On the web, in online videos, you must have heard of VPN, even if you don’t know exactly what these three letters refer to. Here is its meaning and it is simple: Virtual Private Network! A VPN is a virtual private network that creates a secure, encrypted connection between your computer and the sites you want to join. You may already use a VPN for your work, for example, to connect from home or on the road to your company intranet. A “commercial” VPN is quite similar in how it works: it encrypts your Internet connection. However, a VPN in the sense that we understand it here is also a service that offers many advantages and opens up new possibilities in terms of privacy protection and bypassing certain restrictions on the Internet.
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Here are 5 good reasons to sign up for a VPN service that have a concrete impact on your digital life.
1. To browse the Internet safely and protect yourself from cyber attacks
The term cyber attack can encompass a wide variety of acts. A cyberattack can be aimed at stealing data, extorting the user, or even parasitizing a device’s resources to distribute spam or mine cryptocurrencies.
There are many types of cyber attacks based on the installation of malicious software or malware, hacking into a fraudulent site, or simply social engineering to extract user information. A VPN can protect you from certain cyberattacks, including so-called “man-in-the-middle” attacks, where an intermediary can break into a network, such as a public Wi-Fi hotspot, to steal information. You should be aware that these networks are not always well protected and data can travel there without any problems. With a VPN, the Internet connection is encrypted and data security is guaranteed. Several VPN services also offer protection against scam sites and malicious downloads.
2. Unblock certain content not available in your country (Netflix, disney+…)
Video streaming services such as Netflix or Disney+ or catch-up offered by television channels are very practical and allow you to watch movies, series or programs from your PC or smartphone. However, these services are subject to constraints of which we are not necessarily aware. A film can be present on the US version of Disney+ but be absent from the French catalog due to media chronology issues.
Abroad, you may not be allowed to watch a French channel’s “replay” because it only has broadcast rights for France. A VPN allows you to connect to thousands of servers in many countries. By choosing an American server, the streaming service “localizes” the content according to the country you watch and therefore you can access the catalog of this service even with a French subscription. When traveling in Spain or Italy, you can catch up on your favorite show by connecting to a French server.
3. Get better prices for your vacation with a VPN
You have probably already come across this scenario when you want to book a flight or a hotel. Sign in and see great prices. You come back and those prices have changed. Booking sites see your IP address and your cookies. This way they can know your geolocation and adjust their prices based on it, or detect that you are a returning visitor, which can show that you are especially interested in a reservation. Again, the VPN allows you to hide your IP address, choose your geolocation and browse without leaving a trace. This is very useful for making reservations because you keep control over your geographical location and thus you can get the best prices by comparing different parameters.
4. Maintain discretion and anonymity with your access provider
The goal of a VPN is to ensure a truly private and secure connection. When you connect to a VPN, it creates an encrypted connection that goes through the server. And concretely, this means that your traffic is not tracked, in particular by your Internet service provider. Whatever your reasons for using the internet, you don’t necessarily want your ISP to be able to track you and that’s what a VPN service guarantees. However, this lack of monitoring must be reciprocal and therefore it is important to know the privacy policy of the VPN service to which you subscribe, and in particular to ensure that it does not keep a log of activity or, better yet, that it has been audited. independently.
5. Sometimes gain connection speed
We sometimes talk about VPN in the context of censorship, but before we get to that extreme, your internet service provider may slow down certain activities or sites.
Here again we find the advantage of a truly anonymous and secure connection: since you are “invisible”, your Internet Service Provider cannot see that you are connecting to these sites and cannot slow you down. And beyond servers located on the other side of the planet, most VPN services have very fast servers located closer to home, and in this case you can enjoy optimal speeds and without throttling your ISP.
The BFMTV newsroom was not involved in the production of this content. BFMTV is likely to receive compensation when one of our readers makes a purchase through the links in this article.
Source: BFM TV
