During the COVID-19 pandemic, the holiday season may feel drastically different from any other holiday season before it. If physical distancing rules are enforced in your location, then it can be impossible to shop physically at your favorite retailers. Likewise, it may be challenging for you to physically meet your family to participate in your yearly holiday traditions.

That’s why more people are spending time on the Internet nowadays. On your computer, you can shop online or connect with friends and loved ones. In your spare time, you can also consume more entertainment online. And with a good VPN service, you can do all these things and more, except you can do them better.

What is a VPN service?

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) service routes your Internet traffic through a secure server, and so your data is encrypted. It also masks your IP address, so your location is hidden. With the right VPN service, no one can spy on you, whether it’s your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or Internet fraudsters.

How Does a VPN Service Help in the Holidays?

The right VPN can help you in a variety of ways during the holidays. With more people online during the pandemic and especially during the holiday season, hackers use complex tools to commit cybercrimes. A VPN service protects you from those with malicious intent. It can also secure public WiFi networks, so you can safely use Internet connections at cafes, airports, and malls.

Here are a few other ways a VPN helps during the holidays:

• Shopping Opportunities: Many excellent shopping deals are only exclusive to people from some regions. For example, certain countries sell the same video games you find locally, at half price. With a VPN hiding your location, you can take advantage of these shopping opportunities. You can also use a VPN to use eCommerce platforms like PayPal from countries where access is restricted.
• Streaming Opportunities: Like many people stuck indoors, you’ve probably seen your favorite shows and films many times and have little else left to watch. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has significantly slowed the down production of new content. However, there is a wealth of region-locked content out there. With a sophisticated VPN — you can easily bypass geo-blocks and access entertainment from any corner of the world. Of course, your service should also have many servers and use the latest technology in order for you to watch content at the highest video resolution without disruption.

Why Shouldn’t I Use a Free VPN Service?

While free VPN and proxy services promise the same benefits as paid VPNs, they lack the servers to offer seamless services. Moreover, free VPNs use outdated software that hackers love to breach. Many free VPN companies are also known to spy on users, while others even sell the bandwidth of their unsuspecting customers to other customers.

These are just some of the benefits of using a world-class VPN service during the holidays. Watch new shows, enjoy fresh shopping opportunities, and stay safe while making payments or chatting with loved ones online with the right VPN service.