What Happens If You Stream Without a VPN?
You live in Canada. It’s raining softly outside. You’ve got the perfect romantic date with your lover – or at least, you think so. Suddenly, your phone rings. It’s an unknown number. You answer, assuming it’s a telemarketing scam or an expensive prank call from an ex. Instead, you hear someone’s pleas for help from the other side of the Internet.
What happens if you don’t have a VPN? It’s a question that’s plagued the internet security industry in recent years. As the number of people who stream content online has grown, so has the number of people who’ve been burned by online crimes. Most notably, the Netflix bear attack of 2019, which saw the streaming giant hit with a $16 million dollar fine for “failing to safeguard customer data.” In the world of online fraud, malware and identity theft, it’s essential to understand what happens when you stream without a VPN. Here’s a breakdown of the risks and what you can do to ensure your personal data and credit card information stays private while you stream.
Risky Business
It’s already been established that without a VPN, your internet activity is completely open to the public. That means all your web surfing, shopping and even Netflix binging is visible to anyone who happens to be online. You don’t need to log in or enter a password to access these services. They know everything about you. This includes your location, your browsing history, your personal details and even your credit card details. In other words, all your most intimate secrets are laid bare before you even log on to the website. This is why without a VPN, online security is completely up to you. You’re on your own. You’re taking a risk everyday by being online, and you alone are responsible for keeping your personal data secure.
If you decide to go ahead and stream without a VPN, you’re doing so on your own. You’re accepting the fact that you might not be shielded from hackers and identity thieves who might be trying to steal your personal data. What’s more, you’re opening up a pandora’s box of risks that you might not have considered before. The most obvious risk is that you might get hit with malware if you don’t have sufficient anti-virus software installed on your device. Malware can live on any device, so it’s important to keep all devices up-to-date and secure. If a hacker somehow gains access to one of your devices, they can easily steal your personal data. Another risk that you run by going unencrypted is that your content might be blocked. If you live in a geo-restricted country like Canada, you run the risk of being denied access to some websites and services since they require specific IP addresses to be accessed from a certain country. Streaming without a VPN also means that if you lose internet connection, you lose access to all your downloads and any sites that you’ve previously logged in to. This could seriously damage your online presence if you’ve been using VPNs all this time and have built up a considerable following.
Private Info Exposed
With all these risks comes a massive amount of information that you might not want to share with just anyone. Publicly broadcasting your internet searches and other personal details is one thing. However, if you decide to stream without a VPN, it’s easy for others to gain access to your personal records. These could include your full name, address, email address, social media profiles, phone number and more. From there, the information could be used for a variety of crimes. It’s easy for scammers to find your personal details and use them to their advantage. Your personal information might also be used to access your account with various services or to commit identity theft. Your personal data is out there, and it’s easily accessible to anyone who happens to have access to it. Remember, without a VPN, you’re broadcasting your every move online. Anything you do, say or buy is available for the whole world to see.
More Than Meets The Eye
Speaking of “the whole world,” you might not even realize that there are people actively trying to steal your personal data. When you stream without a VPN, you’re not only opening yourself up to the risks detailed above. You’re also giving someone the chance to track your movements and steal your data. It’s already been established that without a VPN, your internet activity is completely open to the public. That means all your web surfing, shopping and even Netflix binging is visible to someone who happens to be online. You don’t need to log in or enter a password to access these services. They know everything about you. This includes your location, your browsing history, your personal details and even your credit card details.
If you decide to go ahead and stream without a VPN, you’re doing so on your own. You’re accepting the fact that you might not be shielded from hackers and identity thieves who might be trying to steal your personal data. What’s more, you’re opening up a pandora’s box of risks that you might not have considered before. The most obvious risk is that you might get hit with malware if you don’t have sufficient anti-virus software installed on your device. Malware can live on any device, so it’s important to keep all devices up-to-date and secure. If a hacker somehow gains access to one of your devices, they can easily steal your personal data. Another risk that you run by going unencrypted is that your content might be blocked. If you live in a geo-restricted country like Canada, you run the risk of being denied access to some websites and services since they require specific IP addresses to be accessed from a certain country. Streaming without a VPN also means that if you lose internet connection, you lose access to all your downloads and any sites that you’ve previously logged in to. This could seriously damage your online presence if you’ve been using VPNs all this time and have built up a considerable following.
Why VPNs Are So Important
The above should convince you that without a VPN, your personal data and credit card information is at serious risk. That’s why it’s important to always log in to websites and use services that you believe will protect your identity and personal information. Even if the chances of getting hacked are slim, it’s always better to be on the safe side. After all, you could always end up being the victim of identity theft. Luckily, there are solutions. You can use a VPN to protect your personal data when you stream.
VPNs are private, secure and anonymous online services that help protect your personal data when you stream. They are vital for keeping your identity secure when you’re online. They also ensure that your personal data stays private even if you accidentally disclose it in a public setting. For example, let’s say that you have a public Twitter account and you tweet about your Netflix username and password. Someone could easily see your tweets and connect the two together. They might then be able to steal your Netflix login information. It’s also possible that your public Twitter account could be used to compromise your account with Netflix or other services that you’ve used before. Luckily, this is extremely rare. Most importantly, VPNs help protect you from malware and other harmful software that could secretly be installed on your device without your knowledge.
Why install malware on your device when there are so many safe and simple ways to get what you want? Why break the security of your device and jeopardize your personal data when you can purchase a VPN for only a few dollars and keep all your personal information secure? VPNs are vital for protecting your identity and keeping your personal data private. Even if you decide to go ahead and stream without one, it’s still advisable to use a VPN to keep all your personal information secure.