While your Mac is already a highly powerful and versatile computer, you can significantly boost its performance by using a VPN. Here is why you really need a VPN for your Mac.
To use as few words as possible, a VPN (the abbreviation for Virtual Private Network) is a server that establishes an encrypted connection with users who connect to it. While almost everyone knows that a VPN helps you to get around geo-restrictions, there is considerably more to it.
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Benefits of a VPN for Mac Users
You might not be aware of it, but your ISP (Internet service provider) constantly sifts and analyzes the data you send and receive via the Web. One reason for doing this is to know your consumer preferences and sell this information to online advertisers (that’s how you end up seeing the so-called targeted ads). Another (and not so harmless) reason for such spying is to know whether you do anything the government disapproves of (like, for example, downloading files via torrenting).
Another issue that a lot of Internet users have to put up with is barriers placed in the way of information. Some governments impose censorship on highly popular social media and news portals they consider subversive. Some online stores and information websites won’t give you access to their main page if they for some reason blacklisted the country or region you are currently in. There are game servers that only allow people from a specified area to connect and play. Last but not least, there are world-famous streaming services that nonetheless deny a huge number of the countries of the world full access to their media libraries.
What’s more, there is always an issue of money: there are online stores that base their price policy on the location of their buyers: they charge people who live in developing countries less, while those who live in “affluent” countries have to pay noticeably more.
A VPN is a perfect way to deal with all these — and numerous other issues. It protects your privacy, helps you overcome information barriers, and even offers you the means to spend less.
Five Reasons Why You Need a VPN for your Mac
While the full list can go on and on, it is possible to boil it down to these five points:
#1 Get the upper hand in your dealings with your ISP
When you connect to a Virtual Private Network server, all your data is encoded using advanced cryptographic protocols that are really impossible to crack. This means that your ISP can no longer spy on you so you are free to visit all kinds of websites and download any files using any programs. What’s more, as ISP has no way of knowing what you are using your Internet connection for, the risk of it limiting your bandwidth (frequently called bandwidth throttling) goes markedly down.
#2 Enjoy additional protection
Public Wi-Fi hotspots do not have protection at all: the data that is exchanged between your Mac and the router is not encrypted and can be easily intercepted by hackers who use a special radio receiver. Use a VPN to encode your information and protect yourself from cyber criminals: even if they intercept your traffic, they won’t be able to decode and use a single byte of it.
What’s more, you can use a Virtual Private Network server to get additional protection for your secured connections like online banking. If you work from home, a VPN will protect both you and your company from costly breaches of security.
#3 Preserve your anonymity
As a VPN server masks your true IP address, the owners of the websites you visit have no way of tracking down your true location — and, in some cases, using it against you. In the brave new world where there is hardly any anonymity on the Web, a VPN allows you to keep a low profile and stay under the radar.
#4 Unblock all kinds of content
If you cannot access a news portal or social media because of governmental censorship, a website denies you access because of your geographical location, or a streaming service does not allow you to enjoy a TV show or movie, all you need to do is connect to a VPN server abroad. There is no place on the Web that you cannot unblock this way.
#5 Forget about overpaying
If you suspect that an online store employs the so-called price discrimination and charges you more than it should, use a VPN to change your geographical location. If the price really goes down, then, lucky you, it looks like you’ve managed to give yourself a discount. A penny saved is a penny earned, as they say.
What are the key features of the perfect VPN for your Mac?
When considering what VPN service to choose, decide on the one that offers you:
- Virtual Private Network servers are located in as many countries of the world as possible. Some of the countries (like the USA) are more popular than others, so it is better to ensure that the service you are going to choose has a fair number of servers in them
- A 24/7 high-speed connection
- An ability to simultaneously use your account on several digital devices
- Highly reliable encryption like AES-256
- A free trial period so that you know what you are buying
- A money-back guarantee if you changed your mind.
The benefits you get using a VPN for your Mac are truly enormous: give your Internet experience a boost!
