7 Frequent VPN Myths You May Nonetheless Consider

What number of occasions this week have been you warned by your antivirus or a popup of the location you visited that hackers have data of your IP deal with and even financial institution accounts? Chances are high that you just have been additionally really useful to make use of a VPN to forestall these incidents from recurring. 

In 2024, chances are high that you just not solely know what a VPN is but in addition have one put in in your machine. Nonetheless, having software program and even utilizing it doesn’t imply that you just totally perceive what it does and doesn’t do.

As an illustration, chances are high that you just see VPN as software program strictly for pc use and don’t even know in regards to the many cell choices which are accessible on the market. Listed here are seven different myths about VPNs that you just may nonetheless imagine. 

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1. All VPNs are the identical

The primary main false impression about VPNs is that they’re all the identical. In lots of people’s minds, all the most important software program have, roughly, the identical options with small beauty variations amongst them. That is simply not true. 

The very first thing they differ in are options. Some VPNs don’t even have options like kill-switch, that are the important thing promoting level within the minds of plenty of customers. Different platforms might lack split-tunneling, which lets you arrange which apps ought to (or shouldn’t) use a VPN connection. 

Encryption is one other consideration. When speaking about cybersecurity, encryption is maybe the strongest promoting level, aside from hiding your IP deal with. So, test what sort of encryption they’re utilizing before you purchase.

The following level it’s important to test is the server places. Chances are high that you just need to set your VPN as a selected nation, so see if it’s provided within the free places record or in the event you’ll must improve to premium for it. 

Certain, each high VPN normally has all the essential options, nevertheless it’s at all times value checking a bit extra, as the perfect may also embrace a VPN firewall and use robust encryption protocols, resembling AES-256, to guard information from unauthorized entry, says software program evaluations professional Aleksander Stevanovic.

2. Watching geo-restricted content material is against the law

That is merely not true.

Utilizing a VPN is totally authorized, and what you employ it for might be authorized or unlawful. Nearly all international locations enable the usage of VPNs, however lots of people get confused due to quite a few morally grey conditions that would transpire from the usage of a VPN.

Watching geo-restricted content material on streaming companies will not be unlawful, nevertheless it might nonetheless be a copyright infringement. Because of this the streaming service might, in principle, be interpreted as a breach of consumer settlement. In follow, that is unlikely to occur. 

3. ISP received’t be capable to see that you just’re utilizing an excessive amount of information

Some folks use VPNs to forestall broadband throttling. They imagine that after they use a VPN, their ISP received’t be capable to see that you just’re utilizing an excessive amount of information. 

Whereas it’s true that ISPs can see that you just’re accessing a VPN, they received’t be capable to see the place you go afterward. Nonetheless, they nonetheless have perception into how a lot information you’re utilizing.

VPN remains to be an incredible and versatile instrument nevertheless it received’t forestall your ISP from throttling your connection throughout peak hours. 

Then again, it might scale back the quantity of throttling you obtain throughout gaming or streaming. It is because a VPN can really forestall ISPs from seeing your present exercise (keep in mind, they will solely see information use).

The rationale why this issues a lot is as a result of some ISPs unfairly goal streamers and professional players, seeing the exercise as data-hungry, on the whole, as an alternative of truly making their selections based mostly on the quantity of information used. 

So, to additional simplify – ISPs can nonetheless see how a lot information you’re utilizing; they simply received’t be capable to see the way you’re utilizing it.

4. VPN retains you safe from malware

That is, sadly, not true.

So many individuals imagine it as a result of VPNs are sometimes talked about in conversations about cybersecurity. Whereas they do defend you in numerous methods (hiding your IP and including additional encryption), they don’t defend you from malware.

Initially, a VPN will not be a firewall or an antivirus, and it received’t forestall you from accessing malicious websites. On the identical time, you might have different mechanisms that do that, and in 2024, you’ll have to intentionally ignore them (even make an additional effort to disregard them) with a view to entry these websites. 

Second, to get contaminated with malware, it’s important to obtain and run a file of suspicious origin in your pc. Chances are high that you just’ll be notified and warned at the very least a number of occasions about this. In both of those eventualities, it’s going to by no means be right down to VPN. 

5. VPN will make your web gradual

In some circumstances, a VPN can, certainly, make your web gradual. Nonetheless, this doesn’t occur on a regular basis, and it’s because of elements which you could acknowledge and impression straight away.

Initially, you might want to contemplate the server distance. Selecting a server midway the world over means a bit slower connection. Why? As a result of the sign has to journey all the way in which there and again once more. So, except it needs to be that precise location, you may simply decide a more in-depth server. 

Then, there are some servers that can decelerate your web speeds because of their restricted capability. To unravel this, all it’s important to do is decide bigger servers.

Lastly, some VPN protocols will gradual you down greater than others. Analysis this earlier than you make a alternative or observe a listing that already has this coated. That and encryption overhead are, by far, the biggest contributors to this slow-down.  

6. Free VPNs and premium VPNs are the identical

Free VPNs and premium VPNs have large variations in options.

Some VPNs are fully free and restrict the variety of servers you should utilize till you improve to a premium server. Others prohibit options.

There’s a distinction in performance (an enormous one) as effectively. You see, every little thing dangerous you hear about VPNs (about how they’re slowing down your connection) normally comes from individuals who use a free VPN. 

There are additionally eventualities during which the options of a free VPN usually are not sufficient. 

Companies are much more reliant on premium VPNs, seeing as how they need to keep away from throttling because of suspicious exercise (as an illustration, being accused of site-scraping whereas researching for design concepts). Nonetheless, that is the obvious instance of the place a premium VPN isn’t just superior however can even boast a direct ROI. 

Understanding the alternatives and limitations of VPN is essential to utilizing it successfully

Assuming that utilizing a VPN will make you fully secure on-line is a fallacy that may land you in a lot bother. On the identical time, this doesn’t imply that VPN is ineffective. It’s an extremely useful gizmo that helps you view geo-restricted content material, hides your IP, and offers you with an additional layer of encryption. When utilizing it together with different instruments, it offers essentially the most worth, however understanding its limitations is the important thing to utilizing it the suitable method.