Free VPN for windows: How to protect your PC

Free VPN for windows: How to protect your PC

Free VPN for windows: How to protect your PC

February 02, 2023

Now, more than ever, organizations and individuals resort to browsing the web to conduct their daily activities. The high rate of browsing by both organizations and individuals exposes your data to hacks; it is increasingly becoming more difficult to ensure privacy while surfing the web. 

For businesses, client data protection is critical; you can only be relevant in the global market if your customers trust you. The hackers you expose yourself to while browsing can steal your personal information, web browsing history, or payment data through any of the several emerging fraudulent schemes.

The issue of data protection becomes serious if we take into consideration that approximately 15 million data records were exposed globally were exposed in the third quarter of 2022, according to Statista. The figure shows the severity and how desperate hackers have become; to counter the activities of hackers, some users have cause to resort to private browsings, such as the Incognito mode of Google Chrome, InPrivate Browsing on Microsoft Edge, and Private Browsing of Firefox when connecting their PCs to the internet.    

While private browsing will ensure that your browser history or search history is not stored by your PC, your data will still be shared between your PC and your internet service provider (ISP). Prying eyes can also detect traces of your browsing activities and capitalize on that to exploit entryways into the operating system. 

Simply put, private browsing is not secure; you rely on your ISP to provide your internet protocol address for effective browsing, and a third party can detect your browsing activities and exploit the loophole to gain entry into your network system. The best option you can use to protect your data from prying eyes while browsing the web is a VPN.

What is VPN

VPN simply means virtual private network, a VPN will encrypt any activity you carry on online and ensures that a third party who may accidentally access your data will not make any sense out of it. When a VPN hides your online identity and internet traffic, a third party finds it extremely difficult to break in and steal your data.

Ideally, when you browse with your PC, your ISP provides the connection you need and keeps track of your activities through your IP address; any web traffic you generate passes through your ISP’s servers; your ISP can log in and observe all your online activities. Even where you trust your ISP not to hand over your browsing history to advertisers, police, or other government agencies, there have been cases such have happened; apart from intentionally handing over your personal and private data to a third party, your ISP can also be hacked, and your details become compromised. 

Stealing or compromising your data is worth considering if your organization depends largely on public Wi-Fi networks to conduct its activities. Employees’ and customers’ passwords, personal data, identity, and payment information can be up for grabs by hackers who are intently watching your internet traffic.

How does VPN protect a PC

A VPN will mask your PC’s IP address any time you connect to the internet; it will redirect your IP address through a specially configured remote server run by the VPN service provider. The VPN effectively makes its server the origin of your data; your ISP or any other third party won’t be able to trace your activities on websites you visit; even when they can track your activities, the information you are sending or receiving looks gibberish and useless to them. 

A VPN will encrypt both your log and IP address, verify anyone trying to log into your network through multifactor authentication and quit preselected programs through a kill switch. By encrypting your data once you connect your PC to the internet, a key is needed to decipher the encrypted information; only your VPN and PC know the key; your ISP cannot discover where you are browsing from. 

Notwithstanding whether your VPN is free or paid, the two stages a VPN works are:

  • After booting your VPN when you are online, the VPN acts as a secure tunnel between your PC and the internet, disabling your ISP or any prying eyes from seeing into the tunnel.
  • Your PC will automatically be on the VPN’s local network; the VPN then changes your IP address to one of the IP addresses the VPN’s servers provide, and you can then browse the web securely.

How to install a free VPN for a PC

Before installing either paid or free VPN for windows, you need to be familiar with the different ways to implement them.

Standalone VPN client

To install a standalone VPN, you need a piece of software that requires configuration matching the requirements of the endpoint. During the installation and setting of the encryption tunnel processes, the endpoint runs the VPN connection and connects to the other endpoint. 

The Standalone free VPN client implementation type is found commonly in windows people use at homes and small businesses.

Browser Extensions

You can add VPN extensions to windows for browsing; examples include Google Chrome and Firefox. In the case of Opera, it comes with built-in VPN extensions.

VPN extensions make it easy for users to quickly toggle and configure their VPN while they browse the internet. The only handicap with browser extensions is that the VPN connection applies strictly to information shared on that browser. The VPN may not encrypt other browsers and non-browser internet use.

Depending on your needs, you can also install a free corporate VPN or VPN router for windows.

Conclusion

A VPN will protect your IP and encrypt your browsing history, but it will not keep you safe if you visit phishing websites or download compromised files. You can still be at risk of Trojans, Bots, Malware, Spyware, and viruses while using a VPN

Your VPN provider will see your internet traffic the same way your ISP does; to forestall a case of your data becoming compromised, subscribe to a reliable VPN service provider.

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Pros and cons of being a sole trader

Pros and cons of being a sole trader

Pros and cons of being a sole trader

January 31, 2023

Starting a business can be intimidating as it demands you develop a business strategy, look for customers, and manage all its finances. Moreover, sorting through forms, paperwork, and registration to legalize the business per the state’s laws can take time and effort. However, starting as a sole trader might be relatively straightforward but also it has some pros and cons. So, in this blog post, we’ll find out what is a sole trader and what are the pros and cons of being a sole trader.

What is a sole trader

A sole trader is a person who starts and runs a business, enjoying its profits but also being liable for its debts, taxes, expenses, and losses. While the structure isn’t suitable for everyone, sole trading benefits many entrepreneurs. Sole trading is easy to establish, straightforward and involves fewer procedural steps than other business entities. 

Sole trading has advantages and disadvantages that require you to know them, especially regarding personal liability.

Pros of being a sole trader

As a sole trader, you have complete control over the business and all its undertakings and decision-making. Sole trading has several advantages.

Easy to establish

Unlike other business entities like limited liability corporations (LLCs), sole trading is much easier to establish. For instance, you would only have to complete a little paperwork when starting a sole proprietorship. Moreover, it only involves a few processes and protocols during its setup. 

Business entities like LLCs need you to register with the state government before launching. On the other hand, you don’t have to register your sole trading business with the state as it becomes an individual business entity. It saves you the time and hassle of following up with legal procedures. However, depending on your local or state’s requirements, you’ll have to acquire a business permit or license. There are also options such as offshore LLCs that you can explore as well.

Fewer business fees

You can have a tight budget when starting up a business. However, as a sole trader, you can save on registration charges. LLCs and other business structures require registration charges, and some states might ask for yearly fees for registration maintenance. Sole trading can help you save on costs as it doesn’t have similar legal requirements to LLCs.

Little or no oversight

A sole trader has more freedom compared to other business entities. Sole traders don’t have to file reports indicating up-to-date aspects like changes in staff or management. Moreover, they aren’t required to submit audits, which also have associated fees. Unlike other business structures that require one to comply with the state’s reporting requirements, sole traders have complete control over the business. For instance, sole traders have total control over finances, decisions, and any other business aspect, unlike other entities that have to hold meetings. 

Straightforward banking

Sole trading involves simplified banking techniques that don’t require business checking accounts. Therefore, you have the clearance to accept or make business payments straight from your personal accounts, eliminating the need for a business checking account. However, maintaining clear and organized records to distinguish between personal and business spending is crucial. Additionally, understanding how to effectively manage your finances as a sole trader is crucial. While it’s tempting to mix personal and business expenditures due to the simplicity inherent in sole trading, having distinct sole trader bank accounts can provide clarity and organization. Discussing the necessity and distinctive benefits of these accounts ensures that you are making informed financial decisions that can support the longevity and success of your venture.

Cons of being a sole trader

By eliminating state registration, sole traders lack protection from legal action. Therefore, their personal assets might be taken by debt collectors to settle business debts.

No liability protection

Lack of liability protection is one of the significant cons of being a sole trader. Sole traders don’t get the benefits of owning a legal business entity because they don’t register with the state. The state considers sole traders self-employed, hence being on their own regarding their business operations and transactions. Therefore, a sole trader remains liable for the business’s legal, tax, or financial problems as they lack the legal protections relating to business incorporation. 

Unlimited liability is another major drawback of sole trading. Unlimited liability refers to liability that’s not bound by a contract or law. Hence, the proprietor’s assets can be used to pay the business’s debts. The unlimited liability of sole traders allows lenders, customers, vendors, or debt collectors to access your personal assets to satisfy your business’s obligations.

Difficulty getting financing or credit

Getting financing or securing loans as a sole trader can be more demanding. Most banks prefer working with established firms due to their higher revenues and good credit scores. Sole traders lack business accounts and cards, making it more challenging to build business credit relationships. Moreover, the backing for sole trading comes from one investor. Hence, the business relies on one person’s initial finances, credit history, and investments.

Hard to sell the business

Sole trading is naturally tied to an individual, making it hard to hand down or sell the business to someone else. If you decide to quit or in the event of death, the business ends. However, you can establish a ‘doing business as’ (DBA) to transfer or sell the business rights to another party, retaining the name. Without a DBA, you can sell the business assets rather than the firm.

Conclusion

Although it seems like a perfect profession, being a sole trader is not so easy, because sole trading has many pros and cons, as outlined above. However, it’s wise to consider other entity types and their offers before making the final choice.

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5 benefits of spend controls for your business

5 benefits of spend controls for your business

5 benefits of spend controls for your business

January 31, 2023

One of the most effective ways to gain full control over your business comes down to one key feature of corporate spend – spend controls.

With the right spend management software, you can gain access to a wide variety of advanced spend controls, to give you a firmer grasp over how, where, and why your company is spending money.

To give you a clearer idea of how this can be done, this blog post will take you through a list of the top five benefits of using spend controls to grow your business business.

Top 5 benefits of using spend controls in your business

Let’s take a look at the top five benefits of spend controls that will help your business better money spending control and have better agility to stay in the game in a fast-changing market.

Visibility and clarity from one central platform

A core benefit of using spend controls from a spend management platform is that it gives you full visibility and clarity over your corporate spend. When looking to optimize how your business spends money, it’s important to have all the crucial financial data laid out clearly for you to review.

With spend controls, you can smoothly gather all your spend data, and organize it on the platform. For instance, you can categorize payments into different types, such as expenses, software purchases, employee salaries, etc.

This will allow you to have a clearer picture of your corporate spend, being able to tailor the structure of the data to suit your preferences. The clearer and more accurate the information is, the more effectively you can develop new strategies for optimizing corporate spend controls.

Stay within company budgets

Another major benefit of using spend controls in your business is that it can help you stay aligned with any budget you’ve set for your company. Spend limits are one of the many spend controls you can implement in your business. These limits allow you to prevent any transactions taking place in your company, where the amount spent is over the limit.

You can arrange these limits to be flexible with different teams, different types of purchases, and even specific credit cards. This allows you to ensure every area of the business is aligned with the company’s budgets. You can customize the spend limits for each section, to give it the unique adjustments necessary to optimize your spend.

Easy and hassle-free cancellation

You can also use spend control features to create a hassle-free cancellation process for your business payments. There are many instances where you might need to cancel a payment subscription, such as when an employee leaves your company, or you no longer require certain software.

Often, this process can be complex, and cause you to have inaccurate or unfinished data when it comes to reconciling your accounts. However, with spend controls on a spend management platform, you can cancel a payment with one-click, making the process smoother and less of a burden.

More efficiency with payment workflows

The spend controls from spend management software can also give you a faster way of executing a variety of payment workflows. For example, payment approvals are key for your company, but can often take multiple days or weeks to complete for each transaction.

With spend controls, you can automate your approvals for certain payments. This is determined by specific criteria you can set – certain types of payments, spend amounts, and specific teams. This allows you to streamline how your payments are approved and executed, without any delays or time-consuming processes – creating a more efficiently run business.

Optimize your business travel spend

A vital part of corporate spend management, for many businesses, is how they manage their travel expenses. When it comes to optimizing your travel expense, you need spend controls.

Using spend management software, you can devise the most effective travel policies for each of your employees. This can include things such as spending limits on different cards, full visibility on every payment, and specific guidelines for certain expense categories such as food, transport, accommodation, etc.

This allows you to pre-emptively control the expenses for your business trips, without having to manage the payments once they’ve already been made. Every employee will have a clear and accurate idea of how to align their spend with the business needs.

Conclusion

Well-managed companies know that the cash cycle is the backbone of their business and the growth of their business depends on the ability to convert the process of spending money into revenues. That’s why companies that incorporate spend controls in their business plans have better financial performance and agility in the changing market.

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What is Systematic Investment Plan (SIP)

What is Systematic Investment Plan (SIP)

What is Systematic Investment Plan (SIP)

January 30, 2023

Investing in mutual funds through the Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) route has become increasingly popular in recent years, as it allows individuals to invest small amounts of money regularly, rather than in a lump sum. One of the key questions that many investors have is whether SIP investments are tax-free, and which SIP option has the highest return. 

In this blog post, we will explore these questions in-depth, providing a clear understanding of the tax benefits of SIP investments, and comparing the top SIP options on the market to help you maximize your returns. Whether you are a new or experienced investor, this post will give you the information you need to make informed investment plans.

Understanding the tax benefits of SIP investments

Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) is not tax-free, but investing in mutual funds through the SIP route can offer significant tax benefits. SIP investments are considered long-term investments, and as such, they are eligible for long-term capital gains tax benefits. Also, it’s important to note that tax laws are subject to change and it’s always best to check with a financial advisor or consult the income tax department for the most updated information.

Comparing the top SIP options on the market

When it comes to maximizing returns on your SIP investments, it’s important to do your research and compare the different options available on the market. One way to do this is by looking at the historical returns of different SIP options. While past performance is not indicative of future results, it can give you an idea of how a particular fund has performed over time. Additionally, you should also consider the risk profile of the fund, as well as the fund’s expense ratio, which can eat into your returns.

When it comes to the highest return on SIP options, investors need to do their own research and consult with a financial advisor before making any investment decisions. It’s also important to remember that past performance is not indicative of future returns and that investing in mutual funds carries the risk of both capital loss and the possibility of low returns.

Top SIP options on the market

The best SIP option for you will depend on your personal investment goals and risk tolerance. It’s always best to consult with a financial advisor before making any investment decisions. So, let’s take a look at the three most common SIP options available on the market.

HDFC Equity fund This fund has a consistent track record of delivering high returns over the long term.

ICICI Prudential bluechip fund This fund invests primarily in large-cap stocks and has delivered strong returns over the past few years.

SBI Bluechip fund This fund has a diversified portfolio of large-cap stocks and has delivered solid returns over the long term.

Conclusion

SIP (Systematic Investment Plan) is not tax-free, but it does offer tax benefits. As for the SIP with the highest return, it’s difficult to determine a clear winner as it can vary depending on the specific scheme and market conditions. 

However, investors need to do their own research and consult with a financial advisor before making any investment decisions. It’s also important to remember that past performance is not indicative of future returns and that investing in mutual funds carries the risk of both capital loss and the possibility of low returns.

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Making effective use of technology for corporate training and development

Making effective use of technology for corporate training and development

Making effective use of technology for corporate training and development

January 24, 2023

In today’s corporate world, technology has become a critical tool for employee learning and development. Not only does it provide employees with convenient, cost-effective access to training materials while opening the door to interactive, personalized experiences, but it also allows organizations to measure learning outcomes and gain valuable insight into their employees’ progress.

For this reason, the corporate eLearning market is expected to propel the eLearning market upwards of 250% by 2026 – but it’s not enough for organizations to simply incorporate technology for corporate training and development into their L&D strategies. To achieve success, companies must ensure that their training content is engaging, current, and being utilized effectively by their employees.

Different types of technology for corporate training and development

When it comes to training your employees, the right technology can make all the difference. Whether that means taking advantage of online learning platforms complete with interactive quizzes, video lectures, and discussion forums, or immersing employees in virtual reality or augmented reality training scenarios, the opportunities for innovative and effective training are nearly endless.

Mobile apps are also a great option – not only do they give employees access to materials on the go, but they’re also perfect for providing just-in-time instruction when needed most. And don’t forget about project management and collaboration tools; these can help keep track of progress and assign tasks between multiple employees, so everyone stays on the same page.

When you take the time to invest in finding the right tech solutions for your needs, there’s no telling how much efficiency and effectiveness you can get out of your employee training program. So go ahead and explore what’s out there – you might be surprised at what you find.

How to make effective use of technology for corporate training and development

Simply having the right technology isn’t enough – you need to be sure that it’s being used most effectively. Here are just a few tips to help you get the most out of the technology for corporate training and development.

Set out clear objectives and metrics

Before diving right into a technologically enabled training program, make sure to accurately outline goals and objectives along with metrics that can be tracked. Doing so will set you up to measure accomplishments and help identify areas that could use some extra attention in the future. When staff members know what’s expected of them and how their achievements are being evaluated, they’ll feel more motivated to stay on track.

Design engaging content

Although technology can’t fully replace high-quality content, it is still essential that materials captivate employees’ attention and remain pertinent to their needs. The content should be navigable with ease; this way personnel can quickly locate and access resources without feeling overwhelmed or confused.

Incorporate feedback and assessment systems

It is important to obtain feedback from those undergoing training programs in order to gauge progress levels, evaluate successes and pinpoint potential areas for improvement. Employ quizzes or surveys in order to gain insight about material processing rate or comprehension levels – not only does this help refine the program structure but also makes it a more personally enriching experience for all involved!

Encourage collaboration among team members

Collaborative tools can promote dialogue between team members – these come in especially handy when dealing with complex projects which require multiple perspectives or input from different departments. Utilizing such tools transitionally creates an environment where collaboration is fostered while keeping everyone engaged in the process.

Provide supportive structures

Even though new technologies have made training processes much easier than ever before, it is still important that participants feel comfortable throughout the process – having someone available at all times who can answer questions or offer further assistance only serves to make things more efficient as well as stress-free! This way no one is left behind during your tech-enabled corporate training journey.

The benefits of using technology for corporate training and development

If you are still sitting on the fence, here are some of the benefits you can expect to enjoy by implementing technology into your corporate training and development initiatives.

  • Increased accessibility: Employees can access course materials, complete coursework, and stay informed no matter where they are or how their schedule looks thanks to technology-driven solutions. This is especially helpful for those who work remotely or have hectic timetables.

 

  • Enhanced interactivity: VR and AR training create an immersive learning environment that inspires employees while making the whole process more memorable. Not only will they be engaged with the material, but they will also retain far more information than traditional methods.

 

  • Personalized learning: Thanks to sophisticated algorithms in online learning platforms, each employee’s learning journey can be tailored according to their individual needs and preferences. This allows them to progress at their own speed with personalized support throughout.

 

  • Greater convenience: Mobile apps and online learning platforms allow employees to access training materials anytime, anywhere. This can be especially helpful for just-in-time training, providing employees with access to information and resources when they need them most.

 

  • Improved retention: By providing an interactive experience that’s personalized to individual needs, tech-learning paths boast higher knowledge retention rates than other methods such as books or seminars – meaning employees will remember what they’ve learned in the long run.

 

  • Cost-effectiveness: Using technology for corporate training eliminates expensive traveling costs associated with sending staff offsite as well as any associated expenses such as accommodation fees which can quickly add up over time. The switch also saves companies time which would otherwise be spent coordinating logistics between multiple venues.

Conclusion

In an ever-evolving market, utilizing new technology for corporate training and development is essential if you want your business to thrive. Providing employees with dynamic digital experiences while equipping them with valuable skills and knowledge will make them feel more empowered and engaged, creating a happier and more productive team.

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