Latest news with #VirtualPrivateNetworks
Business Wire
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Soracom Partners With Intelisys to Expand Advanced IoT Cellular Connectivity for Channel Partners
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Soracom, a global IoT platform provider with full cellular MVNO capability, today announced a strategic partnership with Intelisys, a ScanSource company and a leading provider of technology services and solutions. This collaboration aims to provide channel partners with industry-leading IoT connectivity solutions, enabling them to unlock new revenue streams, reduce complexity, and accelerate time to market for their customers' IoT deployments. Soracom's cloud-native platform provides comprehensive cellular IoT connectivity through a single SIM solution that offers multi-carrier LTE/5G and satellite connections and supports eSIM, iSIM, and card-type SIM deployments. With built-in features like IMEI lock for enhanced security, Out-of-Band Management (OOBM) for remote device access, and secure networking options like Virtual Private Networks for secure data transfer, Soracom helps partners simplify IoT deployments and reduce operational overhead. Empowering Channel Partners The partnership with Intelisys continues Soracom's strategy to be a partner-led organization. The relationship will empower channel partners to leverage Soracom's advanced Connectivity Management Platform (CMP), which grants users unprecedented control of their IoT deployments from a single SIM and APN. Soracom also grants channel partners access to a robust suite of connectivity tools for everything from device management to advanced data routing, to packet capture, to real-time network analytics, and secure traffic management. Soracom enables partners to deliver scalable, cost-effective, and highly secure IoT solutions that address the unique needs of their customers. "Soracom is committed to providing partners with the support, tools, and technology they need to make cellular connectivity deliver real business value for customers," said Richard Halliday, Head of Sales, Partnerships & Technical Services, Americas Region, Soracom. "Partnering with Intelisys opens the door for their extensive network of technology advisors to solve complex customer problems with our advanced global IoT coverage, single-platform management, and cloud integration capabilities to businesses worldwide. Together, we're making it easier for partners to innovate, grow, and thrive in the connected world." Driving Innovation and Growth Intelisys is known for its commitment to partner success, providing technology advisors with the support, resources and enablement needed to succeed. Soracom offers Intelisys sales partners integrated IoT connectivity solutions and enables partners to address a wide range of use cases, from real-time asset tracking and smart infrastructure to critical communications and industrial automation. "At Intelisys, we are focused on providing our partners with the best possible tools to drive innovation and success," said Paul Constantine, EVP, Supplier Services, Intelisys. "Collaborating with Soracom allows us to deliver comprehensive global and remote connectivity, empowering our partners to capture new opportunities and meet the evolving needs of their customers." About Soracom Soracom is a technology partner to more than 20,000 startups, SMBs, and enterprises. Soracom offers robust solutions specifically designed to make it easy to build, operate, and scale IoT deployments. Customers trust Soracom for affordable, reliable connectivity that accelerates speed to market, makes it easy to connect to any cloud, and offers access to a worldwide partner ecosystem. More information is available at
Euractiv
31-07-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
UK probes 34 porn sites over age checks
The UK's internet regulator, Ofcom, is investigating four companies that run 34 pornographic websites over compliance with age check rules that came into effect last week under online safety legislation. A provision of the UK's Online Safety Act that came into effect on 25 July obliges platforms which carry pornographic content to use highly effective age assurance to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content. On Thursday, Ofcom announced investigations into four companies – which run a total of 34 pornographic websites between them – in relation to these age check rules. The four companies are: 8579 LLC, AVS Group Ltd, Kick Online Entertainment SA and Trendio Ltd. The UK regulator said it is concerned the businesses are failing to comply with legal obligations "to prevent children from encountering pornographic content through the use of highly effective age assurance," per its announcement today. Age checks are "not a silver bullet" as VPNs surge At the same time, since the age check rules came into effect the UK has seen a surge in downloads of Virtual Private Networks (VPN) tools, which allow users to disguise their real location in order to access online content without such checks. Proton, a Swiss-based privacy company that offers VPN software, reported a surge in usage of about 1,800%, per the Financial Times. Asked about VPNs being used to circumvent age checks, an Ofcom spokesperson told Euractiv that the measure will still help prevent children from stumbling across adult material accidentally. 'Until now, kids could easily stumble across porn and other online content that's harmful to them without even looking for it," they said. "Age checks will help prevent that. We're now assessing compliance to make sure platforms have them in place, and companies that fall short should expect to face enforcement action." The spokesperson added that Ofcom recognises age checks are "not a silver bullet". "[S]ome determined teenagers may get round them," they also told us, adding: "Ultimately, this needs to work alongside education, awareness campaigns and through supportive conversations with trusted adults.' The UK law's guidance also states that porn providers should not publish any content that encourages the use of VPNs to circumvent the checks. Separately, back in May, the EU opened its own investigations into four adult content platforms – Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos – over similar age verification concerns under the bloc's Digital Services Act. However the EU and UK regulators appear to be probing different adult content providers under their respective online laws. (nl)
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Yahoo
UK web surfers warned of cyber security risks following new Online Safety Act
Web surfers in Great Britain have been warned that certain online workarounds could expose them to potential cyber attacks. It comes after the introduction of the Online Safety Act, which has led many people searching for ways to circumvent the new restrictions. Introduced this month, the Online Safety Act is focused on blocking access to adult material online. The legislation requires all users wanting to access particular sites to enter their information in order to prove their age. Communications regulator Ofcom claims the policy will drastically reduce the number of children accessing inappropriate content. "This is a significant change to how adults in the UK access pornography, and is a key step in helping to protect children from harmful content when they're online," Ofcom said in a recent statement. READ MORE: HMP Dovegate name inmate tragically found dead this morning READ MORE: Student entrepreneur running business from bedroom makes £788k made-up VAT claim But - although the bill is aimed at children - numerous adults have criticised the legislation. Sceptics have argued they do not want to provide personal details such as names, email addresses and financial information in order to access adult platforms. Additionally, specialists have expressed worries that this mandate could leave people more vulnerable to online criminal activity, with scammers potentially looking to capitalise on the fresh verification system. Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor at ESET, explained: "There are still details of the act that are missing that could even pose significant privacy and security risks by collecting data such as ID uploads and financial information." As reported by the introduction of the act has sparked a surge in the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), which conceal users' online activity and can mislead websites into believing a computer is located in another country. A VPN provider has reported a significant surge in UK downloads, with these apps currently dominating the top spots on app stores. While it may appear to be a straightforward solution, downloading and using a VPN can carry certain dangers, particularly when searching for free versions. The web is awash with sites offering VPN services at no cost, but such deals are frequently too good to be true. "One of the primary concerns with free VPNs online is that they may not have robust security features," the EC-Council University said. "Many free VPN providers lack the resources to develop and maintain strong security protocols, leaving their users vulnerable to cyber threats such as malware, hacking, and phishing. "Free VPNs need to generate revenue, and they often do this by logging and selling users' data to third-party advertisers. These VPN providers may log your browsing history, online activity, and personal information and then sell it to advertisers, compromising your online privacy." Prior to considering downloading a VPN, it's essential to carry out comprehensive research and verify that any software you install is entirely safe. "We understand the temptation of having a secure online connection for free," the Mozilla team stated. "It's important that you know, however, that the risks of free VPNs may make you think twice about that free price tag. When VPNs are offered to users for free, that means that providers have to gain revenue in another way." Following the implementation of the Online Safety Act, a petition has been created urging the Government to abolish it. At the time of writing, it had attracted more than 423,000 signatures. The petition stated: "We believe that the scope of the Online Safety act is far broader and restrictive than is necessary in a free society. For instance, the definitions in Part 2 covers online hobby forums, which we think do not have the resource to comply with the act and so are shutting down instead. "We think that Parliament should repeal the act and work towards producing proportionate legislation rather than risking clamping down on civil society talking about trains, football, video games or even hamsters because it can't deal with individual bad faith actors." Should a petition reach 100,000 signatures, it must be considered for parliamentary debate. Get daily headlines and breaking news emailed to you - it's FREE
Daily Mirror
29-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Huge VPN change announced as everyone in the UK targeted by major web update
The number of people switching to VPNs is changing after the UK confirmed a block on visiting adult websites. A major update to the way UK homes surf the web has been enforced this month, and it appears to have instantly changed the number of people using Virtual Private Networks or VPNs for short. The new rules, which have been announced by UK regulator Ofcom, mean people can no longer access adult websites without proving their age first. The change has been designed to stop children accessing content that is clearly inappropriate, with Ofcom saying that 8% of children aged 8-14 in the UK have visited an adult site. "This is a significant change to how adults in the UK access pornography, and is a key step in helping to protect children from harmful content when they're online," Ofcom said in a recent online post. It's clearly vital to stop younger people stumbling across photos and videos that are only suitable for adults but it appears UK web users aren't keen on typing in their names, addresses and bank details when trying to access X-rated sites. In fact, the recent update appears to have created a massive boom in VPN usage. For those not aware, Virtual Private Networks are used to hide your IP address and encrypt online traffic. They can also be used to trick the internet into thinking you are accessing the web from a different country, which has often been useful for people wanting to watch the US version of Netflix or when trying to access UK services such as Sky Go and BBC iPlayer when abroad. Although it's not clear if the Ofcom web ban is forcing more to switch to a VPN, one service says it has seen an unprecedented rise in users over the past week. Proton VPN says there has been 1,400+ percent hourly increase over its usual baseline since July 25 - the date that Ofcom introduced the rules. "At Proton VPN, we regularly see signups spike following major geopolitical events around the world, be they protests, contested elections, or government crackdowns," Proton VPN confirmed. A number of platforms also appear to have boomed, with 5 VPN services currently in the top 10 most downloaded on UK app stores. Ofcom's update is clearly an important step to help keep children safe online but there have been concerns from some about the impact of adults having to hand over such sensitive data to companies they don't know or trust. 'Like many new regulations, the Online Safety Act's approach to age verification sounds ideal to stamp out content that isn't intended for younger people," said Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor, ESET. "However, there are still details of the act that are missing that could even pose significant privacy and security risks by collecting data such as ID uploads and financial information." IF you are considering using a VPN, make sure it is from a reputable firm and don't be fooled by free versions that are scattered all over the web as these can often be unsafe and lead to data loss.
The National
27-07-2025
- Business
- The National
VPN use surges in UK as Ofcom's new age verification rules kick in
Sites offering adult content, including popular social media apps like X/Twitter, Reddit and TikTok, have introduced 'age assurance' systems to comply with new rules brought in by the Online Safety Act. Ofcom, the UK's independent media regulator, set out the new rules which now make online and social media companies legally responsible for keeping children and young people safe online. The regulator said the rules change aims to stop children from accessing 'harmful or inappropriate' content, including pornography and material that relates to self-harm, eating disorders or suicide. READ MORE: 'The welcome he deserves': TikToker goes viral praising National's Trump front page Some of the new age assurance measures which are being implemented by pornography providers, which are supported by Ofcom, include the use of facial age estimation, which assesses a person's likely age through a live photo or video. Other measures include checking a person's age via their credit card provider, bank or mobile phone network operator; photo ID matching, where a passport or similar ID is checked against a selfie; or a 'digital identity wallet' that contains proof of age. However, since the legislation came into effect on Friday, the usage of Virtual Private Networks (VPN) have soared as people attempt to evade the new rules. VPNs are commonly used by citizens in authoritarian regimes to get around internet censorship as they re-route a smartphone or a computer's internet traffic to another country, bypassing local network providers. Now, apps in the UK that offer VPNs have made up half of the top 10 most popular free apps on the UK's App Store for iOS this weekend, according to Apple's rankings. Proton VPN overtook ChatGPT to become the top free app in the UK as the Swiss-based company said it had seen a more than 1800% increase in daily sign-ups from UK-based users since Friday. 'We would normally associate these large spikes in sign-ups with major civil unrest,' Proton said. 'This clearly shows that adults are concerned about the impact universal age verification laws will have on their privacy.' Nord, another global leader that provides VPNs, said there had been a 1000 per cent increase in UK purchases of VPN subscriptions since the new rules kicked in. Google Trends has also shown there has been a significant increase in search requests about VPNs in the UK this weekend, with up to 10 times more people searching for them during peak times. Opposition to the new rules has grown in recent days, with a petition submitted through the UK parliament website attracting more than 280,000 signatures. The petition demands that the Online Safety Act be retracted, with a surge of signatures being added to the document in the past week. Ofcom said on Sunday that age checks were not a 'silver bullet' but added: 'Until now, kids could easily stumble across porn and other online content that's harmful to them without even looking for it. Age checks will help prevent that. 'We're now assessing compliance to make sure platforms have them in place, and companies that fall short should expect to face enforcement action.'
