If you use the internet regularly, and frankly, who doesn’t today? Then you have most likely heard about the importance of staying safe online. This can mean being careful not to give out too many identifying details or being wary of downloading files from unfamiliar websites.
Popular methods for increasing online security involve using anti-virus software and turning on your firewall. Another very common tool for online protection is a VPN.
The countries that have adopted VPN usage the most are nearly all in the middle east. 7 out of the top ten countries for heaviest VPN usage in 2021 were middle eastern. The US is the 4th biggest VPN market in the world though. And 41% of users in the states say security is their main reason for using a VPN.
But are VPNs everything that they promise to be, or are some of them potentially putting you at risk, and having a negative impact on your internet access?
What should you expect from a VPN?
Most people download and use a VPN because they have read that it will give them some anonymity online. They may use it because they want to feel that their data is not being compromised somehow by hackers. Or, they may use a VPN because it lets them access websites that have been blocked because of their location.
A good IP though should be providing you with particular qualities and features. The EarthWeb site goes into some detail about what makes the best VPN and lists the features they should have.
In short, you would expect a good VPN to have the following:
- Be able to hide your IP
- To protect your data from third-parties
- To hide your online activity
- To stop you from being compromised
- To have 2-factor authentication enabled
Encryption should be able to hide your real IP, and stop your activity from leaving traces through cookies or browsing history. A VPN should stop anyone from seeing your private information such as identity or financial data.
No individual should be able to gain access to the VPN other than you, and two-factor authentication should prevent this. But also importantly, a good VPN should be able to stop you from being compromised if the secure connection is lost.
How could your VPN be harming your online experience?
All the above features of a VPN sound pretty good, correct? Well, not all VPNs are built this way. Plenty of free VPNs are lacking in many areas, and so are some of the paid subscription versions.
There are plenty of ways to protect yourself from cybercrime, but your VPN may be giving you a false sense of security. One of the worst things a VPN service can do is to log and record all of your online activity, and many free providers do exactly this.
Data harvesting
The main purpose for many VPN users is to surf the net anonymously. So, if your VPN provider is monitoring everything you do, this negates the main point of using one of these apps. This data can be mined and sold to marketers.
Poor protocols
A free VPN may also not have the best security put in place. Some protocols that were acceptable only a few years or so ago are now deemed to be as leaky as a sieve when it comes to security flaws. If you see SSTP or PPTP mentioned in your VPN’s technical information then your data is not safe from hackers at all.
Low speeds
It is difficult to complain about the speed of a free VPN as you do get what you pay for. But, a slow VPN won’t add anything positive to your internet fun.
You could be compromised by downtime
When a secure connection gets dropped, you become vulnerable. A quality VPN will include a kill switch that detects when a secure connection is lost and will terminate activity to protect you.
Knowing that cyber hygiene is important, and installing a VPN isn’t enough. Choosing your cyber security apps poorly could leave you more open to threats than you realize.
What features should your VPN have?
As you have just read, a kill switch is an important feature of a VPN. Here below are a few others worth looking out for.
- Advanced military grade-encryption
- The best protocols – OpenVPN is a recommended choice
- High speeds without compromising security
- No logs-policy
- Free trial
- A high number of servers in dozens of countries
- Multiple platform compatibility
- Multiple device connections allowed
- Double VPN
Online security can be increased through a double hop or double VPN. There are ways to use 2 VPN connections at the same time, but not all providers allow this. Look for one that has double VPN capability.
Summary
It is perhaps somewhat ironic that adding security software to your device could lead you to be unwittingly vulnerable in multiple ways. Choosing a VPN should mean anonymity, but instead, it could mean all your activity is being logged, and your browsing history sold off to marketers.
There are many good free VPNs, but before installing one, you should check the small print along with the technical specs. Fortunately, some excellent VPNs on the market will deliver a fast, secure connection. So, VPNs should still be a part of your cyber security setup, you just need to choose wisely.