An understanding of virtual private network (VPN) benefits and disadvantages can help you decide if you need one and how to use it. A VPN is an essential tool for keeping yourself safe online. It enhances your security, protects your privacy, and gives you a better all-round internet experience.
In many situations, the advantages of using a VPN outweigh the drawbacks. How important is it to have a VPN and what are the advantages of a VPN?
Understanding Virtual Private Networks (VPN)
VPN stands for “Virtual Private Network”. It describes the opportunity to establish a protected network connection when using public networks. VPNs encrypt your internet traffic and disguise your online identity. This makes it more difficult for third parties to track your activities online and steal data.
The encryption takes place in real-time.
A VPN hides your IP address by letting the network redirect it through a specially configured remote server run by a VPN host. This means that if you surf online with a VPN, the VPN server becomes the source of your data. Hence, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and other third parties cannot see which websites you visit or what data you send and receive online.
A VPN works like a filter that turns all your data into “gibberish”. Even if someone were to get their hands on your data, it would be useless.
Types of VPNs
There are many different types of VPNs, but you should be familiar with the three main types:
SSL VPN
Often not all employees of a company have access to a company laptop they can use to work from home. During the coronavirus crisis in 2020, many companies faced the problem of not having enough equipment for their employees. In such cases, they often resorted to using a private device (PC, laptop, tablet, mobile phone).
In this case, companies fall back on an SSL-VPN solution, which is usually implemented via a corresponding hardware box.
The prerequisite is usually an HTML-5-capable browser, which calls up the company’s login page. HTML-5-capable browsers are available for virtually any operating system but require a username and password for access.
Site-to-site VPN
A site-to-site VPN is essentially a private network designed to hide private intranets and allow users of these secure networks to access each other’s resources. It is useful if you have multiple locations in your company, each with its own local area network (LAN) connected to the WAN (Wide Area Network).
Site-to-site VPNs are also useful if you have two separate intranets between which you want to send files without users from one intranet explicitly accessing the other. They are mainly used in large companies, are complex to implement, and do not offer the same flexibility as SSL VPNs.
However, they are the most effective way to ensure communication within and between large departments.
Client-to-Server VPN
Connecting via a VPN client is similar to connecting your home PC to the company with an extension cable. Employees can dial into the company network from their home office via a secure connection like they were sitting in the office. However, they need to first install and configure a VPN client on the computer.
This involves the user not being connected to the internet via his own ISP, but establishing a direct connection through his/her VPN provider. This essentially shortens the tunnel phase of the VPN journey. Instead of using the VPN to create an encryption tunnel to disguise the existing internet connection, the VPN can automatically encrypt the data before it becomes available to the user.
This is an increasingly common form of VPN, which is particularly useful for providers of insecure public WLAN. It prevents third parties from accessing and compromising the network connection and encrypts data all the way to the provider. It also prevents ISPs from accessing data that, for whatever reason, remains unencrypted and bypasses any restrictions on the user’s internet access.
The advantage of this type of VPN access is greater efficiency and universal access to company resources. Provided an appropriate telephone system is available, the employee can, for example, connect to the system with a headset and act as if he/she were at their company workplace.
Benefits of VPN
There are many benefits to using a VPN. It will encrypt your browsing traffic, keep browsing secure, and improve your online experience. Here are some key benefits of using a VPN:
Secures your data
Our online data travels long distances and passes through various servers when we surf the web. It includes even our most personal stuff, such as private messages, passwords, financial information, and more.
If it’s not encrypted, third parties, like your internet service provider, government officials, or cybercriminals, can access it and use it against you. The risk is especially high when you use unsecured public Wi-Fi networks, which are fertile grounds for hackers.
VPN can help you with that. It encrypts your traffic so no one can see what you do or access online. Premium VPN providers use top-notch encryption algorithms, providing high-quality security and improved privacy online.
Protects your online privacy
Everything you do online leaves traces that can tell a lot about your online habits. Many entities are trying to get your data, ranging from your internet service provider (ISP) to online shopping websites. A VPN hides your information from your ISP.
ISPs often snoop on their customers’ data and can even pass it to third parties. For example, they can sell it to a governmental institution interested in what you do online or a commercial entity that may use it for marketing purposes or ad targeting.
A VPN will mitigate this issue. Once your traffic is encrypted, no one will be able to snoop on your online actions and you’ll be able to enjoy your privacy.
Protection against hackers and cyber threats
There’s no shortage of cyber threats that can put you at risk by compromising your data. Many people don’t know how to address these dangers and protect themselves. Using a VPN is one solution.
The encryption from your VPN gives you a new internet protocol (IP) address to protect your internet data from cyber threats. Thanks to this new IP address, hackers won’t be able to intercept your internet connection and steal your data.
If you’re not sure whether you need a VPN, consider how often you are vulnerable to malicious third parties when using the Internet. Using public or shared Wi-Fi networks frequently, for example, constitutes a serious risk that could be easily mitigated thanks to a VPN.
Protection in a hostile environment
A VPN is a vital tool if you ever find yourself in a country with a low index of internet freedom, where your online actions can have real-life consequences.
Network scalability
While a private network can help your business get off the ground, the cost of expanding the network can be prohibitive. If you use a VPN server, you can provide access to many employees and remote workers simultaneously. You can also run key applications in a cloud environment and give them access through the secure tunnel of the VPN.
This can include anything from email to full-blown applications that you would normally run on a desktop computer. When employees connect to the VPN, they gain access to another computer that you use to run the application they need. Each employee with a login can access the VPN and therefore the application.
Adding more employees is only a matter of providing more bandwidth, if necessary, and the login credentials to each new team member.
Change your IP address
Your IP address can be used to track your location and identity. Whenever you visit a website, the website provider can see your IP address and may use that information in ad targeting in the future. However, if you use a VPN, you’ll be routing your data through a VPN server with its own IP address.
Websites you interact with will only be able to view the VPN’s IP address, and not your own.
A VPN can also help you bypass firewalls. For example, if you wish to access a news website in a country where it’s restricted, this feature can help you.
Changing your IP may also help you avoid pricing discrimination, as prices in online shops sometimes depend on the country you’re in. By changing your IP, you can switch your virtual location and get fair deals.
No bandwidth throttling
Some ISPs limit their customers’ bandwidth when they visit certain websites or use specific services. This practice is called bandwidth throttling. By encrypting your traffic, you hide your activities from the provider and they can no longer limit your traffic.
A VPN can significantly enhance your gaming experience. It protects your networks from DDoS attacks and can also help you avoid unfair IP bans.
Reduce support costs
With a VPN setup that incorporates cloud computing architecture, you have the opportunity to save considerable money on support services. For example, with an on-site setup, the performance and upkeep of the in-house server is typically the job of internal IT staff. This may involve hours of checking how well the server is performing, whether all employees are achieving optimal throughput, and whether it is under attack by hackers or malware.
In addition, when an issue is identified, more time needs to be allocated to addressing it and the fallout it may have caused within your organization.
With a VPN, however, all upkeep, performance checks, and security measures fall under the purview of the service provider. Their IT expenditure is supported by a vast number of paying clients, making their cost per client relatively low. These cost savings get passed on to you in the form of fees that are lower than what you would pay to have a dedicated team manage your infrastructure. This is undoubtedly one of the best benefits of VPN for businesses.
To ensure this is the case, it is wise to carefully check the services the provider offers, as well as the kinds of hardware they are using. More modern components and security measures often result in a better experience for you, the client.
Disadvantages of VPN
Lower internet speeds
The encryption process a VPN undergoes as it secures your data takes time, and this could negatively impact your online experience. The problem is more pronounced with certain VPNs than with others, so it is important to check the specifications before you agree to use the service.
VPN blockers can negate the effectiveness of a VPN. Some sites, and even some nations, block people who use VPNs from accessing websites and content. This happens in several countries, such as Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Oman. Typically, this is done to prevent their citizens from consuming content they feel is inappropriate, including news websites, entertainment, and anything else from other countries that they feel could negatively impact their residents.
Some VPNs are insecure
Free VPNs are often unsafe and do more harm than good. The fact that they are free likely means that they use other ways to monetize their operations. This can mean collecting your data and selling it to third parties or flooding you with ads.
Free VPNs also tend to have a smaller server infrastructure, which results in congested servers and, consequently, slower speeds. Besides, they may have more security holes and weak encryption algorithms — the perfect recipe for data leaks.
Is there a downside to using a VPN? That depends on the one you choose. Always make sure your VPN has an audited no-logs policy, which means that it does not collect your data. Make sure it uses strong encryption and has a global network of servers so it doesn’t slow you down too much.
VPNs are banned in certain countries
This will only be a con depending on your location, but VPNs are banned, or at least heavily restricted in certain countries. Even if VPNs are legal where you live, you should double-check local laws when traveling to ensure you know what you are and aren’t allowed to do.
Russia and India, for example, only approve VPN providers that agree to log user data and provide it to the government upon request. VPNs are banned in Belarus, Iraq, Turkmenistan, and North Korea, and any attempt to use one can result in hefty fines or even jail time. That being said, VPNs are not banned in the majority of countries.
Complex configuration
VPNs have a few moving parts that can be difficult to understand. If you do not have much exposure to networking terminology, you may be better off choosing a VPN provider equipped with the support services necessary to get you up and running.
You can also look into what is VPN and gain the background knowledge necessary to understand the basic terms and function of VPN technology. It is important to make sure your VPN is properly configured, whether you do it yourself or get assistance. Otherwise, your communications could be left exposed to hackers, malware, or other threats.
VPN does not protect you from voluntary data collection
VPNs will not protect you from voluntarily giving your data to Google, Facebook, or other similarly voracious data collectors. In many of these cases, we give our data away ourselves just by using these services – or at least let them get a foot through the door. Similarly, a VPN will not protect you from unsafe online behavior. You have to use common sense when it comes to safety as well.
Is a VPN really so secure?
It is important to note that VPNs do not function like comprehensive anti-virus software. While they protect your IP and encrypt your internet history, a VPN connection does not protect your computer from outside intrusion. To do this, you should definitely use anti-virus software. Because using a VPN on its own does not protect you from Trojans, viruses, bots or other malware.
Once the malware has found its way onto your device, it can steal or damage your data, whether you are running a VPN or not. It is therefore important that you use a VPN together with a comprehensive anti-virus program to ensure maximum security.
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