VPNs: What They Do and What They Do Not

TECH · GLOBAL

VPNs: What They Do and What They Do Not

The genuine uses, what they do not protect against, logging policies and speed

VPNs are marketed with claims about security that outrun what the technology does. The genuine uses are real and narrower than the advertising suggests.

What a VPN actually does

It encrypts traffic between your device and the VPN server and hides your IP address from the sites you visit. Your internet provider sees that you are connected to a VPN and not what you do through it.

That is the whole of it. Everything else claimed follows from those two things or does not follow at all.

Where it genuinely helps

Stopping your internet provider from logging your browsing. Reducing tracking based on IP address. Accessing your home country's services while travelling, subject to the provider's terms.

On public wi-fi it adds a layer, and it matters less than it used to now that almost all websites use HTTPS, which already encrypts the content.

What it does not do

It does not make you anonymous. You remain logged into accounts, browser fingerprinting still identifies you, and cookies still track you.

It does not protect against malware, phishing or a compromised device, and it does not stop a website knowing who you are once you sign in.

Logging policies

You are moving trust from your internet provider to the VPN company. A no-logs claim is only as good as the evidence for it — look for independent audits and the jurisdiction the company operates in.

Operating a free VPN has costs, and several providers have been found selling user data.

Speed and practicalities

Expect some speed loss, more on distant servers. Some banking and streaming services block VPN traffic, and using one to circumvent regional licensing generally breaches the service's terms.

Choosing one

Look for independent audits, a clear published policy on what is retained, the number of simultaneous devices, and whether it works on your router if you want whole-home coverage.

Check the price after the introductory term, since multi-year deals renew at considerably higher rates.

On public wi-fi

Check the network name with staff rather than connecting to whatever looks official, avoid banking on a network you do not control, and turn off automatic connection to open networks.

Free and paid

Running a VPN service costs money, so a free one is monetised somehow — through data, advertising or limits severe enough to push you to pay. Several free VPNs have been found selling browsing data.

If a VPN matters to you, pay for one from a company whose business model is the subscription.

The basics matter more

A password manager, two-factor authentication and prompt updates do more for security than any VPN.

WHERE TO BUY

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