A VPN, meaning a Virtual Private Network, might sound like something a little too technical for you to bother with, but there are so many positive benefits to installing one on your computer or smartphone and it doesn’t have to be complicated at all.
A VPN encrypts your data and sends it to the internet via a VPN server. The data is then sent back, encrypted, and the VPN software on your device makes it clear for you to understand. This process happens so quickly that you won’t even notice the difference and it all happens in the background so once it’s set up, you don’t have to worry. Here are some reasons you need a VPN.
Privacy and security
Some people don’t realize how much information can be accessed by various people (from hackers to the government and even your internet service provider) when you use the internet. Even if you feel you have nothing to hide, privacy is still important, and when you use the internet for things like online banking, it’s vital to reduce the risk of your security being compromised. One of the biggest risks is using public Wi-Fi, in places such as airports and shopping malls – you don’t know who set the network up, and who else is connecting to it.
ISP speed throttling
It’s not uncommon for internet service providers to reduce their customers’ bandwidth through throttling and provide much lower speeds than advertised. This is often done when using high-bandwidth sites such as streaming videos, or playing certain online games. If you use a VPN, you make it so that they are unable to do this, and your videos will play smoothly!
Unlocking content from across the globe
There are few things quite as frustrating as when you want to watch something, only to be served with a notice saying that it is not available in your country. For example, BBC iPlayer has so many great shows on it, such as the Great British Baking Show (Or the Great British Bake Off as they call it there!) that you are just not able to watch in the United States, without a VPN to change your location. This is also really useful if you like to follow a sports team that plays in another country and catch up on the matches live.
Anonymous comments
As much as you might feel they are, your comments are never truly anonymous if you are using your normal IP address. If you ever want to complain about a business that has provided terrible service, it might seem to make sense to just do this online, perhaps on a forum where you can hide your identity but it can actually open you up to legal action. By using a VPN you can make comments to warn others without worrying that you might be found out.
These are just a few of the reasons you need a VPN, as a regular person.
