5 Reasons Why Everyone Needs a VPN
If you’re like most people you probably think that VPNs are only good for switching your IP address so that you can finally access Netflix to watch your favorite TV show, am I right?
Well, obviously Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) aren’t only good for that, they can serve many noble purposes.
And considering the way VPNs work, often times you won’t even feel like you’re using a VPN as most of your online activities can be done through a VPN.
Here are five reasons why you and everyone online needs a VPN:
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1. A VPN protects your personal data
In a world where half the global population uses the Internet, street crime has seen a major decline in the past few years. On the other hand, cybercrime has seen an enormous growth in the recent few years and will most likely continue to increase in the coming years.
Ransomware’s, malicious software, data breaches—just to name a few—are all over the internet patiently waiting for you to make a mistake and fall into their deadly carefully-planned trap.
Fortunately, a virtual private network (VPN) can greatly help increase your internet security and protect your personal data by executing the following operations:
- Encrypting all data between you and the internet
- Masking your IP address
Most importantly, these two operations will help you remain more secure from any potential vulnerabilities that may expose your personal information.
2. A VPN unblocks restricted websites
It’s commonly known that the best streaming services are geo-restricted in many locations around the world. Why? Because the copyrights of the content may be sold to some media companies that choose to restrict access to the content in other countries.
A virtual private network (VPN) allows you to trick the internet, so to speak, into believing that you’re logging in from a different country. The VPN service provider achieves this by connecting you to different servers it owns around the globe.
Therefore, if you must stream content that may only be viewed in the United States for example, and you happen to be in a holiday in Mexico, then you can simply inquire access through one of the VPN’s American servers. VPN Express, for example, has dozens of servers throughout the world (and is just $59.95 for a one-year subscription).
3. A VPN lets you enjoy better prices
A few websites, specifically flight-booking sites, could possibly charge you significantly more or less depending on your browsing location. And that’s not all, there are also stories suggesting that a few airlines randomly adjust pricing depending on if you have performed the same search numerous times.
When you use a VPN, you can switch your IP address to that of a different country and check whether this has any effect on your pricing. You can also switch to the IP address if you’ve made a few searches for the same flight repeatedly – sometimes even to someplace local – see if that has any difference on the pricing. You might be surprised to save a few hundred dollars here and there.
4. A VPN protects travelers
Everyone likes to travel, it’s an experience that enriches our soul and helps us learn a lot of things about life that you couldn’t have otherwise learned from any book. That’s all good, but there are some security concerns that could ruin this experience for us.
For one thing, the most unsafe part of traveling is the shortage of safe and secure online connectivity. After all, regular internet users survive solely by using free Wi-Fi access points available in public hotels or cafés in the country they’re visiting. The majority of people aren’t fully-aware of the devastating dangers these public Wi-Fi spots can have on their most important and sensitive data.
Cybercriminals can easily hack into these free Wi-Fi public networks and exploit all the connected devices. Not only that, but they can also spread malicious software through these channels, which can both lock your connected device and access all your valuable personal data. However, these threats can be easily reduced substantially by using the best VPN for traveling.
5. A VPN helps you remain completely anonymous online
The most reliable VPN service providers offer the best encryption standards to their users. VPNExpress, for example, allows users to encrypt their internet traffic with AES-256 bit military-grade encryption, which is widely-regarded by cybersecurity experts to be impossible to crack even by the most prominent and well-funded government surveillance agencies.
Furthermore, users normally use masked IP addresses while using virtual private networks (VPN) services. These IPs are used by a lot of people each day, no surveillance agency of any kind can detect any singular person’s user-activity on the internet.
In other words, you essentially disappear in a mass of web users connected with that server and IP address. Hence, you get to enjoy complete anonymity on the web.