As exciting and reliable as iCloud backups are, it’s better that you understand exactly what is being backed up for you. You might be surprised to learn what information doesn’t get copied as part of the backup: things like your contacts, mail, notes, files you store in iCloud Drive or photos, if you have iCloud Photos turned on.
A good VPN (virtual private network) is essentially a cluster of servers spread out worldwide and it solves the problem of unsecured connection by encrypting the signal between your Mac and one of its servers of your choosing before it hits your ISP or any other people.