3 Important Reasons Why You Need a VPN for Your Mac

VPN for Mac - Why Your Business Needs It

It is a widespread belief that Mac computers offer more security than those running the Windows operating system— the PCs. Some of the reasons often given include the fact that Apple controls the manufacturing of its computers, notably the maintenance of the Mac operating system more closely. Also, more businesses and individuals around the world use Windows, which makes it a lot more profitable for criminals to design malware that targets the operating system.

Many recent research reports have, however, proven this to be a myth. Both Macs and PCs are almost equally vulnerable to web threats and cyberattacks.

Even if the Mac could resist malware and phishing attacks more than the PCs, you still need to connect to a VPN to boost your security and privacy in other ways.

What is a VPN?

A virtual private network (VPN) is a server or a network of servers through which your computer can route its communication with the worldwide web. The VPN obfuscates both the information you send and receive and the identity of your computer (the IP address).

It usually comes in the form of an ID (VPN server address) you set up on your computer or browser. When it is set, the system encrypts your data and routes your communication to a platform to assign your computer new identities so that no one can track it.  The VPN service providers are, however, independent of Apple or Microsoft. So it is up to you to choose the best VPN for your Mac.

Reasons why you need a VPN for your Mac

There are many reasons why you need to connect your Mac computer to a VPN, but the following three are the most important:

1. To protect your financial transactions.

Today we do a lot of financial transactions through devices like phones and laptops. We accept and make payments. According to one report, the e-commerce sector is growing at about 20% per year, with a global value of over US$4 trillion. Meanwhile, society is going cashless as it embraces digital payment methods.

Of course, criminals are following the money, and the way they can steal in the online financial environment is by hijacking data. They snoop on your communication and get hold of information like bank account numbers, phone numbers, PINs, and credit card details. With these pieces of information, they can easily steal from you. VPN encrypts this data and makes it hard for anyone to hijack or make sense of it.

2. Keeping your life and business private

Data is the new gold. With the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, everyone is looking for it. Some need it to train algorithms, and others need it to prey on you.  For example, it is now not uncommon for you to see ads related to the stuff read or watch online.

It might seem to be just a little annoying. However, the data collected about the sites you visit, the people you talk to, or even the things you buy online can be used to build a very detailed psychological profile of you, which can then be used to target you with campaigns you might not be in a position to resist, even when they are against your best interests. In other words, you are at the risk of being manipulated in a very efficient way.

Using a VPN can mask your identity, and that can make it a little harder for the AI algorithms that every major tech company is deploying to collect data from your online activity. Without this data, they can’t create a profile that they can use to market to you or for any other purpose.

3. Region blocked access

There are cases where users are blocked from accessing certain online services. This can be in the form of censorship by a state or a business decision. For example, a movie streaming company might decide not to have a specific film accessible in some world regions.

We’ve also seen social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter blocked in countries undergoing political struggles. A good example is what happened during the 2011 Egyptian Arab spring. The government blocked social media networks’ accessibility to curtail protesters from organizing or letting the world know what was happening.

Indeed, through VPNs, protesters were able to still communicate amongst themselves and the rest of the world. A VPN gives you the ability to circumvent any form of government censorship.

Does Mac Have a Built-in VPN?

There is a misconception that Mac computers do come with pre-installed VPNs. While this is not the case, the Mac computers do come with easy to use tools for connecting to VPNs. All you need to do is to find the best VPN solution and connect it to your computer. That way, you can protect your data, secure your privacy, and circumvent any censorship.