Increased globalization and technological progress have transformed the way we work. More and more people are breaking away from the confines of the office and opting for jobs that allow them the freedom to work on the go, so that juggling life and work can be much easier.
Irrespective of whether you’re a remote worker who enjoys working from your local café or a globetrotting digital nomad, selecting the right VPN is crucial. Believe it or not, it’s even important for those who enjoy playing at no deposit free spins casino sites. So, the next time you’re enjoying the next round of free spins, make sure your VPN is properly set up.
Wait, what does VPN even stand for? Don’t fret, we’ll be walking you through the basics related to this technology and you’ll also get a breakdown of why VPN is no longer on the ‘nice to have’ list but a ‘must have’ item in 2023.
Getting the basics right: What is a VPN?
A VPN (which stands for virtual private network) allows users to keep their online activity private by having their data encrypted so that any online activity they engage in remains concealed. During this process, the users’ internet protocol (IP) is hidden and untraceable. This anonymity offers users a number of perks, the main ones being discussed in the next section.
5 Reasons why a great VPN will benefit you
Why should you bother purchasing a VPN? There are many reasons why a good VPN is seriously worth considering. We are listing the key ones here:
1. To be able to use public Wi-Fi securely
The convenience of using a public Wi-Fi comes at the expense of security. You see, while having free access to the airport’s Wi-Fi may help you beat the waiting time boredom, it also makes your online activity vulnerable to being tracked by an internet stranger.
Thanks to a VPN, you can have your data protected even while using other networks. You get to enjoy the peace of mind that your browsing history, banking information, account passwords and other confidential information are fully hidden from everyone.
2. For added data privacy
Added privacy isn’t only needed while using a public Wi-Fi. While you’re more likely to be attacked by strangers on a public connection, your data is still vulnerable when you’re connected to your home Wi-Fi. Your internet service provider (or ISP – the company you pay for Wi-Fi each month) has access to all your internet data, namely when and where you browse and other typical browsing patterns. Even if you’re browsing using the ‘private function’, your data can be gathered and sold to advertisers which can be detrimental to your privacy if it falls in the wrong hands. With a VPN, your IP address is hidden from your own ISP.
Moreover, a VPN is also crucial to prevent apps and websites from attributing your behavior to your computer’s IP address. You might think that this is extra but many apps and internet services have actually been called out for misusing their users’ data.
3. To bypass throttling
There may be cases where your ISP intentionally slows down your Internet connection, for instance because it detects that you’ve exceeded a certain data limit, or even to get you to upgrade your connection – a practice known as “throttling”. This won’t happen if you have a VPN. Since your online activity would be hidden from your ISP, they won’t be able to throttle with your bandwidth.
4. To save money
If you have some experience with online shopping, you might be familiar with the fact that some e-commerce platforms and online shops show different prices to people according to the location they’d be purchasing from.
With a VPN you can bypass this location bias, and you can even go a step further by selecting the server of a specific country where subsidized prices are offered.
5. To gain access to any content in any place
Since most content on the internet is geo-restricted, people in certain countries might be prohibited from accessing particular content. A VPN allows you to evade these geo-restrictions and gain access to any content, even that which is not available to users in your area.
What are the features to look out Ffor when purchasing a VPN?
There are several added features that a top-notch VPN can offer. These are the 5 main elements that distinguish a first-class VPN from a regular one:
1. No-logs policy
A VPN with a no-logs or zero-logs policy guarantees not to keep a record of your online activities as a user. This policy is a major selling point for VPNs because it’s one of the main reasons why people purchase a VPN in the first place.
2. Simultaneous device connections
While with most VPNs there’s a limit on simultaneous connections, good ones can accommodate unlimited connections at the same time.
3. Kill switch
With a VPN kill switch your device is disconnected from the internet if your VPN connection suddenly drops. This is a vital VPN feature because it prevents you from sending data outside the secure confines of a VPN tunnel.
4. IP shuffle
This is a VPN privacy feature that randomizes your IP address by reconnecting you to a different VPN server after a given interval in your VPN session. The shuffling frequency can be chosen by the users themselves and it can range from every 10 minutes to once an hour or a day.
5. Leak protection
In some cases, your original IP address may get revealed, exposing your location, browsing history, and internet activity online. When this IP leak (otherwise known as a VPN leak) occurs, it defeats the whole purpose of using a VPN. However, a great VPN would have a built-in IP/DNS leak protection that is enabled by default, to prevent this from happening.
