As we see a world that has become rapidly more digital and online, the ways people are trying to protect their online safety. At the same time, maintaining their freedoms on the internet is increasing.
We see more and more that cybercrime is rising and becoming increasingly complex, whether it is phishing scams that look believable or malicious files and data online that contain malware. People can face both the loss of personal data and severe financial loss if cybercriminals attack them.
Aside from the malicious attackers forming in droves online, people are beginning to find nefarious third parties and bad actors in different areas. For example, ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and online advertisers are very sneaky in using consumer data. Whether it is an ISP restricting your online freedoms or an online advertiser collecting and selling your data, it can be very frustrating.
VPNs became increasingly popular over the past decade, peaking during the COVID-19 pandemic when many people went online and realized they were being restricted or threatened.
As the COVID-19 crisis hit the world, many VPN providers saw that they were becoming in demand by so many online users. In fact, between March 8 and March 22, a 124% increase in VPNs was found in the United States alone, and VPN increases were found in other countries like Italy, Spain, and Germany.
Finding the best free VPN in 2023 can be challenging in such a hyper-competitive market, but once you understand what a VPN is and what it can do for you, you should narrow your scope and pick the VPN.
What is a VPN?
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, has become a mainstay for savvy online users concerned about their privacy and safety. At the same time, they are connected to the internet via a network. A VPN has many benefits but can create an encrypted tunnel for the connection to the network and internet, making all the data that passes through impossible to read by any online advertisers or third parties.
While using a VPN, one of the critical benefits comes in the way it anonymizes your IP address and allows you to use a VPN server from anywhere in the world. This is perfect for those of us who want to use the internet anonymously and access content that is only available in different parts of the world.
The benefits of using a VPN are wide-ranging and plentiful; here are the most important ones:
More Online Privacy
A VPN encrypts your incoming and outgoing online data and internet traffic while keeping your IP address private and hidden from prying eyes. This is critical against ISPs, businesses, and hackers.
Get Geo-Restricted Content
A lot of great content needs to be included in geographical blocks. Whether wanting to get more in your streaming content library or read online news content from a particular part of the world, a VPN can place your IP address in that geographical location and get you access to previously blocked content.
Boosted Security
Using the encrypted tunnel for your internet traffic, you are completely protected from hacking attacks, phishing scams, and other identity theft attempts against you. While an antivirus and firewall can help against the above, a VPN makes you practically invisible against them.
No Worry With Public Networks
Many online users like to use spots like cafes or airports, waiting for lounges to get work done but can often be wary of using public networks. The trepidation is correct, as these networks are often attacked by hackers and cybercriminals who can swoop in on unsuspecting victims. By using a VPN on a public network, you can use public wifi without worry, as A VPN will hide you from any bad actors on the network.
Get Better Internet Speeds
Using a VPN, you hide your activity from your ISP and then can avoid any limitations they will impose on your bandwidth, as the throttling they can employ can slow your connection down massively.
How to Choose the Best VPN?
When you are going about finding a VPN for yourself, you need to understand your requirements and what you would use it for.
Suppose your biggest concern is your online privacy and how your data is managed. You should search for a VPN with a standard no-logging policy and rigid and strong encryption processes.
For someone that might want a VPN to expand the content, they can get online and look at VPNs that have servers widespread over the globe.
After you have weighed up your decision process, you should look at the pricing to define what is most value of money to you and make that VPN yours.
Choosing the best VPN in 2023 can be challenging, but if you create decision criteria beforehand for what you need, you can find the best VPN for yourself and ensure you get the maximum from your online experience.
