The Mozilla Foundation

10/04/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/04/2021 10:03

Do you need a VPN at home? Here are 5 reasons you might.

You might have heard of VPNs - virtual private networks - at some point, and chalked them up to something only "super techy" people or hackers would ever use. At this point in the evolution of online life, however, VPNs have become more mainstream, and anyone may have good reasons to use one. VPNs are beneficial for added security when you're connected to a public wifi network, and you might also want to use a VPN at home when you're online as well. Here are five reasons to consider using a VPN at home.

Stop your ISP from watching you

Did you know that when you connect to the internet at home through your internet service provider (ISP), it can track what you do online? Your ISP can see every site you visit and track things like how often you visit sites and how long you're on them. That's rich personal - and private - information you're giving away to your ISP every time you connect to the internet at home. The good news is that a VPN at home can prevent your ISP from snooping on you by encrypting your traffic before the ISP can see it.

How do VPNs work?

Get answers to nine common questions about VPNs

Secure yourself on a shared building network

Some apartment buildings offer wifi as an incentive to residents, but how secure is the network? Do you even know all your neighbors, let alone know if they're true crime podcast fanatics or even actual cyber criminals? Do you know for sure that your landlord or building manager isn't tracking your internet traffic? If you're concerned about any of that, a VPN can add extra security on your shared network by encrypting your traffic between you and your VPN provider so that no one on your local network can decipher or modify it.

Block nosy housemates

Similar to a shared apartment network, sharing an internet connection could leave your internet traffic vulnerable to snooping by housemates or any other untrustworthy person who accesses your network. A VPN at home can help by encrypting your traffic so they can't see it.

Increase remote work security

Working remotely, at least part of the time, is the new normal for millions of office workers. Some employers offer a VPN for home workers and some even require it. A VPN prevents an unknown entity from monitoring your traffic through network "sniffing." If you work with confidential or sensitive information online, a VPN should be essential to your remote work setup.

Explore the world at home

There are some fun reasons to use a VPN at home, too. You can get access to shows, websites and livestreams in dozens of different countries. See what online shopping is like if you were in a different locale and get the feeling of gaming from somewhere new.