What are the reasons to use a VPN? When you use the Internet, every move you make is tracked by your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
They do this by providing you with a public IP address that can ultimately be traced to your physical location. This information can be sold to advertising companies that will know your every move online. Additionally, your online activities are vulnerable to hacking attacks when using unsecured networks. Lastly, websites are consequently blocked or censored depending on the region or country of your IP address.
reasons to use a VPN, or Virtual Private Network, can solve these issues by protecting your security and privacy online. VPNs are like online cloaking devices that protect you from a myriad of threats when browsing the Internet. When you use a Virtual Private Network, it makes it so your online activities are unable to trace back to your location.
What Does a VPN Do?
So how does a VPN protect your online activities? This is what happens when you activate a Virtual Private Network:
Your public IP address hidden. The IP address given to you by your ISP hidden when you use a Virtual Private Network. Instead, your connection goes through the VPN server, and your IP address replaced by a different VPN-provided IP address.
Your connection cannot be hacked. Your VPN creates a secure path inside the Internet where your Internet activity travels. Hackers will not be able to find weaknesses in the network. If they try to attack it, the VPN will sense the attack and reroute your activity somewhere more secure.
Your connection is encrypted. The VPN will also encrypt your activity so that it is unreadable to potential hackers. So in the unlikely event that a hacker does get into your network, they still won't be able to decipher anything from your activities.
Other Benefits of VPN
So the main benefit is it makes your connection generally more secure and private, but it has additional benefits for other situations:
Mobility. You can access your VPN from anywhere, with any device through a secure username and password. This is very helpful when you're traveling and want to safely access the Internet from the airport or hotel.
Staying safe in "unsafe" places. With a VPN, you can feel safe even when using free WiFi and visiting untrustworthy websites. This is because VPNs encrypt all of your activities. Without a VPN, hackers on the same WiFi network have an easy time snooping on your information.
Getting past censored or blocked websites. Certain websites or services may be blocked in your country or region. Or, you may not be able to access certain websites when traveling. With a VPN, you can set your IP address location to wherever you need to be to access the content.
Concluding Thoughts
Overall, VPNs are great for anyone concerned with privacy online. They hide your location from anyone you might not want to see your activities. Also, they provide an extra layer of security, which is always beneficial.
Before you jump into a any service, however, do your research. Make sure to read the fine print and make sure the Virtual Private Network isn't going to sell your data. And beware of free VPNs - they need to make money somehow, and they usually do this by selling your data.