Now that you know what a VPN is, here’s why you might need a VPN:
1. Security on public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi is convenient but comes at the expense of security. When you’re answering emails at a local coffee shop or casually browsing social media at the airport, someone can track your online activity.
Using a VPN protects your data when you’re on other networks, hiding your browsing history, banking information, account passwords, and more from malicious strangers on the Internet.
2. Privacy of Your Internet Service Provider Data
When you’re connected to your home Wi-Fi, you’re less likely to be attacked by strangers than on a public connection. However, your data is still vulnerable.
Your ISP or Internet Service Provider (Dodo, Optus, Telstra or another company where you pay for Wi-Fi every month) can access all your Internet data. Your ISP can see when, where and how you are browsing.
This data can be collected and sold to advertisers even if you use the “private” browsing feature, and it can be dangerous in the wrong hands in the event of a data breach, as mentioned above. A VPN can help hide your IP address from your own ISP.
3. Data privacy of applications and services you use
Your ISP isn’t the only potential liability you’ve brought into your own home. Unfortunately, many of our favorite internet apps and services, including Facebook, have come under fire for the way they have used their users’ data.
A VPN will prevent apps and websites from attributing your behavior to your computer’s IP address. It may also limit the collection of your location and browser history.
4. Privacy of your government data
While many ISPs, apps, and Internet data hubs suggest that they don’t sell your browsing data to governments, the information does end up in their hands nonetheless.
Take the example of the United States. Since 2013, when Edward Snowden first revealed that Verizon was selling users’ internet and phone data to the NSA, Americans have become more aware of the various ways the government monitors and collects their data. Following Snowden’s leaks and subsequent outrage, several laws were enacted to curb government surveillance.
However, as recently as January of this year, the Defense Intelligence Agency circumvented a law requiring government agencies to produce warrants before coercing phone companies for their user data by paying third-party data brokers for that same data, according to the New York Times.
In Australia, telecom operators assure consumers that the content of our online activity is not stored, nor is our web browsing history. They point out that ISPs are only required to log the time you’ve been connected to the internet with the bandwidth you’ve used. However, since 2017, telecom operators are also required to store our metadata for at least two years. This would be intended to help law enforcement agencies investigate crimes, and the metadata may include billing details; the time and duration of your communications; recipient of any communication; and how you communicated (phone, text, social media, etc.).
If you have any qualms about government overreach, a VPN is a good investment in protecting your data.
5. Access Any Content Anywhere
Although Hulu may frown upon your use of a VPN to stream the latest Criminal minds episode in a country where the content is not offered, this VPN use is not illegal (in the US and most countries), and it helps provide a useful workaround to content restrictions.
VPNs spoof your location, making it look like you’re browsing from another location. This means you can get your Criminal minds repair even if it is not available locally.
6. Safety when working remotely
One of the benefits of a VPN is its data encryption features. Encryption, or placing data in a coded format so that its meaning is obscured, allows you to protect confidential information.
If you’re an individual considering investing in a VPN for your business, one benefit is that employees can connect to your office network and view sensitive documents on their own devices when away from home. desk. As remote work seems a possibility even after the pandemic is over, a VPN is a worthwhile investment for protecting confidential documents offsite.
8. Adaptable to many smart devices
While many of us may first try out a VPN on a company-loaned laptop, many VPN services also protect other smart devices like your phones, tablets, and desktops. Each VPN company may offer slightly different protection plans and have different capabilities to protect different devices, but many providers offer plans that help you stay safe across multiple devices.
7. Smart Savings
If you’re willing to do some research, a VPN can help you save money with its location spoofing capabilities. Many types of businesses, such as subscription services and airlines, offer the same equipment or products at different prices. If you change the look of your location to one where services are offered cheaper, you can end up with big savings.
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