This piece is brought to you and contributed by an outside writer.

Home Décor and Cyber Connected Technologies

With the proliferation of IoT devices and their involvement with more facets of our lives than ever, and those Internet of Things devices also becoming decorative, it might be easy to overlook other aspects of these fancy technologies.

In reality be it a smart holiday ornament, a smart picture frame or digital art on the the wall, all of those devices are likely to be cyber connected and operated remotely.

Even a fancy coffee machine, refrigerator can fall into this category and can be easily overlooked in terms of its cyber connected nature and its related potential ramifications.

Cyber connected devices as fancy and innovative as they may be come with an additional aspect which is the inherent security and privacy risks which are synonymous with the internet and Cyberspace.

Apple Products

Apple product enthusiasts may look for a free VPN Mac or free VPN for iPhone solutions. Perhaps because Apple products are well-known for their superior security and scrutinizing application approval processes for their iOS devices, an Apple user may not think that it is worth while to purchasing the best VPN for Mac solution.

Here are some reasons Apple product users should consider purchasing a reputable high-quality VPN solution for their devices:

• MacOS does not have the ability to stop your ISP or Internet Service Provider to track your online activities.
• iOS does not have the ability to stop your ISP or Internet Service Provider to track your online activities.
• MacOS or iOS do not encrypt all your traffic including on non-secure sites, a VPN solution will fill that gap.
• VPN will enable you to mask you real IP address on the internet, providing increased security and privacy. MacOS and iOS devices do not have the capability.
• Bypass geo-content restrictions by obtaining an IP address for another country. For example if you are in Canada and there is a show or movie on Netflix that is not available for Canadian Netflix users, simply get an U.S address and enjoy that show and movie. Once again, MacOS and iOS does not offer these capabilities.
• MacOs or iOS will not protect you from open and unsecure public Wifi networks such as the ones in cafes, restaurants, hotels, airports, public transport and more. A VPN will ensure all your data is scrambled ensuring your privacy is not compromised in those public locations.

New Devices, Cybersecurity and Cybersecurity

PC monitors, and monitors used to extend laptop display are not typically viewed as a device that would require a security and privacy related solution such as a VPN. The recently launched device by major technology players such as Samsung’s Smart Monitor which is classified by some as part of their home décor changes that picture. This device has the same capabilities as a Smart TV and also connects directly to popular content services such as Netflix Disney+, HBO Max, AppleTV, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and YouTube. A VPN solution is relevant for such a device as not only it connects to your home WiFi network and may be used outside your home, removing geo-content restrictions is likely to be needed as some point.

Device Scrutiny

We all should scrutinize every device, appliance and home décor item as it may be cyber connected will need a security-solution such as VPN.