VPN Fallacies: What Your Need To Know
VPN Fallacies: What Your Need To Know
We’ve covered VPN’s in the past; what they are, why you need one, and some of their general providers. Since the passing of the bill allowing for internet service providers (ISPs) to sell your data to the highest bidder, VPNs, which have been around for years, have suddenly gained a booming popularity. Below are the biggest questions, paired with answers, concerning VPNs and their hazards.
Buzz Off, Providers!
The concept of a VPN is to avoid your data from being visible to your ISP. Any VPN service out there promises to encrypt the data you plan to send off to the glorious internet through their dedicated server, where they decrypt it and spread it around like birdseed. It comes from them, not from you: we call this tunneling.
Let’s hop into these quickly-evolving myths surrounding Virtual Private Networks. This isn’t a list of VPNs, either, just an informative post. You’ll find both negative and positive things littered about, so let’s get started.
Does A VPN Protect Me From Ad Tracking?
We have thousands of free to use services like Fair Ad Blocker, AdGuard and Adblocker to thank for blocking ads and their trackers, but you’ll still encounter them with a VPN. While these services essentially make your IP address invisible to your provider, it’s not going to do anything for the millions of ad trackers on the internet.
It’s Like Nothings There!
Using a VPN is like taking the long way to a close destination; you’re going the extra mile to get to the same place, but doing it in a safer fashion, so to speak. If you set up a VPN the correct way, it’ll protect you, but it will also slow you down as much as 10% to 20% of your allotted internet speed.
You are going to get some websites that restrict VPN access altogether. It’s usually written somewhere in the fine print beyond the fine print of those Terms & Conditions pages that none of us ever read. We know Netflix does this, and other sites try to as well. There’s nothing wrong with flipping off your VPN for a temporary amount of time and flicking it back on when you’re going about your business normally. It’ll definitely help with buffering times, too.
Does VPN Protect You From What You Search?
Look, I’m not condoning looking up “How To Get Away With Murder” (except the series; I love the series,) but you should know this: a VPN doesn’t absolve you from everything. Many of these services log your traffic in their own data banks. You have the potential to lose security in these cases. Not only that, this traffic log can be modified without your discretion.
If you choose your VPN provider carefully, actually read their Terms & Conditions, and look at user reviews, blogs, and the whole shebang, then you’ll be well protected and ready to use the internet.
Setting up a VPN, as I mentioned earlier, could also be more harmful to your privacy than anything else. If you do it incorrectly, it’ll leak your IP address like gas from a cracked tank.
Tor Is Like, The Same, Only Better, Right?
In your search for debunking VPN myths, you’re going to see a lot of people talking about Tor. I’m not bashing this service, but let’s just get a few things out of the way right now before you see it as a complete alternative to selecting a VPN.
Tor doesn’t make you anonymous, and even they admit that issues with user-related anonymity can’t be resolved solely through them. They’ll prompt you to proceed at your own risk. So, as with everything in this post, proceed with caution.
Free Is Good
As in most cases, it’s baited with a catch. We all wonder how free recurring services operate at no cost to their users. Don’t they have to pay their employees? Do they have web hosting fees to pay, and coffee to buy to keep them awake while we use their free service? Any VPN provider offering free encryption is going to sound good, after all, it’s Free.
These free services don’t operate off of good will; they are actually selling your data to the highest bidder. Nothing protects you from that, at least not since the new bill the House passed.
If They Want You, They’ll Find You
If the NSA wants to find someone, they’ll pull everything they can to do so. This means getting warrants against any and all VPNs to put a pin in your location. There’s really no way around that. As long as you’re not conducting illegal activity, there’s no need to worry.
There Are Superior Providers
We made a list of the best ones in a previous blog. Those are based on our specifications and reviews; they’re the most trusted VPNs that we could find while offering decent value. These are still go-at-your-risk decisions you’re making. Inspect the terms, and decide if you’re selecting a proper VPN.
These providers are only liable when users, primarily those tech gurus I mentioned before, inspect and figure out all their practices. Nobody is holding them accountable; there is no VPN Regulation branch of the government or an equivalent BBB for these sites. It’s user risk, but in the long run, if you’re really against the House voting on this bill to sell our internet data, (aren’t we all?) then you’ll want to look at getting one. I wish I had a better balancing scale for you, but it about wants and needs.
Take the time to inspect these, and if you want to select from our previous list, you can be assured that these have been time-tested and reputable. Happy VPN hunting.
Until Next Time,
Megabite
Categorised in: Technology Information
This post was written by Karen
