Why you need a VPN at home in 2023
VPN or virtual private network is becoming an indispensable part of any device connected to the Internet, including computers, mobile phones, tablets and many others. However, you may be wondering why using a VPN is still especially important, even in 2023.
How VPNs work
Before you sign up for a VPN, learn about how it works and why it should be an important part of your security toolkit.
A VPN, or virtual private network, works by encrypting data when you access the internet and routing it through a server in another location. As a result, it creates an impression that you are connecting to the internet from that server's location, not from your actual IP address.
When you establish a connection to a VPN, your device creates a secure connection with the VPN server, and your IP address is replaced with that server's IP address. Once a secure connection is established, all your internet access data will be routed through the VPN server. This means that your internet service provider (ISP) only sees that you are connecting to the VPN server, but they cannot track or record the websites or online services you are visiting. This prevents recording of your activity and the potential sale of personal information to advertisers.
With the support of strong encryption, anyone trying to intercept your internet traffic will have difficulty and be unable to view your online activities. This is especially important when you use public Wi-Fi in places like coffee shops, schools, or airports to access sensitive information like personal banking information.
Why do you need a VPN at home?
1.Advanced privacy
A VPN ensures concealment of your IP address and full encryption of your online activity, creating a significant barrier of security for ISPs, hackers or even governments to track or record. your online behavior. Especially if you regularly conduct financial transactions online, a VPN will ensure that your financial data is never exposed to a malicious third party.
2.Access censored content
Many online services and content are restricted to certain geographic areas. This content ranges from news sites to popular social media apps. With a VPN, you can appear to be using the Internet from another location, allowing you to bypass these restrictions.
3.Bypass ISP throttling
Some internet service providers (ISPs) often throttle or slow down bandwidth for specific online activities or platforms. One of the reasons often given is to manage network congestion during peak periods. By reducing speeds for bandwidth-intensive activities, like streaming and high-capacity data downloads, ISPs aim to ensure that all users on the network have a more consistent online experience. However, using a VPN can prevent your ISP from determining the type of content you are accessing, thereby reducing your access speed.
4.Prevent cyber attacks
Using a VPN will protect you from security breaches, including man-in-the-middle attacks. These attacks trick you into thinking you are communicating with the intended person or website but instead it is the attacker. VPNs prevent MITM by ensuring your activity is performed over an encrypted connection.
Reasons to use VPN:
1.Change your virtual location
When using a VPN, you will be provided with a new IP address located in a different geographical location. This means that you are likely to appear online in a different country or city, making the perspective of the apps and websites you visit suggest this new location. This process helps protect your privacy and can even play an important role in protecting your safety from online bullying or harassment.
2.Hide your browsing history from your ISP
Although most internet service providers (ISPs) often claim that they do not sell your data, the reality is that they are often allowed to "share" details of your browsing history with third parties. three, who then go on to sell this information to data brokers and ultimately advertisers.
There are many ways to hide your browsing history from ISP tracking, but the simplest way is to use a VPN. With a VPN, your ISP can't know what websites you're visiting or what apps you're using, so they don't have specific information to share with third parties.
3.Keep your activity private from Wi-Fi operators
VPNs also protect your online activity from intrusion by Wi-Fi network operators, who, if sufficiently motivated, can track and identify which websites you have visited. If you're worried about Wi-Fi network administrators in places like schools, offices, or hotels having access to your browsing history, then a VPN is the perfect solution. When you use Wi-Fi in your home, you can keep your activity secure and hidden from other family members, regardless of whether they are your parents or children.
4. Security against cyber attacks
Cyber attacks, aimed at observing your activities and stealing personal information, can happen even on poorly secured Wi-Fi networks. A VPN creates a layer of protection by wrapping your traffic in an encrypted tunnel, ensuring you are protected from man-in-the-middle attacks, packet theft, and common security risks. other variable.
5.Get a better gaming experience
VPN has the ability to minimize latency (ping) while participating in online games. Ping, also known as latency, refers to the time it takes for information, in this case data packets, to be sent from your machine to the server and the time it takes for the server to respond. To reduce ping, creating shorter connection routes between your device and the game server is important. Using a VPN can help shorten this route by connecting to a VPN server near the game server.
Furthermore, using a VPN also has the potential to prevent DDoS attacks, a common problem for gamers.
6.Defeat internet censorship
Whether for political, religious or economic reasons, many countries apply internet censorship to prevent access to specific applications and websites. People - or anyone traveling within the country - are hampered by not being able to access email, social networks, news sites and other tools they used to connect with the outside world. outside can cause great difficulties.
Because of this, many tourists, expats, and citizens in countries that impose censorship rely on VPNs to bypass restrictions and access sites like Google, Facebook, Twitter, and The New York Times. By changing your IP address, a VPN allows you to surf the web like you're in a country where the internet is open and free.
7.Avoid price discrimination to save money
Did you know that using a VPN can help you find better shopping deals? This comes from the fact that some online retailers change product prices based on your geographic location.
When you hide your real IP address using a VPN before searching for airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, or buying gifts, you can search for deals with lower prices than the country where you are.
8.Keep your online activity private from the government
Nothing is kept secret: many countries conduct surveillance of their citizens' online activities. Using a VPN provides an extra layer of privacy protection, keeping your Internet traffic safe from intrusion by third parties, including governments. Even if you have nothing to hide, online privacy is still considered a fundamental right by government agencies.