Why You Can‘t Afford Not to Use a VPN in 2026: An Expert‘s Perspective

As a cybersecurity professional with over a decade of experience specializing in data privacy and encryption, I‘ve witnessed the online threat landscape grow more treacherous every year. Malware, phishing scams, man-in-the-middle attacks, and data breaches are all on the rise.

At the same time, ISPs, advertisers, and governments are ramping up internet surveillance and user tracking to unprecedented levels. Amidst this perfect storm of cyber threats and digital privacy erosion, using a virtual private network (VPN) has emerged as one of the most powerful tools for individuals and organizations to protect themselves online.

How does a VPN work?

At its core, a VPN creates an encrypted “tunnel” between your device and a remote server operated by the VPN provider. When you connect to a VPN, all of your internet traffic is routed through this secure tunnel. This provides two key benefits:

1. It masks your real IP address and location, making it much harder for websites, advertisers, and other third parties to track your online activities.
2. It encrypts all of your internet traffic end-to-end, shielding your data from hackers, ISPs, and government surveillance.

Leading VPN providers typically operate large networks of servers located in dozens of countries worldwide. This allows users to easily “spoof” their location by connecting to a server in a different country, which makes it appear as if they are accessing the internet from that location.

There are several common VPN protocols that provide varying levels of security and performance:

• OpenVPN: Open-source protocol that is widely considered the gold standard for VPNs. It offers the best balance of security, speed and reliability.
• WireGuard: Newer protocol that uses state-of-the-art cryptography for a leaner, faster and more secure VPN experience. It‘s quickly gaining adoption among premium VPN services.
• IKEv2/IPSec: Developed by Microsoft and Cisco, this protocol is particularly good for mobile devices due to its ability to maintain a stable VPN connection when switching between Wi-Fi and cellular networks.
• L2TP/IPSec: Older protocol that is still widely supported but has some security vulnerabilities. It should only be used if OpenVPN or WireGuard are not available.
• PPTP: Outdated protocol that has several known security flaws. Avoid using PPTP if at all possible.

When choosing a VPN provider, make sure they support modern, secure protocols like OpenVPN and WireGuard. Avoid free VPN apps that often use obsolete protocols like PPTP.

12 Essential Benefits of Using a VPN

Now that we‘ve covered how VPNs work, let‘s dive deeper into the myriad benefits they provide in today‘s dangerous digital world:

1. Protect your online privacy

The minute you connect to the internet, dozens of entities begin tracking your online activities and building detailed profiles on you. Websites track you with cookies and trackers, advertisers monitor your browsing habits, and your internet service provider logs your every move. By using a VPN, you can take back control of your online privacy.

VPNs mask your real IP address and location, and encrypt your traffic so that your ISP and other third parties can‘t see which websites you visit or what you do online. Over 80% of websites now use tracking scripts, but a VPN prevents them from connecting your browsing activities to your real identity and location. (Source: WhoTracksMe – “Tracking The Trackers”)

2. Secure your data on public Wi-Fi

We‘ve all jumped on a public Wi-Fi network at a café, airport, or hotel. Unfortunately, public Wi-Fi security is often extremely lax or non-existent. Hackers can easily set up fake Wi-Fi hotspots or use “packet sniffing” to intercept data transmitted over public wireless networks.

If you log into your online accounts or transmit any sensitive information while on public Wi-Fi, you are putting your data and identity at serious risk. However, if you use a VPN, your internet traffic is strongly encrypted between your device and the VPN server. Even if a hacker is eavesdropping on the network, all they will see is gibberish.

A 2022 survey by NordVPN found that 48% of respondents have used public Wi-Fi to log into personal accounts and 31% have logged into work accounts. Those risky behaviors provide a perfect entry point for criminals to steal your passwords, personal data, or business information. A VPN is essential for protecting yourself every time you use a public Wi-Fi network.

3. Encrypt your internet traffic

While hiding your IP address provides a high level of anonymity, it‘s the encryption that a VPN provides which forms the backbone of its security benefits. Most premium VPN services use the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with 256-bit keys to encrypt your traffic.

AES-256 is a symmetric encryption cipher that is widely considered unbreakable. It would take the world‘s most powerful supercomputer millions of years to crack AES-256 encryption through brute force. This is the same level of encryption used by militaries, intelligence agencies, and banks to secure their most sensitive data. With a VPN, you can harness the power of military-grade encryption to protect your internet traffic from all forms of surveillance and attack.

In addition to strong encryption, top VPN providers also offer security features like:

• Automatic kill switch (blocks all internet traffic if the VPN connection drops)
• DNS leak protection
• WebRTC and IPv6 leak blocking
• Built-in ad, tracker and malware blocker
• Obfuscated servers to hide VPN usage in high-censorship countries
• Split tunneling (route some apps outside the VPN)
• Multi-hop VPN to route traffic through multiple locations for added security

4. Access geo-blocked content

Have you ever tried to watch a show on Netflix or YouTube only to be greeted with a frustrating “this content is not available in your country” error message? Many streaming services and websites geo-restrict their content, making it inaccessible from certain countries. This is often due to licensing and copyright issues or government censorship.

By connecting to a VPN server in a different country, you can easily unblock geo-restricted content and enjoy your favorite shows, music, and websites from anywhere in the world. According to a 2022 market research report, 49% of VPN users reported using VPNs to access better entertainment content. (Source: Security.org – “The State of VPNs in 2022)

5. Bypass censorship and internet restrictions

Internet censorship is a growing problem worldwide as more authoritarian governments block access to social media, foreign news sites, and other information they deem undesirable. According to the 2022 Internet Censorship Map from Surfshark VPN, a record 32 countries restricted access to social media or messaging apps last year.

Even in countries without widespread censorship, universities and workplaces often block distracting or inappropriate websites. With a VPN, you can hop over the “Great Firewall of China” and other government censorship systems by connecting to a server in a country with unrestricted internet access. This allows you to bypass content filters and freely access the open global internet.

6. Prevent ISP throttling

Does your internet suddenly slow to a crawl when you‘re streaming Netflix or downloading large files? There‘s a good chance your internet service provider is throttling (intentionally slowing down) your connection.

ISPs often throttle customers‘ internet speeds when they use high-bandwidth applications like streaming, gaming, and file-sharing. Since your internet traffic is encrypted by the VPN, your ISP can‘t see what you‘re doing online. All they can see is that you‘re sending unintelligible data to a VPN server.

The inability to inspect your traffic makes it much harder for your ISP to justify throttling your connection. A 2022 study by Uswitch, a UK-based broadband comparison site, found that major British ISP Virgin Media throttles YouTube by up to 83% during peak hours. Many other ISPs impose similar throttling practices, making a VPN essential for streaming without constant buffering.

7. Cloak your internet activity from surveillance

Mass government surveillance of citizens‘ internet activities is disturbingly common worldwide. For example, a 2020 study by Comparitech found that European countries including the UK, Germany, and France collect significantly more personal data on their citizens than Russia or China. Under the PRISM surveillance program, the US government compels internet companies to provide data on users‘ online communications.

With a VPN, you can prevent authorities from spying on your internet traffic and online communications. Even if a government agency secretly obtained logs from your ISP, the VPN encryption would prevent them from seeing the contents of your internet traffic. However, it‘s critical to choose a reputable VPN provider that follows a strict no-logs policy, meaning they don‘t store any data on users‘ online activities that could be requested by governments.

Since VPN providers can see your internet traffic, the privacy and trustworthiness of the VPN provider is paramount. Seek out VPN services based in privacy-friendly jurisdictions like Panama, Moldova, and the British Virgin Islands that have no mandatory data retention laws. Carefully read the VPN‘s privacy policy and look for information on their logging practices. Ideally, choose a VPN that has undergone a third-party security audit to verify its no-logging policy.

8. Protect yourself from hackers

Whenever you connect to the internet, particularly on public Wi-Fi networks, you are exposing your device and data to potential hacking attempts. Cyber criminals can intercept your internet traffic and steal sensitive information like passwords, financial details, and private messages.

One of the most dangerous hacking methods is a “man-in-the-middle” (MITM) attack. In a MITM attack, a hacker secretly intercepts and relays messages between two parties who believe they are communicating directly with each other. The attacker can eavesdrop on the conversation and even alter the messages being passed between the victims.

MITM attacks often begin by tricking the victim into connecting to a malicious Wi-Fi hotspot controlled by the hacker. When you use a VPN, all of your traffic is strongly encrypted before it even leaves your device. Even if you accidentally connect to a hacker‘s rogue Wi-Fi network, the VPN encryption makes it virtually impossible for them to decipher your data or execute a MITM attack.

9. Block ads and malware

The internet is unfortunately littered with annoying ads, trackers, and malicious websites that try to infect your device with malware. Over 90% of data breaches and infections occur via phishing, web-based attacks or other download-related infection vectors. (Source: Securelist – “Cyberthreats to Financial Organizations in 2024”)

Some premium VPN services now offer built-in protection against these threats in the form of ad, tracker, and malware blocking. When enabled, the VPN will automatically prevent invasive trackers from loading, block ads on websites, and keep you from accidentally visiting known malicious websites. This not only provides an added layer of security but also declutters web pages and prevents ads from hogging your bandwidth.

10. Get better deals online

Many e-commerce websites display different prices to users based on their geographic location. For example, airfare and hotel prices are often higher for customers in wealthy countries compared to those in developing nations. The price discrimination can even occur within the same country, with affluent areas being shown higher prices than lower-income regions.

By using a VPN to virtually hop between locations, you can often score significantly cheaper prices on airline tickets, hotels, subscription services, and other online purchases. A 2018 study by researchers at Northeastern University found that “websites are charging users from different countries different prices for the same items.” For US consumers, “the highest response” might be 166% higher than the lowest price available with a VPN to another country.

11. Enhance your gaming experience

If you‘re a serious gamer, a VPN can give you a competitive edge by reducing lag and allowing you to access geo-restricted multiplayer game servers. By connecting to a VPN server close to the game server‘s location, you can minimize latency and enjoy smoother gameplay with less “rubber banding.”

Gaming servers also use your IP address to impose IP bans on players who violate the rules or cheat. With a VPN, you can simply switch to a different IP address to evade IP bans and other restrictions.

Additionally, competitive gamers are frequent targets of DDoS attacks, where an attacker overwhelms the target‘s network with a flood of traffic to disconnect them from the game. Since a VPN masks your real IP address, it makes it much harder for sore losers to hit you with a DDoS attack after a match.

12. Safely torrent and access P2P networks

Peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing networks have many legitimate uses like distributing open-source software, public data sets and Creative Commons licensed media. Unfortunately, P2P is also widely abused for illegal activities like copyright infringement. This makes P2P users prime targets for surveillance and legal action from copyright holders and authorities.

If you regularly download torrents or use P2P software, you should always connect through a VPN. The VPN will hide your real IP address from other users in the P2P swarm, making it impossible to trace torrenting activity back to you. Be sure to choose a VPN provider that allows and supports P2P traffic on their network. Many lower-quality VPNs block or discourage torrenting on their servers due to the legal headaches it can cause.

The three best VPNs for torrenting and P2P in 2024 are:

1. OVPN: Swedish VPN that keeps absolutely no logs and offers lightning-fast servers optimized for P2P traffic
2. IVPN: Allows P2P on all servers and has advanced options for multi-hop and split tunneling
3. Mullvad: Supports WireGuard for blazing fast P2P downloads and accepts anonymous payments

A VPN is Non-Negotiable for Digital Privacy in 2024

As you can see, the advantages of using a VPN today extend far beyond the basic privacy and security benefits. From unblocking geo-restricted content to scoring better deals when shopping online, VPNs have become an essential tool for everyday internet users. Given the explosion of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, VPNs have also become a mission-critical tool for businesses to secure remote employees and allow them to securely access company networks.

While the added security of a VPN typically comes with a slight decrease in internet speeds, this drawback is easily outweighed by the many benefits. More concerning is the potential for VPN providers themselves to monitor users or hand over data to authorities. That‘s why it‘s crucial to carefully research a VPN provider‘s logging policies, jurisdiction, and trustworthiness before signing up.

I strongly recommend choosing a paid VPN over free VPN services. “Free VPNs are the most likely to track user activity and sell your data to advertisers. If you aren‘t paying for the service, then you‘re likely the product,” cautions Dan Guido, CEO of cybersecurity consulting firm Trail of Bits. While many reputable paid VPNs cost under $3/month, the peace of mind they provide is priceless.

Ultimately, a VPN is one of the most powerful and cost-effective tools available to protect your privacy, security, and freedom in our increasingly surveilled digital world. No matter your threat model, VPNs are a necessary last line of defense as governments and criminals around the world step up their attacks on our digital rights. Don‘t wait until it‘s too late – protect yourself with a VPN today.