Skip to main content

Here's what a VPN can't protect you from (but you need to use it)

The abbreviation " VPN " has slowly become established among average Internet users, which is certainly good, but the problem is that people have started to see VPN as the ultimate solution to all problems.

Here's what a VPN can't protect you from (but you need to use it)

Here's what a VPN can't protect you from (but you need to use it)

The abbreviation "VPN" has slowly become established among average Internet users, which is certainly good, but the problem is that people have started to see VPN as the ultimate solution to all problems.

In this article, I will try to explain why VPN is not the ultimate solution, what it can and cannot protect you from, and why you should definitely use it.

What a VPN can protect you from

The basic principle of VPN operation is the following: you connect to a VPN server located somewhere and from that moment all your internet traffic goes only and exclusively through that server. If you want to visit a site, your request is sent to that VPN server, and it communicates with the site. So, it serves is an intermediary in the communication between you and the rest of the Internet.

From the point of view of a site, it was visited by a VPN server - not you! The site doesn't know who you are, it doesn't see you from that VPN server, it only knows about that VPN and that's it.

On the other hand, you have your internet provider (to whom you pay for the internet) and he would otherwise see everything you do online. But since you've connected to a VPN, your ISP only sees that you're communicating From the provider's point of view, you are not visiting the site, you are visiting the VPN. Also, the provider does not see that you are using a torrent, it only sees that you are visiting a VPN.

With all that, a VPN server can be found in any country. This further means that you can present yourself on the Internet as if you came from another country through a VPN. This is handy if some content is blocked in your state.

As you can see, VPN can protect you from being spied on by sites you visit, your ISP, and the government.

If you don't want the site owner to know where you're visiting from, it can also hide your location.

Some VPN services still offer added protections such as blocking ads and accessing malicious sites, which certainly comes as a nice bonus.

From which the VPN cannot protect you

A VPN cannot protect you if a potential malicious person does not want or need to follow you over an IP address (which the VPN hides, at least the good ones).

For example, it can attack you via spam emails. In that case, you have to be careful because VPN does not help in this case.

Furthermore, we have various viruses and keyloggers that VPN also cannot stop. For something like that, you need to have good anti-virus and be careful about what you click and what you open on your computer, but also on the Internet.

A VPN also cannot protect you from online tracking that does NOT rely on an IP address. For example, you have companies that follow you through your uniqueness digital fingerprint - which I wrote about in detail here.

When it comes to tracking, I can also follow you on social media. When you leave the site and do not log out, you can be tracked while visiting other sites and a VPN does not help.

Do you use a VPN then?

Absolutely! It can't protect you from everything, but it will contribute a lot. If nothing else, your ISP will not have an insight into which sites you visit and what you do online.

It can certainly be useful if you want to visit a site from another country in case your country is blocked.

If you want to try a premium VPN but don't pay, a warm recommendation for THIS.

Comments

Popular this month

Count a bunch of items IN SECONDS with this AI app!

If you work often with a large number of stacked items (boards, pipes, boxes…) you probably count them often. When that crowd is bigger, counting can take time. The AI ​​application will come to the rescue, which will do the counting for you in a second!

Google offline maps - instructions

Google has recently added several new features to its maps, including Offline maps and turn-by-turn navigation. It was these two options that were missing so that Google Maps  that could be used as a standalone offline navigation app.

Remove the background from the image with one click!

Removing backgrounds from images can be exhausting if you do it manually. Most people don't even know how to use advanced tools (such as Photoshop) and remove wallpaper. If you don't know or don't have time, to remove the background from an image, this AI tool will help you.

The Galaxy Note was ridiculed when it appeared, and now…

Did you know that the first Samsung Galaxy Note was ridiculed by users and the media? Everyone laughed at his "huge" case and said that it would fall apart immediately after it appeared. They said that it was too big and that such a phone would never be used every day.

SOPA is retiring for now

Lamar Smith said he is withdrawing the controversial SOPA law for now until they find a solution. Namely, the people behind this have obviously taken the protests of Wikipedia , Google, Reddit, and other big companies around the world seriously.