Do you use a Windows PC or laptop, yet still feel unsafe when accessing the internet through it?
If so, you are not alone. Windows devices are particularly vulnerable to attacks, since the system is the most used in the world today. A great perk that comes with it though, is the choice of VPN services at your disposal when you use a Windows PC.
However, with the sheer range of VPNs available, you might wonder why a VPN is even necessary for your PC. It is also difficult to narrow down your choices. However, there is some good news, we will tell you some reasons that make it important to work with a VPN when you surf the internet, and it will hopefully guide your decisions in the future.
Why a VPN exists
Also known as a Virtual Private Network, these tools are increasing in popularity significantly, especially keeping the low levels of online privacy today. The internet is a wonderful place, but it can easily leave you just as vulnerable when it comes to people or corporations spying on your activities, selling your information, or being responsible for unfortunate incidents such as hacking.
Despite all these things, numerous people still think using a VPN is an overkill; after all, you have nothing to hide, do you? While this is a common argument against these tools, it turns out you do have plenty to keep private – and this is where a good VPN comes in.
There are plenty of reasons that will convince you to find good Windows VPNs, and we will discuss them below.
If you travel frequently and use Wi-Fi hotspots
Here is a hard truth you probably do not think much about: anywhere that uses a public Wi-Fi network is a potential source of major trouble – that includes airports, cafes, hotels, hostels, public buildings, public transport, and so on.
Throughout the time you are using it, you do not have any idea on who is monitoring the traffic. In addition to that threat, someone else is likely to be faking the connection points in order to get access to your phone or PC through their ‘evil twins’ (access points), instead of using secure access points from friendly networks.
Through the use of a VPN, you are in a better position to ensure your data that is going in and out of your PC and moving through the VPN server is all under encryption. That will protect it, and prevent any unauthorized people from accessing it.
It comes in handy if you enjoy watching media from other countries
Unless you live in the US or a country with lax copyright laws, you are likely to see region restrictions on content and media frequently. VPN services will help you to bypass these restrictions, as they have plenty of servers spread around a variety of countries. You can then use these servers to connect, though your speed will likely be slower if you are connecting a server that is halfway across the world, and access content that is geo-restricted.
On that note, VPN can also help when:
Your government has blocked specific content
As we mentioned in the point earlier, not all people live in countries that are free and have various freedoms of expression and content. All the information in the internet is among the most powerful tools you can ever have, and any oppressive government would oppose it to reduce the power in their citizen’s hands.
Regardless of whether you are a civilian that wants to looks up the actual story behind certain events, or you are a journalist looking for extra information on a story, VPN services will help you get past a ton of restrictions that would apply to you and leave you clueless.
Prevent search engines from keeping your information
What many people are now discovering is that search engines usually keep information about you in their logs. Every Google or Bing search you make is stored, and they sell this information to marketing companies to help in tailoring ads for you or doing other things. While they are not the only ones doing this, it is still important to be careful.
You might not want to use search engines that do not track your activities, such as DuckDuckGo. If this is not up your lane, you can opt to use a VPN instead.
While marketing efforts that are based on what you search for are not exactly harmful, a problem arises when you are using a PC that multiple people use – some of the items you get as advertisements can be downright embarrassing. The VPN will ensure this problem has low chances of occurring through masking the IP address you are using, which a search engine will usually use when keeping track of people.
It can help if you enjoy using VoIP
Do you enjoy making calls overseas, but hate the idea of accruing insane bills? VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a great way to avoid the annoying costs. However, the sad reality is that there are certain countries that block VoIP service, which might be due to oppressive regimes strong-arming the openness of the sector, or telecom companies placing pressure on governments to do so.
In such instances, you can use a VPN to mask your IP address and change the location to an unproblematic country. It will also provide much-needed protection from people that want to snoop in on your calls. While many VoIP services already have protective measures against such occurrences, it is better to step up protection in your own way – especially when you are using the internet.
If you do not agree with FCC obligations
This mainly applies to the US, as the laws require your ISP to sell your browsing data for profit without your approval. You do not want your browsing information to fall into the wrong hands, so investing in a good VPN is important.
Final thoughts
When you are using a Windows device, it is always essential to invest in good protection – especially a VPN. It is worth the sacrifice and money, but it will be worth the investment in the long term.
