Not only can hiding one’s geographic location, for example, by switching to a US IP address, allow web visitors to circumvent content streaming restrictions such as those imposed by Netflix and the UK’s BBC iPlayer, but anonymity also protects users from data throttling, especially when accessing the internet via a 4G signal. It’s no secret that many mobile data providers have a ‘fair usage’ policy, which will slow down the data transfer speed to a crawl if a person uses too much data over an arbitrary limit. Using a VPN as a browser extension on a device can prevent data throttling, as the mobile data provider simply doesn’t know which account to slow down.
But there are other advantages to using 4G proxies including higher speed facilities, regular IP rotation, and advanced anonymity settings. These 4G proxy servers act as ‘middlemen’ between the device in question and the 4G data account which they draw upon.
In many areas, especially rural outliers from larger towns, 4G signals are beginning to outpace landline broadband speeds. This is because a phone mast might be much closer to the area in question than the nearest FTTC (fiber to the cabinet) connection. Copper cable is inherently slower than fiber, and the further it gets from the fiber connection point, the slower it gets. So if you have a 4G data mast a mile from your house, but the nearest FTTC point is several miles away, the 4G is going to be faster every time.
This is why some people prefer to use 4G routers, especially as 4G data is now becoming as affordable as landline access to the web. But what are the implications for using mobile devices in terms of cyber security and anonymity, whether using them through a 4G signal or via domestic home or office broadband?
Rotating IP addresses and SEO
Mobile proxies, as opposed to fixed or even dynamic proxy servers, tend to draw upon a pool of IP addresses gained from various 4G mobile networks. Accordingly, it’s possible to rotate IP addresses at a user’s request, making it harder to locate the user’s online activity. This enhances the anonymity aspect of a VPN when used in conjunction with a 4G proxy.
Additionally, SEO managers need to check how their search appears in different countries and determine where their website ranks on the SERP. SEO Chrome extensions are invaluable tools for performing these checks efficiently.
Mobile device management
Conversely, there are times when you do need your device to be discoverable and identifiable, especially if you are using a mobile device management (MDM) provider. MDM companies can achieve huge savings in time and effort for individuals and especially companies, from troubleshooting a sales representative’s smartphone to rebooting a laundry kiosk.
Many people forget that most unattended devices such as vending machines, fuel pumps, and laundry kiosks use the 4G data network to communicate with their owners. For example, when a washing machine senses that its detergent reservoir is almost empty, it will send an SMS message to the owner/operator so that the device can be physically replenished. Likewise, with machines selling coffee or candy bars, someone has to know when to fill them up with stock.
MDM companies can reset such machines remotely and provide fault analytics, as well as providing security by streaming CCTV images of device users, helping to reduce vandalism and break-ins of remotely located vending machines.
Security of mobile devices is also of paramount importance, an MDM provider can wipe a phone that has been lost or stolen remotely, whilst ensuring its data is backed up on a cloud server. The thieves can access nothing, but the employee’s data remains secure. This typically only costs a nominal few dollars per month and is well worth the commercial security and time saving for sole traders or businesses with more than just a few employees.
Work from home device management
With the work from home (WFH) revolution, many white-collar employees now expect to WFH for at least a couple of days per week. This means that Android tablets and phones are being used more often for Zoom and MS Teams calls, or allied to collaborative platforms such as Slack, Trello or Monday dot com. It goes without saying that people using their own, or their employers’ devices remotely, are going to present a security risk, especially if they are relying on public Wi-Fi in a café or shared working space. An MDM company can monitor internet connections in real time and detect malware or spyware intrusions before they happen, using a system-wide VPN to disconnect the device from the internet connection instantaneously if security is compromised.
Wi-Fi or 4G, protection is paramount.
In summary, it really doesn’t matter whether you want to use a 4G proxy server to make your desktop computer look like a mobile device to an analytics platform, or a VPN to choose where your mobile device appears to be in the world.
Above all, device and data loss from physical and cyber thieves causes huge costs in time and effort of restoring that lost data. The havoc and paperwork caused by data breaches also needs to be avoided like the plague. A few dollars per month per device for a VPN (which can also often be free) and adequate cover from an MDM provider is well worth the investment for any business when, not if, things go wrong.
