Leo S.
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Verified by
Sander D.
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Last updated:
July 24, 2024
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(0)
There’s no denying it: if there is one thing you and your fellow colleagues and friends always long for, it’s going on a holiday. Regardless of whether your next destination includes a nice calm beach in a tropical paradise or the scenic views of the mountains, one thing we know for sure is that you’ll be taking your beloved smartphone with you, and most likely your tablet or laptop, too. However, if connecting your beloved devices to public Wi-Fi hotspots is dangerous enough in your own country, doing it in a foreign place can be even more risky. When you want to catch up on the latest season of your favorite Netflix series while chilling in your hotel or whichever other accommodation you’re staying at, you may be in for a surprise when you find out there’s a geoblock on your streaming account. With this in mind, don’t forget to pack your VPN too, as you’ll be using it more than you think, especially if you’re visiting a country with strict online policies.
Whether you are traveling for business purposes or just because you want to get some rest, here are some reasons why using a VPN is more than beneficial:
The good old content unblocking that VPNs enable is one of the main reasons why so many people invest in such a solution to begin with. Imagine landing at your summer destination and Facebook or your favorite news site happens to be blocked there. With a VPN this is no longer a concern: with a few simple clicks you can change your virtual location, attributing your device a new IP address. From that moment on all geographical website restrictions will be gone. This is very useful if you’re visiting a country where online censorship levels are high or you are at a place that enforces social media bans.
What many people don’t know is that public Wi-Fi hotspots can be extremely dangerous. In fact, even before you leave your country you can unintentionally put yourself in danger by simply connecting to unsecure Wi-Fi networks that are typical in crowded spaces like coffee shops or even the airport itself. Fortunately, VPNs help in this matter too, since using them establishes a secure connection via encrypted tunnels to your VPN provider’s servers. Most top-notch VPN companies equip their services with AES 256-bit encryptions, which is a military-grade level of protection, and they also allow you to choose from a handful of VPN protocols. These protocols are designed to either make your connection speed quicker or your protection greater than a previously selected security level.
Connecting to an unsafe network makes you vulnerable to digital eavesdroppers that may be using it to spy on people. The situation only gets worse if you happen to do some online banking or shopping during the time of your vacation. The attacker will be able to access your usernames and passwords without much effort, and from that moment on the hacker is pretty much in control of your money. However, thanks to the these encryptions and VPN protocols, even if the network is unsafe you’ll have a rock solid wall between you and everyone else, and therefore no one will be able to spy on you or your details.
Government snooping is another grave concern, especially in repressive countries like China, Turkey and many others, who often utilize online censorship and spying. VPNs can also prevent you from being spied on by a foreign country’s ISP. In much the same way that these programs help protect you against hackers and other eavesdroppers, the moment you switch on your VPN you essentially put on an invisibility cloak, meaning neither ISPs nor governments can see your digital footsteps. Believe it or not, the above aren’t the only concerns: even if you’re getting into the U.S. you may also find your social media background checked at customs.
Perhaps one of the biggest hidden features of VPNs is the fact that you can use them to enjoy better prices in online stores by making the store think you’re located in another country. In fact, you can use this feature to purchase the latest piece of technology much cheaper and to save money on flights, car rentals and a whole lot more by virtually moving your location to the country with the best prices. With VPNs, the world is truly in your hands and there’s no reason for you to pay extra fares.
After regarding some of the ways VPNs can help your vacation go as planned, it’s time to look at some of the providers that you should consider as your next travelling companions:
If you’re one of those people who always opt for free solutions, then think again. Although the market is full of the so-called free VPNs, do not blindly fall for them: the deal they offer might seem convincing enough, but there is always a catch. Whether you like it or not, free VPNs simply don’t exist since every quality VPN service needs strong and costly infrastructure to operate.
Let us explain: the big majority of these ‘free’ providers actually use cookies and other tracking methods to monitor your traffic even with the VPN turned on, so they can sell data about your online behavior, your interests and other personal information to data brokers and digital advertising companies. In addition to that, these companies are often dubious regarding their privacy policies as they never tell you exactly which encryptions or protocols they use, if they use any at all.
That’s why you should always opt for a trusted provider, like the ones we review here on Best Reviews. Not only are these recommended companies completely trustworthy, but they often also provide extra tools for you to be as safe as possible online, such as kill switches and much more.
Although VPN companies tend to develop their services focusing primarily on computer users, we must not forget that mobile devices are much more vulnerable due to their portable nature. The internet is a dangerous place: even though it has its own share of harmless and even benevolent users, it can also be one of the biggest playgrounds for virtual bullies. Even Wi-Fi signals that seem to be pretty safe and require a password to be accessed can be a risk so long as they are public. In fact, every device connected to the internet is vulnerable and that’s why you need to take countermeasures. Hence why opting for a multi-platform VPN or, in the case of PureVPN, turning your PC into a virtual VPN router is advised.
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