What are the benefits of a VPN?

A VPN or virtual private network is a service that can be used to hide your location and protect your data when you use the internet. It does so by acting as a sort of security layer between your devices and the broader internet. Any unauthorised entity that tries to access your data will only be greeted with encrypted gibberish, and your location will be almost impossible to trace. There are exceptions to this of course, but we won’t get into more advanced security features at this time. Instead, here’s a list of the five biggest benefits of using a VPN, whether on your smartphones, laptops or desktops.

1. Better privacy and security

The biggest benefit of using a VPN is simply the better privacy and security it affords. The data traffic to and from your devices is usually encrypted – protected by a strong key – and your location is hidden from the outside world. Other users might be able to trace your location up to the VPN, but not beyond it. As long as you can trust your VPN provider to protect your privacy per the limitations of the law, your data and location is secure.

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It’s for these reasons and more that VPNs are great when you’re concerned about communicating safely and securely. Large corporations and high-profile individuals make good use of VPNs, and you can too.

2. Access to region-locked content

You might be prevented from viewing content based on various local laws, copyright laws, and various other restrictions. A VPN can help bypass these restrictions and get you access to that content. Bear in mind that if doing so is in violation of local laws, you could end up in serious trouble.

3. Ad networks will struggle to track you

As we all know by this point, massive ad networks powered by some of the biggest companies in the world are extremely effective at tracking your online activities and building a profile of you. This leads to highly targeted advertising, which some may not like.

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VPNs make it very difficult for these ad networks to track you that closely. They’ll still get some data, owing to how these ad networks have developed, but the information will be less detailed and useful. 

4. Faster gaming

Multiplayer games need access to game servers, and more importantly, need to be able to communicate quickly and efficiently with these servers to get you the lowest ping and thus the best multiplayer experience. Sometimes your ISP can restrict access or route the data in a convoluted way, resulting in worse pings and other issues hampering your gaming experience. VPNs bypass such restrictions in most cases.

5. Better safety for travellers

Getting access to internet when travelling is always a challenge. You’re usually forced to rely on public hotspots in airports, restaurants, and hotels, and these hotspots are usually unsafe. While it’s always better to have your own internet connection – such as via a cellular plan that supports roaming – you will sometimes need to access the internet via such unsafe hotspots. In such a case, a VPN can go a long way towards mitigating the risk of a cyberattack.

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VPNs are a great security tool and, we’d argue, a must-have for frequent travellers. They also offer a lot of benefits to gamers and for entertainment. Investing in a good VPN and following good security practices when browsing the web in general is a great way to limit your digital footprint and keep more control of your digital life.