Think of companies that changed the world we live in. Facebook. Google. Uber. Airbnb. What do they all have in common? They were all startups not too long ago.
Startups are the driving force of innovation. Whether it's reducing healthcare costs, improving AI, reimagining the food and beverage industry, or anything else, they will guide us into the world of tomorrow.
But that doesn't mean that even the most tech-savvy startups aren't vulnerable to cyberattacks. On the contrary, because of their limited resources, small size, and their heaps of valuable data, startups are among the most vulnerable types of companies to hackers.
One bad hack is all it takes to drive a glowing new startup into the ground. Essential cybersecurity can go a long way in preventing a cyberattack from happening to business. And it all starts with picking the right VPN service. Here's how and why you should do so right away.
Why Cybersecurity Is Essential To Startups
Massive data breaches happen all the time. It seems like we can't even go one day without hearing of a hack to a major name like Equifax, Marriott, or even Microsoft.
Hacks come in many different forms. Whether it's malware, man in the middle attacks, credential stuffing, or anything else, there's a huge difference between what cyberattacks can do to a massive corporation and a startup. While Marriot and Equifax well pay out millions in damages to victims, they have enough resources to weather the damage both directly and to their reputation to be fine in the long term.
A hack like this to a startup can be a deathblow. Let's look at an example from last year when a man in the middle attack stole $1 million from an Israel startup. The attackers intercepted communication for weeks. They edited the content of emails and other communications. The worst part was that this $1 million was supposed to be seed funding to get the project off the ground. They even tried to go after another round of funding, too, before finally getting shut out.
The attackers were never caught. Since the report is anonymous, we don’t know the current status of the startup. Hopefully, they managed to live through the attack.
The right VPN service won't do everything for cybersecurity, but it is a massive step in the right direction. VPNs create a broad level of security by both anonymizing your IP address and encrypting your internet connection. This not only thwarts man in the middle attacks but makes it much more difficult for hackers to track your internet activity and leverage it against your startup.
How To Choose The Best VPN For Your Startup
Finding the right VPN neither has to be complicated or expensive. The first thing you want to focus on is security.
Does the company use the latest technologies and standards like WireGuard for their VPN protocol? Likewise, it is combined with features like AES-256 bit encryption and other advanced ciphers. Even if you don't understand what all these terms mean, just pay attention to these keywords while doing your research.
Similarly, performance is a huge factor for startups that may have heavy bandwidth requirements. The best way to see how well a VPN performs is to take advantage of free trials and do a speed test yourself.
You'll also want to keep an eye out on advanced privacy features. VPN kill switches are essential for startups. Kill switches shut down your device's internet connection should your VPN connection drop. Otherwise, your data will become exposed if the VPN is unable to engage for any reason.
Likewise, you'll want a VPN that maintains a "no-logs" policy. It means they do not keep a record of your activity on their servers. This offers several layers of protection. In the rare event, a VPN server is breached; there is no data trail back to you. A “no-logs” policy is a generally positive sign of a VPN that takes privacy and security seriously.
Finally, you may want to consider an enterprise-grade VPN. These are newer and built for businesses and startups from the ground up. With them, you all access your secure server, team control panel, and scalable platform. If your startup is particularly tech and data-driven, you should consider this type of VPN over a standard one.
Don't let your startup become a victim of cyber-attack. Follow these steps to find the perfect VPN for your needs.
