When you use your laptop at the local coffee shop or library, you’re probably not giving much thought to the network you connect to. We’re all guilty of this; we’re used to connecting to a network and go on with the rest of our day. But public networks house dangers that, while we may not notice them, notice us. Hackers, cybercriminals: these are only examples of what may be lurking on a public network, and your connecting to it gives them the chance to steal your information-and possibly your identity.
HP knows the risk their users take, which must be why their new laptop, the HP Spectre x360 13, will include a 30-day free trial to ExpressVPN.
In the press release of their new Spectre laptop, HP announced its partnership with ExpressVPN. The program will come preinstalled on the new laptop, and a 30-day free trial will be given to the users of said laptop.
This easily stood out among the rest of the laptop features, impressive as they were, since a tech company partnering with a VPN company is rare. Come to think about it, I can’t recall it ever happening.
ExpressVPN shared their thoughts about partnering with HP on their blog, explaining that HP felt the need to increase user security, as they realize that many of their Spectre users connect to public networks often, if not daily.
With the VPN market experiencing gradual growth since its inception in the early 2000s, it comes as no surprise that tech companies are starting to notice the benefits of partnering with VPN companies.
VPNs allow you to connect to a public and/or unsecured network without fear of being hacked. When you connect to a public network, the data sent to and from your device (in this case a laptop) remains unencrypted, so any hacker or cyber-criminal with the right tools can snatch that data and potentially find sensitive information.
However, a VPN encrypts said data, so while a hacker could theoretically snatch your data, it would be extremely difficult, and they’d still have to waste their time unencrypting it-AKA it’s useless to them.
A VPN has gone from an additional security feature to a near-necessary one, with 30% of Internet users using one daily. HP has taken notice of the need for a VPN, hence their partnership with ExpressVPN.
HP is setting out to increase the security of their users, and with a partnership with ExpressVPN, I’d say they’re going to do a good job. The laptop promises extra security features, and while I didn’t go over them, they can be found in the press release here.
HP’s new Spectre x360 13 is set to release sometime this October, though no release date is set in stone. Be sure to be on the lookout for HP’s new laptop and, even if you don’t plan on buying it, be sure to check out numerous VPNs and see what they can do for you.