How do hackers get your information? The invisible threat on your network

Protecting your data online in 2026 is becoming increasingly challenging. Hackers no longer have to guess passwords until they brute-force the correct one. Nor do they have to break into protected databases to steal personally identifiable information (PII).

Without a VPN, hackers can successfully exploit unsecured public Wi-Fi networks, like coffee shops or airport hotspots. AI-powered "Evil Twin" attacks became more dangerous. Modern cybercriminals also steal session tokens to bypass multi-factor authentication that almost everyone now uses.

In both cases, VPN's advanced encryption protects from public Wi-Fi risks. Personal data leaks are often an invisible threat. You may not notice it until hackers use your PII for identity theft or phishing scams. But you can protect data on public networks using the best VPN for security. In this article, I'll explain how.

The #1 data harvesting ground: public Wi-Fi

So, is it safe to use hotel or coffee shop Wi-Fi? In reality, using public Wi-Fi without a VPN is similar to using a frosted glass bathroom in the middle of a coffee shop. There are walls, but everyone can still see some of your business.

Likewise, additional VPN encryption, among other benefits, adds a strong layer of cybersecurity. To be perfectly honest, the HTTPS vs HTTP protocol switch, with HTTPS forcing encryption, ensures that most data online is encrypted by default. However, it won't help if apps on your devices are sending unencrypted data and metadata.

If hackers set up a fake Wi-Fi hotspot you connect to, they can continue monitoring websites you visit and mark down your device's unique MAC address. All of it can be used to profile you to enrich future scams with personal information.

Keep in mind that hackers already infect such networks. In 2017, Coronet (now Coro) cybersecurity experts ranked and listed the 10 most cyber-insecure airports. If you frequent them, running into hackers is not a chance, but a high probability.

The same applies to cafes, hotels, libraries, and other popular public places. Without a VPN, you are more susceptible to packet sniffing, metadata gathering, and man-in-the-middle attacks that hackers have been mastering for decades.

VPN cybersecurity and additional benefits

At its core, a VPN masks your original IP address, reroutes your traffic through its secure servers, and encrypts it. Shortly, I'll talk about Webroot Secure VPN with its additional features. But before that, let's see what else a VPN can do.

VPNs are widely used to access geographically restricted content. For example, dedicated VPNs can help access YouTube from China, where it has been blocked for nearly two decades.

But did you know they also unblock restricted streaming service content? The best VPN for streaming lets you watch US-exclusive Netflix content from anywhere. You can also access the free BBC iPlayer while outside of the UK, or Peacock, which is only available in the States.

You do that by connecting to a VPN server in the desired country. For example, Webroot Secure VPN has servers in over 70 countries. Whenever you connect to one, all of your traffic will be routed through that country. This way, streaming services consider you a local visitor and display films and TV shows that aren't available in other regions.

Occasionally, you can even get cheaper airline tickets or hotel booking prices. They are also often determined by the visitor's geographical location. Buying them when connected to a VPN server in a more affordable country can get you better deals.

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The “Evil Twin” hotspot trap

In the US, Starbucks names its Wi-Fi network either "Google Starbucks" or "Starbucks Wi-Fi". Suppose you notice that you are connected to "Starbucks_Free_Wi-Fi" instead. It's almost certain that you have joined a compromised network, called an "Evil Twin" attack.

While on it, hackers can monitor and manipulate parts of your traffic. They can use a custom DNS address "book", which informs the server which website you want to visit. But instead of landing you there, criminals use AI to set up identical websites. You may think you're visiting your bank or university’s legitimate sites, but all information you input there is sent to the hackers instead.

What's worse, you may not even notice the connection if you have auto-join turned on. High-risk infected networks are intentionally made fast, so that some devices connect automatically.

As discussed, a VPN is a very efficient solution. The best VPN for your phone uses its own DNS servers, making sure you always land where intended. Simultaneously, device-wide encryption ensures that even if they peek at your traffic, they cannot make any sense out of it.

The home front: your ISP is watching

Online privacy proponents use VPNs to avoid sharing data with the Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Since 2017, US ISPs have been able to collect, store, and sell user data without obtaining consent, excluding only a handful of states with strong data protection laws.

Although it's not hacking, it poses serious and palpable risks. Firstly, it's a severe invasion of your private virtual life. In this digitized age, a lot of personal details make it to the internet. If you don't use a VPN, your ISP, in the US and dozens of other countries, can see what you do online and use it.

It also poses security risks. Hackers rely on such data to improve their scams and make them believable. If your ISP sells any identifiable data to a data broker, it can then be sold to a hacker.

Keep in mind that criminals in 2026 very rarely hack into databases. Instead, they buy personal information from brokers or illegal marketplaces on the dark web. When you turn a VPN on, your ISP can no longer see what you do online and sell it.

Webroot Secure VPN: your personal armored tunnel

Now that we've got the theory sorted out, let's take a look at how Webroot Secure VPN protects your information from hackers.

Firstly, it uses the strong AES-256 (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption. This standard is used by governments and militaries worldwide, so its security is unquestionable. Webroot also encrypts all traffic before it leaves your devices, closing all vulnerabilities associated with unencrypted traffic.

You also don't have to turn it on manually. It has an auto-connect feature, which turns the VPN on whenever you connect to a public Wi-Fi. Regarding the topic of this article, it's one of its essential benefits.

Webroot Secure VPN is also a genuine no-logs service. That means that they do not monitor, collect, or store any of your online activities. Even if hackers attempted to hack into its servers, they would find nothing, because Webroot Secure VPN simply does not collect browsing data.

Additional features include split-tunneling, which lets you control which apps use the VPN and which use the original ISP connection. You can connect to over 80 locations in 65 countries.

And last, but not least, Webroot Secure VPN is extremely lightweight. It will not slow your device and will maintain the best possible connection speed, especially compared to numerous free VPNs that introduce visible lag.

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When is a VPN absolutely mandatory?

Before wrapping up, let's summarize when a VPN is absolutely mandatory.

• Working remotely. Whether you're working from home or a cafe, most responsible businesses demand a secure VPN connection for work-related communication. Do not ever send business-sensitive data over public Wi-Fi without a VPN on.
• Banking. The same applies to banking operations. If you're traveling and can't rely on mobile data, always turn on a VPN for financial transactions on unknown Wi-Fi networks.
• Travel and hotels. Hackers often target travelers who have their minds occupied while away from home. In hotels, they can set up long-lasting fake public Wi-Fi hotspots to lure out as much data as possible.
• Online privacy protection. Because a VPN hides data from ISPs and all other unwanted third parties, it is the number 1 go-to tool for online privacy protection. That's how you can be sure your ISP is not selling your browsing activities.

Conclusion: build a wall around your data

As you can see, data encryption plays a pivotal role in protecting your information from hackers. Unlike the internet-wide HTTPS protocol, which encrypts only browsing traffic, Webroot Secure VPN encrypts it device-wide.

Such VPNs also use secure DNS servers, protecting your device from "Evil Twin" attacks. Even if hackers manage to inspect your browsing activities, they cannot make any sense of it, rendering the whole hack futile.

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