In yet another article covering the world of VPNs, this time we are going to talk about the myths that surround the subject. It is common that some types of services, whether online or not, over the years and the growth of the reasons why they are offered, in addition to the companies that offer them, end up distorting their purposes and functionalities.
In these cases, a pile of information is created that is often passed on without people trying to confirm whether what they are saying is really true, since, in turn, they have also become accustomed to reading such information from various sources. sources.
This article is an opportunity for you to learn how VPNs work by cleaning up all the knowledge you had about them. In the end, you will be more able and confident to choose a reliable VPN service.
10 myths about using VPNs
1. VPNS are only used for illicit activities
The use of VPNs allows you to perform some activities prohibited by some companies, but they are not just for that. Many companies use VPNs to create highly secure private networks for exclusive access to employees. For home users, connecting through a VPN is also advantageous because of the extra privacy and security.
2. Paid VPNs are not required
Free VPNs can even break the branch if you are going to use the service in a specific activity and sporadically. If you are going to make constant use, with a focus on privacy and performance, only a company with a paid service can guarantee your satisfaction. And even then, there may still be paid services that are unreliable.
3. VPNs make the connection slow
Yes and no. In fact, this is not a rule, and it depends a lot on the service you are using. If it is a free service, in addition to the company not guaranteeing the quality of your connection, it can still reserve part of your connection’s bandwidth to favor customers who subscribe to the paid service.
If you are using a reliable service, in the case of online games, connecting to a server in the country where the game server is located can even help reduce latency. In this case, a good VPN service will offer you more server options in different parts of the planet.
4. Using a VPN, I can do anything online
It’s not like that. Your data may be encrypted and websites may not even be able to track your online activity, but you need to be cautious when visiting websites and downloading, even when using a VPN. Never disable your operating system’s firewall and antivirus unless you are using third-party apps.
The VPN does not protect you if you believe an online scammer, providing your data to a fraudulent shopping site, or even to a “trusted” site, on your own (when you accept the terms of use of a given platform).
5. All VPNs are the same
This is one of the most widespread myths that make users fall into traps, thinking they should hire the first popular VPN option they see on the internet.
A VPN is a service that depends on technical capacity, technological investment, and infrastructure. Therefore, the services provided will not be the same and each company will have advantages and disadvantages.
6. I don’t need a VPN, I have nothing to hide
We are in an era where our data, as simple as our lives may seem, is treated like gold mines by technology giants such as Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook. You may not even be sure how these companies use your data, but maybe there’s reason to be concerned.
Just keep in mind that free online services emerged precisely with the intention of capturing the largest possible number of users, creating gigantic databases.
At the beginning of the internet, virtually every service within it was paid for. You even paid for an email address. Today, any site you visit asks you for your email to send daily or weekly newsletters, all for free. So you think all sites are cool and want to help you, but be careful.
Furthermore, apart from privacy, VPNs also promote the security of your connection, as we mentioned in previous articles.
7. Every VPN is difficult to use
Several years have passed since VPNs started and became popular. After smartphones, they had a second period of adapting to less technical users.
Nowadays, there are VPN services that are very easy to use and that have support, in case the user wants to perform a specific configuration or solve any problem.
8. Only hackers and nerds use VPNs
In fact, anyone concerned about increasing their online privacy and security can be a VPN user. But there are also special cases involving professionals who travel and need to access sites that are blocked outside their home country, as well as citizens who need to bypass censorship in a given region to exchange information safely.
9. Using VPN, I am anonymous on the internet
VPN greatly improves your online privacy, but it cannot make you unidentifiable. Neither the Tor browser nor cryptocurrency-based services are capable of this feat. So beware of companies that promise to make you invisible on the internet. There is always a piece of information that can identify you on the net.
10. Using Tor is better than using VPN
Some people believe that using the Tor browser is more secure than using a VPN. However, in addition to Tor being a little complicated to configure, it can also slow down your connection. Furthermore, the developers have already stated that it does not make users anonymous. Not to mention the fact that Tor only provides privacy for browsing websites, not protecting other applications that connect to the internet.
Which VPN services can I trust?
Over the internet, you can find hundreds of VPN services, both free and paid. If you will be using the VPN continuously, we recommend that you purchase a paid service. As we already mentioned, free VPNs can compromise your data and the quality of your connection
In the paid services category, one that stands out in 2019 is NordVPN. The company has a website entirely in Portuguese, is compatible with the main operating systems (including Android and iOS), has discounts for students, and has several plans, ranging from US$ 2.99 per month (for three years) to US$ 11 .95 (for one month only).
Plus, if you don’t like the service, NordVPN guarantees your money back within a 30-day trial period.