix and other services.

We encourage readers to go beyond VPNs for protection: Use a password manager to create unique and complex passwords, enable multifactor authentication wherever it is available, and install antivirus software on all your devices.

Stay safe,

Kim Key
PCMag Security Analyst

While some savvy users may be convinced that they can recognize phishing schemes from a mile away, don’t risk your data; an antivirus suite can help protect you from these sophisticated scams. Ransomware is a growing threat that can cause irreparable damage, so it’s a bright idea to look for software that can tackle that problem, too.  Several of our top-rated antivirus picks even bundle a VPN, which adds another layer of protection for when you browse online.

This week, Lead Security Analyst Neil J. Rubenking took a close look at Avast’s One Essential product, the latest no-cost antivirus from the company. This tier has protection for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. Avast has a long history of offering free antivirus protection and, if you don’t want to spend any more on personal security, you should consider it along with the other free antivirus services we’ve reviewed.

What software do you use to protect your devices? Let us know in the comments.