In this day and age, you cannot carelessly use electronic media without protecting yourself from the risks and threats that exist on the Internet.

You should know that protection exists, and it is available to every user. It is called VPN.

The purpose of this article is to introduce you to virtual private networks and to refute many of the common misconceptions about VPN.

Myth 1: Only criminals use VPNs.

Criminals can use everything: cars, planes, modern technologies, however, this is not a reason to refuse all the achievements of civilization.

Yes, criminals can use a VPN for their purposes, but if ordinary people use VPN protection, it will save data and protect devices from cybercriminals too.

VPN encrypts the entire information flow. Even if you are afraid that your connection can be hacked, and the information is stolen, no attacker will be able to decrypt the stolen data. The cost of decryption is enormous.

Myth 2: Using a VPN will slow down the connection.

 Yes, VPN may slow down the connection, but this technology develops, and its speed has significantly increased. It is unlikely that a slight decrease in the connection speed may be the reason to give up security.

The Internet speed is influenced by many factors. Most often it depends on the location of the server that you choose. The further the server - the slower the connection. Choose a VPN provider that has many servers all over the world.

The speed also depends on the VPN protocol. OpenVPN or L2TP are not the best for viewing streaming content, but they guarantee a high level of security. HybridVPN with SmartDNS is best suited for streaming media but provides a lower level of security.

Myth 3: Why should I buy a VPN, if there is a free one?

Having paid the money, you get exactly what you need, and on the conditions that suit you. Paid VPNs guarantee a high level of security. Minimal hacking skills of most intruders will not help them to detect and intercept your data.

Consider another factor. One way for vendors to extract commercial benefits from a free VPN can be tracking the history of your connections. Yes, hackers cannot track you, but the service itself can do it. It will then sell this information to third parties.

When choosing a free VPN, be sure that your VPN provider does not log and keep your personal or search data, and does not leak it.

Myth 4: All VPNs are the same.

In terms of the main functions, yes, all VPNs provide data encryption and create a secure connection. However, different VPNs have different technical capabilities.

First, there are many ways to encrypt data. Secondly, the connection occurs between the device and dedicated VPN servers. These connections can be performed using three basic security protocols: PPTP, L2TP, and OpenVPN.

PPTP does not always include encryption and is not very suitable for transferring sensitive data. However, it helps to bypass geo-limitations, does not affect the download speed and, when used together with SmartDNS, is perfectly suitable for viewing streaming videos, like VPN providers for Netflix.

The L2TP protocol increases the degree of connection security. It is suitable to transfer confidential information.

The OpenVPN protocol is based on open source technology and provides a high level of security and anonymity.

Choose a reliable VPN service that applies all the above security protocols.

Myth 5: If I use VPN, I can do whatever I want.

Virtual private networks do provide a high level of security, privacy, and anonymity on the Internet.

VPN service will protect you from a wide range of Internet threats, but, unfortunately, not from all of them. The number one threat is as old as the world. It is called human stupidity.

By clicking links to questionable web sites or opening email attachments from unknown recipients, you expose yourself to viruses and big risks associated with them. In the worst case, it is a direct threat to your device, your personal data and even yourself and your relatives.

Be attentive, always use modern antivirus solutions to protect your devices from malicious programs. Make backups of important files and system, and update your software regularly.

Myth 6: VPNs guarantee 100% anonymity

Most VPN providers claim that they do not keep logs, but it is not true. They all know a lot about you. Without such records, they will not be able to provide technical support to their clients.

A global misconception is to think that someone or something can provide 100% anonymity on the Internet. Where one person finds a way to protect your data, other 10 are looking for ways to steal it.

Myth 7: Tor is as secure as VPNs

While Tor does provide some of the same functions as VPN, there is a significant difference in the type of connection. When you use VPN, encryption and secure connection starts inside your own device and ends inside the endpoint device.

When using Tor, you must first connect to the Internet through your ISP and then connect to the Tor network. Only after that the file passes through secure channels. At the end of the road, your file must leave the Tor network. This means that your connection and your data are vulnerable before and after you connect to Tor. VPNs provide security starting on your device and all the way through to the receiving device.