The world is constantly changing, and that is no more true than in the tech industry. It is for this reason that types of technology that seemed life-changing at the time, and like it would stick around for ages, quickly become defunct. It wasn’t that long ago that Blu-ray seemed likely to change the way we watched movies.
It has now been years that people have been talking about the importance of having a VPN installed on all your devices. In that time, our devices have changed drastically, becoming more complex than ever. Are VPNs still relevant in 2020 and beyond?
Well, this is an important question, especially considering how comprehensively many of us (particularly Apple users) have stopped using antivirus software. But VPNs are different and, for better or worse, are still our best line of defense in 2020.
You can take a moment to look at the Top 10 Best VPN Services 2020 in order to find out the type of VPN options that suits our current needs in these modern times. Here is why you need it more than ever.
Online freedom
The reason Apple users don’t feel the need to use antivirus software is that Apple makes most of your decisions for you. They carefully vet what apps you are allowed to download and give you very little control over how your device works. Unless you specifically disable Apple’s protections, it is difficult for any viruses to infect your device.
However, even Apple cannot tell customers how to use the internet. We value our freedom of information, and that freedom comes at a cost. When you use the internet, you are putting your data at risk, and any hacker can steal it. A VPN is your way of defending yourself without giving away control of your device.
Access to information
The internet has given people unprecedented access to information. Rather than having to look to books or newspapers to find out what was going on in the world, you can find any answers you want in seconds. This reality is very threatening to authoritarian regimes.
Unfortunately, many such regimes have found ways to counteract this access. Some countries make it impossible for residents to view certain parts of the internet. Others manipulate the data that residents come across online, making it seem like their propaganda is something everyone agrees on.
A VPN helps people get access to free, unbiased information by counteracting both approaches. When using a VPN, you can see anything that your government is blocking. You can also do searches anonymously, to ensure the results you get are not tied to your location, demographic, or political affiliation.
Working from home
2020 has had a lot of unpleasant surprises, and we live in a very different world to the world of a year ago. One of the changes that may well exist after the pandemic is over is that many more people work from home.
Working from home provides you with a lot of benefits, even if there are certain things you miss about going into the office. But one problem is that you are dealing with confidential information on your home network.
Many offices provide their own VPN to ensure all company data is kept safe. If yours does not have such protections, you will need to download your own VPN.
In Academic Settings
Just recently, China blocked access to Scratch (The renowned MIT’s programming language for students/kids). This can impede the project’s completion for kids and students who are relying on such platform for their personal projects or group tasks; thereby obstruct the general workflow.
With good VPNs, highly determined students can bypass such restrictions and complete their tasks/projects. Also, VPNs would help such students to get access to Youtube and other research platforms that are blocked or restricted by their home government.
In all, VPNs are still relevant in the academic environment and can come in handy for doing all forms of specialized research.
Wrapping it Up:
A VPN is as important in 2020 as ever. It remains our best line of defense against cyber threats, censorship, and all other forms of privacy invasion.
