If you have no idea what is VPN used for, and how you can benefit from it, this article is the right one for you. We will discuss what is a VPN, and the seven things why you need it for your daily online browsing life.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) will help you prevent government, corporation, and other cyber-criminals from gaining access to your information online. When you use your VPN, your data will go through a secured and remote server that will mask your IP address, this will make you look like you are from a different location accessing your internet. This will also help you bypass regional-blocked content or censorship.
VPNs are growing in popularity like in China where online censorship is mandated by the government. People are using VPN in order to protect their anonymity, privacy, and access to regional content-blocked websites.
Do you really need a VPN?
It really depends on what is the purpose of your VPN, we listed 7 things why you need it
Access to Geo-blocked Content
If you want to access US films on Netflix or other streaming services, a VPN can help you access these geo-blocked content. By selecting a server from the US, Netflix will recognize you and let you see the US shows that they usually do not show to other countries.
You need to make sure that the provider you are using has a fast, unlimited bandwidth, and has a ton of available servers.
Online Privacy
VPN is the best option if you are worried about your online privacy and security. Make sure that your VPN is always turned ON, this will make sure you are protected from cyberattacks and data leaks. Your VPN should encrypt your data online and hide from hackers, ISP, and the government from getting your browsing history and information.
You should make sure that your VPN provider uses military-grade encryption, a kill switch feature that cuts your internet once the VPN fails. Don’t forget about the zero-logs policy that all the VPN should mention in their TOS or privacy policy.
Slow Internet
A VPN can help you or hinder your internet speed, depending on the service they provide. If you think your internet provider is throttling your connection, you can use a VPN to help you speed by connecting to a nearby server.
If you are still having issues, you can check out a VPN that offers the Split-Tunneling feature, which helps you select what data should not be using your VPN and goes to the normal server. You should also connect only to nearby servers, this will greatly help your speed.
Save Money
Use your VPN when you are shopping online, which is useful when booking flights, hotels as their prices will change due to your location.
Most of the time, booking websites will track your browser search history and gather that information to only offer you the most expensive deals they have. VPN will hide your location and you can even use a different one to get the best deals online.
You can also save more while shopping by changing your location to regions that are closer to the location where the product is available.
ISP Limiting Your Bandwidth
If your ISP provider is limiting your bandwidth to help their network congestion or force you to upgrade your plan, a VPN can help you increase your speed. You can bypass the ISP throttling by connecting it to a remote server.
You will get the best speeds if you connect to a server that is close to your location and has a ton of alternative locations for you to choose from.
Using Public WiFi
If you are connecting to public WiFi, you are vulnerable to cyber-criminals to hack your data. This is why it’s important to use a VPN and always have it enabled.
Transferring Money
If you are transferring money online, it’s critical to protect your personal information. You should use a VPN and connect to a nearby server, therefore you are protected from bad people and your bank will not trigger a flag on your account.
PayPal can detect if you are accessing your account in a different location, and will trigger a hold on your account to protect you from criminals. You have to send a copy of your ID to PayPal to unlock your account.
Conclusion
VPN is great for securing yourself online and protecting your personal data. You can connect to a remote server and get access to regional blocked-content and even save you money while shopping online. It is necessary to always have your VPN enabled, to protect you from ISP, government, and cyber-criminals.
If you are accessing your business or even money online, a VPN can greatly help you stay secure and hidden.
Now that you know what is VPN used for, are you going to get yourself a VPN subscription? Or you will gamble online being unsecured data? Your call.
