Daniel Markuson

Daniel Markuson is an internet security enthusiast and the digital privacy expert at NordVPN, the leading virtual private network provider. Daniel loves putting his 10-year expertise into service to help people stay private and secure online.

Articles by Daniel Markuson

• The top 10 biggest data breaches of 2020

  Friday, January 22, 2021

  Last year, hackers were as active as never before, taking advantage of users’ vulnerabilities and the economic disruption amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Risk Based Security report, 2,953 breaches were publicly reported in the first three quarters of 2020 alone, bringing the number of exposed records to a staggering 36 billion. Out of the enormous number of data breaches that happened in 2020, experts picked the top 10 biggest leaks in terms of the data volume. The list includes leaky databases that were not necessarily breached per se but exposed sensitive data to the public.

• Report: Developed countries are more vulnerable to cybercrime

  Thursday, June 04, 2020

  Residents of developed countries are more likely to become victims of cybercrime, according to the new Cyber Risk Index by NordVPN. The defining qualities of developed countries — high-income economy, advanced technological infrastructure, urbanization, and digitalization — are the same factors that increase the prevalence of cybercrime. NordVPN’s Cyber Risk Index covers 50 countries, comprising 70% of the world population.

• Even the FBI recommends using a VPN, and here’s why

  Tuesday, May 19, 2020

  Free public Wi-Fi is now one of the most prevalent cybersecurity threats. The risks are becoming so common that even the FBI recommends avoiding free internet hotspots. Along with that, it advises using a virtual private network (VPN) as a precautionary measure. In an official video, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informs about the risks of public internet networks. The main reason is that users can "control the security standards of a public Wi-Fi network." But even the Bureau has to admit that sometimes it’s more than essential to access the web, especially when traveling or working remotely.

• Employees are a weak link in cybersecurity: How to protect your business

  Wednesday, April 15, 2020

  Estimates show that 90% of corporate data breaches in the cloud happen due to hacker attacks that target employees, according to a report from Kaspersky Lab. With many of them forced to work remotely during the quarantine, companies are now more vulnerable than ever. Employee negligence is a great threat to business security. However, this particular risk is easy to control. There are many digital tools that can help protect organizations from data breaches.

• Tips on secure remote working during the coronavirus outbreak

  Monday, March 23, 2020

  The coronavirus has triggered the world's biggest work-from-home experiment. Millions of people have been asked to self-isolate to stop the virus from spreading. Entire regions in China and Italy were put under full or partial lockdown. With the virus spreading, major companies in the U.S. and Europe, including Facebook and Amazon, are also asking employees to stay at home. The current situation has reignited the discussion on the effectiveness and security of remote work.

• Infographic: The real reasons behind internet censorship around the world

  Thursday, March 05, 2020

  For millions around the world, internet outages have become the norm. For example, the Iranian government recently shut off the internet for nearly all of its population of more than 80 million. The authorities say this was done to silence protests over rising gasoline prices. But sometimes official motives for switching off the internet may be different from the actual ones. The infographic in this article takes a look at the countries with the heaviest internet censorship. It also lists their motives for cutting down access to global websites.

• 6 cybersecurity resolutions worth sticking to in 2020

  Monday, January 06, 2020

  Everyone is familiar with the desire to change for the better as the New Year comes. And although about 80% of New Year's resolutions fail by mid-February, some are worth keeping. In the digital age, those are the ones related to cybersecurity and online lives. We have no control over when the next company or even government institution is hacked. But even if we can't prevent all cyber threats, there are things we can do to make our digital life safer. Promise to stay safe during 2020 and make these resolutions that will stick.

• How can healthcare companies protect themselves from data breaches?

  Thursday, December 05, 2019

  Healthcare remains the most breached industry in 2019. Thirty-two million healthcare records were breached in the first half of this year, which is double the total for all of 2018. There are no signs that cyberattacks in the healthcare industry are going to cease. To avoid a bad reputation and legal action, healthcare organizations must make cybersecurity their top priority. Here are four main tips on how to protect your healthcare organization from getting hacked.

• How to avoid security risks from social media

  Wednesday, November 13, 2019

  In October, a Japanese man was accused of stalking and assaulting a young pop idol. What makes this news shocking is the details of how he found out where she lived. "All a stalker needs to find your whereabouts is pictures from your social media accounts," says Daniel Markuson, a digital privacy expert at NordVPN. And some people upload a great number of them every day without even a thought about possible risks. The case demonstrates the great issue social media users face these days — digital stalking that may outgrow into physical harassment.