Protect your daily internet use

As a hosting provider, we are an integral part of the internet and proud to host thousands of .nl websites and beyond. In this way, we are able to contribute to the internet—whether through websites for businesses, healthcare organizations, hobby sites, or the early stages of a startup.

An additional service you might want to consider if you’re already a customer is investing in a VPN for your daily internet use. Let’s take a look at how a VPN can further secure and even enhance your daily internet use.

In this blog post, we’ll focus specifically on the provider Nym, which stands out from the (many) other VPN providers in terms of security and innovation.

Why the Nym Mixnet is the new standard for data privacy

Most VPNs create a secure “tunnel” for your data, but the outside of this tunnel remains visible. This means that third parties can still see when you’re online and how much data you’re using (metadata). Furthermore, by no means are all VPN providers log-free, and if they’re required to do so—for example, by law—your traffic can still be traced.

Nym uses a mixnet. You can think of it like a digital card shuffler: your data packets are mixed with those of thousands of others and forwarded at random times. This means that no one—not even the provider—can trace which traffic belongs to which user. While a normal VPN protects you from hackers, Nym protects you from the entire surveillance system.

The engine behind data protection: The NYM token

What also sets Nym apart from traditional VPN providers is its own cryptocurrency: the NYM token. This isn’t just a digital currency for investing; it’s the fuel that keeps the entire network running and ensures fairness.

Conventional VPNs rely on a single central company that manages all your data. Nym takes a different approach. The network consists of hundreds of independent “nodes” around the world, managed by the community. The NYM token ensures that this system works without the need for a central operator:

• Reward for Fairness: Node operators are paid in NYM tokens for correctly and anonymously processing your internet traffic. The better and faster their server (node) performs, the more they earn.

• Decentralized security: Since operators must “stake” tokens (deposit them as collateral) to participate, they have a direct interest in keeping the network secure and intact. Abuse is financially penalized by the system.

• You can participate (and earn): As a user, you can “delegate” your NYM tokens to the highest-performing nodes. In doing so, you help make the network more secure and receive a share of the rewards in return.

This entire system is based on more than 10 years of academic research with experts in the fields of data protection, cryptography, and computer science. It was developed and designed in the European Union. It is therefore not an American company, from which many European citizens want to distance themselves as much as possible due to recent history.

Another feature that sets Nym apart is that the project’s code and the entire system are available as open source. This means they can be viewed and verified by anyone. This is also done annually through audits conducted by prominent figures in the industry. So you can trust that no data will be sold to distant countries or third parties through a backdoor.

Why would you want to use a VPN?

“But I have nothing to hide,” you might think, but that’s not necessarily the reason why you should have a VPN. It’s about ensuring your data traffic and activities are protected so you can retain the freedom to enjoy all the aspects that make the internet so great—and not have to worry about losing access to information, facts, and diverse opinions.

Also, your website is safe on our servers, but what about the path you take to get there? Imagine the internet as a vast network of highways. Without protection, you’re driving around in a transparent car: anyone can see where you’re coming from, where you’re going, and what’s on your backseat.

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is the digital upgrade that ensures your privacy and security. Here are the three most important reasons why it’s essential for every internet user:

• Work securely in public places: Do you sometimes work on your website in a café, on a train, or in a hotel? Public Wi-Fi networks are notorious for being insecure. Without a VPN, malicious individuals on the same network can relatively easily intercept your login credentials or personal data. A VPN immediately encrypts this data traffic.

• Protection against “snoopers”: Your internet service provider (ISP) can usually see exactly which websites you visit. This data is worth its weight in gold to advertisers. A VPN masks your IP address so that your provider and the websites you visit only see the VPN server’s address. This makes it much harder to track your online activity.

• Secure management of your hosting: When you log in to your customer portal, your FTP server, or the MijnHostingPartner.nl control panel, you want that connection to exist exclusively between you and our servers. With a VPN, you add an extra layer of security to your management activities, which is crucial for the integrity of your online business.

In short: A VPN isn’t just for “secret business”—it’s an essential part of basic security hygiene for anyone who wants to use the internet professionally and securely. But as you can see, Nym goes a big step further than the standard security measures you may already be familiar with.

Protect yourself and all your devices—take a look at Nym as an option for this .