The state of VPNs in 2019
We are living in a time when just about everyone in the world has access to the internet in one way or another. The ability to quickly find information about any subject imaginable is just a mouse click or finger swipe away, but with all the online freedom comes potential issues. Identity theft is on the rise, with many of these bad folks using the internet to hack sites and steal information. The Internet is a fun place to spend a lot of time, but it can also be a dangerous place if you do not have your back covered.
There are several different ways to protect yourself as you navigate the internet, but it is more than fair to suggest that virtual private networks (VPN’s) are becoming the go to security tool for many people. A VPN is a piece of software that runs in the background of your computer and essentially makes your location invisible. You can go anywhere you want online and have your information protected to boot, and all for a very small investment. There are a number of free VPN’s out there, but even if you do decide to pay, you are generally only looking a paying a few dollars per month, which is as small price to pay for what you get.
To get an idea of just how prevalent VPN’s are in 2019, think about the fact that in the last 30 days, 25% of people who accessed the internet did so while using a VPN. As it stands at the moment, people who live in Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa are the most common users, but we are starting to see more people in Europe and North America hop on board the VPN train. The end of net neutrality, as well as issues with online privacy, have helped prompt that move.
So, what does all of that mean in terms of dollars and cents? Back in 2016, the value of the global VPN market was sitting somewhere in the $15.5 billion range, which is a not insubstantial amount of money.
