The Top 9 Reasons to Use a VPN

We've covered the fundamentals. Here's a closer look at why you should use a VPN.

1. Public Wi-Fi Security

Public Wi-Fi is convenient, but it compromises security. Someone may be monitoring your online activity while you're answering emails at a local coffee shop or scrolling through social media at the airport.

Using a VPN protects your data while you are connected to other networks, hiding your browsing history, banking information, account passwords, and other sensitive information from malicious internet strangers.

2. Internet Service Provider Data Privacy

When using your home Wi-Fi, you are less likely to be attacked by strangers than when using a public connection. However, your data is still at risk.

Your internet service provider (ISP) or internet service provider (ISP)—Comcast, Spectrum, Verizon, or any other company for which you pay a monthly fee for Wi-Fi—can access all of your internet data. Your internet service provider can see when, where, and how you browse.

Even if you use the “private” browsing function, this data can be collected and sold to advertisers, and it can be dangerous in the wrong hands in the event of a data breach. A VPN can assist in masking your IP address from your ISP.

3. Data Protection from Apps and Services You Use

Your internet service provider isn't the only potential liability you've brought into your home. Unfortunately, many of our favourite apps and internet services, most notably Facebook, have been chastised for how they have used their users' data.

A VPN prevents apps and websites from associating your actions with your computer's IP address. It also has the ability to limit the collection of your location and browser history.

4. Your Government's Data Privacy

While many ISPs, apps, and internet data hubs claim they do not sell your browsing data to governments, the information does find its way into their hands—even in the United States.

Americans have become more aware of the various ways the government surveils and collects their data since 2013, when Edward Snowden first revealed that Verizon had been selling users' internet and phone data to the NSA. Following the Snowden leaks and the ensuing outrage, several laws were passed to limit government surveillance.

However, according to the New York Times, as recently as January of this year, the Defense Intelligence Agency circumvented a law requiring government agencies to obtain warrants before compelling phone companies for user data by paying third-party data brokers for the same data.

If you are concerned about governmental overreach, a VPN is a good investment in data protection.

5. Access to Any Content, Anytime, Anywhere

While Hulu may frown upon your use of a VPN to watch the latest Criminal Minds episode in a country where the content is not available, this VPN usage is not illegal (in the United States and most other countries), and it provides a useful workaround to content restrictions.

VPNs spoof your location, making it appear as if you are browsing from a different location. That means you can watch Criminal Minds even if it isn't available in your area.

6. Remote Workplace Security

One advantage of a VPN is its data encryption capabilities. Encryption, or the process of converting data into a coded format that obscures its meaning, allows you to keep confidential information secure.

If you are an individual considering investing in a VPN for your company, one advantage is that employees can connect to your office network and view sensitive materials on their own devices while away from the office. As remote work appears to be a viable option even after the pandemic is over, a VPN is a worthwhile investment for keeping sensitive data secure off-site.

7. Simple to Use

While we'd all like to have more security in our lives, some security devices and processes appear to be more trouble than they're worth for those who aren't tech savvy. VPNs, on the other hand, are simple to use. Several providers have created intuitive and user-friendly interfaces that allow non-techies to install and use their products.

8. Compatibility with a Wide Range of Smart Devices

While many of us may first try a VPN on a company-loaned laptop, many VPN services also protect your phones, tablets, and desktop computers.

Each VPN provider may offer slightly different protection plans and capacities to protect different devices, but many offer plans that help keep you safe on multiple devices.

9. Smart Investing

If you are willing to do some research, a VPN can help you save money by spoofing your location. Many businesses, such as subscription services and airlines, provide the same amenities or products at varying prices. You can save a lot of money if you change the appearance of your location to a place where services are cheaper.

VPN Restrictions

While a VPN is an excellent tool for isolating your location (and, in many ways, you) from your data, it does not conceal everything about you. If you take a Facebook quiz or like a post on Instagram while connected to a VPN, the app you're using can still use your behaviour to tailor in-app ads and content. They may not be aware of where you are browsing from, but they will be aware of what you are doing on their apps.

Similarly, if you have cookies enabled on your computer, companies can track you while you are on their website—and after you leave. Your entire data is not obscured by a VPN on its own.

Combining the protection of a VPN with Tor, an open-source tool that allows you to browse the web anonymously, and other security measures is required for complete security.

VPNs aren't without flaws. They are vulnerable to malware and online attacks, just like any other computer programme. A VPN's security benefits are negated if it becomes infected.

Using a free VPN service increases the likelihood of attacks and security breaches. To recoup their business costs, “free” VPN services may sell user data or run malware-infected ads. If you want to increase the privacy of your data, investing in a paid VPN is your best bet.

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