{"id":94366,"date":"2017-10-09T15:20:03","date_gmt":"2017-10-09T15:20:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=94366"},"modified":"2025-07-01T23:45:46","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T06:45:46","slug":"5-reasons-why-you-need-a-vpn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/5-reasons-why-you-need-a-vpn\/","title":{"rendered":"5 reasons why you need a VPN"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a must for the internet-savvy and security-conscious.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>What is a VPN?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A VPN is <strong>your own private access to the internet<\/strong>. Like a digital security guard, it <strong>keeps everything you do private, anonymous, and encrypted<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>All internet traffic<\/strong>, whether you\u2019re browsing the web, uploading a document, or downloading a film, can go through your VPN. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Here are 5 reasons why you need a VPN:<\/h3>\n<h3><strong>1. A VPN protects you from cybercrime<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A VPN protects you from cybercrime in<strong> two ways<\/strong>: <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It <strong>encrypts<\/strong> all the data between you and the internet <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It <strong>hides<\/strong> your IP address<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When you download a webpage, your router or modem makes a request for it through your internet service provider (ISP), which then sends that request to the server that holds it (which could be anywhere else in the world). For this to work, networking devices like routers and servers are given IP addresses, which lets the internet know where to send information. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The problem is, <strong>having your IP address known to the internet makes you more vulnerable to hacking<\/strong>; and because the data being sent between your router and the internet isn\u2019t encrypted, it\u2019s easier for cybercriminals to see. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is especially dangerous when you\u2019re using a public wifi spot, such as that found in a coffee shop. Hackers exploit these open connections<strong> to access your data<\/strong>, but with a VPN, this is much harder to do as <strong>the VPN both hides your IP address and encrypts your data<\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since all data goes to the VPN server first, potential hackers see<strong> the VPN server\u2019s IP address and not your own<\/strong>. As all the data is encrypted, you\u2019re even more protected. <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-card-program\">\r\n  <div class=\"sc-card-program__body\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row clearfix\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-logo\">\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-program__img\" alt=\"HMA! PRO VPN\" src=\"https:\/\/images.sftcdn.net\/images\/t_app-logo-l,f_auto,dpr_auto\/p\/da6d9426-b325-11e6-8bd1-00163ed833e7\/3856965767\/hma-pro-vpn-logo-HMA-01.png\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\">\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-title\">\r\n        <span class=\"sc-card-program__title\">HMA! PRO VPN<\/span>\r\n        <a class=\"sc-card-program__button sc-card-program-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/checkout.hidemyass.com\/affiliate.php?ACCOUNT=PRIVAXLT&amp;AFFILIATE=45974&amp;PATH=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hidemyass.com%2Faffiliate%2Favangate%3FAFFILIATE%3D45974\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DOWNLOAD NOW<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-rating\">\r\n        <svg class=\"rating-score__content\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.1\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\" viewbox=\"0 0 50 50\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 50 50\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><path class=\"rating-score__background rating-score--good\" fill=\"none\" stroke-width=\"6\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" d=\"M40 40c8.3-8.3 8.3-21.7 0-30s-21.7-8.3-30 0 -8.3 21.7 0 30\"><\/path><path class=\"rating-score__value rating-score__value--100\" fill=\"none\" stroke-width=\"6\" stroke-dashoffset=\"100\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" d=\"M40 40c8.3-8.3 8.3-21.7 0-30s-21.7-8.3-30 0 -8.3 21.7 0 30\"><\/path><text class=\"rating-score__number\" content=\"10\" text-anchor=\"middle\" transform=\"matrix(1 0 0 1 25 31.0837)\" data-auto=\"app-user-score\">10<\/text><\/svg>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row\">\r\n      <span class=\"sc-card-program__description\">Hide My Ass! Pro VPN is a fantastic VPN app that has earned a good reputation thanks to the myriad of options available: speed, broadband and unlimited server changes; the most secure protocols, compatibility with any service (including Netflix) and up to 5 connections per license. <\/span>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-program__bigpic\" src=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <a class=\"sc-card-program__link track-link sc-card-program-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/checkout.hidemyass.com\/affiliate.php?ACCOUNT=PRIVAXLT&amp;AFFILIATE=45974&amp;PATH=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hidemyass.com%2Faffiliate%2Favangate%3FAFFILIATE%3D45974\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-card-program\">\r\n  <div class=\"sc-card-program__body\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row clearfix\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-logo\">\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-program__img\" alt=\"VyprVPN\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-images.sftcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/05\/VyprVPN.png\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\">\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-title\">\r\n        <span class=\"sc-card-program__title\">VyprVPN<\/span>\r\n        <a class=\"sc-card-program__button sc-card-program-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goldenfrog.com\/vyprvpn\/special\/vpn-seasonal-special?offer_id=56&amp;aff_id=4421\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DOWNLOAD NOW<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-rating\">\r\n        <svg class=\"rating-score__content\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.1\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\" viewbox=\"0 0 50 50\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 50 50\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><path class=\"rating-score__background rating-score--good\" fill=\"none\" stroke-width=\"6\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" d=\"M40 40c8.3-8.3 8.3-21.7 0-30s-21.7-8.3-30 0 -8.3 21.7 0 30\"><\/path><path class=\"rating-score__value rating-score__value--100\" fill=\"none\" stroke-width=\"6\" stroke-dashoffset=\"100\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" d=\"M40 40c8.3-8.3 8.3-21.7 0-30s-21.7-8.3-30 0 -8.3 21.7 0 30\"><\/path><text class=\"rating-score__number\" content=\"10\" text-anchor=\"middle\" transform=\"matrix(1 0 0 1 25 31.0837)\" data-auto=\"app-user-score\">10<\/text><\/svg>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row\">\r\n      <span class=\"sc-card-program__description\">Another highly recommended option is VyprVPN, a service backed by the Swiss company Golden Frog, seasoned experts in the tech world who advocate for an open internet. VyprVPN boasts of 73 servers in 64 countries, with a NAT firewall that gives you an extra security layer<\/span>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-program__bigpic\" src=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <a class=\"sc-card-program__link track-link sc-card-program-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goldenfrog.com\/vyprvpn\/special\/vpn-seasonal-special?offer_id=56&amp;aff_id=4421\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-card-program\">\r\n  <div class=\"sc-card-program__body\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row clearfix\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-logo\">\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-program__img\" alt=\"Zenmate\" src=\"https:\/\/images.sftcdn.net\/images\/t_app-logo-l,f_auto,dpr_auto\/p\/a3b427e4-9b2c-11e6-b473-00163ec9f5fa\/553619478\/zenmate-desktop-vpn-logo.png\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\">\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-title\">\r\n        <span class=\"sc-card-program__title\">Zenmate<\/span>\r\n        <a class=\"sc-card-program__button sc-card-program-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/partner.zenmate.com\/go.cgi?pid=562&amp;wmid=cc&amp;cpid=1&amp;target=https:\/\/www.zenmate.com\/2y\/?utm_source=562&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_content=deeplink\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DOWNLOAD NOW<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-program__col-rating\">\r\n        <svg class=\"rating-score__content\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.1\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\" viewbox=\"0 0 50 50\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 50 50\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><path class=\"rating-score__background rating-score--good\" fill=\"none\" stroke-width=\"6\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" d=\"M40 40c8.3-8.3 8.3-21.7 0-30s-21.7-8.3-30 0 -8.3 21.7 0 30\"><\/path><path class=\"rating-score__value rating-score__value--100\" fill=\"none\" stroke-width=\"6\" stroke-dashoffset=\"100\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" d=\"M40 40c8.3-8.3 8.3-21.7 0-30s-21.7-8.3-30 0 -8.3 21.7 0 30\"><\/path><text class=\"rating-score__number\" content=\"10\" text-anchor=\"middle\" transform=\"matrix(1 0 0 1 25 31.0837)\" data-auto=\"app-user-score\">10<\/text><\/svg>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row\">\r\n      <span class=\"sc-card-program__description\">Zenmate is another great option for secure browsing. This VPN doesn\u2019t store any of your data and uses the latest encryption systems.<\/span>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-program__row\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-program__bigpic\" src=\"\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <a class=\"sc-card-program__link track-link sc-card-program-internal\" href=\"https:\/\/partner.zenmate.com\/go.cgi?pid=562&amp;wmid=cc&amp;cpid=1&amp;target=https:\/\/www.zenmate.com\/2y\/?utm_source=562&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_content=deeplink\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n<h3><strong>2. A VPN lets you enjo<\/strong>y worldwi<strong>de content<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A VPN lets you <strong>trick the interne<\/strong>t into thinking you\u2019re <strong>browsing from another country<\/strong>. It does this by connecting you to servers it owns throughout the world. So, if you want to stream content that\u2019s only streamable in the USA, but you\u2019re on holiday in the UK, you can <strong>route your request through one of your VPN\u2019s American servers<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-94367\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2017\/10\/Screen-Shot-2017-10-06-at-13.26.49-1024x686.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"432\" height=\"289\" srcset=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2017\/10\/Screen-Shot-2017-10-06-at-13.26.49-1024x686.png 1024w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2017\/10\/Screen-Shot-2017-10-06-at-13.26.49-300x201.png 300w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2017\/10\/Screen-Shot-2017-10-06-at-13.26.49-768x514.png 768w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2017\/10\/Screen-Shot-2017-10-06-at-13.26.49.png 1174w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. A VPN lets you access better prices<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some websites, specifically flight booking sites, might <strong>charge you more or less depending on where you\u2019re browsing from<\/strong>. There are also rumors that some airlines change pricing depending on whether you\u2019ve made the same search several times. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">By using a VPN, you can change the IP address to that of another country and <strong>see if this affects your prices<\/strong>. You can also change the IP address if you\u2019ve searched for the same flight a few times \u2013 even to somewhere local \u2013 and see if that makes a difference. <strong>You might be surprised to save $100s<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It does come with a warning, though: if a condition of purchase is that you live in the same country you\u2019re browsing from, it\u2019s best to err on the side of caution and use a local IP address.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-94368\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2017\/10\/Screen-Shot-2017-10-06-at-13.26.08-1024x672.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"432\" height=\"284\" srcset=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2017\/10\/Screen-Shot-2017-10-06-at-13.26.08-1024x672.png 1024w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2017\/10\/Screen-Shot-2017-10-06-at-13.26.08-300x197.png 300w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2017\/10\/Screen-Shot-2017-10-06-at-13.26.08-768x504.png 768w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2017\/10\/Screen-Shot-2017-10-06-at-13.26.08.png 1134w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><b>4. A VPN lets you browse unrestricted<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some countries and governments don\u2019t want you to access certain sites. Sometimes for good reason, but at other times, just <strong>overzealous censorship<\/strong>. The internet\u2019s free and open nature is its most powerful asset, so restricting it for frivolous reasons is unfair, and in some cases, might <strong>infringe on your human rights<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">By allowing you to effectively choose your browsing location, <strong>you can select countries which are less restrictive than your own<\/strong>. Letting you enjoy the internet\u2019s heart bounty by unlocking all of its doors.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>5. A VPN prevents your ISP from throttling your internet speed<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>ISPs collect data on your browsing history<\/strong> by monitoring your IP address and the sites it visits. Now, they do this for good reason \u2013 for monitoring and managing internet traffic to make the internet more efficient. But there\u2019s a darker side to this, too. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Knowing which sites use the most bandwidth means <strong>they can throttle your internet speed at busy times<\/strong>. Many do this with torrent traffic, but also less clandestine activities such as watching Netflix. If Netflix, HBO, or iPlayer is taking up too much bandwidth, your ISP can reduce your speed to free up capacity for other things. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>A VPN <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">stops your ISP from throttling your speed because your ISP won\u2019t know which sites you\u2019re visiting. Now this advantage does come at a price. Because all your data is encrypted before going to your ISP, and incoming traffic from the VPN server requires decryption for you to see it, this does slow down your connection a bit. How much depends on the VPN you\u2019ve chosen, how good its encryption is, and which of its worldwide servers you\u2019ve chosen (the closer the better in most cases).\u00a0 Click Here to learn more about VPN Unlimited.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Most of the time speed isn\u2019t an issue \u2013 especially with a paid-for VPN. Make sure though that you select the right VPN for you depending on what you need it for. For example, if you&#8217;re a gamer you might <strong>want to acces to the multiplayer servers available in certain countries<\/strong>. We put together<a href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/articles\/the-7-best-vpns-of-2018\/\"> a list of our favorites<\/a> to help you choose which VPN is right for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-card-starred-link\">\r\n  <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__body\">\r\n    <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__row clearfix\">\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__col-logo\">\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sc-card-starred-link__img\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2018\/05\/icon-security11.png\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\">\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"sc-card-starred-link__col-title\">\r\n        <p class=\"sc-card-starred-link__title\">Best VPNs for safe, speedy surfing<\/p>\r\n        <a class=\"sc-card-starred-link__button\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/windows\/vpn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer sponsored\">Find out more <\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <a class=\"sc-card-starred-link__link\" href=\"https:\/\/en.softonic.com\/windows\/vpn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer sponsored\"><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a must for the internet-savvy and security-conscious. What is a VPN? A VPN is your own private access to the internet. Like a digital security guard, it keeps everything you do private, anonymous, and encrypted. All internet traffic, whether you\u2019re browsing the web, uploading a document, or downloading a &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/5-reasons-why-you-need-a-vpn\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;5 reasons why you need a VPN&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2040,"featured_media":101360,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wpcf-pageviews":2},"categories":[],"tags":[],"usertag":[],"vertical":[],"content-category":[],"class_list":["post-94366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2040"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94366"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94366\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":328523,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94366\/revisions\/328523"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94366"},{"taxonomy":"usertag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/usertag?post=94366"},{"taxonomy":"vertical","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vertical?post=94366"},{"taxonomy":"content-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-category?post=94366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}