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Important Points You Need to Know about Using Free VPNs

Over the past years, you may already have heard a lot about the benefits of VPNs. For those of you who haven’t, let us help you get up to speed. A virtual private network, better known as a VPN, is a tool that can protect your data and privacy whenever you surf the online world. This allows you to hide your IP address and encrypt your data so that no one will be able to track what site you visit, the files you download, and what you search for on the Internet.

This can be particularly useful, especially if you log in to free Wi-Fi networks in public spaces such as hotel lobbies, coffee shops, libraries, and airports regularly. While VPNs are usually used on desktop computers and laptops, mobile private networks are also available for smartphones.

Given how useful they are, it’s no surprise that people are always on the lookout for quality VPNs. One of the most popular types is free VPNs. It allows people to try out VPNs without paying for a subscription. However,  it’s important to understand that not all of these networks are created equal, which is why you’ll want to be extra careful when using free services.

To help you out, we’ve prepared a list of important things that you need to know about using free VPNs!

All VPNs Are Different

What you have to understand is that not all VPNs offer the same level of security and privacy. To make matters even worse, some may even be tracking your data and selling it off to third parties so that those third parties can optimize their marketing and ad campaigns.

The VPNs that tend to skimp on features and sell your data are the ones that offer their services for free. This isn’t really surprising, as they need a way to monetize their service. Now, this doesn’t mean that all free VPNs do this. However, it does mean that you have to be thorough when examining free services before using them!

VPNs May Slow Down Your Connection

If you’ve ever used a free VPN, then you know that some of them slow down your Internet speed. What you have to understand is that this isn’t a norm when it comes to VPNs. This becomes even more evident when some of the same VPNs that slows down your internet connection offers “premium” services that claim will increase your internet speed. This is most likely a ploy to get people to sign up for their premium services. Yet, it’s likely that they may be slowing down your Internet on purpose to incentivize you to sign up for their paid subscriptions!

Some VPNs are Infected with Malware

Keep in mind that some free VPNs are infected with malware, but these are usually just the ones that have advertising-related malware. This is similar to how some VPNs sell your data to advertising and marketing companies, as they need to be able to monetize their services, as mentioned.

However, there are also networks that contain harmful malware. That free VPNs you’re downloading may contain the DanaBot malware. For this reason, it’s in your best interest to be careful when downloading VPNs, especially if you’re downloading them from sketchy and unreliable sites!

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article has shed some light on free VPNs. While they can be useful in some cases, you’ll have to be careful about which networks you make use of. The last thing you want to do is to trade your security and privacy just to save a bit of money!

Protecting your data while you’re on the go should always be your top priority. At Radio IP Software, we deliver innovative mobile virtual private network solutions in Quebec City to help secure your devices in apps in real-time. If you want to learn more about our services and subscription packages, get in touch with us today!