VPN: Why You Need it on All Your Devices

As a lawyer, one of your most pressing needs is keeping your clients’ information safe and sound. However, in today’s world, we seem to hear about hacking and data theft almost every day. So what can you do?
The answer is a VPN, a virtual private network. It provides you with a secure connection via remote servers so that your activity is kept private. Think of it as a tunnel through the middle of all the lanes of Internet traffic that no one has access to but you. VPN services have become very affordable, and many of the best ones work with your Mac or PC as well as iOS and Android devices. For mobile or even office-bound professionals interested in keeping data and online activity the most secure, I strongly recommend considering a VPN.
Let’s take a look at three solid choices:
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a great, simple option. ExpressVPN is easy to set up on Mac and Windows computers as well as on iOS and Android devices. It even works with various routers and Linux devices, and you can use it with any Internet connection.
Some things to keep in mind when shopping for VPN services is how much speed and bandwidth they offer. ExpressVPN takes the chains off any limitations by giving you unlimited bandwidth, meaning you can upload and download as much as you want. It also gives you unlimited speed so your connection doesn’t slow down when you’re using their service.
Several pricing plans start at a very reasonable $8.32/month (based on an annual prepayment of $9.95). This covers all your devices.
Cloak
Cloak offers easy set up and is geared toward Apple devices. Your single Cloak account will work on all your devices including your iPad, iPhone, Mac, and iPod Touch. The Cloak team is also working on versions for Android, Windows, and Windows phones. Cloak also supports the most current OS releases, macOS Sierra, and iOS 10. It’s also great for larger groups.
Unlimited Data Plans are a very reasonable $9.99/month, or you can opt for the annual plan for $99.99/year or a weekly pass for $3.99 which could be useful for travel or short trips. There is a Mini Plan for $2.99, but it is limited to just 5GB of data each month, which isn’t much.
StrongVPN
StrongVPN is another solid option. There are no data or bandwidth limits, and it works with Mac, Windows, iOS and Android devices.
Set up and management is quite easy. Strong VPN offers VPN routers as well which lets you share your VPN connection with all the devices on your network. This is a handy option which can protect other devices such as Apple TV, Roku, and gaming devices. Depending on your level of tech savvy, you can also custom configure your existing router to act as a VPN router.
Pricing is in line with the rest with monthly plans at $10/month. Or you can prepay annually at just $5.83/month.
Summary
While there are many great choices for VPN services, explore these top three and see which fits best for the way you work. It is also important to note that you should deal with a trusted service as your data—all of it—will be passing through their servers. There are lots of free VPN offerings out there, but do you really trust that? Instead, stick with a reputable service.
 
Terry Jarrell is an Apple consultant, Rocket Matter Certified Expert, and instructor based in Florida. Terry has been supporting legal professionals for more than a decade, and he also provides Florida Bar accredited CLE instruction and personalized technical services.