Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are an easy way to gain access to forbidden sites in one’s country. Most people use VPNs to download torrent files, comment on political discussions while remaining anonymous, hack other people’s accounts or stalk them, commit cybercrimes, and accessing porn websites banned in their countries, etc.
There are two kinds of VPNs available on the internet; paid VPNs and free VPNs. Paid VPNs allow you to surf the internet without risking your security and identity. However, using Free VPNs comes at a cost. Free VPNs do allow you to surf the internet using their service but they compromise your security. Using a paid VPN from a reliable website can help reduce the risk data leakage and internet security. Therefore, it is advised to choose paid VPNs over free ones. Many paid VPN providers offer huge discounts to their customers. According to RUSVPN.com, one of the most trusted VPN providers, a discount of 70% is currently available on the purchase of its monthly VPN services.
Having briefly explained what VPN is and the types of VPN one can gain access to, let’s bust some myths which revolve around their use.
Myths & Misconceptions about VPNs
The following are some of the most common myths about using a VPN busted with actual facts.
VPN Users Are Essentially The Bad Guys
The first misconception about using a VPN is that whoever uses VPN must have a hidden agenda and are looked at as a criminal or lawbreaker. The truth is, using a VPN is not in any way an illegal criminal activity. It depends on the person who is using it and how they use it.
Many students try to gain access to international libraries otherwise banned in their countries or download books from torrents. Though this might seem like unethical conduct and some would argue that should buy the book instead, but the point being made here is that downloading a book is not the same as committing a cybercrime. Therefore, the person using it must not be judged straight away. As for the students downloading copyrighted stuff, they can surely be redirected to other free resources by educating them about their web address.
Apart from this, many organizations use VPN to share confidential files and sensitive information over the internet. This further strengthens the argument that using a VPN is neither illegal nor criminal. It just depends on what purpose it is being used for.
Using A VPN Will Help Me Avoid Ad Trackers
The second misconception is that if you use a VPN, you will be able to avoid ad trackers. This is not true. Ad trackers work hand in hand with the cookies your internet activity leaves a trail of. Therefore, using a VPN will not save you from being tracked by these ad mongers.
VPN Guarantees 100% Privacy
Even though using a VPN helps you in keeping anonymous by changing your IP address, many people falsely believe that it guards their privacy 100%. No! It does not. Sorry to burst your bubble but the truth is that using a VPN does not guarantee your privacy, even if you use a high-end VPN service provider and pair it with an anti-virus.
In the world of virtual wonders, it is nearly impossible to cloak yourself completely and remain anonymous. Why? Because each website you visit does store your data and so do some VPN providers. Therefore, to assume that using a VPN paired with antivirus software is going to help you remain hidden for long is completely naïve. Sooner or later, your identity will be revealed, thanks to the cookies.
Using Paid VPN Will Guarantee 100% Cyber Security
While this one is partly true, the fact is no VPN can guarantee 100% cybersecurity for you. You must stay vigilant yourself and avoid visiting shady websites or opening scam emails. There are thousands of scammers out there trying to fool people into opening their messages or emails, especially on low rated websites. If a person clicks on any shady message or link and shares private information using VPN believing that it will somehow, magically protect them from a scam, then what they need to know is: it will not.
Internet users must taker responsibility for their actions and stop expecting the VPN to behave like their bodyguards. While surfing the internet using a VPN or otherwise, do not give out your personal information to strangers, do not join a weird virtual chat room and expose yourself to harmful viruses, malware, scammers and cyber predators.
Once I Go Offline Without Switching Off VPN, No Harm Can Come
This is one of the most widely believed myths about using a VPN. If you go offline without disconnecting with your VPN connection, the websites which you visited will trace you because of the cookies. If any of them contains harmful viruses, they will infect your computer. Additionally, expert hackers can gain access to your data while in offline mode as well. There is no such thing as security guaranteed while staying offline using a VPN.
Using A VPN Will Slow Down My Internet Speed
One of the most common myths about using a VPN is that it will cause your internet to slow down. There is no truth in that. Then why does the internet feel slow when I connect using a VPN? This is because the location you are using is too far off. Try using a location near your geographic premise and you will experience faster and better internet speed.
There Is No Difference Between Free And Paid VPNs
Though using a VPN does not create an ideal privacy or security environment for users, some of them actually strive towards providing their users with the maximum security while others do not. As mentioned earlier, some VPNs not only keep logs on their users but also compromise their security. These are usually the ones that come free of cost. There is a reason why a service so in demand is coming with no price tag. It is because in reality, it is not coming for free. The cost you pay is in terms of your data. The VPNs which genuinely seek to enhance security and privacy for their users are usually the paid ones, even if they cannot ensure 100% desired results.
Using A VPN Allows Me To Do Anything I Want
No! It doesn’t. As explained earlier as well, using a VPN will neither guarantee 100% security nor privacy. You will not be able to remain anonymous for long or avoid ad trackers due to the cookies generated by your internet activity. So if you are one of those cool kids trying to scam, hack, bully, or spam someone by taking advantage of your presumed anonymity, walk yourself out of your fool’s paradise. This does not happen at all.
I Can Trust Reviews Online
No, you cannot. Many VPN providers pay websites and users to write good reviews. Online reviews do not necessarily reflect the quality of their services in real life.
Conclusion
Some of the commonly believed myths about using VPN have been clarified above. Users must take great caution before purchasing a VPN connection and must always purchase it from a trusted site.
