VPN is not a secret thing for some of today’s internet users. The number of VPN users is increasing every day, but a few years ago, there were hardly any VPN users. However, there are many consumers who aren’t familiar with VPN. The rise in popularity of VPN raises the question: should you use a VPN?
What Is a VPN?
VPN is a secure and private network connection through the public internet. A VPN acts as an intermittent service between users and the host site. A VPN can provide a safer landscape for surfing the web as it gives users more privacy and data security. When used properly, a VPN helps secure connections and protects devices from uninvited guests. Apart from security, a VPN has a variety of benefits that make this service worth using.
What Does a VPN Do?
A VPN lets users utilize another server to access the internet. This means that if you are sitting somewhere in London, you can browse the web from a server in Florida. You will be seen as a resident of the US, giving you access to content that can only be viewed in the US. The ability to change your location online is not the only benefit of using a VPN.
The VPN protects your sensitive and confidential data, allowing you to access the internet anonymously. A VPN provides many benefits for the average consumer. Now let’s find out if the average consumer needs to use a VPN.
Do You Need to Use a VPN When You’re Traveling?
If you’re traveling to another country where certain websites are blocked, a VPN can help users access services that may not be available in that country. Often, the VPN will allow users to access streaming services that they have paid for and have access to in their home country, but for international rights issues aren’t available once users go outside their home countries.
”The utilization of a VPN is one of the smartest decisions a user can make, although not always needed. I recommend the use of a VPN when users are traveling outside of the United States and plan to access important information that should be secure. While traveling inside the United States, I do not find it necessary to use a VPN to do standard activities such as texting and chatting on their devices. Now, if they are using public Wi-Fi or a public network, they should definitely use a VPN when accessing any private information.”
-Ilan Sredni | President of Palindrome Consulting, Inc. – “Delivering Peace of Mind” | https://www.pciicp.com
Do You Have Concerns About Your Online Privacy?
A VPN offers some of the best protection when it comes to your online security and privacy. Therefore, some experts recommend keeping the VPN on at all times to safeguard your sensitive and confidential data from data breaches and cyberattacks. However, there may be some instances when the VPN does not have to be kept on at all times. VPNs encrypt any data that travels over a network, which makes it virtually impossible for bad actors, ISPs, and governments to see sensitive information.
”If you need access to the internal company network, then a VPN is necessary. With more and more resources being moved to cloud systems, a VPN is less crucial than ever. Cloud document storage and email can cause a VPN to be a redundant security concern. If your financial package, line of business application, or file storage is on your corporate network, then a VPN is required. No matter what system, VPN or otherwise, Multi-Factor Authentication is crucial. Cloud systems need to be protected with MFA as well as the VPN. That can go a long way to keeping you as secure as possible.”
-Jon Fausz | Director of Operations at 4BIS.COM | https://www.4bis.com/cincinnati-it-services/
Do You Want Anonymity Online?
With a VPN, you can have some anonymity online by hiding your location. The IP addresses of your devices will not be disclosed when you are using a VPN. A VPN uses an end-to-end encrypted connection to the server of the VPN service, and this server is used by thousands of other users. The internet can’t uniquely identify you.
”Lots of ISP providers already have a practice of changing the public IPs allocated to individuals to make it harder for hackers to target the endpoints. This practice, however, only goes so far. Given more and more hackers are looking to farm any computing capacity available, it’s critical for users to protect themselves. A VPN connection is very effective in this regard but also could be a costly affair, especially if you go for a good one and don’t want it to affect your browsing experience. Another option could also be just leveraging a proxy server which helps mask your IP address and doesn’t impact speeds.”
-Ashu Singhal | President of Orion Networks | https://www.orionnetworks.net
The Bottom Line
A VPN is a powerful tool for protecting sensitive and confidential data, and it isn’t always necessary to leave the VPN on at all times. In some situations, it’s best to turn it off for a while. If security is a great concern, your VPN should continue running while you’re connected to the internet. However, your data will no longer be encrypted if it is turned off, and the sites you visit will see your true location.
”VPN for business should be mandatory, but with home users, it is more of a privacy debate. Some people feel the government and Big Tech have collected too much data and they no longer want to contribute. The extreme is using VPN for cell and home, while not participating in any social media activities”, said Rob Giannini, Chief Security Officer and CEO at GiaSpace (https://www.giaspace.com).
”To effectively use these privacy services on all your home devices, you would have to replace your router at home or be able to allow the internet to proxy through the VPN provider. This type of setup is not out of the box and over most consumers’ heads. If you are going to effectively use VPN, Brave Browser, Duck Duck Go, and others, you need to apply a high level of discipline and remove social media from your daily activities”, added Giannini.