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VPNs (virtual private networks), once the shield of millions to cloak their online activities through encrypting location and web traffic, might not be a necessity anymore in today's cyber realm. Thanks to widespread encryption technologies, public internet connections are less menacing, according to cybersecurity experts. 'Most commercial VPNs offer negligible safety benefits,' remarked Nicholas Weaver, a cybersecurity lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley. 'They do not enhance security in the slightest.'It's a testament to how the cybersecurity landscape has shifted: hackers are less fixated on individuals' personal devices and instead hone in on the login credentials of critical accounts.For ages, experts have warned that using public Wi-Fi like in a coffee shop is risky without concealing internet activity. Sharing Wi-Fi with strangers essentially means sharing all internet access with those on the network. For instance, if someone checks their bank account balance, they're vulnerable to nearby hackers who could steal sensitive information. VPNs used to offer a solution to this issue. VPNs reroute internet traffic through their own servers. This may slow down web browsing speeds but hides the user's IP address from the websites they visit.But that's no longer a concern. Most browsers have quietly added a layer of security in recent years to automatically encrypt internet traffic on many websites using a technology called HTTPS. We can see HTTPS with a padlock icon before the web address. The presence of HTTPS means situations that made public Wi-Fi users fret over hackers stealing information are no longer relevant. Weaver stated he's unsure if the concern from hackers at coffee shops is real anymore, but it certainly isn't a significant threat now.
“Remember, if someone wants to target you at a coffee shop, they need to be at that coffee shop. I'm not too convinced about that aside from a few pranks. And it's no longer relevant to most websites using HTTPS.” 
However, much like antivirus software, paid VPNs are booming globally even though their core mission may now be unnecessary for many. Many VPN apps advertise their product as a security tool. A recent report by Consumer Reports found that 12 out of the top 16 VPNs made exaggerated or misleading claims to customers about the security benefits they provide. And some VPNs are even worse by either selling customers' web browsing history to data brokers or offering low levels of protection.A big credit for this development goes to activists who tirelessly advocated for safer web browsing over the past decade. In 2010, cybersecurity activists at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an internet freedom advocacy group, launched a project to encrypt web traffic as much as possible through browser extensions that allow users to toggle HTTPS on and off and give websites tools to enable it. As more people began using HTTPS wherever possible, some companies started adopting it. In 2015, Google began prioritizing HTTPS-enabled websites in its search results. Many websites followed suit in adopting HTTPS connections, and now nearly all websites Google links to have HTTPS.
By the end of 2020, major browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all have HTTPS, rendering the Electronic Frontier Foundation's extensions unnecessary. 'Several years ago, nobody could have imagined this. It's like a victory after a long battle,' said Alexis Hancock, who oversees the Electronic Frontier Foundation's HTTPS project as its technical director. Now, users have less to worry about being hacked at coffee shops than about hackers simply sending emails from anywhere in the world to trick them into providing passwords and other sensitive information. Hackers 'may execute a phishing attack before stepping into a coffee shop with free Wi-Fi,' Hancock said. 'Sending out phishing emails is much easier and more effective.'What about you guys? Are you still using VPNs every day?According to Yahoo News.
