As more people rely on mobile banking, digital payments and online shopping, cybersecurity expert has warned internet users to be cautious when using unfamiliar free virtual private network (VPN) applications, saying some services could expose sensitive information to potential misuse.
The expert said users who entrusted their internet traffic to unknown VPN providers risked exposing personal information if the applications were malicious or lacked adequate security protections.
Speaking in an interview with Zambian Business Times -ZBT, John Tshinseki said internet users needed to be particularly careful when accessing financial services through VPN applications whose operators they could not verify.
“ Sensitive information, including banking passwords and personal identification numbers (PINs), could be at risk if users interacted with malicious applications designed to collect confidential data,” said Tshinseki.
Tshinseki advised users to avoid using untrusted VPN services when conducting sensitive transactions, including online shopping and mobile banking.
He said users should first establish whether a VPN provider was credible before installing its application or allowing it to handle their internet traffic.
“A VPN routes internet traffic through an intermediary server and can help conceal a user’s IP address from websites. However, the service provider may be able to observe some information about the user’s connection, depending on the service’s configuration and privacy practices,” said Tshinseki.
Tshinseki said users should not assume that connecting through a VPN automatically guaranteed complete anonymity or protection against cybercrime.
He added that concealing an IP address did not necessarily prevent investigators from identifying a person, as other digital evidence could potentially be used to establish their identity or location.
“ Internet users can reduce their exposure to financial fraud by downloading applications from trusted sources, checking VPN providers’ privacy and security practices, using official banking applications and never sharing their PINs or passwords with third parties”, he noted.
Tshinseki said exercising caution when choosing digital security tools was important as people increasingly relied on internet-based services for everyday financial transactions.
Article by Karen Ngulube
