Whether you need to shield your data from prying eyes or remain anonymous while surfing the internet, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is your best bet. Nevertheless, choosing one for your specific needs can leave you confused since there are several VPN products out there.
Are you always on the move, and you need to get past geo-restrictions or a work-from-home professional trying to secure your connection? No matter your reasons, you’ll get to explore everything about VPNs so that you can make the right choice for your needs.
Here are the reasons why people subscribe to VPNs:
1. Sports Betting and Casino Gambling
Most sports gamblers and casino players use VPNs to access restricted websites and boost their online privacy.
In several regions, gambling is heavily regulated. As a result, the government leverages IP blocking to prevent internet users in that area from accessing the platform.
Also, the websites available in a specific area may offer a limited variety of games and bonuses. Gamblers want to access several gaming options and promotional offers without having to worry about imposed limitations.
Krishi Chowdhary’s list of the best VPN services can improve your online gambling experience. It has been proven without doubt by people who have extensively used one or more of the entries on the list. They work by routing your internet traffic through a server in the region you selected. This way, your IP address becomes masked, and the VPN allocates you one from the server’s location. Provided the IP address is in a location where the gambling platform is unrestricted, you’ll gain access to the website.
Most gambling websites require a great deal of data from their users, including credit card details, personal identification, and even social security numbers. Information like this in the hands of hackers gives them access to gamblers’ finances. That’s why gambling platforms are some of the most targeted websites by cybercriminals.
This brings us to another reason why VPNs are used in the gaming/gambling industry. By switching on your VPN, the software encrypts the data transmitted between your device and the VPN server. In essence, your data, which would have been normally exposed, gets reshaped into a complex code that third parties can’t decipher.
VPN networks help prevent phishing attacks since they constantly update their logs of fake gambling websites.
2. Safe Browsing on Public Wi-Fi
A rookie conspiracy theorist’s mistake is reading a Google Nest, Amazon Echo, or Apple HomePod Mini review, thinking that’s how hackers will get you, and ignoring the trojan horse of hacks and data theft in public Wi-Fi.
While public Wi-Fi networks provide satisfaction for internet surfers, they also come with consequential security risks. Since free Wi-Fi networks are usually unsecured, hackers spend time in public areas to steal information from unsuspecting users with man-in-the-middle attacks and bogus Wi-Fi networks.
Man-in-the-middle (MiTM) attacks involve a hacker placing themselves between your device and the Wi-Fi network. Typically, to facilitate the attack, the cybercriminal would have found and exploited weaknesses in the network.
If your connection gets intercepted, this malicious entity will monitor your activities, including the website you’re visiting, login details, and personal information. This way, they can collect your bank login details and passwords. In some cases, the hacker can deflect your communication by redirecting you to a website that mimics a legitimate one and stealing your information.
When you use a VPN while browsing on public Wi-Fi, your internet traffic gets encrypted before it pulls away from your device. Complex algorithms facilitate the encryption by transforming your data into an unreadable structure. Hence, even if a cyber-attacker intercepts the data, it would be useless to them since they can’t get it deciphered.
3. Torrenting and P2P Sharing
Even though torrenting is an avenue for distributing large files ranging from games to software, some entities engage in the activity to steal data.
In a P2P network, the files being distributed get split into pieces and transmitted directly between users. Sometimes, you may need to download these files in bits from multiple devices, which creates a chain of interconnected devices.
These connected devices require an IP address to know where data can be sent and received. The problem with this is that every device in the network can glimpse the IP address of other devices. Having your IP address exposed means that the files you’re uploading or downloading and the details of the activity get revealed.
An IP address also divulges your physical location to whoever attempts to check it. This way, hackers can try to locate you in the real world.
Another feature of torrenting websites that internet surfers hate is intrusive trackers. These trackers collect details of your browsing behavior and sell them to third parties so that you are bombarded with ads. Subscribing to a quality VPN means that you’ll get access to an in-built ad blocker and anti-tracking tool to prevent these websites from tracking you and sending you ads.
Choosing the Right VPN
Whether you’re gambling, torrenting, or using public Wi-Fi, you need to scrutinize VPN services before making a choice. The first thing you have to check is the number of servers it has in various countries. If you’re a casino gamer, you’ll have to check if the VPN offers several servers in locations that allow you to access Bitcoin casinos in these areas, and maybe you can score some juicy promotional offers.
Most quality VPN services publish their server locations on their website. Alternatively, you can check VPN review websites like PCMag to get a list of server locations that a specific VPN offers.
Next, you have to check if the VPN service facilitates a high-speed connection. When you engage in intensive gaming, you’ll need a fast internet connection so that you don’t miss out on opportunities. If you’re leveraging a public Wi-Fi network to connect to an online meeting at work, you don’t want to keep on asking your colleagues to repeat themselves due to poor connection.
To verify a VPN’s internet speed, you can check for VPNs that repeatedly publish their speed test results. Also, you can check online user reviews to get opinions on how fast their connection is.
Conclusion
Various ‘netizens’ use the internet for different purposes, from enjoying casino games to file sharing through P2P networks. However, these activities come with some challenges, like government surveillance, hacking, and pop-up ads. If you want to stay protected, off-grid, and trackproof, you need a VPN service so you can enjoy all your favorite activities without looking over your shoulders.