Out of the many things that COVID-19 taught us, workation is one. Gone are the days when vacation meant logging off and sending out-of-office emails to anyone who tried to contact you. Today, you can’t just cut off your communication with the outside world and enjoy your holidays.
And, it is not just about work. With the internet being so easily available almost in every nook and corner of the world, you do remain in touch with the outside world no matter where you travel. Be it for, internet banking, checking emails, booking flights, watching TV, or even posting on social media, you’re always hooked on to the internet.
However, it’s not always safe to be online. There are cyber predators out there that run a trillion-dollar industry through vulnerabilities in your internet access. And that is why, it is extremely crucial to protect your online security and privacy. Additionally, there are several other benefits that you will get with the solution that we’ll be discussing below.
What is a VPN?
A VPN or virtual private network is an internet tool that encrypts your web traffic and provides security and privacy to your online activities. It establishes a secret tunnel between your device and the remote server that you choose to connect to and passes your encrypted traffic through this tunnel so no one can see you online.
Moreover, when you connect to a remote server of your choice, your online location appears to be in the country of the server that you choose. So, irrespective of your physical location, you can easily get Charlotte city IP address by connecting to a Charlotte city VPN server.
Hence, a VPN not only protects you from cyber threats but also gives your activities privacy and even makes you appear in any country that you like, virtually.
Top 5 Benefits of Using a VPN
We highly recommend getting a reliable VPN for travel. Here’s why it’s extremely important –
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Safety and Security
If you are traveling abroad, data will be quite expensive. However, it’s equally important to stay connected, especially if you are on a work trip. So, the best option that we all can think of is using public Wi-Fi.
But little do we know, public Wi-Fi is most vulnerable to cyber-attacks. When you connect to one, you actually enter a hub of hackers, malware, and cyber thieves.
However, with a VPN, you become anonymous to these cyber criminals and so they cannot harm you in any way. Your VPN hides your internet activities and keeps no logs of them so no one gets to know what you are doing, keeping you protected always.
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Access Blocked Websites
There are countries in the world that block some very common websites like YouTube, FaceBook, Skype, and even WhatsApp. Some even block news sites so you won’t even know what’s happening across the globe. This is done due to government censoring.
Therefore, when you travel to one of these countries, a VPN can help you appear in a different region so you can access all your favorite apps and social media platforms without the local government knowing what you are up to.
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Watch TV
When you travel abroad, the major thing that you are going to miss is watching your local content. And that’s because, you will neither have your local channels in the foreign country, nor the exclusive content that’s available on the streaming platforms in your country.
In such a case, you can easily connect to a VPN server in your home country and access your local channels or streaming services to watch your favorite shows and movies.
In fact, you can even connect to a server in a third country to enjoy the exclusive Netflix show that you always wanted to watch but couldn’t find in your Netflix library.
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Access Your Bank Accounts
You might not know, but if you access your bank account from a foreign nation without informing your bank about your travel, they will freeze your account suspecting of theft. While this is a security protocol that most banks across the world have, it might come out as the biggest nightmare of your life.
There is nothing more dangerous than having money but not being able to access it while traveling in a foreign country. And, you certainly don’t want to go through the tiring process of calling your bank’s customer support and explaining the whole situation.
But, on the other hand, if you have a VPN, you can easily change your virtual location to your home country and access your bank account without any hiccups.
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Get Better Travel Deals
Certain flights and travel booking websites offer better travel deals to people booking from a certain country. So, if you try to book your tickets from a country other than where you are currently traveling, you might get better deals. Though it’s a trial-and-error situation, you might get lucky here!
Important Features a VPN Must Have
You cannot just search for a VPN and get it without looking out for the features that you need. Here are a few of them that you do need to look out for –
- Strong security and privacy features such as a kill switch, a no-logs policy, AES-256-bit encryption, obfuscation servers, split tunneling, and DNS and IPv6 leak protection.
- A large number of servers across a lot of countries, especially in your home country and the one where you travel frequently.
- Ability to unblock popular streaming sites, such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and more with ease.
- High speeds so you don’t have to bear with buffering or delays.
- User-friendly interface and apps that are compatible with your devices.
- 24/7 customer support via call or chat.
- A money-back guarantee or a free trial period so you can test their services risk-free.
Conclusion
So, a versatile VPN is essential when you are traveling. It not only keeps you safe from cyber attacks but also helps access different websites and streaming platforms that might otherwise be blocked in the country where you are traveling.
