A honeymoon or just a romantic vacation are the most memorable moments of our lives and we want them to remain in our memory as extremely pleasant and bright memories. This is as it should be, but travel always involves risks. It is very easy to find yourself in a difficult situation that leaves a bad imprint on your memory. In particular, you can create a cyber-secure honeymoon so that no cyber threat can get through. It doesn’t take much to secure your privacy while traveling. The basis of cyber protection is VPN. This is a budget-friendly, convenient, and at the same time powerful protection tool. We will talk about how it can protect you in this article.
Safeguarding Wedding Bliss with VPNs
#1 Improve Security and Privacy
The crux of the problem is that when we travel, we depend on public hotspots more than at home. While free hotspots are convenient, they can be insecure. When connected to a public network, your traffic becomes accessible to third parties, some of whom are after your private data. Below are the most common cyber threats encountered when using public Wi-Fi.
- Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. Hackers can position themselves between your device and the server you’re trying to access if your connection is insecure. This allows them to steal sensitive data like logins, transaction details, and other credentials.
- Evil twin attacks. A public Wi-Fi network may appear legitimate but can turn out to be a fake one created by cybercriminals to compromise your privacy.
- Devices connected to public networks are often infected with malware, which are different types of viruses installed on your phone, laptop, or tablet with malicious intent.
To effectively combat these threats, it is advised to use a VPN. Having this tool on your device when traveling abroad will protect you from hackers and other risks associated with public Wi-Fi networks. You can download VeePN MacOS and take advantage of the optional NetGuard security feature. Although you can VPN free download for Mac, you get protection from phishing links, and potentially infected ads. Moreover, VeePN offers access to more than 2500 VPN servers, has a free trial period, and offers good network speed.
#2 Bypass Government Censorship
The Great Firewall of China, also known as the Golden Shield project, exemplifies a country’s restriction on its citizens’ internet access. While traveling domestically or abroad, you may encounter limited connectivity and blocked websites due to government or local ISP regulations. China goes to extensive lengths in its censorship, denying users access to popular platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, the New York Times, and even Google. To overcome these limitations, one must utilize a VPN service to route their connection through a server in a nation without such restrictions.
#3 Safe And Easy Access To Your Bank Account
Imagine finding yourself in a foreign country with no access to your bank account and unable to withdraw money, make transactions, or pay for services online. Sounds horrible, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, this situation is quite common as banks often freeze accounts when they detect connections from unusual locations. For example, if your bank is based in the USA and you login from Europe, they may halt your online banking activities.
To avoid this, the best solution is to use a virtual private network. By installing a VPN on iOS and connecting to a remote server in your home country while abroad, the bank won’t be able to track your actual location.
In addition, a VPN app protects your online transactions, shielding you from scammers who attempt to trick shoppers with phishing scams. If you want to learn more about safeguarding yourself from common holiday shopping scams, check out our recent article.
#4 Maintaining Anonymity
Using a VPN is essential for travelers nowadays. With VPN software, your data gets encrypted, and you receive an anonymous IP address. This makes tracking your internet history or data virtually impossible. No matter where you are traveling or working overseas, you can stay connected and securely access social media sites and messaging applications like WhatsApp, Skype, and Snapchat, which might not have default encryption. The VPN service provides peace of mind while traveling, protecting your internet activity from ISPs and data-collecting companies. It’s an excellent tool for ensuring privacy during travel. Once you connect to a VPN server, all your data becomes completely encrypted, preventing anyone from tracking your online activities.
How Can a VPN Be Useful Apart from Cyber Security?
#1 Save Money
Booking flights can often feel like a losing game. There are countless factors influencing flight pricing – day of the week, time of day, location, economy, fluctuations, company locations, demand, availability, and more. The rules are ever-changing, making it challenging to navigate.
Some claim that using a VPN to book flights can give you an advantage by spoofing your location. Airlines adjust pricing based on the buyer’s location. I checked and it works. I suggest starting your search from smaller or less affluent countries and working your way up.
#2 Watch TV
During a honeymoon or a romantic trip, we spend most of our time with our significant other, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have time for television. But you probably won’t be able to just go to Netflix or Hulu to watch your favorite show. Such streaming services are not available in all countries. While services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime are now available worldwide, the catalog varies by country, which means you might not have access to your current series binge. This is where a VPN can be incredibly useful. By setting your ‘end-point’ as your home country, you can access the service as if you were actually at home.
#3 Access Blocked Websites
Some countries block certain websites. These websites include Facebook, YouTube, and online news outlets. The governments in these countries practice censorship. This is particularly prevalent in Asian countries like China, Burma, Vietnam, and Thailand. To access these blocked websites, you can use a VPN. With a VPN, you can choose a country where the website is available. Once connected, you’ll be able to access the website without any issues.
Another example of this situation is the blocking of Voice over Protocol services such as Skype, Facetime, and WhatsApp in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. If you find yourself in these regions, a VPN is necessary for accessing VoP services.
What to Look for When Choosing a VPN?
When you choose a VPN, pay attention to the following parameters:
- Apps are crucial for the platforms you use. Ensure that all your devices are supported. If you’re carrying a Mac and an iPhone, search for VPN software that has versions for MacOS and iOS. On the other hand, if you’re using Windows and Android, make sure you can download apps for them.
- Don’t settle for limitations or extra fees for simultaneous connections. It’s frustrating when the number of devices allowed to connect to your VPN account is restricted. Phones, tablets, and laptops are all equally vulnerable to insecure networks. You don’t want the hassle of disconnecting one device to connect another every time you need to use them. Look for a service that enables multiple simultaneous connections.
- Make sure the VPN software works in as many countries as possible. Not all VPN software is equally effective, and some types are more prone to being blocked. Check for support for the OpenVPN protocol and read user reviews that mention the software’s ability to work in China in recent months. If it can bypass the VPN blocks implemented by the Chinese government, it can work anywhere.
- Acceptable speeds are essential. When using a VPN, your connection typically slows down because your data is routed through another server instead of going directly to its destination. The extent of the slowdown depends on various factors like distance, bandwidth restrictions, and network congestion. For instance, when I used a VPN endpoint in Madrid, my speeds in Spain dropped by approximately 20%. On the other hand, when using an endpoint in New York, the drop was about 40%. Before subscribing to a VPN service, try using their trial version and conduct speed tests to determine its actual performance.
- An auto-connect feature is a must-have. It’s easy to forget to enable your VPN when you’re in a hurry. Look for a VPN that has an auto-connect feature for every network or at least unsecured networks. This feature will automatically activate your VPN within a few seconds of connecting to a Wi-Fi network, ensuring your protection even when you’re preoccupied with other tasks.
- Make sure the VPN service has endpoints where you need them and ideally offers a wide selection. More endpoints provide greater flexibility. Sometimes, a specific endpoint may be blocked by a website you’re trying to access. Having other endpoint options minimizes the inconvenience. I recently experienced this issue while trying to watch a video on Hulu. The New York endpoint was blocked, but the Chicago endpoint worked perfectly fine.
Conclusion
Any travel is associated with additional risks, but I especially want to reduce them during my honeymoon. A VPN is a reliable assistant that helps you protect yourself, watch movies or shows freely from your home region, and even save on buying air tickets or booking a hotel room. With it, your chances of a perfectly smooth romantic trip increase greatly.