When smartphones first came out, they were considered an expensive novelty for people who were “too connected” to the web. Now, almost every single person has one–young, old, or the in between. And we all use them all the time, everywhere we go.
Whether you’re at a cafe, a laundry mat, or the airport, you are probably using public Wi-Fi or 4G or 5G LTE to check emails, refresh your social media presence, check your banking statements, or even just browse the web. However, while smartphone and thus online mobile applications are being used more and more, a lot of us forget to think how this data is being transferred around and in some cases, intercepted.
If you’ve ever felt paranoid when learning about massive data breaches, or perhaps wondered if your social media account could get hacked, then trust me–you’re on the right track.
But the only thing is, you’re not paranoid, and mobile security and internet use on the go is often so overlooked by the vast majority of users that it’s actually scary. Today we’ll give you the 5 best reasons that you need to start using a VPN for Android.
What is a VPN for Android?
So first, let’s discuss what a VPN is. VPN stands for virtual private network. VPNs use security protocols like IPsec (IP security), L2TP (Layer 2 tunneling protocol), SSL (secure socket layer) to make a virtual tunnel between your phone and a VPN server. While your phone traffic is in a VPN tunnel, your traffic is 100% encrypted.
The process is quite simple just requiring you to download an app on the Google Play store. Login with your selected VPN credentials and connect to your closet server. Once you do this, you are connected to a VPN. But why do we need a VPN in the first place?
#1 Public Wi-fi is Not Safe!
If you plan on using the Wi-Fi at your local cafe or Starbucks, than you might have glossed over the warnings that the websites present to you when you connect. Or, maybe you haven’t. But regardless, most companies and businesses that provide free public Wi-Fi have portals that explicitly warn you that their Wi-Fi is unsecure when you connect.
Sure, you can pay extra to get better speeds, but there’s no “pay extra” to not have your information stolen is there? When you use a VPN in a public Wi-Fi hotspot, you can make sure your information on your Android phone stays there and out of someone else’s hands.
You might be thinking that this situation is unlikely, but it’s actually pretty easy for a malicious user to steal your information in a public Wi-Fi hotspot. There are tools called packet sniffers and other cheap tools online that let users snoop on other you if you are connected to the same Wi-Fi connection.
Some of these tools only require the most basic technical know-how. Malicious users can even set up fake Wi-Fi names to lure you into their controlled network to steal your information easily. This could be anything from photos, passwords, and even files from your connection!
#2 4G LTE Isn’t Secure Either?
You might be thinking that you’re fine just ignoring public Wi-Fi since 4G LTE is pretty fast these days right? Well, wrong!
Lately there has been research done to investigate the security of mobile connections and findings have concluded that various protocols used on phones can be vulnerable to authentication relay attacks. This means that your phone could be compromised and snooped on.
Major US carriers are affected by this vulnerability and while some patches have fixed issues, there still remains a large number of possible attacks that could happen in the future.
#3 VPNs can Unblock Websites Worldwide on Android
If you use a VPN, you encrypt your traffic, but you can also change your IP by connecting to a remote server.
A lot of servers like Netflix, Hulu, or even BBC iPlayer have tons of content but specific forms of content are region restricted which means depending on where you are in the world, you might not have access to the content you want.
Some VPNs allow you to bypass these restrictions on your phone and let you watch unrestricted content on the go!
#4 Stop Apps from Revealing your Information!
A lot of mobile VPNs offer cool features like ad blocking which can prevent popups in your internet browser or keep you from clicking on the wrong that could compromise your data.
Not only that, but VPNs can often protect your from other apps that could reveal your data. When you use a VPN to torrent on Android, you can actually hide your IP, encrypt your traffic, and stay completely anonymous!
#5 Unblock School or Work Restrictions
If you’re at school or work, and you find that you can’t access your favorite websites on your phone due to firewall restrictions, a VPN can help. A VPN will assign you a new IP and new port # which often helps you get around firewalls undetected. You can access games on your phone that might be blocked, or even social media websites!
Recommended VPN for Android?
Check out TorGuard VPN, or watch the video at the beginning of this article!
