Should I Enable My VPN for Online Banking?

The usefulness of VPN is hardly questionable. You are able to access blocked content, boost you security by encrypting your data stream, watch a wider variation of movies on Netflix, and so on. But did you know that having a VPN could be essential to manage your online banking tasks? That’s right, connecting to a VPN network before accessing your bank account could prove more useful than any anti-virus software and firewall.

Combining VPN and online banking has two major setbacks. The smaller is that you might forget to activate it before accessing your account. Most people don’t rely on VPN all the time, and launching it might slip your mind when you are in a hurry. Not to mention that the higher encryption rate significantly reduces your browser’s speed. Considering that public Wi-Fi isn’t known for its lightning fast speed, people tend to skip this altogether, “just this time”. The second problem is that banks and financial sites are very sensitive about your changed IP, which naturally comes with using a VPN. They probably ask you to identify yourself, or straight on mark you as a fraud.

Attention, expats!

Let’s just say you are safe from scammers and hackers lurking around internet cafés. Managing your online account could still be difficult for you. Let’s take expats and tourists, as an example. Banks are notoriously suspicious about the smallest detail changes, so imagine the situation where you want to place an order from a different location. Sometimes you just need to verify your identity, although the process could take painstakingly long. But there is a chance your access will be instantly blocked. People visiting China often find themselves in this situation. In some cases you even need to provide details about your regular and current location. So, the best way to avoid all this unnecessary hassle, is to play safe and access the site while being connected to a VPN server in your home country.