The adoption of digital transformation has made more and more people turn to online side hustles to augment their income or to suit their lifestyles. Whether it’s freelance writing, graphic design, online tutoring, or selling handmade crafts, the internet offers endless opportunities to work remotely from anywhere you are and earn money outside a traditional 9-5 job.
According to Statista, a projected 86.5 million people, or 50.9% of the total United States workforce, will be freelancing in the US in 2027. When viewed globally, we can appreciate the number of people that side hustles have kept out of the labor market. However, this increased reliance on the online world calls for a more concerted effort towards cybersecurity practices and privacy. Mitigating the havoc cybercriminals can wreak is where a Virtual Private Network (VPN) will play a crucial role, and a good VPN, needs to have innovative features that can critically enhance your online side hustles.
There are ample examples out there that providing comprehensive insight into the cutting-edge services VPN offers and a range of features designed to provide security, privacy, and functionality to its users. However, we’ll explore the innovative features a reputable VPN must have and how they can positively impact and enhance your online side hustles below.
Enhanced security for remote work
One of the key concerns when engaging in online side hustles is the security of your data and communications. With a reputable VPN, you can rest assured that your internet connection is secure and your data is encrypted while protecting it from potential threats such as hacking, data breaches, and identity theft.
Security of your internet network is critical when working remotely, as it adds an extra layer of protection to your online activities, allowing you to focus on your side hustle; rest assured your data is secured,
Geo-locational obfuscation
Occasionally, depending on the country, your online side hustle may require access to geo-blocked content, such as specific websites, online marketplaces, or streaming platforms. Geo-locational obfuscation is an innovative feature a VPN should deploy to disguise your location, circumventing these restrictions by masking your IP address and enabling you to connect to servers in different places.
If multi-hop, cascading, or double VPN technology complements geo-locational obfuscation, the feature will route your internet traffic through various servers, forming a complex web that throws hackers off your trail. It becomes almost impossible for Internet service providers (ISPs), hackers, or third parties to monitor and track your browsing history. This technologically innovative feature incorporated into a VPN can be incredibly beneficial for side hustles that involve market research, content creation, or accessing specific tools and resources that may be restricted based on your geographical location.
Protection of public Wi-Fi networks
Many online side hustles involve working from various locations, such as coffee shops, co-working spaces, or public libraries; these environments may offer convenience but often pose security risks, especially when using public Wi-Fi networks. A reputable VPN secures your internet connection, even on public Wi-Fi, by encrypting your data and shielding it from potential eavesdropping or interception.
To ensure your ISP does not slow down your internet traffic with throttling for high-bandwidth activities, split tunneling 2.0, an innovative version of the traditional split tunneling in classic VPNs, ensures that you can selectively choose the data packets and files you pass through the encryption tunnel and the type you allow to access the internet directly. The protection you get from encrypting your data and reducing bandwidth usage with split tunneling 2.0 enables you to work on your side hustle confidently and with accelerated productivity, knowing that your online activities are protected, notwithstanding the network.
AI-powered threat detection
You may go about your side hustle business believing that you can’t harm anyone, but that is far from the truth; hackers now deploy AI and machine learning algorithms and prowl the net constantly, seeking vulnerabilities and entry points into networks. From your “small business,” several people can suffer varying degrees of damage; if a hacker gains access to your network, there is a probability that your network gets infected with AI-equipped malware that can harm your clients and several others.
A VPN with an AI-powered threat detection feature analyzes patterns and behavior in real-time, proactively and promptly identifying and neutralizing potential threats.
Conclusion
The innovative features offered by a VPN have the potential to significantly enhance your online side hustles by providing enhanced security, access to geo-restricted content, protection on public Wi-Fi networks, anonymity, real-time analysis of patterns and behavior, and swift identification and neutralization of potential threats, and improvements in productivity and performance. By incorporating cutting-edge VPN technologies into your online side hustle toolkit, you can work confidently, knowing that your online activities are secure, private, and optimized for success.
For more tips on how to improve your business check out this article.
