Long gone are the days when only the most technology-savvy people used a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when using the internet. Free-to-use and paid-for VPN usage surged during the COVID-19-related lockdowns, and a recent study shows that VPN usage is at an all-time high, with approximately 39% of people using the internet having a VPN running on their machine or device. However, that leaves 61% of people not using a VPN. Are you one of them, and if so, why?
VPNs have traditionally been used by people wanting to bypass geographical restrictions on content and services. This is especially true in countries with strict, restrictive governments. For example, the great Chinese information Firewall prevents Chinese residents from viewing the majority of the World Wide Web, mainly information that shows China in a bad light. Russia has blocks preventing its residents from digesting information about the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Other geo-restricted content is less sinister. People may want to visit the best online Vegas sportsbooks or watch a television show on Netflix that is unavailable in their country. The BBC iPlayer service, for example, is hugely popular but is only available in some countries. Using a VPN to fool the BBC’s servers into thinking you are located in the United Kingdom grants you access to the streaming service.
Hide Your Identity, Protect Your Privacy
Circumnavigating geographical restrictions aside, another reason to use a VPN whenever you access the internet is to hide your identity and to protect your privacy while browsing. Accessing the internet without a VPN active is akin to handing over your personal information to a stranger. Websites use cookies and your readily available information to build a detailed profile of your search history and browsing habits. They use this for a variety of reasons, including targeted advertisements. Have you ever visited a website only to see a banner for a product you may be interested in purchasing? You likely searched for the said item, and the website you are visiting uses that information to sell you a product. Using a VPN 100% stops this because your browsing remains private. Even your Internet Service Provider cannot see what you are browsing if you have a VPN running, but they can see everything searched for and looked at if you choose to use your internet browser’s incognito mode. Bear that in mind.
Access Sensitive Data Securely, Enjoy Better Pricing
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way millions of people work globally, with working from home being far more common today than ever before. Some companies, indeed most businesses, require their employees to use a VPN when accessing sensitive data when they are not in the office. These company-owned VPNs are monitored by the company’s IT and IT security teams and ensure that nobody else is accessing potentially sensitive information.
It is worthwhile investing in a VPN if you use public WiFi while on your travels, even if you do not access company information and data while on the move. We have all used the free internet at places such as Starbucks, but public WiFi has notoriously poor security, making it a target for unscrupulous people looking to harvest data. Using a VPN encrypts your data, rendering it useless even if a hacker somehow manages to get their hands on it.
One fantastic feature of a VPN is one that few people think or know about. Using a VPN can save you a princely sum when it comes to ordering goods online, particularly hotel rooms and flights. Some airlines and hotels have cheaper rates for locals, although they are never advertised. Changing your location on your VPN to the city of your destination can often yield discounts because the website thinks you are a local user. In addition, airlines use tracking cookies that allow them to see when you visited their website and what you searched for. The website knows you are interested in a specific flight, so the price sometimes increases due to supply and demand. A VPN prevents this from happening, meaning you always get the base price.