The Benefits of Using a VPN and Why ALL Internet Users Should be Using One

benefits of using a VPN
Over the past decade, Virtual Private Networks have become increasingly popular with web-savvy internet users. The best VPN services don’t just protect your online privacy and the security of your data, they also ensure that you have access to all the sites, services and apps you need, no matter where you are in the world.

Unblock Websites, Streaming Video, Music Services and App Stores

In some countries, many of the most popular websites and services you use every day, such as streaming video sites (like Netflix, Hulu and the BBC iPlayer) and social media networks (such as Facebook and Twitter) are either blocked or outright censored. What gives? The simple answer is that these websites and services are using your IP or DNS address – your digital fingerprint – to lock you out of content. So how do you unblock websites and services? Using a virtual private network is your solution.

A VPN allows you to change your DNS and/or IP address to one that’s located in your home country. You can unblock Netflix, unblock Hulu and any other site or service that governments or corporations think you shouldn’t have access to. You’ll also find that accessing your online banking account, Moneybookers/Skrill or PayPal accounts from outside your home country is no problem at all, because to these companies, you’re still located in your home country.

What’s Yours is Theirs – Automatically Secure Any WiFi Hotspot with a VPN Connection

Coffee shops, restaurants, airports and hotels, thankfully, everywhere you go there are WiFi hotspots available for you to connect to. Although they can be convenient, they can also be unsafe, with some estimates showing that up to 90% of WiFi hotspots globally are not secure. Many unsuspecting travelers send all sorts of information on social media, bank websites and apps everyday, leaving themselves vulnerable to snoops and identity thieves. If you decide to use a WiFi hotspot, you need to do it through a trusted Virtual Private Network. A Virtual Private Network encrypts your connection, providing private internet access that makes it near impossible for anyone to gain access to sensitive  data like banking info, corporate emails, social networking passwords etc by stealing it on an open public network.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying – Hide Your IP Address and Browse Anonymously

If you believe that you should have the right to receive and send information over the internet without the authorities, or anyone besides the intended recipient, cataloging and following what you do, then you need a VPN. Philosophically, that is the biggest reason all internet users need a VPN.

If the events of the past year have taught us anything, it’s that governments around the world are suspicious and even paranoid about the power of the internet. Along with ISP’s and nosy marketers, they track, log and analyze data on your location, and the sites you visit, when you visit them, and how often, and more.

The Internet represents an exchange of information between citizens around the world with no control and no borders, this free exchange is a threat to many governments, and some react by censoring, blocking, and monitoring channels of communication.

What can you do about this? How can you hide your IP address and location? Once again, the answer is simple, connect to the internet using a VPN. Surf securely without revealing who you are and where you are, as the VPN acts as a type of filter, hiding your IP address and sending only encrypted data to the destination server.

Using a Virtual Private Network is simple, and the best VPN services, such as IronSocket, are easy to use, fast, and have servers located across the globe, allowing you to browse anonymously and secure your online privacy.

About IronSocket

Our staff has been involved with computers since the early days of dial up modems. We have combined experiences spanning decades working on a multitude of internet based projects. One of our goals is to make a conscience effort to inform others about staying safe on the internet. If you ever need to reach us, leave a comment, put in a ticket, or contact us using our website's contact us form.