5 Reasons You Should Use a VPN While Traveling

 

 

Gone are the days when traveling to certain parts of the world meant you had to go off the grid as today almost every part of the world has access to the internet. What this means is that you can do everything you would typically do in your native country wherever you are.

Whether it’s a business trip, a vacation or a medical trip, we all want to stay online while on the trip – be it to check a couple of emails, post on social media, do some banking transactions or work. However, doing so far away from where we are used to calls for extra vigilance and just like we would put physical safety precautions when in a new place, so too should we do online. This is why it is good to use a VPN while traveling.

A VPN is a service which provides you with private and secure access to the internet. It encrypts your online data and allows you browse anonymously like you are in any country of the world, even your native country. Therefore in this article, we will be taking a look at five reasons why you should use a VPN while on a trip:

• SAFETY AND SECURITY

Wi-Fi is a common feature of public places like airports, hotels, coffee shops, and the likes. When on a trip, we may want to come online to check our mail or our social media accounts and into public Wi-Fi leave you open to the threat of hackers, malware, and other cyber risks.

However, with a VPN, you can stay protected. A VPN provides you with an encrypted access to websites and essentially, protects all of your data.

• BYPASS GOVERNMENT CENSORSHIP ON INTERNET

In some parts of the world, access to sites like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and other online news outlets is banned due to government censoring. This is particularly common in Asian and Middle Eastern countries, but with a VPN you will be able to access such websites with ease by routing your server through the internet of another country without censorship.

In addition to providing unhindered access, these VPNs come with security and allow users to connect as much as six devices.

• AVOID LOCATION-BASED PRICING

Businesses not only use your web activity to target ads to you, but they also use it to adjust their pricing. For example, an airline will use your web activity to know whether you are planning a trip and will increase fares just for you. However, with a VPN, you can even the playing field and choose your VPN’s servers location to where they think you are browsing from. Also, a VPN prevents them from gaining access to your web activity and allows you to get the real price on commodities.

• ALLOWS YOU WATCH TV ABROAD

There are times when you would feel the need to log on to your favorite TV program from your native location. Services like Netflix and Amazon Prime are available in several places around the world, but the catalog is different in each country which means you might not be able to access your favorite programs. This is where a VPN comes handy as it allows you to set your location to wherever you want and watch programs from that location.

• RESEARCH WITHOUT LEAVING DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS

A VPN is highly recommended if you are a researcher/journalist/activist/whistleblower/political dissident. Using a VPN masks your internet activity and prevents any government agency from seeing what you are doing online.

Although they may not be a fail-proof plan, they will go a long way in ensuring you don’t raise any red flags. Many travelers have been arrested abroad for comments they made online while in those countries. In several parts of the world, free speech is still not a right and there are government agencies constantly monitoring web activity and take action against any activity they deem a threat.

In conclusion, traveling with a VPN is something you just can’t do without especially if you are heading to certain parts of the world where cybersecurity is not guaranteed, or human rights are at a minimum. Get a VPN today and protect your data, privacy, and security, and enjoy access to the internet unhindered.