Today is August 19, and the long-awaited International VPN Day has finally arrived! But this event, the start of NordVPN's VPN Awareness Month, may be more interesting than you think.

Focusing on personal online security, International VPN Day aims to raise the profile of the best VPN services to the mainstream, not just to the most technical people in society. from IT pros to the most dedicated Luddites, everyone can learn about what online risks they face online and want to encourage them to consider ways to mitigate them.

It is also worth noting that cybercrime has skyrocketed since the global lockdown was implemented early last year. This, along with ever more intrusive ad tracking and the proliferation of telecommuting, means VPNs and other security software are in the spotlight, and VPN Day is there to celebrate.

"The main goal of International VPN Day is to bring more attention to privacy, security, and freedom on the Internet and to educate people around the world about the importance of having a VPN," says NordVPN.

"We hope that more cybersecurity brands and enthusiasts will join us in this celebration.

We think this is a great opportunity for people who are not involved in cybersecurity to take the plunge and see what VPNs can offer - and it's not just about NordVPN. This is something NordVPN itself insists on, saying, "This celebration is not about NordVPN in particular. It is about the importance of cybersecurity in general, and VPNs are a very important part of a private and secure Internet.

While not the most interactive celebration, we urge you to take the time to read about how to stay safe online, investigate perhaps more interesting ways to use VPNs, and participate in things like the National Privacy Test.

If you're really into it, we also recommend doing some general digital housekeeping. For example, making sure that you are not using passwords repeatedly, that your social media accounts are not linked to suspicious face-swapping apps, and that your devices are fully updated with the latest software.

In short, we believe that improving cybersecurity should be high on most people's to-do list, but we understand that it is not. International VPN Day is a useful reminder that it's worth taking the time to make sure you're fully protected online.