With online threats and online predators operating at an all-time high, it makes sense that you’d turn to VPNs for protection. VPN are a simple, low-cost online security solution that’s available to PC and smartphone users alike.
While installing a VPN shouldn’t replace other forms of protection, it’s an important tool in your arsenal of online defense.
What is a VPN?
VPN allows you to surf the web knowing that no one else will be able to see your online transactions.
It’s a great way to keep ad trackers at bay while opening up access to web pages that may otherwise be unfairly prohibited by your government or internet service provider.
That’s all good and well, but you probably want to know how exactly does a VPN do all this?
There are different types of VPN for you to choose from depending on your needs and circumstances. You can install a VPN for the personal devices that you use at home and protect your privacy. Also, your employer may choose to install one for you so that you may work remotely when necessary.
Basically, if your intention is to avoid censorship, improve your privacy when browsing the Internet or to enjoy all what Netflix has to offer without any restrictions, then you might want to sign up for a VPN service.
A VPN service allows you to bypass any online restrictions related to your region. It encrypts your connection so that your web activity can no longer be available to ad trackers or any other type of commercial surveillance.
The great thing about VPNs is that they also work to protect your device when using public wireless networks. You can log in to a Wi-Fi network with your laptop or tablet without worrying about exposure to unscrupulous cyber criminals.
Your online identity and activity will remain completely anonymous and hidden. At the end of your session, there will be no trace of the websites you visited or the transactions you made.
The only way websites will be able to track your activity is if you sign into a particular account.
1. Browse the Web Securely When Connected to a Public Wi-Fi
Like most people, you probably get excited every time you see Wi-Fi sign at a restaurant, café, hotel or mall. However, browsing the net through a free public Wi-Fi connection without a VPN will put you in a vulnerable position.
The first thing you’ll need before you sign into the Wi-Fi network is your personal information. By providing this information you give the company consent to use it to track you.
However, if you connect to a public Wi-Fi network with a VPN-protected device, this will protect you from such invasion.
2. Bypass Location-Based Streaming Restrictions
3. Become Free from Government Censorship
Has the government in your country prohibited access to a website that’s freely available in other places? Perhaps you’re unable to access certain video material due to the biased censorship of an oppressive state.
You can use a VPN to bypass oppressive online prohibitions. Plus, all the data that you send and receive will be fully encrypted. They will be kept anonymous, which means no one will be able to track your activity.
4. Save Money When Shopping Online
There’s a little-known practice in the online retail industry where stores deliberately charge consumers different prices according to their location. This occurs throughout the spectrum and could happen to you regardless of whether you’re shopping for a product or service.
No one wants to be fall prey to a scam and securing your connection can help you avoid it. By using different VPNs you can access different versions of the online retail store until you find the best deal.
By spending a little more time browsing for deals, you may end up saving hundreds of dollars easily.
5. Encrypt Everything Automatically
Data encryption means that you’ll be sending and receiving information through private“tunnel” that blocks viewing or interference from third parties. Once you install a VPN on your PC, laptop or mobile device all your online activity will be encrypted.
Government censors won’t be able to get to you. Your online activity will remain completely safe and hidden when you’re connected to a public Wi-Fi network.
Furthermore, all the best VPN service providers offer a client app that you can use to choose your preferred server. With this server, all of your activity and information is kept private and safe from hackers.
6. Increase Online Gaming Speed
If you’re a serious gamer or you’re considering a career in esports, then you should definitely invest in a VPN for your laptop or PC. That’s because most ISPs have the tendency to bottleneck online gaming data, leading to slow loading speeds and they could cost you a possible win.
With a VPN, your ISP won’t even be able to tell that you’re playing online games.
However, there are certain precautions that you need to take, like only using a server that’s close by and has enough bandwidth to handle the load. Luckily, your VPN will reflect an updated status of your chosen server at all times.
7. Take Part in Private Voice Chat
Sidestep online eavesdroppers when using voice-over IP apps by activating your VPN. Granted, some online chatting apps like WhatsApp come with built-in encryption but this isn’t always the case.
Having a VPN client will encrypt your communication on platforms like Google Hangouts or Skype which are usually vulnerable to interception. This particular feature will also come in handy for those who live in oppressive regimes because it will guarantee you private communication without any censorship.
Just keep in mind that the VPN might impose speed reductions that will affect the quality of your call when you’re on Skype. As a result, the platform might deem the call quality too low and automatically drop it, thus cutting your conversation short. Alternatively, you could temporarily disable your VPN and reactivate it after your Skype call if you won’t be discussing a sensitive subject during the session.
8. Research Sensitive Things Without Any Interference
If you’re living under a tyrannical government that censors your online activity then you’re likely to get flagged every time you research the administration. You may also attract unwanted attention just for researching a topic, person, or movie that’s under censorship.
Installing a VPN will free you from all censorship and undue interference. Just make sure you choose a remotely located server and keep it activated to maintain full online privacy.
That way, you can even “spy” on your business competitors just to keep up with the latest industry developments, without anyone being the wiser.
9. Download Torrents Anonymously
Although many governments consider BitTorrent’s peer-to-peer networking as a form of piracy, this doesn’t necessarily make it illegal. That’s because torrents are widely used by legitimate services like Windows 10 and online games for updates. This makes it impossible to ban P2P torrents and as such users should be allowed to torrent without any interference or risk.
Hide your torrents by using a VPN that specifically caters to BitTorrent. Remember though that your VPN won’t protect your PC from malware so make sure that you have quality antivirus software installed and activated before you download a torrent.
10. Collaborate in a Completely Private Way
Group chat platforms and cloud drives are a great way to optimize productivity by collaborating with colleagues remotely. However, they open you up to all sorts of sinister cyber characters from copyright thieves to hackers and worse.
The good news is that you can use your VPN to encrypt any and all data that you exchange on these platforms, as well as on your email address and social media networks. Just make sure that your colleagues or whomever you’re collaborating with is also using a VPN otherwise you won’t be fully protected.
Conclusion
There’s no denying that online privacy and security are continuously under threat, which is why you can never underestimate the value of using a VPN.
Not only will the VPN keep you protected from cyber criminals and censorship, but it’ll allow you to enjoy online gaming and content streaming without restrictions. You can even surf the net via a public Wi-Fi network knowing that your data is fully protected.
If you’re looking for a reliable VPN that will keep you safe while torrenting, streaming videos, playing games and browsing the web, look no further than IPVanish. It’s a truly solid VPN that takes care of all the major online protection needs while helping you maintain complete anonymity.
Also check out our IPVanish Setup Guides!
