Page 126 - Cyber Defense eMagazine January 2024

VPNs in Times of War: Why a Rise in Global Conflicts

Mean Citizens Now Need VPNs More Than Ever

A NEW era of global instability is dawning.

By Sebastian Schaub, CEO, hide.me

Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine continues to fan the flames of war in Europe. American and Chinese
global interests appear increasingly incompatible, threatening a second Cold War. And now that Israel’s
long-standing conflict with Palestine has escalated all the way to a ground invasion of Gaza, there are
fears that regional powers may be sucked into a wider war in the Middle East.

Between armed conflicts and increasing tensions between global superpowers, it is clear that global
volatility is becoming the new normal. But there is one aspect of this new era of instability which is not
given enough attention: online freedom.

History tells us that in times of war, citizens are often subject to exceptional restrictions in their daily lives,
with the ‘war effort’ demanding sacrifices from everyone in the name of national security. Online, this
trade-off may take the form of increased censorship of foreign websites, repression of domestic

Cyber Defense eMagazine – January 2024 Edition 126
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