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Millions of people like to travel across the globe, and many of them do it regularly. Thus, for many, traveling is not even an option: it becomes a necessity to escape the monotonous routine back at home. You might have heard people say that once you start traveling, you can never get enough!
All travelers have their stories. Most of them cover the exciting adventures they have encountered. However, some of them might warn other adventurers what to avoid. For instance, veterans frequently emphasize the abundance of traveling scams and how quickly foreigners fall for them.
Sadly, the digital threats lurking back at home intensify in an unknown environment. For instance, say you are lost and have no way of returning to your hotel. Of course, you will try to find the closest free Wi-Fi hotspot and try to find your way. However, did you know that this decision might lead to identity theft? Let’s explore how a VPN can help (and other benefits it offers).
How Does VPN Work?
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a tool beneficial to all netizens. It works by diverting your device's internet connection via your selected VPN server rather than your ISP. So, the data is transmitted to the internet through the VPN rather than the traditional route. It keeps your IP address hidden and assigns a new IP address that cannot be tracked.
Therefore, using a VPN while traveling can benefit you a lot. Moreover, if you are an expatriate, you can also use the VPN while shopping or accessing public Wi-Fi. Since a VPN encrypts traffic, you can no longer fear unsecured networks that might leave your traffic open to interception.
How Can VPN Help Travelers and Expats?
Enhanced Protection from Cyber Threats
When you travel to any country, the threat of getting attacked by cybercriminals increases exponentially. None of us buy local connections immediately after reaching the country. Most of us use public Wi-Fi in airports, cafes, parks, hotels, or trains that are not safe. Most cyber attackers target public Wi-Fi to hack the devices and steal information.
Usually, there is no authentication of public Wi-Fi. In some cases, attackers might set up rogue hotspots to use as bait. While you will be busy enjoying browsing, the criminals will have all the information you enter and data present on your device.
Moreover, if you accidentally make a payment using public Wi-Fi, all your credentials can be sealed easily. You will notice the fraud only when you get the amount deduction messages. Imagine how exhausting it would feel to lose your money on a trip.
Stream Inaccessible Content
The streaming providers most often limit the content due to the licensing agreements. It means that some content accessible in the US may not be available in Canada and vice versa. So, if you travel constantly and are stuck somewhere where your favorite show is unavailable, and you desperately want to see it but cannot, connect to a VPN.
In this kind of situation, a good VPN can become your savior. You need to connect to the respective country's server through VPN, and the next thing you will see is your favorite show available to watch. In addition to opening doors to more content on streaming services, a VPN can unblock websites. In the region you visit, certain sites might be out of reach. By masking your IP, you get to access them anyway!
Therefore, if you plan to stay in other countries for a while and want to watch content from your nation, then a fast and reliable VPN is the solution.
Bypass Internet Censorship
You might have heard of censorship on the internet imposed by the governments in many countries. This censorship affects tourists visiting those countries as they cannot access the service they use in their nation. China, Iran, Vietnam, and many famous countries have restricted some famous social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.
As mentioned, you can still use these websites and services with the help of a VPN. VPN lets you bypass the restrictions and changes your IP address to those countries where these services are regularly used. If you are an expatriate and went to study or work in one of these kinds of nations, a good VPN will be very beneficial for you.
Get Discounts
When you travel to a country and realize that services are costly compared to other places you visited. In this case, you can use VPN and connect it to a server where you know the price of services will be less.
Many travelers and expatriates use this trick to get discounts on airline tickets, car reservations, and hotel reservations. Hence, you can also save a few bucks with the use of a VPN.
Conclusion
Whether you are a traveler or expatriate, using a VPN is going to benefit you a lot. We are mostly unaware of other countries' situations that pose more threats to us, and experiencing fraud on a trip is the worst feeling ever. Thus, to protect yourself from cybercriminals, use a reliable VPN.