Practical Daily Use of VPN

Global internet usage has surged to over 5 billion active users, which is reflected by the 27.1 percent increase in VPN users globally. But despite this, over 3.4 billion internet users still have their privacy at risk as ISP or other third-party companies can track their internet usage.

So whether you are hard at work or using the internet for recreational purposes, you should understand the importance of VPN and incorporate it into your day-to-day life. Here are 4 practical daily usages of VPN to help you decide if you need a VPN service or not.

Safer Browsing even on a public network 

Have you recently used public wifi? Perhaps at an airport, railway station, or maybe at your local restaurants. While public wifi can be a lifesaver, these networks are easy to hack into, and hackers can track all your internet usage while you are connected to the network. They can even see your banking details, credit card number, social security number, and so much more. Using a virtual private network makes it significantly harder for hackers to get into your devices, thus increasing security.

Avoid Geographical Limitations

One of my favorite TV shows of all time is “The Office,” and I love watching it from time to time on Netflix. To my surprise, they recently removed it from my country, but it is still available in other countries. This is another practical reason for using a VPN, as it allows me to mask my address to trick the streaming site about my location to unlock all geo-locked contents.

To take it a step further, if you are traveling to a country where certain services or websites are banned, you can use a VPN to create a virtual network and access these restricted websites. However, do note that some countries have strict laws against VPN usage, so make sure you understand the law before using it.

Avoid Bandwidth Throttling

It may not be a coincidence that your internet speed decreases at the end of each month. Your ISP can track your internet usage and intentionally throttle your speed when you reach your data cap (monthly limit). This can be frustrating, and again a virtual private network can help you bypass this restriction so you can still enjoy unlimited speeds, even after exceeding your data cap.

Avoid location-based price targeting

Booking companies, car rentals, and airline companies often use location-based pricing, where you may have to pay significantly more when booking from a certain location. This is also true for digital products, so when purchasing a game on steam or renewing your Spotify subscription, it may be worth comparing prices from different countries. Developing countries usually have lower rates than those offered in Europe or North America.

This also relates to the previously mentioned benefit of avoiding trackers. If you’ve looked for a thing a few times without buying it, the vendor will increase the price to entice you to buy sooner rather than later — this is most typical with plane tickets, but it’s not unheard of with other items as well. With a virtual private network, you’ll be able to see the actual cost and potentially save a lot of money.

Verdict

Over 2,200 cyberattacks are conducted every day, and as more and more people gain internet access, protecting your privacy is becoming increasingly important. A VPN will help ensure security and other perks like the ones discussed above.