Chromebook is a laptop that runs on Google Chrome, it allows you to work safely in the cloud. Moreover, it’s extremely efficient and reliable for all sorts of tasks. When your Chromebook isn’t connected to the Internet, you may utilize offline-ready apps to keep using it. Additionally, Google Chrome Enterprise gives it the freedom to power your cloud workforce by unlocking the business potential of Chrome OS, Chrome Browser, and Chrome devices.
Chromebooks run Chrome OS, a system that includes cloud storage, Google’s greatest features, and numerous levels of protection, it is a web-based operating system and the nucleus of a cloud-based company. Chrome OS is mobile, safe, simple to operate, and also possesses great features such as:
- Peace of mind, built-in: Built-in Chrome OS provides peace of mind by preventing users from becoming victims of malicious attacks. It also interacts with a variety of application ecosystems to guarantee programs are trustworthy while providing IT personnel with vital data.
- Keep harmful apps out: Chromebooks safeguard you against attacks that are common on older computers. Chrome OS provides devices with a variety of application ecosystems to guarantee that programs are trusted, keeping malicious and hazardous apps out.
- Regular background updates: Regularly, Chrome OS updates features and security fixes in the background, protecting you from malicious actors with the most up-to-date security protocols.
Quick Guide: Get Started With The Best VPN For Chromebook
The built-in device security your organization requires
Your organization’s device security needs are built-in. Chrome OS is safe, it offers businesses vital control over risks, and assists them in preventing and mitigating the negative effects of assaults. Additionally, Chrome OS allows developers to give consumers trustworthy apps while also safeguarding them from possible dangers.
Ransomware
Chrome OS is a read-only operating system, and with main file storage in the cloud, Chrome devices will be inhospitable for bad actors.
Prevention Features:
- Small on-device footprint
- Read-only operating system
- Verified boot ensures that the system doesn’t update upon booting up
Malicious applications
Sandboxing separates processes and restricts an attack’s scope. IT administrators can prohibit applications that do not satisfy their security criteria using the Google Admin dashboard or your preferred EMM provider.
Prevention Features:
- Sandboxing
- App and extension restriction
- Managed Google Play
Phishing
Phishing Devices protect users from phishing attacks by notifying them before they visit a fraudulent website, while two-factor authentication measures prevent hackers from exploiting stolen credentials to obtain access.
Prevention Features:
- Prevent users from visiting harmful websites
- Support for two-step verification techniques in a seamless manner
- Password warnings on compromised sites
Why do you need a VPN for Chromebook?
When you’re not connected to Wi-Fi, your Google Chromebook is rather restricted, right? The majority of your programs require an internet connection, yet using the internet without a VPN is dangerous.
Public Wi-Fi Protection
Why is using Wi-Fi without a VPN dangerous?
If everything is in order, your house Wi-Fi requires a password to use it. The point is that many public hotspots lack WPA, which protects your network. Thus, When you connect to such a Wi-Fi network, you can nearly be confident that you’re on dangerous ground. Consequently, if you use your Chromebook on a public Wi-Fi network, you’re vulnerable to phishing scams, hackers, and other types of attacks that can intercept your traffic and take your information. Even at home, you’re vulnerable to data and privacy breaches. If your communication isn’t encrypted, hackers can easily steal your bank information and passwords. This is why you must use a VPN service to access the internet safely on a public network.
Online anonymity
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a simple tool that protects your online privacy while also masking your location and activity. There are several benefits to use one, like remaining safe and avoiding hackers, as well as accessing foreign streaming material and saving money on airplane ticket prices.
When you use a VPN, the VPN routes your traffic and encrypts it in an undetectable tunnel. Even if a hacker manages to obtain your personal information, they won’t be able to utilize it since the encryption renders it unreadable. This also means that the government, your Internet service provider, and other trackers won’t be able to see what you’re up to online.
Unblock streaming services from anywhere
A VPN can also help you get around geo-blocks. You may quickly unblock restricted sites like BBC iPlayer in the UK, Netflix in the US, Germany, Japan, Canada, and Australia, as well as blocked social network sites, by connecting to a server in another country.
Furthermore, a good VPN will keep your streaming private, have minimal impact on speed, and function with all popular devices. Even though there are many VPNs available, there are only a few that are compatible with Chromebooks.
Download torrent files without risking fines
Torrent downloads might be hazardous. You take a tremendous risk every time you pirate over an unsecured internet connection.
While torrenting is a quick and convenient way to distribute files, it can expose confidential information from your computer’s files, which hackers may exploit. Torrent files are frequently infected with viruses that can harm your system.
To put it in another way, if you’re going to torrent, you need to be safe. A solid VPN is the safest and most anonymous way to torrent without jeopardizing your device or your privacy.
VPNs encrypt your online traffic and hide your IP address. This means that no one can see what you’re doing online, including hackers, the government, and even your ISP.
Free VPN or paid VPN for Chromebook?
Don’t expect perfection out of products you get for free. The best VPNs keep you entirely anonymous online, protect you from cyber threats, and allow you to access geo-restricted content. It’s almost impossible to think that you could have all of that for free.
The issue is that maintaining a good VPN service isn’t cheap, it requires operating a worldwide server network, building client apps, and providing customer assistance, to name a few things. VPN providers, on the other hand, aren’t non-profits; they’re companies.
While paid VPN services make money through membership fees, free VPN companies must find a way to make money from your usage.
What about VPN services that offer a completely free, limitless service? This is where you must use greater caution. To earn money, some free VPNs jeopardize your privacy and security. That is the exact opposite of what you want with a VPN.
What Are the Consequences and Risks of Using a Free VPN with Chromebook?
The main question is: what do businesses know that I don’t? How would they make money if they allow me to use their service for free? We’ll start with the worst things some free VPN companies do to make money, then move on to the small inconveniences you can cope with if you just use VPN occasionally.
They follow you throughout the internet and sell your personal and surfing information
Many free VPNs admit to selling your session data to marketers and bombarding you with advertisements.
They jeopardize your online privacy when other parties gain access to your personal information and collect your data, negating one of the most significant reasons to use a VPN.
Furthermore, some free VPNs will hijack your browser and send you to third-party websites without your permission.
They allow other users to join your network
Many free VPN services function as peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, passing your data through another user’s device and routing other users’ traffic via yours. This configuration puts you in danger of malware and DNS assaults right now, but it gets even worse. They sell your spare bandwidth on the worldwide data market. That’s how they generate money, and it’s quite risky.
They provide low security standards if any
As I stated before, maintaining a good and secure network infrastructure is expensive unless you cut costs. Many free VPNs, unlike paid VPNs, utilize ineffective security measures and inadequate encryption, which might mimic malware. Because of this lack of security, hackers and surveillance organizations such as the US National Security Agency may easily decode your data.
Ads will continually interrupt your surfing
One of the most prevalent methods for free VPN services to profit from your use is by selling advertising. Even if the provider does not track or sell your data, the persistent nuisance of advertisements may make you regret saving a few bucks a month.
It’s also doubtful that any free VPN will scan all of those adverts for malware or adware, so one wrong click might spell disaster. With its built-in ad and virus filter, top-rated subscription service NordVPN, on the other hand, safeguards you from harmful sites.
They will cause your internet connection to slow down
You will almost probably be disappointed if you are seeking a free VPN to watch videos, play games, or download torrents. Because of the encryption process, any VPN causes some speed loss, but with the best premium VPNs, you won’t notice.
With free services, it’s a different story. They’ll grind your online browsing to a halt due to their limited networks, continuous advertisements, or deliberate speed limiting.
They provide restricted functionality to get you to upgrade to a paying service
Even if you locate a free VPN that doesn’t gather data and keeps adverts to a minimum, you’ll almost certainly run across another issue: service limits. You may, however, be able to live with the limitations depending on your needs.
Premium VPN companies frequently provide free services to persuade you that it is better to pay for a subscription. While the free VPN will not compromise your data or devices, the provider will ensure that it does not satisfy all of your requirements.
Most free versions of commercial VPN services, for example, significantly restrict your use (sometimes to 500MB per month) and network access (sometimes to a single, overloaded server). They also refuse to unblock Netflix in the United States or BBC iPlayer. Luckily, service constraints, including slow speed, are more annoying than hazardous.
Paid VPNs Provide Exceptional Security and Premium Features for Every Situation
As a result, we’re faced with the fact that no free VPN can provide a comprehensive, secure, and high-quality service without restrictions.
What is it about paid VPN services that make them worthwhile to pay for?
They provide actual internet safety for your personal information
Your session data should disappear when you disconnect from the internet, and it will if you use a paid VPN. While some of the best VPN services store partial connection records for troubleshooting purposes, none of them ever monitor or disclose your information. Even better, top-rated VPNs don’t retain any logs at all, ensuring that your internet behavior is as private as it should be.
Their network security is top-notch
Paid VPNs rely on subscribers to maintain their business, thus they focus on implementing the best security measures for their users. End-to-end AES 256-bit encryption is standard on the finest VPNs, and they offer a range of tunneling protocols, including OpenVPN and WireGuard.
There are no bandwidth or speed restrictions
If you use your VPN for streaming online videos, P2P activities, or gaming, this is the best option.
In fact, the best VPNs have dedicated servers for each of these activities, so you can forget about buffering and excruciatingly sluggish downloads.
They provide you with additional server options
Paid VPNs provide you with unrestricted access to their complete server networks, which are frequently massive and cover the globe. As a result, you’ll have more geo-restricted services and websites available to you.
In general, the more servers available, the better for unblocking websites and improving connection speed.
They can even work in China and unblock Netflix
Here’s where the absolute finest VPNs shine. Because powerful VPN-detecting software surrounds the Great Firewall of China, even the most expensive VPNs can’t consistently function in China.
Top premium VPNs will enable you to access US Netflix and BBC iPlayer without draining your cash, and will even allow you to bypass powerful firewall systems in areas like China, Russia, and Turkey for all sorts of online activities.
They provide a slew of extra benefits to enhance your experience
With a premium VPN, you receive a lot more than just enhanced privacy, security, and access to international content. Many premium services, for example, allow you to use their software on several devices at once with just one membership.
Others provide specialized IP addresses, P2P servers, and virus and ad filters built-in. Some offer really quick customer service, and several offer incredibly user-friendly interfaces.
Best VPN App For Chromebook
Isn’t it a little daunting to choose the proper VPN for Chromebook when there are over 300 to pick from? Well, after reading this article, it won’t be.
Having a stable and simple to install Chrome app and browser extensions that are compatible with Chrome OS or Android, secure VPN protocols and 256-bit encryption, a stringent no-logs policy, a proven high-speed network with servers all around the world that allow you to unblock material without latency from wherever, in addition to DNS and IPv6 leak prevention mechanisms, NordVPN is the best VPN for Chromebook.
How to set up NordVPN on a Chromebook?
To encrypt your Chromebook with NordVPN, you may utilize one of two connection methods:
Download and install the NordVPN Android app
The process of setting up the NordVPN app is rather simple. Simply go to the Chrome Web Store and search for NordVPN’s app, then click the Add to Chrome option. It will be immediately installed as a browser extension. After that, all you have to do is login in with your NordVPN account.
I prefer this choice because it protects all of your device’s Internet traffic.
Download and install the NordVPN Chrome extension
You may use the Chrome extension for safe browsing on your Chrome device or browser. It encrypts your traffic using HTTPS and includes the CyberSec functionality.
You can get the NordVPN chrome extension here. Click the “Add to Chrome” button when the link opens. Chrome may prompt you to install the extension. Add an extension by clicking the “Add” button.
The NordVPN logo will show up in the upper right corner of your Chrome browser. From the browser’s user interface, you may now log in and connect to NordVPN’s secure servers.
This is a different way to connect. Keep in mind, however, that it only secures communication within the Chrome browser and does not safeguard traffic outside of Chrome.
Be aware that your account password determines the security of your VPN connection. Remember to create a strong password for your account, as this will help you avoid credential stuffing attacks and keep your connections safe and secure.
Because creating and remembering strong and secure passwords is difficult, we recommend using NordPass, the free password manager. It generates and retains secure passwords for you, allowing you to avoid time-consuming password changes in the future.
Best VPN For Chromebook – The Bottom Line
For you to get an optimal Chromebook experience, you should have a VPN that provides consistent performance for any internet-based activity . And, of course, you must be confident that you will be safe.
After evaluating several VPNs, it’s obvious that NordVPN is the most compatible VPN for Chromebook providing a good balance of speed, security, and overall performance.
Because of its sophisticated features, high-end security, and ability to overcome even the most difficult geo-blocks, NordVPN is my #1 VPN for Chromebook.
