Anyone who’s been actively browsing the Internet for some years now would have definitely heard of the term VPN (Virtual Private Network) at some point of time.
In simple terms, VPN can be thought of as a secure tunnel between your PC and the website you are visiting. It keeps all your internet activities private and secure. You can read this NordVPN review and gain a better understanding why such VPN services are becoming increasingly popular these days.
Nevertheless, few of the reasons behind VPNs increasing penetration among the Internet users worldwide include:
Privacy
Let’s admit, downloading pirated TV shows, movies, music, videos, software etc. from torrent websites is illegal indeed. However, the idea of not having to pay for such products and downloading them instantly appeals to a lot of people. There are times when people also share their privately-owned files with others using P2P (peer-to-peer) connections. VPN offers by far the best solution to keep your identity safe and eliminate the chances of any authorities or copyright lawyers peeping into your online activities, during all such downloads or file shares. Agreed, a VPN may potentially slow down your browsing speed, but the privacy and security it provides makes it definitely worth it. Whilst some companies like Netflix are trying to stop these practices, the reality seems rather unlikely!
Secure public Wi-Fi usage
Everyone loves free Internet! Nowadays, you can get online for free using public Wi-Fi hotspots at commonly visited public places such as shopping malls, railway stations, airports, hotels, coffee shops etc. Considering the fact that these hotspots can be accessed free of cost, a good number of people prefer frequenting them for downloading content, watching videos and for their other online needs. However, these networks come with an inherent risk of hacking attempts, and can put your smartphone or PC at great risk. This happens because there is no data security and encryption available on these Wi-Fi networks. As a result, all your browsing history, contacts and emails etc. can be accessed by the hackers. Using a VPN connection secures you even in such environments, keeping all your browsing activity hidden from the prying eyes.
Bypassing content censorship
There is some or the other kind of censorship on web content in every country across the world, including China, UK, India and more. For instance, you cannot access Gmail, Facebook and other Google products if you stay in China. In India, ISPs actively block all torrent websites from public access. Using an efficient VPN service can help you bypass any such content censorship and give you unrestricted access to all of the Internet.
Zero data logging
Whether you like it or not, it’s a fact that even reputed search engines like Google and Bing keep a log of everything you search on their platforms. Every search you make has your IP address attached to it. Thereafter, this information is used to customise the advertisements you’re shown on different portals. For instance, if you recently searched for love advice or divorce lawyers on Google, there’s a high chance that you’d be shown related ads whenever you visit any other website that shows Google display ads on its pages. A VPN can keep all your search queries private and ensure that no such data is logged.
