VPNs are fast becoming essential tools for online security and privacy. They can secure internet connections, bypass censorship, and allow users to access region-locked content. But what are the drawbacks? In this article, we’ll review the advantages and disadvantages of using a VPN.
Pros of using a VPN
First, let’s look at the many benefits of using a VPN:
1. Privacy
A VPN encrypts your internet connection and routes it through an intermediary server in a location of your choice. This improves your privacy in a couple of ways:
First, your internet service provider can no longer see what you do online. Because all your data goes through the VPN server, it can’t tell which websites you visit or what apps you use. Additionally, the encryption prevents your ISP from seeing the contents of your data, so it can’t discriminate against specific types or sources of data. This combats bandwidth throttling and also stops surveillance by any other parties on your network.
Likewise, the websites and apps you use cannot identify you or your device by your IP address. Instead, they can only see the IP address of the VPN server. If you use the VPN in combination with your web browser’s private browsing mode, you will be very difficult to track (provided you don’t post any identifiable information yourself).
If you torrent, a VPN hides your IP address from other users in the same torrent swarm, and hides the contents of your downloads from your ISP.
2. Security
A VPN’s encryption does more than just stop snoopers. It also protects your connection from attack.
Open wi-fi hotspots and public networks can be prime hunting grounds for hackers. A VPN encrypts your data before it ever leaves your device, so even if it gets intercepted on an unsecure network, it can’t be read by the attacker.
VPNs prevent many types of man-in-the-middle attacks, as well as attacks that target your IP address like DDoS attacks.
Many VPNs now come with features that can block malware, ads, and trackers automatically.
3. Bypass censorship
In countries like China, much of the web is censored. A VPN can bypass censorship by routing your web traffic through the VPN server. Censorship systems can only see that you’re connected to the VPN server, and not that you’re visiting a blocked website. This allows you to freely and privately access the open web.
In addition to nationwide censorship, VPNs can also be used to unblock specific websites from schools and offices.
4. Unblock region-locked content
You can choose the location of the VPN server to which you want to connect. This routes your connection through that location and replaces your IP address with a local one. Websites and apps will see the VPN server’s location instead of your own, allowing you to bypass location restrictions.
VPNs are a popular means of bypassing geo-blocks on video streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu, among others.
Cons of using a VPN
Although the benefits of using a VPN are great, they do come with a few pitfalls:
1. Slower connection
All VPNs will slow down your internet speed to some degree. There are a couple of reasons for this.
First, VPN apps have to encrypt outgoing data and decrypt incoming data. The encryption process adds some overhead, which tacks on some extra time for data to get through. The delay due to encryption is more noticeable on low-powered devices, like smart TVs and streaming devices.
Secondly, all your data has to pass through a VPN server. This adds an extra hop to the path that your data must take to reach its destination, slowing down the connection. However, you can minimize the delay by selecting a VPN server close to you.
By choosing a fast VPN service you should be able to avoid slow internet as most premium VPN users don’t notice the slight drop in speed.
2. Your VPN provider can see your data
When you use a VPN, your internet service provider can no longer see what you do online. But the VPN provider can.
We only recommend VPNs that adhere to no-logs policies, which means they don’t store any information about their users’ activity or identities while they’re connected to the VPN. That includes websites visited, apps used, IP addresses, and timestamps, among other things.
But many VPNs are not so trustworthy. They may even harvest data about your online activity to sell to third parties like advertisers.
3. Cost
If you want a decent VPN, you’ll have to pay. Although there are many free VPNs out there, they lack the performance, privacy, and security of their paid counterparts. However, many VPNs offer a free trial or you can choose one of the many cheap VPNs that can still offer strong security features.
4. VPNs can be blocked
A lot of people use VPNs to unblock streaming services or bypass censorship in places like China. Sometimes, connections to and from VPN servers can get blocked by businesses or governments, leaving you with a VPN that doesn’t do what you purchased it for.
We only recommend VPNs with reliable track records for unblocking streams and bypassing censorship.
5. Other inconveniences
Using a VPN can result in a few additional inconveniences when surfing the web or using apps. You might be required to enter your username and password more often, for instance. You might be barred from accessing your online bank account. Or you might have to decipher a lot more CAPTCHAs to access sites.
Your online banking portal might not be accessible if you’re accessing it from an IP address you haven’t used before.
Printers, security cameras, and other home IoT devices might not be accessible while the VPN is enabled, though this varies from one VPN to another.
Is using a VPN worth it?
Yes! The pros absolutely outweigh the cons. In fact, many of the cons are avoidable or insignificant if you choose the right provider and app.
NordVPN is our top recommendation. Surfshark and ExpressVPN make for great alternatives. All of these VPNs offer excellent speed, adhere to no-logs policies, and can reliably block most popular streaming services from abroad. Plus, they all come with 30-day money-back guarantees so you can try them out risk-free.
L’article Pros and cons of using a VPN est apparu en premier sur Comparitech.
0 Commentaires