Why You Need a VPN While Sheltering in Place

As so many of us are self-isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re spending a lot of our time online. We’re working remotely instead of going into the office and using the internet to perform most of our day-to-day tasks. 

So rather than venture into a grocery store or restaurant, we’re ordering our groceries and meals to be delivered. To avoid walking into a bank (or touching the plastic capsule at the drive-thru), we’re banking online. Doctors’ appointments have been replaced with virtual, telehealth visits. We’re not seeing movies in theaters or leaving our homes hardly at all. With so much more time on our hands, it’s no wonder we’re streaming movies and TV shows and gaming more than ever before. 

All of this online activity is certainly convenient, but it also creates some dilemmas - and even very serious concerns about privacy and security - especially if you’re using the same network you were on pre-pandemic or you haven’t employed new security measures. The good news is, there’s an easy solution to ensure that your online experience is private and safe - using a virtual private network or VPN. 

You might think that no one sees what you’re browsing if your home network is password-protected. But snoops and hackers can worm their way into your network and steal your personal information, such as your social security number. Also, you can be blocked from accessing certain websites you want to visit or suffer interminable slowdowns while you’re streaming or gaming. 

The Best VPN Service to Improve Your Self-Isolating Experience

If you’re self-isolating, we strongly recommend that you sign up with the best VPN provider that’s able to protect your privacy and data and improve your browsing, streaming and gaming experiences. Here are 5 key ways that a VPN can help improve your time sheltering in place:

1. Privacy

What you do on the internet is your business. A good VPN ensures that no one but you sees your online activity, communications and files. Don’t be tempted to sign up for a free VPN. Those services violate your privacy by selling your data while flooding you with ads. In addition, be sure to select a VPN service that offers the following features: 

• Many IP addresses. Be sure to get a VPN service with many IP addresses to choose from. (As an example, VyprVPN has more than 200,000 IPs.) That way, you can mask your IP address wherever you are. 

• No-Log policy. It’s critical to use a VPN that doesn’t log your online traffic. That way, no one sees what you’re doing on the internet - not even the VPN provider. Not to boast, but VyprVPN was the world’s first independently audited, no-log VPN, because we believe your privacy is paramount. 

2. Security

To be blunt, the increased online traffic due to so many people sheltering in place is a hacker’s paradise. So while you’re holding online meetings, mobile-depositing checks or doing your taxes at home, you’re leaving your personal and business data vulnerable to identity theft. Cybercriminals can get to your data even while you’re streaming or gaming. Without question, a VPN is the best way to keep your information safe, especially if it has these security features: 

• Secure VPN protocols. You’ll want a VPN with 256-bit encryption. The idea is that everything that goes in and comes out of your devices is encrypted so no one can steal, or even see, your personal data. 
• Connect to Multiple Devices. Select a VPN that can connect to all your devicessimultaneously, including an iPhone or Android device, a Mac or PC or your smart TV or modem. It’s not just a convenience; connecting to all your devices means your personal and business information is always protected. 
• Kill Switch. A kill switch constantly monitors your connection and if it’s disrupted, it blocks your app or device from accessing the internet so your data is never left vulnerable. 

3. Fast, Reliable Connection

It can be really frustrating trying to watch your favorite TV show or play the newest video game and be held up with buffering and lagging. These problems are happening all the time now as bandwidth is being choked with increased usage. (It compounds an already existing issue known as “throttling,” in which ISPs limit the bandwidth of their customers.) 

So just when you thought you had plenty of time to kick back and stream “Tiger King” or “His Dark Materials” or play Call of Duty or Borderlands 3, buffering and lagging ruin the experience. A really good VPN will help you quickly connect to the internet and bypass all those restrictions. Here are some features to look for to ensure a great connection: 

• Easy to use. You want a VPN that’s easy to download and setup so you’re up and running in no time. Check customer reviews for those that praise a VPN for ease of use, as well as reliable customer support. And to be on the safe side, get a VPN with a money-back guarantee. 
• Lots of servers. You’ll want to make sure that a VPN provider operates on many servers all over the world. This will help you to quickly connect wherever you are. As an example, VyprVPN has more than 700 servers in more than 70 countries across 6 continents. 
• No third parties. You’ll enjoy a quicker, easier connection with a VPN that doesn’t rely on third-party hosting companies. That’s a promise we can make, because we own and operate all our hardware and servers, so no third parties ever gain access to your data. And because our equipment is monitored 24/7, so you’re always assured of a reliable connection.

4. Access to Content

You know you’ve landed a great VPN if you can access any and all gaming sites and streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO or the BBC, as well as listen to music on Youtube and Spotify. Basically, you’ll want to be able to connect to any server, anytime, without restrictions or download caps. We pride ourselves on VyprVPN’s expansive library of supported streaming services, as well as our high-speed global servers that allow you access to just about any content you desire.

5. Evade Censorship

If you reside or are traveling in a country with tight internet restrictions or censorship blocks, a VPN is a must. To make sure you get the best VPN to combat censorship, the product should have excellent, 256-bit encryption protocols. This is an area we feel particularly strongly about. Our VyprVPN team is dedicated to producing the most censorship-unfriendly protocols so that you can browse the internet wherever you are in the world and evade detection.

• Did you know? VyprVPN’s proprietary encryption protocol Chameleon™ bypasses internet censorship in restricted countries where apps and websites are blocked. In fact, with this high-security protocol, governments can’t see that you’re even using a VPN. So you can enjoy unlimited internet access in China, Russia, the Middle East or any region that imposes internet restrictions.

Sheltering in place is important to protect your health and the health of those around you. In the same way, using a VPN whenever you go online is the best way to protect your personal and business data and improve your browsing, streaming and gaming experience.