Interesting Facts about VPNs that You Probably Didn't Know

VPNs (virtual private networks) are used by more and more people as they are now among the most trusted and reliable ways to secure our personal data and online privacy.

Despite the fact that the use of virtual private networks is on the rise, there are still a lot of fascinating things that people don't know about these services. For example, not a lot of people know how to choose an optimal VPN provider. If you want to start using VPNs and you want to make a safe choice, check out this ExpressVPN review.

Here are some of the most interesting facts about VPNs that most people don't know:

VPN providers would never use their clients' data without permission.

VPN providers would never retain their clients' personal information and logs for the purpose of handing them over to other companies of government authorities. However, this has been a widespread misconception for a long time. The data stored by VPN providers is only used to improve the services and detect potential problems in the network. However, there are some countries in which the government forces VPN providers to hand over their logs, so make sure you are informed about the laws that affect VPNs in your country.

The main difference between VPNs and firewalls are that VPN is untraceable. Firewalls work in a similar way to sifters, they check the data that is going in and out of your computer and network and can also protect devices against malware. VPNs work a bit differently. VPNs secure the information that is being sent between servers and make it extremely hard for malware and viruses to reach personal networks and computers. It is important to mention that both firewalls and VPNs are key aspects of protecting your devices and your personal data. But VPNs can also make your network untraceable, as they alter your geolocation and IP address.

You can access blocked content by using VPNs.

This is one of the most interesting benefits that VPN users have. You probably know already that in certain situations, the ISPs (Internet Service Providers) can block their users' access on one or more websites. Usually, the access is restricted by detecting the users' location. Luckily, VPNs can help users avoid these restrictions by hiding their location and they will be able to access any website they want. This is especially important for people who live in countries that have strict laws and censorship policies.

The oldest VPN protocol is PPTP.

PPTP, or Peer-to-Peer-Tunneling-Protocol, was developed in the 1990s by a Microsoft software engineer called Gurdeep Singh-Pall. The service has the lowest level of encryption and it was designed for dial-up access. Some people still argue that PPTP is the fastest and most effective protocol ever created.

VPNs have been banned in 30 countries.

As you would expect, countries with authoritarian laws will always do everything they can to ban VPNs. By banning virtual private networks, the governments ensure that they have complete control over the information received by their citizens. In countries like Myanmar, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, Russia, Syria, and, of course, North Korea, imposing social values and censoring external opposing views is an effective way to maintain national security and keep political stability.

Using virtual private networks does not make you 100% anonymous.

Although certain VPN platforms promise anonymous web browsing, it is important to know that it is never 100% anonymous. Even if you don't fill in any information about yourself, you can still be identified by your IP address. But that is not something to worry about, as VPN services would never reveal your identity unless required by law.

People who use VPNs can still be hacked.

You can still be affected by malware even if you are using a VPN, but it is much more unlikely. VPNs change their users' IP addresses, encrypt their data, and hide them from third parties. However, cybercriminals can still find innovative ways to hack users, but it is going to be much more difficult. So, using a VPN is much safer than not using one.

You can save a lot of money on subscriptions by using VPNs.

Did you know that there are certain websites, especially streaming services, who adjust their prices based on their users' locations? By using a VPN to hide your location, the prices of your online subscriptions might be lower. Hotels and airline companies also use geolocation to change their prices. Once they notice that you are interested in booking a certain flight or room, they will raise the price. By altering the VPN's virtual location, you can save a lot of money on your next flight. However, using VPNs while using PayPal and banking accounts is not recommended as people have reported getting their accounts locked due to suspicious activity.

You can get faster internet by using VPNs.

Globally, ISPs can cause slower-than-advertised internet speeds by throttling people's web traffic. This is especially common for high-bandwidth activities such as watching HD video streaming. By using high-quality VPNs that are strongly encrypted, you prevent your traffic from being affected by ISPs.