- If you're using a VPN for online security,
you probably don't need one.
VPNs have been put on this pedestal over the years
as the way to protect yourself online.
But do you even know what a VPN does and doesn't do?
You need to stop using a VPN and here's why.
Thanks to Aura for sponsoring this video.
Start protecting yourself against identity theft
with a two-week free trial
at the link in the description below.
So I hear a lot of reasons
why the average person uses a VPN.
Things like, "I wanna make sure I stay protected online
and I wanna make sure I don't get hacked."
Statements like these make me wonder
if the average person really understands how a VPN works,
what it does, and what the practical use cases are.
So what is a VPN?
VPN stands for virtual private network.
It encrypts your browser traffic
so internet service providers and public wifi networks
can't see what you're doing online.
It also hides your IP address from the websites you visit.
Basically, when you connect to a VPN,
you're routing your internet traffic to the VPN server,
and then from that VPN server to the final destination.
The VPN server is browsing the internet on your behalf
and in the eyes of the website you're visiting,
all they see is the VPN as the visitor and not you.
Now, before I go any further,
I want to address what some people might be thinking,
"But Christian, you're the VPN guy."
I have VPN comparisons on my channel
totaling over 500,000 views.
So why do I seem to be speaking negatively about VPNs?
Well, I like VPNs.
I think they're a useful tool.
I use them for certain reasons,
but VPNs are not this one-size-fits-all
online security solution
and I have never made a video explaining that before.
I wanted to talk about when you should use a VPN and why.
So that way, when you're ready to purchase a VPN,
you can make an informed decision,
know what you're buying and why, and use a VPN correctly.
So what is a VPN not?
It's not an antivirus replacement.
It's not something that protects you
against phishing attempts.
It's not something that secures your online accounts
and it's not something that protects
your personal information.
These are all examples of security risks
that aren't mitigated by using a VPN.
A VPN is not this catch-all solution
for all online security problems.
A VPN encrypts your browsing traffic, it masks IP address,
and sometimes, depending on the features,
it may offer a built-in ad blocker and tracker blocker.
That's it.
The other thing is that VPN privacy
is only as good as the company behind it.
Every VPN company is gonna tell you they don't keep logs
of browsing data or IP addresses
and your identity is anonymous.
But at the end of the day,
you're trusting that VPN company to be honest.
Look, basically what you're doing
is shifting your browsing data
from your internet service provider to the VPN company.
Someone is always going to have access
to that browsing data.
And although the VPN company may claim they don't keep logs
and most of them are honest and probably don't keep logs,
they still have that access to your data
as it passes through their servers.
So which company do you trust more?
Your internet service provider or the VPN company?
And within that, which VPN company should you trust?
There's a lot of questions.
There have been so many scandals in the VPN industry
in recent years.
We have the NordVPN security compromise,
the incident over our ProtonMail,
which is the sister company to ProtonVPN.
That creates a lot of concern for ProtonVPN users.
And we have the fact that Kape,
the security conglomerate with questionable motives
is going around buying up all these VPNs
like PrivateInternetAccess and ExpressVPN.
And it really makes you wonder what this company is doing,
acquiring all these VPNs and having access
to all this user data?
VPN companies want to serve their customers well,
but there's also a lot of pressure from governments
to provide user data.
If a VPN company is truly not keeping logs,
then they can respond to court orders they receive
and there's no data there for the government to look at.
But there's sometimes a lot of temptation
for a VPN company to keep logs
to prevent bad actors from using their systems
or to be compliant to governments
when there's a court order issued
and have something to give them.
So at the end of the day,
you're really trusting your VPN company
to honor their no logs policy.
And sometimes, you don't know if they can be trusted
until there's a court order issued
with one of their users and you can see how they handle it.
So what items should be in your toolbox?
Well, in addition to a VPN,
you should have a password manager
to keep track of your randomly generated passwords.
You should have an authenticator app
or a physical security key
to manage two-factor authentication.
You should have an antivirus
and this can be built into your operating system,
but if it is, just make sure it's functioning properly.
And you should have some form of credit monitoring
or identity theft protection.
And this is a perfect time
to talk about today's sponsor, Aura.
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You don't have to worry about buying a VPN
and buying an antivirus, and finding a password manager.
That can be so cumbersome.
But with Aura, the weight is removed from your shoulders.
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Their identity theft protection alerts you
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against losses and fees due to identity theft fraud.
They have a password manager, a VPN, and an antivirus app.
Aura is the security toolbox
that has everything you need in one place.
Thanks to Aura for sponsoring today's video
and you can get your two-week free trial
at aura.com/craylormade
or at the link in the description below.
So should you still bother with a VPN
and are they even worth paying for?
I'll answer the second question first.
Yes, they are worth paying for
if you know a VPN is right for you.
And is VPN right for you?
Well, I think the use cases
are becoming more and more niche.
If you wanna access region lock content
on services like Netflix, a VPN is for you.
If you just don't want websites
seeing your public IP address when you visit them,
a VPN is for you.
And if you want to hide your browsing data
from your internet service provider
or public wifi networks, a VPN is for you.
But if your life would be ruined
by your browsing data leaking somehow,
you might wanna think twice before using a VPN.
It may not be the bulletproof security solution
that you think it is.
And even if a VPN is right for you,
please use the other security tools in your toolbox.
Use a password manager and two factor authentication
and be smart on the internet.
A VPN is not going to solve all your problems,
but it is a useful tool for the right reasons.
So what do you think of VPNs?
Do you think it's still worth having a VPN account?
And if so, which VPN provider do you use?
I'd love to know your thoughts on the comments down below.
And if you like this video,
do be sure to hit that subscribe button
and click the bells so you don't miss
when I release new videos.
Thanks again to Aura for sponsoring this video
and make sure to get your two-week free trial
and start your identity theft protection today
at the link in the description below.
With that said, I'll catch you guys next time.