The 21st Century is webbed around by the internet. We are more interconnected than ever and spend an enormous amount of time in the digital realm. If you’re not sharing photos of your kids on Facebook, you’re doing your banking, booking a holiday, or buying a pair of shoes on Amazon.
And of course, there is the always-distracting lure of social media, and too many emails to count. Despite the increasing popularity of mobile devices, the Windows-based PC remains a favored platform for online activities.
Everything you do online means you send data from your PC to an intermediary, such as an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Their server then directs you to your target website. This would be fine, except it means that the ISP can log and store all that data, mine it for patterns and sell it to third parties.
This article will briefly explain VPN technology and the reasons you should use one.
A VPN is an internet security technology that acts as an intermediary between your PC and the Internet. Let’s say you use a VPN and type in the URL for the American Cancer Society (ACS) in your browser.
Once you hit Enter, the data that leaves your PC gets encrypted, then sent via a ‘secure tunnel’ to a remote server operated by a VPN provider. From there the data is sent to the target website. All incoming data also passes through a remote server and secure tunnel before accessing your system. During this process, your PC’s IP address is masked and shows up as the VPN server’s address, making you hard to trace.
Here are 5 reasons your Windows PC needs a VPN:
Privacy
Imagine your spouse shopping for lingerie online in the privacy of your home and the ISP selling such information to undisclosed third-parties, who are using that data to make profits.
Censorship
Quite a few VPN providers offer thousands of remove server worldwide, to which people can connect and conceal their IP address. This can be extraordinarily useful for users in repressive societies as they could circumvent government censorship using the secure tunnel and remote servers.
No-log policies
The National Security Agency’s collect-all approach allowed it to accumulate vast quantities of personal data in its secret server networks. Should a government agency be authorized to collect information about every individual? Information that could prove to be compromising (e.g., whether you protested outside the White House about Trump’s immigration ban on Middle Eastern countries)? A reliable VPN provider always has a strict no-log policy to ensure their customers’ privacy and security at all times.
Geo-blocked content
Free trade remains a hot topic among private enterprises and governments. While we’re making strides to have a global trade network, big streaming corporations still use geo-blocking. Gaining access to restricted content has been one of the leading reasons to use a VPN. People across the world can enjoy all content at all times, all thanks to VPN services.
Security in public places
Public Wi-Fi hotspots are notorious for being a cyber criminal’s preferred hunting ground. VPNs secure encryption algorithms ensure that a malicious third-party can’t intercept your network connection and collect valuable data without your consent. Use a VPN and surf in peace using any public Wi-Fi hotspot you like.
