AARP Hearing Center
What’s a VPN and Why Should I Get One?
Virtual private networks can help enhance online privacy and security, but they’re not infallible
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Friends have told me that I should consider installing a VPN on my smartphone and/or computer for privacy and security reasons, but I don’t really understand what it is or does. Isn’t a VPN a work thing anyway?
VPN is short for virtual private network, and yes, it is often a work thing. But VPNs also benefit consumers because they can shield their internet activity from prying eyes.
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Think of a VPN as a secure and encrypted tunnel where data passes between your phone or computer and a private network or server. Encryption means that the data in transit is garbled or rendered into digital gibberish so that hackers or even your own internet service provider, or ISP, can’t make heads or tails of it.
About 3 of 4 Americans surveyed in June by Security.org, a website that reviews home and digital security and safety products, recognize what VPNs are. But only about a third use them.
Some people are indeed first exposed to VPNs because their employer requires them to sign into the company’s network with one when working remotely.
Beyond the company you work for, though, consider other reasons for using a VPN.
Pretending to be elsewhere. You are traveling overseas but want to stream content from back home that’s blocked in the country or region you’re visiting. It can work the other way, too. You may be able to watch stuff produced across the pond that isn’t otherwise available in the U.S.
And VPNs may also help you bypass censorship or government restrictions while you’re in certain countries.
VPNs can change your IP, or Internet Protocol, address to mask or spoof your actual location and make it appear as if you’re in the same geographic area as the server you’re attempting to connect to.
Using a VPN for such purposes doesn’t always work in your favor. For example, Netflix says if a TV show or movie you want to watch on the service appears to be unavailable in the country you’re in, you may have to turn the VPN off. The popular streamer’s policy is that it will only deliver content for which it has worldwide rights, including series such as Stranger Things and Squid Game.
VPNs can change your IP, or Internet Protocol, address to mask or spoof your actual location and make it appear as if you’re in the same geographic area as the server you’re attempting to connect to.
Using a VPN for such purposes doesn’t always work in your favor. For example, Netflix says if a TV show or movie you want to watch on the service appears to be unavailable in the country you’re in, you may have to turn the VPN off. The popular streamer’s policy is that it will only deliver content for which it has worldwide rights, including series such as Stranger Things and Squid Game.
It’s also important to recognize that VPNs are not 100 percent foolproof, so you’re not completely anonymous. Marketers and sites you visit often employ web cookies or other tools to get a sense of your online behavior. Cookies are tiny files that can follow you around a site.
Ask the Tech Guru
Guard confidential information in public. You enjoy the free Wi-Fi available at cafés, airports, hotel lobbies and other public venues, but these places are hacker havens. It’s never a smart idea to shop or bank online in such locales, much less share your credit card number or other sensitive information. A strong VPN can bolster your privacy and help thwart snoops and cybercriminals. Some VPNs also add real-time protection against malware.
Even with a VPN, I’d probably ask myself if I could take care of certain confidential transactions in a more secure location later on.
Keep things private from your ISP. The very company providing your internet access also collects data about your file downloads, internet search queries and the websites you land on. They may profit by selling such data, in anonymized form, to third-party advertisers and marketers. A VPN can also put up a privacy shield that protects data from your ISP.
That said, your ISP can still detect when you’re using a VPN, but it cannot see what you’ve been doing while using it.
7 key questions to consider when choosing a VPN
There’s no shortage of VPN apps and services, from brands like CyberGhost, ExpressVPN, McAfee, Mullvad, NordVPN, Norton, Proton VPN, Surfshark and TunnelBear. It can make choosing one difficult, especially for non-techies.
Here are some of the things you’ll want to know:
- Is it fast? A VPN can slow you down as you browse the web and engage in other online activities. The physical distance between the server you’re trying to reach and your device can impact connection speeds. Some VPNs are notably faster than others. Consult reviews from reputable tech outlets to get a good sense of speed.
- Is my data logged? The VPN you’re using may indeed shield information from marketers and eavesdroppers, but the nature of the beast is that the VPN company itself can mine its own data about you, and possibly sell that data. Look for zero-log or no-log VPNs. Read privacy policies to get a handle on the data that is collected, how long it may be saved and what, if anything, might be shared.
- Does it have a kill switch? Some VPNs have a kill switch feature that prevents apps or the entire device from accessing the internet if a leaky or insecure network is detected or the VPN connection itself falters.
- How wide-reaching is the server network? Not every VPN has servers in every country or region. If you want to access content in a given geographic area, make sure the VPN has servers in that location. Find the information on the company’s website. In general, a larger server count is considered a plus.
- Is it compatible with all my devices? Make sure the VPN you choose is compatible with your computer, phone, router and other devices. Some VPNs may impose restrictions on the number of connections you can have at once.
- Is it easy to use? Look for VPNs with a no-risk trial period that will let you test them out. That’s not always practical, however, so pay attention to expert and user reviews.
- How much does it cost? Last but certainly not least is price. Some companies offer free VPNs, or at least free tier-pricing options. These typically come with trade-offs, however: poky speeds, data limits, smaller server counts and less robust privacy.
It means you likely must pay for more comprehensive security, and prices vary quite a bit. The median monthly cost of VPNs is $10, with most plans in the $2 to $15 range, reports Security.org. Annual plans may be cheaper, sometimes with a reduced first-year offering.
Bonus tip: Alternatives to VPNs
You can bolster your online privacy without a VPN, though not nearly to the same degree. Look into private browsers and search engines like Brave and DuckDuckGo, which can block trackers and keep your search history under wraps.
If you already pay for Apple’s premium iCloud+ service for added storage and other features, you can also take advantage of something called iCloud Private Relay. It isn’t a VPN but has some similar traits. According to Apple, iCloud Private Relay is designed to prevent network providers and websites from using your IP address and other records to build an online profile about you to send targeted ads. In simple terms, traffic leaving your device is encrypted and sent through two separate and secure internet “relays,” neither of which knows your identity or the sites you visit. However, the feature is limited to Apple’s own iPhone, iPad and Mac computers and its Safari browser.
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