An average computer user today is much more aware than ever before of the security and privacy risks that are an inherent part of using the internet. Whether on a smartphone, a tablet, or a laptop, we are as active online as ever. This often necessitates sharing our personal data with various businesses and institutions, not all of which can be relied upon to keep that data secure.
One thing that many of us don’t give due consideration to is who might be able to access our data and information once we’ve turned it over. The last decade has seen a dramatic rise in the number of cyber attacks directed at specific organizations as a way of harvesting large amounts of data. Perhaps the most striking example of this was the Equifax hack earlier this year, which resulted in millions of people’s data stolen.
A virtual private network (VPN) cannot completely shield you from these dangers, but it goes a long way to improve your privacy and security. If you go looking for VPN providers, you will find that there are many offering this service for free. But don’t be fooled – a free VPN service will usually cause more problems than it will solve. Let’s take a closer look.
What Is a VPN?
There are two components to a VPN. First, there is the software itself, which is installed on the device in question. The other component is the VPN servers, which are owned and operated by a VPN provider.
The software component establishes a secure and encrypted tunnel between your device and a VPN server. Whenever your device sends a request to the internet, such as when you access a particular website or online service, the VPN encrypts the request for you and sends it through the secure tunnel to the VPN server. The server decrypts your request and subsequently passes it on to a relevant server on the internet. It sends the result back to you, encrypted again, allowing you to browse the internet in a much more secure way.
Compare this to connecting to the internet without a VPN. Without a VPN, your device sends its request, often unencrypted, directly to the necessary website or server. If you do this on a public Wi-Fi network, anyone with a little know-how will be able to snoop on your internet traffic and see what you are doing online.
But Free is Good, Right?
There is an old adage in the world of business that you should always remember when it comes to downloading new software. “If the product is free, then you are the product.”
For example, it’s not the goodness of the heart that makes Facebook allow all of their users access its service. Facebook wants as many people as possible to use the site because then it can make money from its users in multiple ways. Even if you don’t give Facebook any money directly, it still serves up advertising and makes money from your activity on the site indirectly.
How Can I Be the Product?
Let’s stick with Facebook as an example. A few years ago, Facebook released their own free VPN service, Onavo Protect. Onavo acted just like a legitimate VPN, but with one crucial caveat: remember that the VPN server that user data flows through is usually owned by the VPN provider, and in this case, it was owned by Facebook.
However, when you pay for a VPN service, part of what you’re paying for is the discretion and privacy that comes with a more private browsing setup. Reputable VPN providers don’t store any records of what you do or access through their VPN. But this is Facebook we’re talking about. It soon transpired that Facebook was routing Onavo users’ data to their own servers, where they were collecting as much data as they could about people’s browsing habits. Of course, anyone who accessed their Facebook account through Onavo could then be personally identified.
It’s a safe bet that any free VPN service is going to employ similar tactics. They need to make their money and pay for the infrastructure somehow, so your data can be a very valuable commodity to them.
The good news is that there are plenty of great and reliable VPN providers to choose from if you are willing to pay. The prices vary but most of them are super affordable, like NordVPN. Some VPNs are geared towards casual users, others feature much more hardcore security, and some are designed to offer an optimum experience when gaming. Make sure to research any provider before you commit.