VPN is not a security product

I’m sure you’ve seen tons of ads for VPN’s. One thing usually in common is that they advertise that it will improve your online security and that you can’t live safely without it. Here’s the thing: VPN really isn’t for security.

Encryption

Now, it is true that VPN does encrypt your connection. You know what else encrypts your connection? HTTPS. HTTPS encrypts all traffic between you and the web server, so nobody can see transmitted passwords, form info, or query data.

What VPN does hide that HTTPS doesn’t is DNS requests. This is why I titled the post “VPN is not a security product” and not “VPN doesn’t improve your security”. Normally, your ISP and DNS provider can see the domain you’re trying to go to, (but not anything else because of HTTPS) but using a VPN means all that is logged is the IP of the VPN server. However, this is not what you should be buying a VPN for and definitely isn’t a necessity.

Downsides

The biggest downside of any VPN is that no matter how much they tell you otherwise, a VPN will always slow your connection. You will never have faster speeds while using a VPN. The other downside is that it’s more software running on your device. (I had to list a second downside because the section title is plural.)

What VPN’s are really for

I’ve only used a VPN once, and it was for circumventing blocked sites. The instance I used it was when a library Wi-Fi network blocked GitHub. (That network also blocks most conservative and religious sites.)

The other case is the commonly-advertised advantage of accessing region-blocked content. Personally, I almost never watch TV (opting for YouTube instead) so I’ve never needed this, but it’s the other main use for a VPN. After that, there’s not really any more real benefits that outweigh the negatives to using a VPN.

Conclusion

A final thing I would like to mention is that by using the internet at all, you’ve pretty much already given away your data. Your name, email, phone number, and home address are likely out there for somebody to find. Using a VPN can’t undo that. The best security product is your own mindfulness. Stay safe out there.