The world has undoubtedly become a global village as a result of the Internet. Within seconds, anyone may obtain any kind of information. There are now more security risks as a result of this as well. Data thieves and corruptors target individuals with inadequate security measures.
Many use VPN services in order to keep safe. The majority may be obtained at no cost. But using a free VPN—is that safe and secure? In this blog, we shall attempt to address this query. So, let’s get started.
What is a VPN?
A VPN is an online service that is used to keep a device safe from any external cyber threat. When you connect your device to it, you create a kind of tunnel. It connects your device to the server of the VPN.
All of your data goes through this encrypted tunnel. This ensures that no one breaches it to steal or corrupt your data.
Is Using a Free VPN Safe?
There are hundreds of premium VPN services available out there. However, the market is full of free VPNs as well. They do not charge anything from their users. This feature can be very tempting to a number of people.
However, it comes with a cost.
Most of the free VPN services aren’t safe to use. That is because their security protocols aren’t strong enough. Any hacker can breach their security wall and steal their users’ data. There are several examples of this. One of them includes a security breach incident that happened to a free VPN service Quickfox.
This service exposed the Personally Identifiable Information of millions of their users. The result was the impact of 500 million records. A 100GB of data was exposed as well.
Another example is the data breach of Colonial Pipeline Company network. It was attacked by a group of hackers called DarkSide. They hacked into the company network through a weak VPN. The company paid $5 million to the hackers to get back their network control.
What are the Risks Related to Using a Free VPN?
The risks related to using a free VPN are listed below:
Your Cybersecurity is at risk:
With using a free VPN, your Cybersecurity is at risk. That is because these services do not have the budget to invest in their security protocols. They also do not have enough revenue to hire a talented staff. Such factors result in weak security which can harm your data.
Slow Internet speed:
Using such services results in slow Internet speed. This might happen due to several reasons. A lack of servers means they might be located at a great distance from your device. These VPNs do not have enough server capacity to handle their users’ data. They may also have lower bandwidth allocation. Such factors end up slowing your Internet speed to a great extent.
Exposure to malware:
Using a free VPN can expose your device to malware. Most of these services are the source of malware themselves. A study was conducted on some VPNs. The ones that were more likely to be infected with malware were available for completely free. This indicates that using a free VPN might be worse than not using one at all.
They include ads:
Ads are a primary way of earning revenue for these services. That’s why they may show a large number of ads to you. This can be annoying to many people. It also comes with a risk. If you click on a suspicious ad, you may expose yourself to a cyber threat.
They can hijack browsers:
Your browser can be hijacked by scammers if you use free VPN services. This usually happens through extensions. Many scammers do it by operating behind VPN extensions. They can add different codes in ads. These codes will lead you to websites you never searched for. This ruins your whole browsing experience.
Alternatives of Using a Free VPN?
The first and foremost alternative is to use a premium VPN. There’s another alternative if you’re tight on budget. You can use free versions of premium VPNs. Several of these services provide free versions for users.
They are relatively better than the ones that are entirely free. However, these versions come with limited features. So, if you’re okay with this, you can start using these versions.
Read also: What is a Domain Name? A Quick Explanation
Conclusion:
To conclude, using a free VPN is not safe at all. That is because they have very weak security protocols. The reason is their low revenue. Since they are free, they do not have money to spend on strengthening the security systems.
Such services can put your data in danger. You can even end up losing millions of dollars as has happened in the past. Besides this, they can hijack your Internet browsers as well. there are several other risks related to using such VPNs. We have described them in a detailed way in the information given above.
FAQs:
Are all free VPNs unsafe to use?
Yes. Most of these VPNs are unsafe to use. It’s very rare that they are secure enough to keep your data safe.
Are premium VPNs costly?
The prices of such services vary. Some are costly and some are not. However, it’s wise to invest in these VPNs to keep your device safe.
Are free VPNs unsafe to use on a mobile device as well?
Yes. These free software are unsafe to use on mobile phones as well.
What if I don’t have important data to lose?
These VPNs may wreak havoc on your Internet browsing experience, even if you don’t have any sensitive data to lose. They do this through browser hijacking or excessive ad display.
