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December 15, 2023
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What is a VPN? Why Should You Avoid Free VPNs?
The internet is something that connects the entire world from social media to video conferencing and event entertainment. The internet gives you the power to do just about anything, no matter where you are in the world. As long as you have a connection to the internet, you have the freedom to work remotely, watch movies and TV shows on Netflix, or even do research on just about any topic you can imagine.
However, as time has gone on, the internet has become somewhat restricted in some areas. From internet censorship to geo-blocking restrictions, the internet has lost that sense of freedom that it always portrayed. On top of that, privacy and security have become serious concerns for most internet users around the world. Cybercrime is on the rise, and more and more innocent people are falling victim to devastating cyber attacks every day.
You need to ensure that your device is always secure and that your connection is private. The best way to do that is by using a VPN. VPNs also give you complete internet freedom and allow you to bypass different restrictions. There are hundreds of VPNs on the market to choose from, and you must use the right one. Using a free VPN is not ideal — we’ll see why should you avoid free VPNs shortly! If you want to avoid paying for a VPN, you need to make sure you’re using one of the best free VPNs rather than the first one you can find.
What is a VPN?
First of all, what exactly is a VPN and how does it work? VPNs are cybersecurity tools that have become increasingly popular over the past few years. They are especially popular among sports fans and Netflix users as they allow you to bypass geo-blocking restrictions — more on that later!
The main selling point of a VPN is privacy and security. VPNs are designed to encrypt your internet connection, which allows you to browse the web anonymously. Essentially, no one can see what you are doing on your device while you’re browsing the web as long as your VPN is active. From government surveillance to nosy cybercriminals, everything you do on your device will be kept private and secure.
VPNs also have secure global servers that are situated in different countries and cities around the world. When you connect to one of these servers, the VPN will hide your real IP address from any websites that you visit. An IP address is a unique identifier that is used to pinpoint your device’s location. The VPN will direct your internet traffic through the server that you have connected to, which allows your device to “adopt” the IP address of the server.
Using this feature on a VPN will hide your physical location from everyone else on the website and make it appear as if your device is accessing the internet from the server’s location instead.
Benefits of a VPN
Spoofing your location with a VPN comes with a ton of different benefits. Most internet users have chosen to use a VPN because of the advantages you get from connecting to a global server to hide your location and make your device appear as if it’s accessing the internet from another country.
The first advantage that comes from changing your virtual location is the ability to bypass geo-blocking restrictions. If you’re a sports fan, or if you’ve spent a lot of time on Netflix and YouTube, you’ll be all too familiar with this frustrating concept. Media companies like ESPN and Sky Sports are only allowed to stream their sports broadcasts in specific countries and regions around the world (usually only their own country). Any device that tries to access the stream outside the correct region will be blocked and met with an error message. However, using a VPN, you can connect to a server in the country where the stream is being broadcast, which allows you to hop over the digital fences blocking you from your online entertainment.
Internet censorship is also a problem that many people face. Several countries around the world employ internet censorship within their borders. Each government has very specific reasons for blocking specific websites and content within its borders — usually, it’s for political or religious reasons. You can use a VPN to encrypt your internet connection and connect to a secure global server, which will allow you to bypass internet censorship altogether.
One of the lesser-known advantages of having a VPN on your device is that it can save you money! Websites that allow you to book flights and accommodation will often discriminate against users based on their location. In first-world countries like the United States, the prices are inflated allowing the website to generate more profit. In third-world countries, the prices are brought down to generate more sales (even if it’s at a smaller profit margin). Make sure to connect your VPN to a different country before you start booking flights and accommodation to get the best prices!
Why Should You Avoid Free VPNs?
So, why should you avoid free VPNs? There are plenty of great free VPNs out there, but you need to make sure that you get a free VPN from a reputable provider. You can’t just go for any VPN on the internet!
If you use the wrong free VPN, you will experience slower connection speeds, a bunch of spam ads, fewer global servers to choose from, daily bandwidth limits, and weaker encryption technology that leaves your device exposed. You won’t find any of these issues with a premium VPN, which is why experts always recommend doing thorough research on each VPN before you make your final decision. When it comes to VPNs, you really do get what you pay for. Free VPNs are often slow, unreliable, and insecure. They may even put your privacy at risk by selling your data to third parties.
Here’s a closer look at some of the reasons to avoid free VPNs:
Slow Speeds: Free VPNs often have slower speeds than paid options. That’s because they have to ration bandwidth among their users and may use outdated or overloaded servers. This can make streaming or downloading difficult or even impossible.
Unreliability & Poor Connectivity: Free VPNs are unreliable because of their slow speeds and lack of resources. You may find that you can’t connect to a server in another country when you need it or that your connection frequently drops as the service struggles to keep up with demand.
Security Issues & VPN Leaks: Free VPNs often have weak encryption protocols and outdated security measures, leaving you vulnerable to VPN leaks. This means that your data could be exposed if someone hacks into the network, which would put your personal information at risk.
Data Collection & Advertising: Finally, free VPNs may track and store your browsing data and use it for advertising purposes. They may even sell your data to third parties, which puts your privacy in serious jeopardy.
For these reasons, we recommend avoiding free VPNs and opting for a paid option instead. By investing in a reliable VPN service, you can enjoy better speeds, security, and privacy—without compromising on quality or performance.
Every VPN is unique too, which means that some might have faster connection speeds than others. On the other hand, premium VPNs might have stronger encryption technology than others, which gives the user better privacy, security, and anonymity online. Make sure to read thorough and credible reviews to find out which VPN suits your needs best.
We hope this post helps in understanding what is a VPN? why should you avoid free VPNs? Visit our social media page on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Telegram, Tumblr, Medium & Instagram, and subscribe to receive information like this.
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Arun KL
Arun KL is a cybersecurity professional with 15+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, cloud security, vulnerability management, Penetration Testing, security operations, and incident response. He is adept at designing and implementing robust security solutions to safeguard systems and data. Arun holds multiple industry certifications including CCNA, CCNA Security, RHCE, CEH, and AWS Security.
