WHY YOU DON’T NEED A VPN
VPNs are great – but they’re not for everyone. Jonathan Parkyn explains why and reveals what you can use instead
We extolled the virtues of VPNs in Issue 692’s Cover Feature, and we haven’t changed our minds. They remain terrific tools for protecting your identity from websites you visit, encrypting your browsing data and blocking trackers. NordVPN (https://nordvpn.com) and Proton VPN (https://protonvpn.com) are among our favourites.
However, getting the most from a VPN often means subscribing to the premium version, which can be costly – and this could be overkill for many users. One alternative is using a remote-desktop tool, which provides a secure way to access a PC remotely, via the internet. With Microsoft axing the Remote Desktop app soon, we’ve recommended our favourite replacement on page 35. And in this feature we’ll explain the other VPN alternatives – many of which won’t cost you a penny.
Are VPNs really necessary?
Not long ago, vast swathes of the internet were entirely unencrypted, meaning it was very easy for your ISP, your employer or anyone else to snoop on your online activity. VPNs became popular because they provided a way to encrypt your web browsing and prevent anyone from seeing what you did online.
These days however it’s estimated (by Google, among others) that as much as 99 per cent of websites are already encrypted, thanks in large part to widespread adoption of protocols like HTTPS and TLS. As such, a large proportion of your online activity is already private, whether or not you use a VPN.