It’s International VPN Day, but why should you care?

It's International VPN Twenty-four hour period, merely why should you intendance?

Illustration of a man being surveilled on his laptop

(Image credit: NordVPN)

It's August 19, which means the long-awaited International VPN Day has finally come around! OK, we'll forgive yous for not having this one pencilled in the diary, but this event – the start of NordVPN's VPN Awareness Calendar month – might exist more interesting than you call up.

Focusing on personal online security, International VPN Twenty-four hour period aims to raise the profile of the best VPN services beyond the techiest of social club and into the mainstream. Information technology hopes to encourage anybody from IT pros to the most dedicated Luddites to consider what risks they face online, and how to mitigate them.

Information technology's also worth noting that since the global lockdowns took identify early last year, cybercrime has sharply risen. This, along with e'er-more than intrusive ad tracking and the prevalence of working from abode, has meant VPNs and other security software has been thrust more into the limelight. VPN Mean solar day is here to celebrate that.

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Why has International VPN Solar day been set up up?

"The primary goal of International VPN Day is to bring more than attending to privacy, security, and liberty on the internet and educate people around the world about the importance of having a VPN," says NordVPN. "Nosotros want more than cybersecurity brands and enthusiasts to join us in this celebration."

We remember this is a great opportunity for those not engaged with cybersecurity to take the spring and see what VPNs can offer them – and that's non restricted to just NordVPN, either. This is echoed past NordVPN itself, which claims, "this celebration is not about NordVPN in detail. It is well-nigh the importance of cybersecurity in general, and VPN is a very important function of a individual and secure internet."

How tin can I get involved?

While it's not the most interactive of celebrations, nosotros highly recommend taking the time to read upward on how to stay prophylactic online, perhaps investigating some of the more interesting VPN uses and taking part in things like the National Privacy Test.

If you lot're really going to get into the spirit of things, nosotros'd also recommend doing some general digital housekeeping – things similar making sure yous're not using repeated passwords, that your social media accounts aren't linked to any shady face up-swapping apps, and even ensuring your devices are fully updated with the latest software.

In short, we think improving cybersecurity should be college upwards on most people'due south to-practice lists, but it's understandable that it's not. International VPN Day is a useful reminder that it's worth taking the time to make certain you're fully protected online.

Mo is VPN Editor at Tom's Guide. Day-to-twenty-four hours he oversees VPN, privacy, and cybersecurity content, and also undertakes independent testing of VPN services to ensure his recommendations are authentic and up to date. When he'southward not getting stuck into the nitty-gritty settings of a VPN you've never heard of, you'll find him working on his Peugeot 205 GTi or watching Peep Show instead of finally putting upwardly those shelves.