PC On A Virtual Server - Great Way To Increase Your Internet Security

Having your own Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosted securely in any data center, for example on HC Cloud, is an easy and proven way to increase your digital security and keep your personal data safe. How does it happen?

The Virtual Private Server (VPS) can work as:

• a web server for hosting websites, e-mail programs, and other personal or business-critical applications for delivering services to other internet users;
• as a personal computer safely and securely hosted in any data center (in The Cloud);

The Virtual Server used as a personal computer is accessible remotely from your physical PC or notebook through a Virtual Private Network (VPN). The VPN is a method for creating a secure, isolated private tunnel through a public internet connection.

When you start browsing the world wide web from your computer to read news, play games, or use any web-based service, your IP address, personal data, and often your physical location, are revealed, recorded, and transited over the public internet. Each corresponding device communicates with your computer. It is theoretically and in practice exposable to malicious activity. A scanning program or a skilled professional could find vulnerabilities in any software applications installed on your personal computer and can access it.

It is not that tens of millions of personal computers are hacked every day or that there are thousands of hackers who are going after you. According to a Clark School study at the University of Maryland, "There is a hacker attack every 39 seconds." More than 1 million personal computers are being compromised on an annual basis as a result of cyberattacks. 95 percent of cybersecurity breaches are due to human error.

The expectations of the security experts, including those of Norton, the popular antivirus expert, suggest that the transition from fiat currencies to digital currencies and the use of digital wallets will make the cyber attacks much more sophisticated. Having antivirus software installed on your PC is a reasonable precaution against viruses, malware, and various cybercrimes. However, antivirus programs can be also compromised.

Is there a guaranteed method to secure our PCs?

Although, as it is with physical security, there is no 100 percent secure server or computer, the short answer is 'Yes'. There are simple and proven methods to reduce the risk of our computers and personal data being accessed by unauthorized parties. Protecting ourselves from cyber-attacks and cybercrime is not hard.

One of the most proven methods is to use a doorway device between the Internet and your personal computer. Such a device is the Remote PC installed on a Virtual Private Server.

To have a Windows 10 or a Windows 11-based Remote PC (also called Cloud PC) that works in a data center, requires a 1 GHz CPU with two (2x) or more cores, 4 GB memory, and 80 GB Storage. If you want to use a Linux-based remote PC, you'd need even fewer computing resources.

The first step is to have a Remote PC installed on a virtual server in any data center.

The second step is to install VPN software on your physical PC. HostColor recommends Wireguard, a communication protocol, and free and open-source software that used User Datagram Protocol (UDP) transport layer. It works on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux BSD operating systems.

WireGuard creates an encrypted virtual private network between your computer and the data center-based Remote PC. It can be easily customized to your custom security rules and policies.

The third step is to decide whether to use a VPS and respectively Remote PC with your own dedicated IP address or a virtual server that goes to the public web through a Gateway IP address, shared with other users. If you need to access any interfaces, platforms, or web services that for various reasons, for example, security ones, require a dedicated IP address, then you can use one. Otherwise, you will be good with a shared IP address.

As a user of a secure, remote virtual PC accessed through a VPN from your physical personal computer, you will browse the web without revealing your IP address or physical location. You can use it all the time or when you are traveling. Speaking about 'traveling', we'd need to remind you that the media content is distributed in different countries under different licenses. Access to your favorite news, media, and entertainment website and platforms is often restricted from other countries due to copyright reasons. When you use a Remote PC, hosted on a virtual server, in a data center in your home country, or preferred geo-location, however, you'll avoid any content restrictions.

Finally, if you need, you can configure your remote virtual PC, or any software program, for example, a project management system, to be accessible via the public internet only from selected IP addresses or selected physical PCs of yours only, which have WireGuard app installed and configured.