Should You Use a VPN? Probably Maybe Yes

To get a VPN or not get a VPN? That is the question.

To review, virtual private networks are considered to be a very basic privacy mechanism—though they don’t always work as intended. VPNs route your internet traffic through the servers of a private company, hiding certain pieces of identifying information from the websites you visit, like your location and your IP address. They also mask your web activity from your internet service provider.

Considering the fact that ISPs and websites have been known to sell your personal data to the highest bidder, this isn’t a bad idea. However, the caveat is that you must then trust the VPN company with your data—which isn’t always a sure bet. In fact, while VPN companies are not supposed to log your data and activity, numerous companies have been found doing so. Others have actually been found selling users’ information—a pretty grotesque violation of the very point of their business.

There are other caveats. One is that VPNs can and have been hacked. A recent episode involving Pulse VPN—a product widely used by federal agencies and contractors—shows how dangerous this can be. If a hacker gets inside a VPN’s system, they basically own your data and web activity.

Anyway, the bottom line is that VPNs can be a bit of a crap shoot. You need to inspect them carefully and decide whether you trust them with your data or not. For a full run-down, you can check out a blog from last year that we did on this subject. If going through all that is too much for you, we concluded the best VPN for most people is Mullvad.