5+ VPN Benefits & Advantages Essential

Using privacy protection online is essential, and with a VPN benefits can be found throughout the internet.

You can use it to browse the web anonymously and protect yourself from cyber-attacks. And that’s just the beginning!

In this article, we’re going to cover essential VPN benefits and advantages: surfing the web anonymously, protecting yourself from cyber attacks, and working remotely & securely.

5+ VPN Benefits and Advantages​

1. Surf The Web Anonymously

Nowadays, everyone’s after your data.

• Your internet service provider (ISP) tracks your online activity;
• Websites use cookies to target you with ads;
• Social media companies follow you around the web;

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Want to stay anonymous on the web and keep your data private?

You need to use a VPN.

VPNs encrypt your outgoing and incoming data. This means neither the websites you visit nor your internet service provider can track your data!

At the same time, VPNs hide your IP address and provide a layer of anonymity on the web. Meaning, your online activity can’t easily be traced back to you via IP.

2. Protect Yourself From Cyber Attacks

Yes, a VPN can protect you from hackers.

VPNs can prevent some of the most popular hacking methods, including:

1. Public Wi-Fi Hacks. When you’re using public Wi-Fi, a hacker can intercept your connection and steal your account credentials.
2. Doxing. If a hacker gets hold of your IP address, they can trace it back to you and identify a lot of personal information.
3. DDoS Attacks. If a hacker has your IP address, they can spam your internet connection to slow down your connection, forcing you offline.

Using a VPN can protect you from all three!

As VPNs come with very strong encryption protocols, a hacker won’t be able to read any of your data — even if they intercept your Wi-Fi connection. At the same time, a VPN hides your IP address — making it nearly impossible for a hacker to dox you or initiate a DDoS attack.

3. Improve Internet Speed During Network Congestion

When too many people try to access the same hotspot, application, platform, or website, network congestion can occur.

This means a server is trying to handle significantly more traffic than it can, making the entire network slow down to start queuing your requests. In non-technical terms, your internet speed takes a nosedive.

If out of nowhere, it takes you forever to stream a movie, you might be experiencing network congestion.

In some circumstances, using a VPN lets you bypass the congested server node, and this, in turn, speeds up your internet.

4. Work Remotely & Securely

If you work remotely, there’s a good chance you’ve logged on from a co-working space or coffee shop at least once.

And that, unfortunately, is a major security threat.

Public Wi-Fi connections are rarely secure. Hackers can use them to intercept your internet connection and gain access to your device and its data.

This puts your company at risk.

To avoid this, you can use a VPN to encrypt your internet connection and make it impossible to get hacked through Wi-Fi.

5. Avoid Censorship While Traveling

Traveling to a different country?

Chances are, some of your favorite websites might be banned there.

In China, for example, most household internet services like Google, Wikipedia, and others are completely banned.

By using a VPN you can bypass these online blocks, regardless of the region you may be visiting.

How to Choose the Right VPN?

Sold on getting a VPN?

Now you might be thinking: “Which VPN do I pick?”

We don’t blame you. There are hundreds of VPN providers on the web and it can be hard to differentiate the good ones from the bad.

Here are some must-have features you should look for in any VPN:

• Strict policy against traffic logs. Some VPNs log your data and sell it to advertisers, contradicting the point of using a VPN. Look for a VPN provider that has a no-traffic-log policy.
• 256-bit AES encryption is the industry standard for encryption. In practical terms, this means that your data is thoroughly secured and no one will be able to read it.
• Servers worldwide. The more servers a VPN provider has, the more likely it is for them to have a server close to your location (which leads to faster internet speed).
• Cross-platform support. If you want all the benefits of a VPN, you’ll want it for all your devices connected to the internet. Think: your tablet, phone, game consoles, etc.
• Great bang for your buck. The best VPNs cost around $6 to $10 per month. Try to stay away from free VPNs because you end up paying with your highly valuable data!

VPN Benefits FAQ

#1. What is a VPN?

A VPN is a tool you can use to browse the internet anonymously and securely.

Here’s how a VPN works:

1. You download an app and connect to a VPN server location
2. From then on, your online activity is routed through the VPN server

When your data is transmitted to the internet, it first goes through the VPN to reach its final destination. Or, to illustrate, this is the process:

#2. Do I really need a VPN?

Yes, you do.

We highly encourage you to use a VPN to:

• Browse the internet securely, lowering the chances of cyberattacks.
• Be anonymous on the web, making it impossible for someone to trace your online activity back to you.
• Boost your connection speed, and improve network performance.
• Get access to your favorite websites while traveling abroad.

#3. Do I need technical knowledge to use a VPN?

No —  using a VPN is extremely simple.

All you have to do is:

1. Download a VPN app
2. Create an account
3. Select a location and “Connect”

And that’s it! You’re all set.

#4. Is using a VPN safe and legal?

Using a VPN is both safe and legal for most countries.

The countries in which VPNs are banned or legally gray, are:

1. China
2. Hong Kong
3. Russia
4. UAE
5. Turkey
6. Belarus
7. Iraq
8. Iran
9. Cuba
10. Sudan
11. Syria
12. North Korea
13. Oman
14. Turkmenistan

#5. Can I use a VPN for free?

There are free VPNs out there, but there’s a catch.

Free VPNs are not safe.

The thing is, they have to make money somehow, right? They’re a business after all.

And the way they do it is through shady, unethical practices including:

• Logging your data and selling it to third-party companies
• Installing malware onto your device
• Stealing your processing power and selling it

Key Takeaways

Now, let’s do a small recap.

• Using a VPN is essential and it comes with a ton of benefits.
• You can use a VPN to browse the web securely and anonymously, improve the connection speed, and more.
• You can also use a VPN while traveling to avoid local censorship laws.
• Not sure which VPN provider to pick? We’d recommend going with a VPN like IPVanish, which uses 256-bit encryption, has 2000+ servers worldwide, and comes with a strict no-traffic-logging policy.