Virtual private networks – or VPNs for short – have been around since 1996 when a Microsoft (News - Alert) employee developed the Peer-to-Peer Tunnelling Protocol (PPTP). The idea was to encrypt data shared between users over an internet connection.
A growing awareness of cybersecurity, boosted by the emergence of organisations such as WikiLeaks, prompted many to consider their own data security – especially as our lives move increasingly into online realms.
Think about the apps on your smartphone. Banking, healthcare, photos – these all contain sensitive data that could be used to compromise you or steal from you.
A VPN can help protect you by encrypting your data and masking your online activity, preventing you from falling foul of hackers, especially if you are a regular user of public networks.
Despite the longstanding nature of the technology, misconceptions about what it is and how it works remain. So, here are five of the biggest VPN myths – busted!
Using a VPN is illegal
Simply using a VPN to protect your data while you are online is perfectly legal – and advisable! – in countries with freedoms of information.
Some nations that restrict media and online access do ban the use of VPNs, however, because they prevent the monitoring of online activity.
A VPN will slow my internet speed
The encryption process certainly can take a toll on your connection – especially if you proxy to a far-flung destination.
However, link your VPN to your location, and you will still benefit from all the protection on offer and should not see any noticeable lag in your connection.
I do not need a mobile VPN
Think about how we use our laptops and our phones in 2021 – there is every chance that your phone contains more personal data.
That makes protecting that data paramount, especially as you are more likely to connect to public networks on your mobile – on public transport, in shopping centers, etc.
VPN is easy to find for Android devices and their Apple (News - Alert) equivalents, so you should always be covered.
You need to be a computer whizz to use a VPN
Sourcing a VPN from a proper provider should be as simple as a few clicks.
Enlisting help from a major supplier should also give you access to a dedicated support team should you ever run into any trouble.
A VPN will protect me at all times
There is no such thing as a cybersecurity silver bullet if you will pardon the tongue twister.
Having a VPN in operation will not offer you extra protection against malware if you click on a link in a phishing scam or fail to secure your device properly and allow malicious parties to unlock it and access your data.
Cybersecurity is as much a human process as a technological one, so make sure you are doing your bit alongside any extra layers of protection you look to install.
