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Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Technology
Olivia Powell

5 VPN red flags to help you spot a dodgy VPN

Lots of red flags.

Many would say that a VPN, or a virtual private network, is a no-brainer if you want to keep yourself safe and private on the internet—me included. VPNs encrypt your internet traffic and spoof your real IP address to anonymize yourself on the internet, essentially hiding your location and what you do online from the prying eyes of hackers, ISPs, and government authorities.

However, the best VPNs are much more than guardians of your general privacy; they can also unblock geo-restricted websites, so you can stream your favorite content from anywhere in the world. Furthermore, you can also use them to enhance your gaming experience, where they'll ward off DDoS attacks and bandwidth throttling.

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