The recent growth of VPN technology leaves many of us dumbfounded, as many people become concerned about digital privacy.
As the VPN service market grows to meet this demand, there are now 1,000s of free VPN services promising to keep you safe and secure online, at no extra cost.
This sounds like a real game, almost too good to be true. It usually is. VPNs are expensive and complicated software that requires a great deal of investment to maintain. Also, they need to keep up with the ever-evolving world of internet privacy.
Free VPN services need to cover costs and turn a profit. Instead, they generate revenue from their customers using hidden tricks and tools. These techniques are not only dangerous and dishonest but ultimately betray the principles of VPNs. Read more to know about how to avoid downloading a bad VPN.
As you are about to see, using a free VPN service could make you less safe online, cost you more than you know, and ruin your entire internet experience.
Read more: What has changed in VPN services after COVID-19 impact (2020)
Warning Signs to Look out for
Low-level encryption
VPN tools are all about creating an encrypted tunnel between the user’s computer and the VPN server. By routing the internet data traffic through this tunnel, it obtains a high level of encryption, making it highly unlikely to be readable – or at least that is the plan.
The problem is that while all VPN services create this encrypted tunnel, the type of encryption and VPN protocols used can vary. The better VPN services offer the state of the art OpenVPN protocol, that is open source, and supports up to 256-bit encryption. An example of this is ExpressVPN, which openly details that the encryption is AES 256-bit, via the OpenVPN protocol. Red flags should go up with any VPN service that does not provide this level of detail on the encryption used prominently on its site.
Slow Speeds
As all the data gets routed through the VPN, a robust provider is needed to keep up with your demands. After all, you paid for a certain level of bandwidth from your ISP, and a better VPN should be able to keep up with it, with minimal loss of throughput.
A bad VPN is often oversold, with servers that get overloaded. This then severely limits bandwidth that can be used to translate to slow browsing, and frequent hiccups when trying to enjoy streaming content.
Free VPN Services
That expression about “If anything is free, you’re the product,” does apply to free VPN services. It is because it doesn’t cost you a penny apparently, but have you thought how it makes profit and run?
There have been various examples of VPN services that are downright malware. These free VPN services grab user’s data via their software, routing it back to the business, which can then package it and sell it to interested third-parties. This lack of digital privacy is precisely what a reputable VPN service can secure, so make sure you avoid these insecure VPN services, and go only with reputable ones.
Absent or unclear no logs policy
The key to any VPN service is that it indeed provides privacy. An essential component of this privacy is that it does not log the data. Many VPNs do log the user’s data and keep it for some time, which is quite opposite to the privacy that they purport to offer. After all, who would you be more likely to trust with your data: your Internet Service Provider that you pay a monthly subscription fee and has a motivation to retain you as a customer, or some shady VPN service that will be more than willing to comply with any requests for data and just protect itself?
Therefore, search a reputable VPN (e.g., NordVPN) with a transparent and detailed ‘no-logs’ policy. It should be clearly written that user data is not logged and not kept for any amount of time. Also, it should be easily located on the VPN service’s website.
The Secure Solution to Access An Unrestricted Internet
Paid VPN services make profits by providing security without selling your personal details to the third parties. A free VPN server may lead to detrimental things like identity theft, while a paid VPN service can (though not all) keep your information private and secure.
So we have gathered some points that you should consider before purchasing one:
1. NordVPN
- Double encryption for added security
- Automatic kill switch
- A variety of platform support
- Six simultaneous connections
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- 3-Day free trial
2. ExpressVPN
- Unlimited Bandwidth with Ultra Speed
- Provides all VPN protocols OpenVPN (TCP, UDP), L2TP-IPsec, SSTP, and PPTP
- Dedicated VPN Apps for Android & iOS
- High-End Security with OpenVPN 256-bits
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- 3 simultaneous connections
3. Surfshark
- AES 256-Bit Network Encryption
- Chrome Extension Available
- Kill-Switch functionality
- A variety of platform support
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
4. CyberGhost
- Uses AES 256 Encryption
- Supports OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, and PPTP
- DNS & IP Leak Protection
- Uses 2048 Key & MD5 Authentication
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- Up to 7 Simultaneous Connections
5. Private Internet Access
- Offers all Protocols PPTP, OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec including SOCKS5 Proxy
- IPv6 Leak Protection & DNS Leak Protection
- Kill-Switch functionality
- Encrypted Wi-Fi Protection
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- 10 simultaneous connections
Conclusion -Avoid Downloading Bad VPN
If you really want better protection online, avoid free VPN services. While you might save a few dollars each month, the risks to your privacy and data are not worth it. In fact, using a free VPN could cost you a lot more than the subscription to a premium provider.
Aside from the security concerns, free VPNs can turn using the internet into a massive headache, with slow speeds, constant pop-ups, and restricted streaming.
Instead, look at premium VPNs as an investment. You’ll experience faster, more secure connections, completely open internet, greater privacy, and peace of mind.
