How Serious is VPN in 2017?

Since we started using VPNs, the market has changed. We now have dedicated apps for watching TV and using the internet without restrictions, as well as secure cloud storage for all our sensitive data. VPN as we know it is no longer enough. It’s time to take our virtual private networking (VPN) skills to the next level.

The Future of Virtual Private Networks

This year the VPN industry has changed dramatically. Where once there was a clear line between VPNs and regular old VPN services, today’s VPNs are a lot more sophisticated. Gone are the days of basic tunneling and IP blocking. Today’s VPNs are highly capable of handling a wide range of network tasks, including securing our smartphones, tablets, and laptops against threats, controlling our internet traffic, and providing a secure connection to the cloud. And did we mention that they’re also incredibly easy to use?

1. VPNs Are Inevitable

Back in the day, if you wanted a VPN you had to use one of the big-name VPN services that was specifically designed for that purpose. And even then, you had to manually configure the service to connect to your network. These days, every router and every operating system come with native VPN capabilities, which makes setting up a VPN a piece of cake. There are even portable, dedicated VPN devices available if you really need to take your VPN with you on the go. VPNs used to be the purview of geeks and security enthusiasts. These days, everyone’s doing it.

2. VPNs Aren’t Just For Keeping Private

We all love using our VPNs to keep our personal data secure and private when we’re online. But did you know that your VPN can also provide you with a secure connection to the websites you visit? Whether you’re shopping, banking, or downloading copyrighted material, your VPN can help protect you as you browse the web. There are even dedicated VPN apps that can be used to easily access the websites you want to protect, without having to go through a cumbersome router configuration process. Imagine how much time you could save if you could simply connect to your VPN when you needed it and be done with it?

3. Hybrid VPNs Are the Future

VPNs have been around for a long time and there are a variety of ways that they can be configured to suit your needs. Years ago, your only option was to take a hard line stance with either privacy-oriented or security-oriented configurations. But if you’ve used VPNs at all in the last year you’ll know that they’re becoming much more sophisticated, and thusly, more useful. Thanks to the hybrid model, we’re now able to have both our cake and eat it too. While your standard VPN provides you with excellent levels of privacy and security no one thing can provide, a hybrid VPN allows for some flexibility. You can enable an extremely secure connection in order to keep all your personal data protected, or you can choose to expose a little less privacy if you need to access a service that doesn’t require a heightened level of security.

4. Your Smartphone Is Your Best Friend

Speaking of flexibility, did you know that your mobile phone can be used as a virtual VPN client? Most mobile phone manufacturers have added VPN hardware and software within their mobile operating systems, so connecting to a VPN is as easy as turning on the phone’s VPN capability. Android and iPhone both have native VPN applications you can use to connect to your chosen VPN server. Once you’ve set up your VPN on your mobile device you can use it anywhere, anytime, without having to worry about whether or not you’ll be able to keep your connection stable. And best of all you don’t need to manually configure your VPN on each device you use, you can simply connect to it whenever you need via WiFi or LTE.

5. Encrypting Your Traffic Is Essential

If you use your VPN on a regular basis, you’ll quickly learn that securing your traffic is an essential part of using a VPN. If you don’t want someone else to have access to your data, you should really consider using end-to-end encryption when connecting to a VPN. While it’s great that your VPN company offers this capability, you should really be doing this yourself whenever possible. This way, even if your VPN is compromised, your personal data will still be safe. The more difficult it is for anyone else to intercept your data, the safer you’ll be. And what’s more is many end-to-end encrypted VPNs are completely free.

6. Encrypted Clients Are Your Clients

In addition to all the privacy and security benefits of using a VPN, there are also financial perks you can get from encrypting your traffic. Since your VPN company doesn’t have access to your unencrypted traffic, they can’t see what you’re buying or downloading. This means that you’ll be charged for your normal internet usage whether your VPN is on or not. And if you do happen to get charged for data usage while using your VPN, the amount won’t be as high as it would otherwise be. This could mean savings of hundreds of dollars a year, which is certainly worth it when you consider all the security and privacy advantages of using a VPN.

7. Multi-Lingual Is Now Mainstream

As you’d expect from a forum discussing the future of virtual private networks, we’re also going to start talking about the importance of multi-lingual capabilities in VPNs. When we’re talking about security and privacy, it’s important to know the language barriers that might arise. Thanks to the global nature of the internet, people from all over the world are accessing websites, shopping, and banking online. In order to provide the best possible experience to our users, it’s important to be able to offer support in their native language. Fortunately, most VPNs offer multi-lingual support, so even if you don’t speak English, you’ll be able to use your VPN with confidence that you’re going to be understood.

8. Virtual Private Networks Are Important

Last but not least, let’s not forget about the importance of VPNs in general. It’s not only about keeping your personal data secure and private, although that’s a significant factor. VPNs are also useful for:

• Protecting the security of your data while you’re traveling
• Accessing restricted content while abroad
• Avoiding geo-restrictions when streaming content
• Monitoring your network traffic for security threats
• Protecting your anonymity when browsing the web
• Accessing your favorite websites while on the move
• Enabling file sharing between computers
• Protecting your business’ sensitive information
• Accessing blocked content
• Tethering your computer to a smartphone for internet access
• Getting an outside opinion on your network security
• Testing new VPN software
• Keeping abreast of the latest industry news

There are so many reasons why you should be using a VPN, both now and in the future. It’s time to stop relying on old school VPNs and move towards more modern and secure alternatives.