We all have experienced cybersecurity-related paranoia at least a couple of times in our lives. As the digital world evolves, cybercrime is also changing. Its ability to quickly adapt to cybersecurity strategies is a major concern for all internet users.
However, the silver lining is that cybersecurity stays ahead of the curve to ensure online data privacy. There is a sea of tools and tricks out there that we can use to make our data more secure.
VPNs or Virtual Private Networks are an asset in today’s digital world. The best part? They are legal in the US.
If you are new to this side of the internet and are concerned about being thrown into the deep end, this blog is for you. Let us explore all about VPNs and the best VPNs to get in 2024
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My Recommendations: VPN Services for Safe and Secure Browsing
Bonus Tips to Improve VPN Performance
How Does a VPN Work?
If you are going to use a VPN for online safety, you should know how it functions first.
A VPN stands for a Virtual Private Network. With a VPN, your IP address does not transfer your data to the internet. Instead, it uses another private network to send your data to the internet. This protects your original IP address and hence, your private data. This private network is usually away from your original location. This decreases the chances of hackers tracing your IP address.
The purpose of a VPN is to add a layer of security to your interaction with the digital world. In case a virus or a cyberthreat tries to trace your IP address, a VPN acts as a barrier between you and the threat. On top of that, it encrypts or scrambles your personal data so unknown parties cannot decrypt or unscramble it. This encryption adds another layer of data security.
In easier terms, a VPN basically helps in giving you online anonymity. A disclaimer though, nothing guarantees total anonymity. It is just that a hacker has to be extremely smart to trace you while using a VPN. However, that should not deter you from using a VPN. Because when we look at it from this perspective, no cybersecurity tool in the world provides complete guarantee against cybercrime.
Importance of Using a VPN
Now coming to the real question, should you be using a VPN? The simple answer is yes. If you are looking for a why, mentioned below are all the answers to that:
1. VPNs Protect Your Personal Data
VPNs offer protection for your personal data. They do so by encrypting your data. This includes passwords, phone numbers, addresses, financial information, and pictures stored on your PC or phone. This is a hacker’s or a cybercriminal’s favorite information to get a hold of. It can be misused in a variety of ways.
So if you want to secure your personal information, you should get a VPN asap.
2. VPNs Saves You from Geo-Restriction
If you are a streamer, you must have faced the frustration of the unavailability of specific content in your region. Streaming sites like Netflix limit content according to every region. This is to maintain exclusivity.
Now since a VPN hides your original location, you can stream without geo-restrictions. If you are a frequent traveler, you can use a VPN to view the content available in your home region.
3. VPNs Free You from Censorship
Government-based censorship is a grave reality of our time. VPNs allow us to bypass these restrictions and view the websites we want. With VPN mobile applications, we can also access blocked applications.
On top of that, sometimes we cannot access a website because it is not functional in our country for whatever reasons. For that, VPNs allow us to visit these websites, and see the content available to the rest of the world.
4. VPNs Protect Your Sensitive Messages
If you are someone who wants to secure your private messages, then VPNs are for you. Even though most apps like WhatsApp and Instagram provide end-to-end encryption, there are still some apps that do not encrypt your messages. VPNs are safe for sending messages securely. This ensures only the receiver gets the information you send.
How to Choose a VPN?
Now that you know its importance, let us help you choose a VPN. It is important to not let the marketing gimmicks fool you. As you subscribe to a VPN, you should keep the following things in consideration:
1. Server Location
When choosing a VPN, you need to see the server locations of the VPN service provider. Make sure there are plenty of servers near your location. Apart from giving your online anonymity, this factor does wonders for your internet speed. If the VPN location is far from your location, it will increase your latency and decrease your speed.
Moreover, you should choose a VPN with servers in regions with rock-solid data protection regulations. This ensures the VPN has better encryption standards.
2. Data Logging Policies
Most VPNs tout a no-logs policy but do not fall for it. No-logs means a VPN does not track your online activity and browsing history. This is a farce though. Most VPN providers are obligated to store your data for at least some time.
So what can you do in this situation? Find a VPN with clear data logging policies. Scour through the policies and how they collect and store your data. If a VPN’s privacy policy boasts zero-logging and is vague, that is a red flag.
3. Cost
We all want free stuff, right? Well, trust me you do not want a free VPN. Every VPN provider needs to earn money to cover their costs. If they are not earning anything from you, they probably earning it by selling your data. On top of that, free VPNs tend to have a whole lot of annoying ads. Moreover, free VPNs do not provide you with advanced features like DNS capabilities, connection protocols, etc.
4. Simultaneous Connections
Your best bet against data protection is having a VPN on all your devices like PC, phone, tablet, and other family devices. When researching a VPN, you need to see how many simultaneous connections are allowed by a VPN. Most VPNs have a certain limit on how many devices can simultaneously use the VPN.
So, before signing up, you need to see if the number of devices allowed matches your requirements.
5. Kill Switch
A kill switch is a VPN’s ability to automatically kill device connection if the VPN gets disconnected. It is common for VPN service providers to experience outages. However, this unanticipated outage can put your data at risk.
This is why you should see if a VPN has a kill switch, also called a ‘network lock’ as an advanced feature. It is like the VPN going the extra mile to maintain your online anonymity.
My Recommendations: VPN Services for Safe and Secure Browsing
Now let us look at some of the best VPNs on the market. I have personally tested a bunch of VPNs and found these 4 to be the best, for different reasons. If you are a newbie and do not feel confident researching VPNs on your own, I have got you covered. Browse through this section to see which one fits the bills for you. Plus, don’t worry, I have broken down each VPN application in easy-to-understand detail.
1. NordVPN
Easily known as one of the best in the market, Nord VPN has unmatched service. It has its servers in 140 locations across 111 countries. So you get to choose from a variety of locations.
With all the best security protocols and advanced features available, it has many additional privacy features like threat protection and dark web monitoring. Nord allows a simultaneous device limit of 10. This is ideal if you have a large family.
Lastly, one downside about Nord is that its VPN app is hard to get around for new users.
2. SurfShark VPN
SurfShark is a great VPN if you are looking to bypass geo-restrictions and want a VPN for streaming movies.
It decreases your internet speed slightly. However, this is barely noticeable even when you are doing bandwidth-heavy tasks like HD streaming. Surfshark VPN has servers spread over 143 locations across 100 countries. The best part is that it allows unlimited simultaneous connections.
3. However, a downside I have experienced is that I could not depend on its kill switch because sometimes it would turn off by itself. But, it has additional security features like Camouflage Mode (hides the fact that you are using a VPN) and Clean Web (blocks malicious websites and ads). TunnelBear VPN
VPN and data security might overwhelm new users. TunnelBear turns the somewhat daunting data security into cute bear animations. However, don’t let the soft outlook of TunnelBear VPN fool you. It is equipped with great security tools and has a clear privacy policy.
The best part is that it has a free trial period. However, it has limited servers in only 47 countries but that wouldn’t affect you unless you have special geo-restriction requirements.
4. Express VPN
If data privacy is more of a priority for you than money, then you should check out Express VPN.
It is one of the priciest VPN service providers, but the service leaves you with zero regrets. It has servers in 163 locations, located in 105 countries. This wide range of servers gives you many locations to pick from. It is perfect for newbies with its user-friendly app which is easy to get around.
It allows 8 simultaneous connections, which is decent. Lastly, Express VPN comes with advanced features like a kill switch and auto-connect capabilities.
Bonus Tips to Improve VPN Performance
After you have signed up with a VPN service provider, you need to have some tips and tricks up your sleeve to optimize its performance. In some cases, you might experience decreased speed or other problems. For that, the following tips will come in handy.
- Ensure you have a high-speed internet connection. You can opt for a fiber-coaxial (known for high speeds) connection like Xfinity Internet. When you get high speeds from your ISP, you will barely notice the decreased speed with VPN.
- Do not ever fall for free VPNs like Proton or Privado. In the case of a free VPN, your data is sold off to data brokers.
- Turn off your antivirus if you notice a dip in performance. Firewalls and antivirus also clog up your PC’s processing capabilities.
- Restart your router. Sometimes a simple troubleshooting can do wonders for your VPN’s performance.
- If nothing else works, use an Ethernet cable. This is the best way to ensure seamless connectivity without any connection lags.
