Not Just For Work: Why Personal VPN Use Is Crucial
For many of us, the first time we encountered a virtual private network was for work. Businesses rely on VPNs to keep their data safe from hackers and allow remote employees access to centralized files or networks. If you're only familiar with VPNs for security at work, there are so many advantages to using a personal VPN.
But first let's answer…
How are business VPNs and personal VPNs different?
If you work on-site, you might not have noticed the VPN at all. In a business set-up, there's usually a blanket account that covers all computers in an office. There's also generally just one or perhaps a few dedicated servers and IP addresses used.
With a personal VPN account, all the same security features — high-end encryption, routing through a separate server — are still there. The big difference comes in the servers and IP addresses. Instead of just one dedicated server handling your online traffic, you can use a different server every time you connect and you'll have access to many different IP addresses. IPVanish provides VPN connections with over 40,000 shared IP addresses, and more than 1,400 VPN servers in 75-plus locations.
A VPN is more than just a work security tool
For personal use, a VPN is a powerful shield against snooping from big corporations like your internet service provider and marketing conglomerations. It also protects you from dangerous spying from hackers who could potentially steal your data and identifying information.
Like a work VPN, when you use a personal VPN to connect to the internet, your data is encrypted and travels to a remote server before heading to your destination. Because you're connecting through a remote server, your personal IP address is hidden, as is your location keeping you even more private. VPN also comes with other benefits, like:
Getting around Geoblocking
In countries where certain content is blocked, a VPN can allow you to access that content as if you were coming from another (unrestricted) location. You can also access content that's only available in a certain region by picking a VPN server within that location.
Speed up your internet
Some internet service providers practice what's called throttling or intentionally slowing down traffic to a given site — almost always video or file sharing sites. Use a VPN from IPVanish and your ISP will have no idea you're streaming video, and can't slow you down.
Save on flights and hotels
Travel sites often offer different prices to people in different regions. By picking a server in a different location, you can shop around for the best price before booking. And since travel sites track you through cookies as well as your ISP, they can use that to increase prices once they know you're interested. Clear your cookies and use a shared IP address through IPVanish and you'll get the best rates.
Not just for work!
While VPNs might be commonly associated with work security situations, they're becoming more and more popular for personal use. From keeping you shielded from hacking and keeping your browsing history private, to saving money on flights and accessing blocked content, more people are using personal VPNs as a smarter way to go online.