6 Reasons to Use a VPN: Privacy & Security for All!

Many people are talking about VPNs, they’re a hot topic at the moment, but has anyone told you all of the reasons to use a VPN? You can experience a number of things which you just can’t get with an ordinary connection to the Internet. Once you have one, after reading the 6 reasons below, you’ll wonder why you didn’t get one sooner!

Reasons to use a VPN

#1 Downloading, P2P, and torrenting with privacy

The infamous DMCA Notice is a weapon used by the MPAA, and the film industry, to stop people from sharing files online. People are caught based on their IP address, the unique piece of information which identifies your computer.

The reason why you want to use a VPN while using torrents or P2P is because it will first mask your IP address. You will instead take on the IP address of the VPN server you connect to, protecting you from a DMCA.

Secondly, it will encrypt your activities so that even your ISP won’t know for certain that you’re downloading files. Don’t forget that the MPAA isn’t the only one who watches what you’re doing, even your ISP wants to know!

Be sure to use a VPN which allows torrenting on this list. Some forbid it, don’t be one of the fools who gets a VPN only to find out that torrenting is against their terms of service.

#2 Using public WiFi at restaurants and hotels

We all love to travel and take our devices with us, and we’re mad about connecting to the coffee shop’s ‘free’ WiFi. Except nothing in this world is truly free. While it may not cost you money to connect to the WiFi at the local hotel or Starbucks, it could cost you your identity.

Hackers like to set up at these areas because we’re vulnerable. Because we let our guards down. A man in the middle attack can eavesdrop on a WiFi connection as easily as you’re reading this text right now, and steal all sorts of your data.

A VPN will encrypt your Internet traffic so that hackers can’t read what it is you’re writing. This will include passwords, banking details, and private emails.

#3 Getting around work and school blocks

You’re on break at school or work, using your own mobile device, and you connect to the in-house WiFi. You’re like a lot of people and you want to watch a YouTube video or two. But, as is becoming a trend lately, they have blocked YouTube. These blocks can happen to Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, or any other number of online services.

they blocked YouTube at school

I officially have no reason to go there ever again

— ashleigh (@ashleighv1107) April 6, 2016

Your work or school has its heart in the right place, they want to protect their network from lazy employees and slacking students. But you’re on your break, so why can’t you catch a break?!? VPNs will encrypt your connection and make it so your workplace or school can’t see what you’re connecting to, and therefore can’t block you.

Be aware that you could possibly piss off your network administrator if they find out it’s you doing this. There’s nothing stopping anyone from looking over your shoulder to see what you’re viewing: That’s the ultimate in security and privacy violation!

#4 Beating geoblocks

Try something for me right now if you’re not in the UK: Try to watch something on the BBC iPlayer. Ok. Did you try it? Did you see something like this?

Bummer, right? Well you can use a VPN from this list which is good at getting around all types of geo-blocks. This is because the BBC iPlayer, and many other web properties, are restricted based on where you are. The VPN makes their server think that you are in the UK if you connect to a UK based server. Watch the latest episode of Peaky Blinders all you want!

#5 Protecting your VOIP and Skype calls

Making calls over VOIP services, like Skype, has helped many people keep in touch with friends and family who are living abroad. They are also widely used by people who are trying to make calls to work while they’re out at conferences and other calls away from the office.

And, not to put too fine a point on it, but there are …other… things which people do over Skype which you may not want eavesdropped on. Things which couples who are apart do in private, but use Skype as a substitute …you get what I’m saying?

Hackers love to hack Skype and VOIP calls so that they can get information from them. Wire taps have hit the digital age, but you can protect yourself with a VPN. This is due to its already discussed ability to encrypt everything you do, and that includes VOIP and Skype activity.

#6 Hiding your activities and research

There are many perfectly valid reasons why you’d want to hide your activity online:

Bloggers who don’t want their research exposed until they’re ready.
Journalists may not want their research raising a red flag, like if they’re researching a sensitive topics.
If you’re ill and don’t want people to know about what is making you sick.
When you’re researching the competition and you don’t want to alert them.

And on and on. As you can see, this may be one of the reasons to use a VPN which helps you the most. Be sure to put your browser on private, then connect to your VPN.

All of the reasons to use a VPN: Privacy and Security

There are many reasons why you wouldn’t want your IP address exposed for anyone to trace you, or why you don’t want your ISP to have a record of where you’ve been. Any of our Top 10 VPNs will hide your IP address, and hide your activity from your ISP with encryption. Use one now and start enjoying privacy online once more.

Feature image via ASDF_MEDIA / Shutterstock