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You keep hearing about data breaches. Friends of yours have been hacked with disastrous results. Maybe you’re concerned about your own online privacy. And you find yourself asking, “Is a VPN worth it?”
The short answer is yes. A VPN is worth it. But you deserve more than a short answer. Let’s dive into what a VPN really is and what one does — and look at some of the reasons why so many people find VPNs to be valuable.
What Is A VPN?
A VPN, short for “virtual private network,” is a service that keeps your data secure as it moves about the internet. It does this through the creation of an encrypted tunnel that connects your computer, tablet or smartphone to a remote server that is also heavily encrypted.
A VPN keeps all that information private. It shields your IP address, replacing that information with the VPN’s remote server data — and that remote server could easily be in another country, far from your physical location. A VPN also protects your credit card numbers, your passwords, all your keystrokes and any confidential attachments you might want to send. Even your own internet service provider, which normally sees every keystroke you tap, doesn’t have access to your online activity if you’re using a VPN.
Let’s look at some reasons why you might want a VPN:
You Regularly Use Public Wi-Fi
Undoubtedly, you’ve connected to the Wi-Fi offered at an airport, restaurant or coffeehouse. Free Wi-Fi is certainly convenient when you’re out and about — but there’s no way to know whether it’s safe. You could think you’re using a cafe’s free Wi-Fi, not realizing that “Cafe Free Wi-Fi” actually connected you to a phisher who is now infecting your device with malware or downloading your personal data at top speed.
When you log on to public Wi-Fi using a VPN, your data isn’t visible to those phishers. No one can see your data. Even if you’ve inadvertently logged on to a fake site, all the bad guys can see is lots of undecipherable code.
You Need Better Bandwidth Than Your ISP Provides
Yes, your ISP promises a certain level of bandwidth — but are you getting what you’re paying for? If you frequently experience endless buffering and sudden drops in speed that affect your gaming, the answer may be no. In fact, some ISPs throttle bandwidth deliberately to avoid traffic jams, prioritize the needs of other customers or restrict your ability to complete massive downloads or uploads (which can slow down the entire network). You might also experience slow bandwidth if you share your connection with others, whether within your business or your neighborhood.
With a VPN, your ISP can’t see what you’re doing, so it can’t throttle your bandwidth. Go ahead and participate in that MMORPG at prime time, stream a live sports event or transfer huge video files — there’s nothing your ISP can do about it when you’re using a VPN.
You Care About Your Online Privacy
Maybe you collaborate remotely and are concerned about protecting intellectual property. You might be a journalist transmitting sensitive content or even a traveler journeying through a country that blocks access to certain websites. Or maybe you just care deeply about privacy and you don’t want to be hacked or have your identity stolen.
No matter your reason for requiring privacy, a VPN’s powerful encryption protects your online activity. With a VPN, no one can see your data or activity — not hackers, not the government, not even your own ISP. Wherever you are in the world, you can take peace of mind with you.
You Want Access To Blocked Content
Blocking content is certainly a hallmark of countries with repressive governments — but you might find yourself unable to access content you want or need for reasons as simple as licensing or geo-restrictions. Whether you want to view a foreign sports competition or you need to access your company’s website while traveling in a restricted country, your VPN can make the connections you need.
Because a VPN provides a new IP address for your computer, you can connect to servers all around the world with no restrictions. Choosing the right VPN helps you outwit government censorship to connect to any site you want.
Is A VPN Worth It?
The advantages of a VPN are incontrovertible — but what will you have to pay to reap those benefits? You may be surprised to learn that the answer is “not that much.” You should be able to establish a VPN for about $100 to $200 per year, depending on the specific services you need. Setting up a VPN is remarkably easy, involving just a few steps. You could be up and running with all the online protection you need in a matter of minutes.
What about free VPNs? Yes, they exist. But remember the old saying, “You get what you pay for.” Free VPNs have to earn their money somehow, and usually they do that by selling your data. If you want a VPN for privacy, that might be the exact opposite of what you’re looking for. Your user data is likely logged when using a “free” VPN, which undermines the privacy you’re looking for. In addition, some companies advertising free VPNs are far from reputable, and you could end up dealing with malware and spyware installed on your computer.
Even if you don’t run into any of these privacy issues with a free VPN, you probably won’t get the service you’re looking for. Most free VPNs limit how many devices your VPN covers as well as the amount of data you can use, and their speeds are typically not that fast.
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