![]() But there have been massive improvements in the security of operating systems and browsers since then. Since well-configured VPNs encrypt all the traffic leaving your computer, they were an important layer of protection for many people. Years ago, large parts of the web were unencrypted. (Complete details of the testing, which was conducted on laptops running Windows 10, are on CR’s Digital Lab site.) But the testing also showed that some VPNs can actually make things worse for your data privacy and security. CR’s in-depth evaluations identified leading VPNs that we’d feel comfortable using ourselves or suggesting to friends and family. For the average person accessing the web from their home WiFi, there’s little reason to use a VPN service. Many experts are much less concerned about people being hacked at a local cafe than they are about ad tracking, which uses tools that a VPN can’t defend against, such as digital fingerprinting. VPNs can be useful, but they’re not necessary for every person or every situation, especially now that so much web traffic is encrypted using HTTPS, the secure protocol whose initials you see at the start of most web addresses. But as a tech journalist who’s been looking into VPNs since 2016, I’ve seen advice from security experts change over time. That can sound good to anyone who doesn’t trust their ISP.Īll that’s still valid, at least to some extent. VPNs could also keep your internet service provider from knowing what sites you visited because the traffic coming to and from your computer all travels through the VPN’s servers, or servers VPNs pay to use. In particular, VPNs were supposed to help people avoid getting hacked while they were using the free WiFi at an airport or library, because these services route browser traffic through an encrypted tunnel. For years, many security experts advised people to use virtual private networks, or VPNs, to help make their internet browsing more secure.
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