Are you curious about International VPN Day, who celebrates it, why, when, and how it affects the populace? You’ve come to the right place to find out answers to all those questions. We believe every Internet user with a desire for privacy should take some time to learn more about what a VPN is and the reasons to use one. Those who already do should brush up on their knowledge and inform themselves of the changes. We will provide some knowledge and point you in the right direction to learn even more. Now, let’s tell you everything you need to know about International VPN Day.
When is International VPN Day?
International VPN Day is a globally celebrated day celebrated on August 19 every year since 2021. Therefore, it is relatively new, which is surprising since the VPN (Virtual Private Network) technology was invented in 1993 but had its first well-known protocol, PPTP (point-to-point tunneling protocol), developed by a Microsoft employee.
However, you must realize that the protocol was only published three years later in 1999, and has almost exclusively been used by businesses for the next decade. Only in the early 2010s did the VPN technology begin to expand with new features, different VPN protocols, more powerful VPN encryption, and more. Nonetheless, it still took some years before VPNs became public knowledge and technology became user-friendly and affordable enough for everyday people.
Who suggested an international day for VPNs?
NordVPN, a renowned VPN provider based in Panama, suggested International VPN Day in 2021 and decided that August 19 of that year would be its first celebration with a planned yearly recurrence on the same date. They had the right to propose the celebration of an international day for VPNs as one of the best-recognized names in the industry and even the #1 VPN service in many users’ opinions.
What is the purpose of an International VPN Day?
The purpose of having an international day for VPNs on August 19 every year is to raise awareness about cybersecurity and virtual private network technologies and celebrate privacy, security, and digital freedom from censorship and surveillance on the Internet. The goal of International VPN day is to inform the population about the safe way to use the Internet, and how to avoid surveillance by employers, Internet Service Providers, advertisers, governments, and even VPN providers themselves.
Moreover, the day dedicated to VPNs teaches people about the newest developments in the field, dispels common misconceptions and myths, and educates them on how to pick a suitable provider, which countries are privacy-oriented, and test their knowledge. Here are some goals of International VPN Day:
1. To educate via the NordVPN National Privacy Test
One part of NordVPN’s effort to bring awareness to VPNs is the creation of the National Privacy Test which tests users’ knowledge, experience, and trust even when those are unjustified. Although every Internet and digital technology user should take it, August 19, International VPN Day, is a great way to do so. The test will propose many important security, privacy, and digital habit-related questions in a few minutes and give users a score of 1 to 100.
For instance, you’ll be asked whether you easily provide permissions to applications on your devices and agree to the Terms of Conditions of products and services without reading them. You can also see the results, such as that 36.5% of tested users click “Agree” without reading the Terms of Service and that over 74% of people are unprepared to respond to online blackmail. That makes them susceptible to malware, ransomware, phishing, and online scams regardless of their VPN use.
2. To clear any doubts about VPNs and ask questions
Advertisements make VPNs look like magic tech that makes you anonymous on the Internet. However, VPN and its types are still technologies with distinct advantages and disadvantages, and we covered many pros and cons of each. Plus, there’s a difference between privacy and anonymity, and users leave a digital footprint even if it cannot be tied back to their identity.
Therefore, International VPN Day wants to shed light and provide answers to many VPN questions users may have. As mentioned, the day is supposed to spread awareness about VPN myths you should be aware of and the best VPN practices. On the international day of VPNs, VPN providers and cybersecurity companies open Customer Service chats, emails, and phone lines, so their users can reach out with any inquiries
3. Make people read Internet and VPN-related statistics
Although inaugurated by NordVPN and followed by a massive discount, Internet VPN Day is not about the service. The provider wants people to read more statistics and grow more familiar and comfortable with cybersecurity. We want to help. According to the findastack.com article with the ultimate VPN statistics list for 2022 and beyond:
- VPNs had 142 million users as of late 2022. Sadly, the study shows that’s still a third (1⁄3) of total Internet users
- A leader in VPN usage for a country in 2021 was Indonesia with 44% of residents
- Roughly 25% of worldwide Internet users used a VPN on average in 2018
- Market research projects the VPN marketplace would grow to $107.5 billion by 2027
- Security.org research showed that around 68% of United States adults used a free or paid VPN service in 2019
- Malwarebytes research in January 2021 found that 36% of surveyed users employ a VPN when only 1.5% of them did so a decade ago
- BusinessWire found that the pandemic in 2020 boosted VPN use by 27.1%
- Around 88% of examined companies shifted employees to remote work in 2020. We also studied how businesses benefit from a VPN
4. Bring light to malicious VPN and cybercrime tactics
Did you know that According to Accenture’s State of Cybersecurity Resilience 2021, the number of cybercrime attacks increases by 30% yearly? The goal of International day of VPNs is to analyze and explain how people commit cybercrime, how VPNs aid these malicious practices, and also the ways they protect users. We already analyzed whether a VPN can stop hackers.
How do people celebrate International day of VPNs?
There are no determined rules on how people should celebrate International VPN Day. However, NordVPN recommends that knowledgeable users post content in any shape or form that explains technology for those that are unfamiliar. Additionally, users and businesses should ideally shed light and support struggling VPN services with a good cause, and promote and aid the development of technologies and freedom efforts. Users with base knowledge should read about new dangers and newly introduced cybersecurity features and technology.
