While using a VPN, there are a few benefits you can expect. On the other hand, there are several popular myths surrounding these apps. As long as you’re aware of this, you’ll go into using a VPN with the proper expectations.

What to Expect

Increased Privacy

Using a VPN will encrypt and protect your data traveling through it. This will help prevent advertisers, your ISP, governments, and other sources from viewing and accessing your browsing habits. This will help limit ads you encounter online from being tailored to you personally, and your browsing history.

Geolocation

Another popular use of a VPN is “region spoofing”, or appearing online that you are in another part of the world. This serves to further protect your personal data, and you may even succeed in accessing content that has been restricted by region.

What not to Expect

Complete Security

VPNs are not antivirus solutions. They will not prevent you from getting infected with viruses and malware. You will still be at risk any time you are browsing dishonest or malicious websites.

Faster Internet

Having your network traffic encrypted and going through the VPN will in many cases affect it such that your internet speeds will suffer as a result. There isn’t much you can do here besides upgrading your bandwidth with your ISP.

Streaming Location Spoofing

Many people attempt to use VPNs to circumvent streaming content restrictions on sites such as Netflix and Hulu. These companies are aware of this and are constantly cracking down on offenders, blocking them from their sites. You may get lucky for a while, but it’s in the company’s business interests to prevent region spoofing.

Should I Get a VPN?

Perhaps the soundest bit of advice when it comes to a VPN is just try it out. There are dozens upon dozens of VPNs out there, and many of these offer some type of free trial period.

It’s also extremely common for VPN companies to offer steep discounts if prepaying for several years at a time.

Even iDefend includes a VPN in its services at no additional charge to our members.

If you have any questions about a VPN, what it does or doesn’t do for you, and if it’s a good fit for your household, give one of our Advisors a call and they’ll be more than happy to go through things with you.