Four Reasons Why Smart People Use VPNs

Do you have a VPN? No? Well, bluntly speaking, it’s not a wise decision. Because at this point, not using a VPN is like removing your phone’s security and handing it over to a stranger who goes by CyBerCriMinAL578!.

The State of the Surveillance Union

It’s the Digital Age. Consumer data is the new gold, and if you’re not using a virtual private network online, you’re vulnerable. It’s just a matter of time before your data ends up in the paws of some petty thief — or worse.

Who is Tracking You?

Three main groups want information about you: cyber criminals, companies, and governments. Cyber criminals either sell the data they find or use it for identity theft schemes. Companies’ use it to discover what you buy, eat, watch, and believe to better sculpt personalized marketing campaigns that compel you to spend, spend, spend! Governments, for their parts, just want to keep an eye on everyone and everything, which can lead to questions about authoritarian surveillance. As of late, schools have started to invest in tracking and monitoring solutions.

According to a Pew Research poll conducted last spring, half of Americans don’t trust the government or corporations with their data. But it’s a paradox, because increasingly we rely more and more on tracking-enabled technology.

Big Data Is Big-Money Business

Big data is big business. Or, as Harvard Law School technologist Bruce Schneier once explained: “Surveillance is the business model of the Internet.”

Analysts predict the data collection market will hit $274 billion by 2022, 50% of which they expect to be generated stateside.

If that figure doesn’t pop your eyes, consider the amount that tech giants spend on big data lobbying. In 2018, Google invested $20 million on Washington ear worms. Facebook, allegedly, has spent close to that in the beginning of 2019 alone.

This trend shows no signs of stopping. Plus, federal lawmakers recently scrubbed regulations that would have prohibited internet service providers from selling your data to advertisers. Because of the statute retraction, the market is wide open.

What are Virtual Private Networks and how do They Conceal Data?

This isn’t a programming lesson, so we’ll spare you the technical details. But suffice it to say that VPNs — or Virtual Private Networks — are online privacy middlemen. Essentially they cloak your IP and Web navigation by obscuring digital connections between your computer, phone, and IoT devices and remote resources.

Five Reasons to Use a VPN

You may be thinking: I have zilch to hide. There’s no reason for me to use a VPN. But here’s the thing: Even if you’re the spiritual spawn of Pollyanna and Atticus Finch, it’s still wise to use a VPN. Why?

#1 Reason to Use a VPN: Privacy

We just discussed the data addiction of brands, governments, and identity thieves. So ask yourself: Do you really want those entities stalking you around the Internet?

Take, for example, Google and Facebook. They’re free because they sell your data — and they know more than what you post and search for. They know what websites you visit when you aren’t on theirs; they know what you buy, how much you make, where you live, what kind of house you live in, where you sit in your house, who you voted for, if you’re arguing with your spouse or you’re jealous of your best friend — and they use every morsel of data to manipulate.

#2 Reason to Use a VPN: Safety

Hacks happen. Security breaches are now commonplace, and private information routinely falls into the hands of con artists. Do you really want you and your family’s profiles floating around the insecure ether?

Think about it for a second: Would you give a stranger the keys to your house and walk away? Using connected devices with a VPN isn’t all that different.

#3 Reason to Use a VPN: Geo-Blocking

VPNS also come in handy when you need to circumvent geo-location blocking when traveling. And sure, even when you’re not traveling and want to watch a video instead of the dreaded “content is not available in your country” error.

#4 Reason Smart People Use VPNS: Public WiFi

Do you sometimes work at a café? Do you ever look something up on your phone away from home? Without a VPN, any time you do either, you’re exposing yourself to phishing honey-traps. Don’t forget, every time you login to public WiFi, everyone else using the same public network can, theoretically, access your information — and savvy ones can slither their way to your banking information, social security number, and a whole lot more.

The time to get a VPN was yesterday. If you’re still without, do it now. Your life will thank you for it.