Chances are, by this point in the 2020s, you have some idea about what a VPN is. You may not know how it works (don’t worry, no one does) but you’re at least aware of the basics. You might be using one right now if you’re working remotely. But should you be using one all the time? Let’s dig in.
Quickly, what a VPN is
As I said above, most people have some idea what a VPN is. It’s a Virtual Private Network, a way to create a totally private connection between two points on the internet. You can have one on your phone, computer, or even built into your home’s internet infrastructure. With a VPN, it’s the closest possible way to being in the same room as your servers.
But why would you use a VPN?
There are essentially two reasons that someone would use a VPN. At their hearts, they’re very different even though they’re both rooted in the need for a secure connection.
A VPN for business
If you use a VPN for business, you’re using it because you want an extra layer of safety when dealing with sensitive information. I’m not going to say VPNs are hackproof, because nothing is. But they’re about as close to hackproof as you can get at this point in time.
Businesses might ask their users to log into a VPN so they can share company confidential information. Or, they might use a VPN so people can do things like credit card approvals while they are working from home. Either way, it’s about protecting information. A VPN wil give your IT director a lot of peace of mind because pretty much anything can be shared privately.
A VPN for everyone else
As for everyone else, the reason most people use a VPN is to hide your location. It’s absurdly easy for anyone in the world to find out your location. Don’t believe me? Go to https://www.whatismyipaddress.com and you’ll see a web site that tells you exactly where you are. And, with a little bit of public information about you, stuff that can be gotten from an email, anyone can see that same information about you.
A VPN literally makes it look like you’re somewhere else. This is a deliberate bit of computer magic having to do with the way you look up internet addresses. That’s really another whole article, and I’ll get around to writing it at some point. The point is, unlike a business VPN, VPNs for regular users are about protecting location. Sure, there’s the added security but it’s really about pretending you’re somewhere you’re not.
Why do this? The most common reason is to get something that you couldn’t get otherwise. If you use a VPN that makes it look like you’re in Belgium, then you could sign up for Netflix in Belgium and get movies and shows that aren’t available in the US. Of course you’d have to speak Flemish, but that’s not the point. The point is that there’s a lot of content you can’t get in the US and you can get it overseas. A VPN lets you get it.
Are VPNs illegal?
No, they are not. Are they ethical, if you’re trying to get something you’re not legally entitled to? No, they are not. But it’s a bit of a grey area and it’s one of those things that you’re probably never going to get caught at as long as you quietly pay your bills and don’t try to do something stupid like re-sell a service or use it in your business.
It’s also worth pointing out that there’s another issue with VPNs. They usually slow your internet way down. Because you’re sending all your internet traffic to a server far, far away it’s going to come back more slowly. You could find that your streaming speed is cut in half or more. That leads to a pretty bad experience, especially if you’re trying to use that VPN specifically for streaming. And your internet service provider will eventually figure out what you’re doing. They may not know what information you’re getting, but they’ll be able to see where you’re getting it from. Some ISPs have rules against too much VPN usage, especially if it’s to overseas servers. If your VPN does, you’ll get caught eventually.
But all the time?
That’s the question posed at the beginning of this article. I would say that unless you’re working all the time, you shouldn’t use a VPN all the time. It’s just going to make your internet experience worse. If you have a need for a VPN for whatever reason — and I’m not judging — use it when needed and disconnect it when not needed.
