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The scale of the UK password crisis has been underlined by new research which shows Britons are being hacked every second of the day. A study from leading VPN provider NordVPN – who feature in our best VPN deals guide – shows that 330 people are being hacked every minute in the UK. This means 5.5 hacks that place every second, with millions of accounts compromised every single week.
NordVPN says the scale of this problem is so big as most people that have been hacked don’t realise they’re a victim.
Almost half (48.1 percent) of people involved in the NordVPN study said they had come across a pop-up advert that was difficult to close in the past 12 months.
This is a sign of hacking, as is having your email account hijacked so that spam is then sent to friends and colleagues – something 30.4 percent of people in the study were affected by.
A similar amount (30.2 percent) said websites had opened in their browser without being clicked on, which is another sign of hacking.
These findings from NordVPN come off the back of another recent study which said the UK is one of the most hacked countries in the world.
BBC Scam Interceptors: Hackers reveal tricks of trade
Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN said hacking had become an “epidemic” in the UK.
Warmenhoven said: “Hacking has reached epidemic proportions in the UK. Some of the attacks happen so often that people don’t even regard them as cyber crime. However, each of the incidents we included in the study wouldn’t be possible without hacking or one kind or another.
“Encountering even those incidents that appear innocuous, like hard-to-close internet pop-ups, should cause alarm and prompt you to check for malware. Lurking behind each of these digital misadventures is a hacker resorting to crime to make money. Don’t make it easy for them.”
Advising people on how to stay safe, NordVPN offered some pointers to improve their online security.
The leading VPN provider recommended…
Use strong passwords – Take advantage of modern features in computers and mobile phones that suggest strong passwords for you
Encrypt your files – Even if someone got hold of your files, they would not be able to access them
Use common sense – Don’t click on suspicious links or ads, and avoid opening suspicious messages or websites. Do not give out personal data to people or companies you don’t know
Keep your social accounts private – Make your social media pages visible only to people you know and trust
Do not share your personal information – Keep details like your phone number or home address out of the public eye
Use a VPN service – It will encrypt your traffic and hackers won’t be able to see what you do online
If you’re thinking of signing up to a VPN service to level up your security set-up you can find some of the best deals around below…
1/ NordVPN – Save 63%
NordVPN is our pick for the best VPN provider on the planet. With its beautifully designed apps, NordVPN makes it simple to protect yourself online and unlock streaming catalogues from around the world. It has software for iOS and Android, Windows and Mac, Fire TV Stick, and even your Wi-Fi router. It’s also one of the few VPN firms to automatically monitor the Dark Web to check whether any of your account details have leaked. Apple Pay and Google Pay are supported for a speedy, secure checkout
24/7 Customer Support: Yes | One-Month, One-Year, and Two-Year Plans Available | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee: Yes
View Deal 63% OFF
2/ ExpressVPN – Save 49%
Closely behind NordVPN is ExpressVPN, which is one of the pricier options on the market. However, ExpressVPN offers a premium service to its subscribers, with servers in more countries than any other provider on this list. For those who need to switch their IP address to somewhere off the beaten track, ExpressVPN is a must-buy. It also offers some impressive video streaming performance
24/7 Customer Support: Yes | One-Month, Six-Months, and One-Year Plans Available | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee: Yes
View Deal 49% OFF
3/ Surfshark VPN – Save 82%
Surfshark provides some of the best value bundles available of any VPN – with monthly subscriptions dropping below £2 with some deals. Despite that low price, Surfshark offers something that neither NordVPN or ExpressVPN can match: an unlimited number of devices connected to the same account. Yes, that means you can use your login on any number of iOS, Android, Windows, games consoles, streaming dongles, or Wi-Fi routers. You also get an anti-virus app bundled too
24/7 Customer Support: Yes | One-Month, Six-Months, and Two-Year Plans Available | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee: Yes
View Deal 82% OFF
4/ CyberGhost VPN – Save 82%
CyberGhost VPN is clearly confident about its offering, the VPN provider not only includes the longest money-back guarantee period of any firm in this list (a whopping 45-days compared to the standard 30-day refund period) but it also offers a free seven-day trial when you download its mobile app on iOS or Android. With 91 countries and more than 7,500 servers available, there’s no shortage of choice with this nifty VPN
24/7 Customer Support: Yes | One-Month, One-Year, Two Years, Three Year Plans Available | 45-Day Money-Back Guarantee: Yes
View Deal 82% OFF
5/ Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN – Save 83%
If you’re willing to sign-up to a longer contract, PIA has some mind-boggling savings available. And with 24/7 customer service and a 30-day money-back guarantee, there’s no reason to be nervous about a three-year deal with this great VPN provider. With features like a dedicated IP address and split-tunnelling, there’s a lot to like!
24/7 Customer Support: Yes | One-Month, One-Year, Three Year Plans Available | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee: Yes
View Deal 83% OFF
6/ ProtonVPN
If you’re unsure whether subscribing to a Virtual Private Network, VPN, will boost your video streaming habits – why not try a free subscription to dip your toe in the water? Unlike most free providers, ProtonVPN doesn’t limit the amount of data that you can use, which is perfect for streaming. Your download speeds might be a little lacklustre compared to paid options in this article, including from ProtonVPN itself, but that’s not an issue if you’re using this provider as a trial
24/7 Customer Support: No | One-Month, One-Year, and Two-Year Plans Available | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee: Yes
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