Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have been increasing in popularity over the past decade due to the rise of corporate snooping and data snatching virus programs. ISP’s and governments alike have been stealing and storing data on web-users for years, and whether it is used or not, we’ll never know.
But before that let us find more about What is VPN (Virtual Private Networks) and how it can keep your privacy and data protected from hackers and unethical use.
What is VPN ( Virtual Private Networks )?
VPN’s prove to be a vital tool if you wish to keep your data on the web private. They are referred to as the first line of defense when it comes to web security. In today’s digital world, VPNs are vital to keeping your information safe online, and with all of the encroaching regulations that continue to pour out into the web every day, VPN use will only continue to rise.
If you are interested in what a Virtual Private Network can do for you but don’t know all of the benefits, we have you covered!
5 Reasons That You Should be Using a VPN Service
VPN’s Change Your IP Address
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. This service works by encrypting your IP address and routing it through a web server at a different location. All online services will only register the VPN’s IP address, so it masks your true address.
Changing your IP address with the aid of a VPN service will allow you to keep your anonymity online, privatize all of your data, and keep nosy third-party marketers away from all of your critical information.
A VPN masks your true IP address by allowing your web traffic to be redirected through a server hosted by the VPN servicer. These servers can be located all across the world. A VPN effectively turns all your data into a stream of nonsense so that third-parties cannot utilize any of your information.
If you are concerned about your security online, you should use a VPN to change your virtual location by replacing your regular IP address with the one that’s given to you by a VPN.
Torrent Anonymously
Torrents are a beautiful thing. Although they can be used for copyright-violation downloads, they can be used for downloading open-source programs and computer operating systems. One such example is all of Linux’s operating systems which prove to be the best operating system in terms of web security.
It seems like all great things are always followed by something nefarious, and torrents are no exception. Peer-to-peer downloads are often traced by torrent trackers. These trackers are monitoring systems that stay embedded within your computer system and collect data on all of your P2P (peer-to-peer) downloads. This is an issue because some of the companies that develop torrent trackers will collect the data and sell it to the highest bidder. What do the bidders do with this information? It’s hard to say, but it has been sold to authorities before.
The best VPN for torrenting is a fool-proof method to prevent any potential issues with downloading through torrents.
No More Third-Party Data Collection
Have you ever been on an online marketplace looking at a particular product, and a few days later you see an ad for the very same product on your social media account? It’s no coincidence.
Most web-pages nowadays rely on traffic to generate their income. However, this method is increasingly being overshadowed by the use of adverts. Adverts are responsible for linking products to a specific user based on their IP address.
If this invasion of privacy concerns you as much as it concerns us, you can keep your IP address masked online with the aid of a VPN service.
Don’t Let ISP’s Slow You Down
Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) are notorious for viewing the user’s web traffic without the user even knowing it. In select countries, government law requires these ISP’s to store this data for years, and sometimes this data is leaked.
Unless you use a VPN to change your IP address, ISP’s have access to all of the following:
- All the websites that you visit
- The time you spend on any specific website
- Videos that you may be watching
- The device that you’re browsing the web on
- Your geographic location, tracked in real-time
If that isn’t bad enough, ISP’s will also use the data they steal from you to build a profile so that they can sell it to third-party advertisers.
VPN’s will not only keep your data secure from ISP’s, but they will also prevent them from bandwidth throttling. Bandwidth throttling is a phenomenon wherein the ISP will slow your internet down/upload speeds. This can be performed for a plethora of reasons, including using a competitors’ services.
If you want to remain anonymous on the web and protect yourself from these greedy ISP’s, you need to invest in a quality VPN service.
Stream Geo-Restricted Content
If you don’t utilize a VPN service daily, your web services can be geo-blocked – which means that you can’t view content because of your location. YouTube is notorious for this.
Geo-restriction is mainly an issue for video streaming services as opposed to web-pages dedicated to written information. Video content is most likely to get geo-blocked due to licensing and copyright issues of the particular region you live in. This regulation is put in place more so for studios and other video content creators.
Utilizing a VPN will allow you to access a web server within the country where the geo-restrictions are not in effect. Bingo. Problem Solved.
Wrapping It Up…
There are many individuals, third-party marketing agencies, and malicious software out there on the vast sea that is the internet. These groups often will capture your sensitive information, such as social security number, address, debit card info, etc., and resell them to other individuals or companies on the web. They do this with such a high degree of stealth that we can’t even know that it has happened.
Luckily VPN services are designed to keep these malicious parties at bay by tunneling your traffic through their custom server. This effectively masks your true IP address and keeps all of your sensitive safe from any third parties or corporate entities. VPNs offer a high-level form of security that will protect all of your data and sensitive information online.
