The Top 5 Reasons To Use A VPN And Proxy

The use of a VPN and proxy server together is a smart move to enhance your online security, gain more freedom and access to the internet as well as many more benefits.

These options can give the user an enhanced experience on the internet, yet they both operate in different ways and can give you multiple benefits in their own right. 

In the United States, Statista found that VPN usage from adults grew from 15% in 2019 to 72% currently in 2022.

The industry is booming ever since the COVID-19 lockdowns where the world shifted mainly to online, and people saw both a rise in cybercrime where people had their data and financial information stolen, but also consumers felt restricted by censorship in many countries.

It could range from someone in the United States wanting to watch Japanese anime content, but their Netflix has them geographically restricted to just Western TV shows.

It could also be someone in China who wants to read the news that isn’t being censored or purported by a state news outlet, so a VPN provides a critical service for them.

Both proxies and VPNs will hide your real IP address and pair it with the proxy server or VPN provider’s IP address. This gives you strong anonymity for every site or browsing experience.

A proxy, however, is much more limited in its privacy benefit and tends to be more beneficial for a large group of people, like a company that works remotely.

It’s well understood that when you compare a VPN and proxy server, the former is the best option for a consumer, such as a tool like Urban Free VPN, which is both cost-effective, easy to use and covers all of the benefits you would expect from a VPN.

Here are the top 5 reasons to start using a VPN and proxy server: 

Keeps Your IP Address Hidden

Both a VPN and a proxy server can hide your IP address, meaning you are completely protected from having your real-life IP address revealed to cyber criminals looking to hack into your data or nefarious third parties who are trying to mine your data for monetization or targeted ads.

All your internet traffic, online requests, and browsing information look like it is coming from a completely different location than your real one. This cloak of anonymity can keep you safe because all someone can get is the VPN’s or Proxy’s server data and IP address, not yours. By using a VPN, you keep safe and secure. 

Security On Public Networks And Beyond

In today’s remote working world, you will often find yourself working for your employer from a range of places – it could be at home, in your local coffee shop, with relatives, or even in a different country.

Regardless, the need to use a public or unsecured network is mandatory now and then. These networks, especially public ones, are not nearly protected enough and can become prime candidates for hackers and other cybercriminals to target their next victim.

They can use fake hotspots, plant malware, track your data as a ‘man-in-the-middle’, or more. A VPN can provide critical protection against this as all your data, from your PC to the website you are visiting and back is encrypted. 

It essentially creates a private tunnel that works as an added encryption to your connection, meaning any sensitive data is almost impossible to grab by the hackers. Even if they somehow got access to it, it would be unreadable and useless to them. 

Get Freedom Of The Internet

A common problem for many consumers who use streaming platforms is that they can’t get access to the TV shows they want. Usually, they will be paying for just the region they are in, and won’t have access to others.

Thankfully, a VPN and the localized anonymity it provides means you can use your streaming platform through this and get access to content from anywhere across the globe.

Whether you want to watch Amazon Prime content that is only available in Asia or you want to see what Netflix is like for an American as a Brit, a VPN can solve this restriction problem. 

In other cases of restriction and impediments to an internet user’s freedom, it can come in the form of censorship. There is a growing number of countries that are actively limiting a user’s ability to browse and access content and information on the internet.

Censorship can operate from a national level, where a country bans certain media outlets or types of news, or it can come in the form of an organization where your workplace, place of education, or more can block certain sites when you are connected to their network.

Regardless, a VPN can bypass this censorship problem and allow you to, quite literally, access content from all over the globe.

Data Privacy

If one thing is for certain, it is that you are granted zero privacy on the internet today. Whether it is cyber criminals and hackers aiming to exploit your personal or financial information for their malicious gains, or prying third parties that want to make money off your data they can mine, your privacy is minimal online.

An example of someone who is tracking internet traffic and online browsing can be found in your Internet Service Provider (ISP), as they track your data and can happily share it with companies, advertisers, the government, and other nefarious third parties without needing your approval or even letting you know. 

They typically do this for a multitude of reasons, not all necessarily evil, but your privacy is still being attacked without your consent. Some governments make it a requirement for an ISP to log your internet activity, whilst some even let them sell it for profit to advertisers, like the United States.

A VPN thankfully can block the ISP from tracking your online activity, and an important note to make is that this online data they are sharing includes your real-time location, social media activity, and even logins and password information. 

They Save You Money

There is a thing called ‘price discrimination’ where your location actively changes the price of a product or solution, as well as your status (first-time buyer or repeat customer), your online buying preferences, and more.

These algorithms exist to create dynamic pricing that is amended to your online data and personal information, it is something that has occurred in the real world but has transitioned to online now too. 

A VPN can save you a ton of money and pay back its affordable cost by shielding you from getting exposed by these sellers. It can hide your browsing habits, your social and economical standing, and of course your IP, meaning the seller cannot put the price higher for you.

Another way a VPN can save you money is through the security and protection it provides when you carry out online shopping or banking. The private tunnel and data encryption means you can use these sites and their facilities without the worry that your data is being snooped on by hackers, which could lead to a huge financial cost.