Science fiction in the 20th century showed us a future with terrifying threats to humanity. Hostile aliens coming to take over or destroy the earth. Time travelers changing the past and ruining the future. Advanced weaponry being used by criminals to reign over the law-abiding citizens of a country.
Perhaps that’s why so many people don’t take today’s real threats seriously. Compared to lasers being shot at your spaceship, hackers seem almost benign. So the government can track us? At least they’re not using massive brainwashing devices.
Unfortunately, that leaves us open to a major problem that can ruin your life. Identity theft. Simply by using the internet, you’re putting yourself at risk. Identity theft causes millions of people to lose huge amounts of money, their reputations, credit scores, and ability to function in a bureaucratic system.
The stats are frightening. More and more people are susceptible, and the numbers are only rising.
The good news is that simply by installing a VPN, you can counter many of these threats. There are some excellent options available. Notably, NordVPN is popular among tech bloggers, as you can read in this review here. Other excellent VPNs include ExpressVPN and CyberGhost.
Here are the reasons you should download a VPN as soon as you’re done reading.
Hide Your Location
Your IP address is used by websites to identify where in the world you are. They can optimize their content for you, show you what’s most relevant, and make it possible to access content specifically available in your location.
However, this also means anyone can locate you with the barest amount of digging. You’re broadcasting your position to the world, and this information can be used against you.
Furthermore, this makes it possible for your local government to censor content they don’t want you to see. If you live in a country with strict censorship, your freedom is being curtailed.
A VPN routes you through an external server, in your country or in a variety of others. You thereby remain hidden, and are able to access content you wouldn’t be able to access with a local IP address.
Encrypt Your Data
A VPN does more than just hide your location. It also encrypts your data. This means that any information your computer is sending out online is “locked,” so that even if hackers manage to steal it, they can’t do anything with it.
This is crucial in preventing identity theft. We open ourselves up to having our information stolen, because we live so much of our lives online. There are advantages, but when used against you, the harm is much greater than the good.
Maintain Your Freedom
It’s no secret that governments can track citizens’ online activity. They justify it based on security concerns, but at the same time, this curtails your freedom. The right to privacy is fundamental in today’s world. The unfortunate truth is that even benign information about your online activity can be manipulated against you in the wrong hands. And while we’d all like to believe our governments have only the best intentions for us, we know that is naive.
Subscribe to a VPN right now, to protect your identity and your freedom.
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