Although one can regularly hear about them in the news, VPNs are still surrounded by many myths and misconceptions. They work both ways: some people avoid using them because they misunderstand certain things, others put too much faith into them. Both extremes are equally harmful: thus, before you make a decision to either use a VPN or avoid using one, you have to better understand what they are and what you probably misunderstand about them.

So, let’s take a look at the most common misconceptions.

1.   VPNs are only for paranoid conspiracy theorists

Well, it is not paranoia if somebody is really after you. And judging by the state of the world today, if you do not live under a rock, there are people who will be more than happy to steal your personal or financial data to use for their own nefarious purposes. According to Javelin Strategy, year 2018 saw 14.4 million cases of identity fraud in the United States alone. The majority of its victims were not owners of big businesses or other kinds of people who would be intentionally targeted. Most of them were regular people who did not believe their personal information can be valuable for cybercriminals. A VPN does not give you a complete guarantee of security, but it greatly decreases the likelihood of your information getting into the wrong hands.

2.   VPNs provide complete anonymity

Using a VPN is a huge step towards online anonymity when compared to normal Internet use. However, do not believe those who say that this or that VPN can completely protect you. There is no such thing as complete anonymity on the Internet. It does not matter if you use multiple VPNs, or use VPNs with servers in the country out of reach of your nation’s judicial influence. If somebody really wants to track your activity, they will find a way to do so. The difference is in the amount of effort they will have to apply. Using a VPN means that absolute majority of those who may be interested in tracking you will not bother to do so, because there are many other, more accessible targets.

3.   Free VPNs are as good as paid ones

Many Internet users believe that they can both have their cake and eat it: that is, get all the anonymity benefits of using a VPN and avoiding paying for it. It is hard to even begin to describe how misguided this approach is.

There is no such thing as free lunch. If something is given to you for free, it means that you pay for it in some other, less obvious way. In case of free VPNs, it can be one or more of the following:

• The service sells your information to advertisers and other interested parties;
• It shows you ads and, again, collects your information.

In other words, if you use a free VPN, you completely defeat the purpose of using a VPN in the first place – at least if you do it for security reasons.

4.   VPNs are a fad that will disappear in a few years

Most people did not hear about VPNs until a few years ago. Many of them believe that they do not need to bother – online security is just a fad, and it will go away if you wait a little while. We lived without VPNs somehow, and will live without them again, right?

Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case. Cybercrime is on the rise as never again, and with digital technologies becoming ever more entangled with our lives, its potential consequences get more dire with every passing year. As we get more dependent on the Internet, hackers get more organized and sophisticated – which means that regular users will have to learn new tricks as well. In all likelihood, VPNs will not go out of fashion but will gradually become a standard for everybody willing to feel safe online.

A VPN is not a panacea solving all your online privacy and security problems. But in most situations it is more than enough to provide enough protection to avoid most dangers that await you on the Internet. 

AUTHOR BIO

Melissa Burns is a marketing consultant, who occasionally also provides workshops for start-ups and small businesses. Melissa writes about technology, digital marketing, and business innovation with the single goal of sharing her 6 years’ experience with others.