Using a VPN isn’t anymore confined to big businesses and their remote employees. With the rash of data breaches and cybercrimes happening in recent times, it has become imperative for anyone who uses the internet to use a VPN. A VPN for bloggers like you protects you from the fraudulent activities of cybercriminals and hackers. As a blogger, you spend most of your waking hours online. Without a VPN you are vulnerable to hackers and unwittingly exposing your identity, your work and sensitive data to them.
But first, what is a VPN service? VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It’s a connection service that allows you to go online while hiding your identity, location (IP address) and sensitive information such as your bank and credit card details. Just as important, a VPN encrypts your traffic, adding another layer of security so that your browsing activities remain private and prohibits anyone snooping on you.
So you think, “I’m a blogger and I have nothing to hide, so why would I need a VPN?” It’s this mindset that puts you at risk for hacking attacks. Regrets always come later. Don’t be a victim of a false sense of security, then suffer the consequences because you didn’t use a VPN.
Here are compelling reasons why a VPN for bloggers is necessary:
It protects you from hacker attacks while you are blogging.
Like most bloggers, a lot of times you’ll work outside of your home. When travelling, you’ll maximize the waiting time at airports and in hotels to write or manage your blog, or you’ll go to coffeeshops and public libraries to break the monotony and isolation of the home office. In most cases, you’ll want to use the free public WiFi that these places offer. These public WiFi spots are extremely unsafe and expose you to man-in-the-middle and honeypot attacks. .
But even in the privacy of your own home, hackers can attack network routers, as US federal intelligence agencies have reported. They can be from ransomware messages, odd redirects, and files suddenly becoming encrypted. A VPN for bloggers encrypts your admin data when you log in to the admin area and protects your blog from hackers and malicious persons taking over it.
It keeps your file exchange secure.
One of a blogger’s regular activities is the uploading and downloading of files . On an unsecured network, hackers can take control of your system and add a dangerous file into your uploading cue or download, copy, delete or alter them.
A VPN protects you because it creates a secure path, encrypts your data, and hides your location and identity while you blog.
It bypasses geo-restrictions.
It’s crucial for you to be able to have full access to content on the internet as you work on your blog. But many website owners are now blocking access to its content, usually based on the physical location of the user. The worldwide web isn’t so anymore these days. There are various reasons for this geo-restriction: prevent hacking attempts, issues with digital censorship laws, or simply business decisions, such as with Netflix and online shopping.
It’s a real issue for bloggers who need resources for their blogs. For ex., you’re reviewing a show on a streaming platform like Hulu or Netflix and you’re out of the US, where the show or the platform isn’t available. Or you’re writing an article and you can’t view online research sources due to geo-blocking.
Here’s where a VPN for bloggers can connect you to the countries where the geo-restriction isn’t enforced. A VPN service provider that has numerous servers in many countries will circumvent geo-blocking for you and allow you to browse the internet in your chosen region even if you’re not physically there. It hides your actual location and makes it appear you’re in the specified region.
It keeps you safe online.
A blogger expressing an opinion on a sensitive issue, such political and controversial matters, can provoke anger in readers who have different takes on the topic. The threats can be online by posting hate comments or defacing your blog, or even in person, such as stalking and attacking you.
Governments also spy on bloggers and can make life difficult for you if you have contrary views. They can put you under surveillance or investigation.
A VPN protects you in both situations. It hides your IP address so that your government spies and zealots cannot trace you online or physically and create havoc on your blog. You also have the freedom to comment and post online while being hidden from snoops and haters.
It secures your online financial transactions.
Whether you’re purchasing or selling, money exchange happens all the time through your blog. You may pay for a blog theme, hosting plan or SEO services. You may also be selling items from your blog, or an ebook you wrote. These financial dealings are common for bloggers and is one of the most common online thefts. A VPN for bloggers encrypts these sensitive data and keeps your and your customers’ financial transaction private and secure, thereby protecting your payment method details from being stolen.
It gives you better deals.
If you’re a travel blogger, you’ve heard of plane tickets being priced differently depending on your location at the time of purchase. So if you’re in Hong Kong traveling to the US, the air fare may be different than if you use a VPN with a server in Australia using the same route. Tests done to verify this have shown varying results, but most tests show a difference of a few dollars.
Hosting plans for bloggers differ too based on location. A web hosting platform may offer as many as 7-8 plans in one region and as little as 1 in another. With a VPN, you can spoof your location to place your site at another area to get more choices and better deals.
All in all, a VPN for bloggers is a worthwhile investment for your blog. With hackers increasing in number and getting more sophisticated, malicious attacks are rising, too. The protection you get from VPNs will shield you from data breach and blog takeovers. So, to answer the question, do bloggers really need a VPN? Yes! You do.
