Cybersecurity is no longer seen as a concern for IT departments, but is an essential factor when managing a team, whether you’re running a football squad online or a remote office team. Even something as harmless as sharing team names online can expose you to privacy risks and issues.

The good news? A free VPN is a simple yet effective layer of protection everyone should be using in 2025.

What’s in a Team Name?

Team names are more than just a simple label. They often involve insider jokes, references to a location or the names of employees. While fun and creative, they can sometimes contain private information. When you’re registering for tournaments, football games or collaborating through cloud-based platforms, your team’s names, data, and IP addresses can potentially be tracked and even sold online.

This is where the use of a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can support businesses and teams.

What Does a Free VPN Do?

A free VPN is seen as a tunnel between your device and the internet. VPNs can mask IP addresses by encrypting your data and prevent cyber attacks from hackers who may be able to access your online activity. Whether you’re logging into your Teams dashboard or managing a group chat across different time zones, a VPN can help keep your data locked and secured.

Free VPNs are an accessible solution for all businesses and users. Many advanced VPNs offer unlimited support with no hidden costs and unlimited bandwidth, making it ideal for small teams and businesses on a budget.

Scenarios Where a Free VPN Protects Your Team

Let’s look at some real-life situations where a free VPN can support your team:

1. Football Leagues: Team names and personal information can often be shared across different platforms via sports events. Using a free VPN can help to store login credentials and keep IP addresses private from hackers. 
2. Gaming Squads: Whether you’re sharing files across a cloud storage or coordinating over a call, a VPN can help reduce any risks of DDoS attacks.
3. Remote Teams: Google Workspace, Slack and Trello are popular among remote workers. A VPN can help keep your work safe against data breaches, especially when using public networks. 
4. Online Competitors: These events can often require logins to collaboration tools, which can transmit sensitive information. A VPN can help keep your data encrypted and safe.

If your team is known for collaborating within these types of events, it’s worth looking into a VPN for privacy, performance and security purposes.

VPNs and Compliance: A Growing Concern

For more serious team collaborations and operations, especially those involving financial data or personal user information, compliance with privacy laws and regulations may become an issue. Regulations like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and the U.S CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) may impose strict protection standards for businesses and teams to follow when working. 

Using a VPN can help teams to remain compliant when using public networks and ensure they reduce the risk of unauthorised access from hackers online.

Additional Tips for Team Data Privacy

Let’s take a look at some additional tips to ensure you keep your team’s data protected from potential vulnerabilities and cyber attacks online:

• Use encrypted chat apps, which will help add an extra layer of encryption from potential hackers. 
• Change passwords regularly. To ensure your team members’ data stays secure, especially if your team is logging into shared files in public. 
• Avoid using public networks without protection, which is why it’s essential to use a VPN when working outside.
• Audit third-party apps to make sure any app your team uses doesn’t require any unnecessary permissions.

By considering these tips, you will ensure your systems stay protected online and your team’s data isn’t at risk of potential vulnerabilities.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re running a league or a border startup team, keeping your team’s data secure is a top priority for all businesses. Using a free VPN can make a massive difference in protecting your privacy and maintaining a strong security posture for your team.

Team names may be seen as innocent, but when in the wrong hands, they can be exploited. Stay private and stay connected safely with the support of free VPNs.