Do I need a VPN and why is it so useful?

[00:00:00] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Have you ever wondered how a VPN works and why it's so crucial in today's digital world? You might be saying to yourself, "Ralph, I don't even know what a VPN is." Well, think about this: imagine sitting in an airport, just sipping your coffee, checking your emails, and suddenly realizing your bank account has been completely emptied. This nightmare scenario is more common than you might think—it happens every day. But there's a simple tool that can help you prevent it.

[00:00:28] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Stick around to hear some shocking stories— and I mean truly shocking stories—about some cyber-attacks and learn how to protect yourself online as I answer the question, "Do I need a VPN and why?"

[00:00:46] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Well, let's take a second to remember what we talked about on yesterday's show. We discussed what your bank isn't telling you about using your debit card. If you haven't heard it yet, I want you to check it out. All of our episodes are at askralph.com, and yesterday's show was especially packed with essential information that could save you some financial headaches down the road. So again, if you haven't listened to it, go check it out at askralph.com.

[00:01:15] Ralph Estep, Jr.: I received a message from Jack in Atlanta. This is what Jack wrote to me. He said:

[00:01:19] Ralph Estep, Jr.: "Dear Ralph, I've been hearing a lot about VPNs lately, but I am not tech-savvy. I'm not sure why I need one. Honestly, I really don't even know what they are or why they're so important. So, can you please explain how they work and if they're really necessary? Thanks for all you do—you're making me smarter with each episode."

[00:01:36] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Well, Jack, I appreciate you telling me that! That is an excellent question, and I'm glad you asked. So on today's show, we're going to be demystifying VPNs, and I'm going to share some eye-opening stories that could show you just how important they can be in your digital life. Now, listen, before we get started, this show is all about answering your questions, so I want you to keep them coming. You can email me at ralph@askralph.com or go directly to our website. Again, that's askralph.com. You'll see a microphone icon on there—just click on it and tell me what's on your mind.

[00:02:10] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Well, I am thrilled you joined me today. Your trust and dedication to improving your financial life and faith mean the world to me. If you're finding value in our discussions, I want you to join our community. The best way to do that is to go to askralph.com and sign up for our email list. When you do, I'll give you a little bonus: you'll get a free copy of my book called Mastering Your Finances. Now, if you were to buy this on Amazon, it would cost you 10 bucks, but it's my gift to you for just becoming a part of our community.

[00:02:41] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Let's get started by grounding ourselves in scripture. We're going to talk about a book of the Bible that we don't mention on the show often—it's the book of Deuteronomy 31:6, and it says this: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." I'm sure you've heard that verse many times. You might be asking, "Ralph, how does this fit with what we're talking about today?" Well, the verse relates to fear. Many people are intimidated by technology or scared of being hacked, and this verse offers comfort and reassurance. This verse also connects to action. It encourages us to be proactive about our online security, just as the Israelites were called to be courageous. It reinforces our faith by always invoking God's presence and support, which ties directly into the whole point of why I do this podcast.

[00:03:40] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Now let me tell you a story that might make your hair stand on end. I'm going to tell you about my client—we'll use the name John. He was at an airport—now picture this: he's in Frankfurt, Germany, on a business trip. John does some consulting work that takes him overseas. He's sitting there in the airport, waiting for his flight. He says, "You know what? I've got some extra time; let me pop open my laptop and do a little internet browsing." Maybe I'll dial into my—well, I call it "dial in"—that's probably not the right word to use today but connect to his office and do a little work. So he decided he was going to join the free Wi-Fi at the airport. He gets onto his computer, connects to his office, and does a bunch of work. You know, he's waiting for that flight, so he decides to catch up on work. And all of a sudden...

[00:04:26] Ralph Estep, Jr.: It hit the fan. I remember it was a Tuesday morning, just like today. He called me—he was frantic. You could hear it in his voice—it was shaking, and he was in tears. He explained to me that while he was on a business trip to Frankfurt, waiting for his connecting flight, he decided to catch up on some work. So, he did that thing we talked about—he connected to that free Wi-Fi. I don't know if you're like me, but I've done it. He logged into his company system and started reviewing some sensitive financial documents. But little did John know, there was a cybercriminal lurking on that same network.

[00:04:55] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Listen, there are a ton of people who frequent these free Wi-Fi spots, these hotspots—whatever you want to call them. There was actually a den of thieves in that airport, and within minutes, this hacker had gained access to John's device and, consequently, his company's entire financial system. And here's the scary part: by the time John realized what had happened, he got on his airplane and went to his next stop. The hacker was able to siphon nearly $50,000 from the company's accounts. That's just one story. Let me tell you about another person I read about online. Her name is Selena. She was in a coffee shop in Miami, and she had a very similar experience.

[00:05:37] Ralph Estep, Jr.: The other guy. But in a more familiar setting, she wasn’t in some airport; she was in her local coffee shop. She was working on her laptop, had a few extra minutes, and was waiting for a friend to visit her. So, she’s enjoying some coffee and maybe a Danish or something. She decided, "Hey, I’m going to click onto this free network."

[00:05:53] Ralph Estep, Jr.: And, you know, she had extra time, so she decided to pay some bills and check her bank account balance. And all of a sudden, in real-time, she noticed someone draining her account right before her eyes. Again, there was a cybercriminal waiting for that person to join that free Wi-Fi network. And these stories might sound like plots from a thriller movie, but they’re all too real in this digital world. They could have been easily prevented with one simple tool.

[00:06:22] Ralph Estep, Jr.: And that’s what I’m going to talk about today—a VPN. So, let’s start by talking about what exactly a VPN is and how it works. From a basic standpoint, a VPN is a virtual private network. Think of it like this: it’s a secure, what they call an encrypted tunnel for your internet traffic.

[00:06:38] Ralph Estep, Jr.: When you connect to a VPN, your data is routed through this tunnel before it reaches the internet. This means that if someone is snooping on that Wi-Fi network, like in an airport or coffee shop, all they’re going to see is gibberish because all those communications—all the letters and words that you’re typing—are being encrypted.

[00:06:56] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Here’s a simple analogy, to keep it easy. Imagine you’re sending a letter with sensitive information. Without a VPN, it’s like sending that letter in a clear envelope. Nobody does that, right? When you send a letter, you put it in an envelope so nobody can see what’s inside. But if you send it in a clear envelope, everybody can read it. A VPN is like putting that letter in a locked briefcase—so even if somebody grabs it, they can’t access it without tearing it open. They’d need the key.

[00:07:18] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Now, you might be asking, "Ralph, why is this so crucial?" Well, the simple answer is that we are all on our digital devices 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And a lot of us connect to public Wi-Fi networks. We do this at coffee shops, airports—

[00:07:39] Ralph Estep, Jr.: And here’s one that a lot of people don’t think about—hotels. You’re staying at a hotel, you grab that free Wi-Fi that comes with your room, and even in some parks and recreation places. Now, the truth is, you have to admit, these are convenient, but they’ve also become the new hunting grounds for cybercriminals. And the truth is—and I want you to hear this—without a VPN, you are essentially broadcasting your online activity to anyone who cares to look at it.

[00:08:07] Ralph Estep, Jr.: It's really that simple. I talked about it yesterday in the show. When you use a debit card, you're basically giving people the keys to the vault. We are doing the same thing when you're using those public Wi-Fi networks; you're giving people a key to everything that you're sending back and forth. But a VPN does more than just protect your public Wi-Fi. Here’s what it really does.

[00:08:27] Ralph Estep, Jr.: And these things are important. Number one, it hides your IP address. You might be saying, "Ralph, why does it make a difference?" I'm going to tell you why. I want you to do a little test. Once you're done listening to this show, go type in "whatismyip.com." When you do that, you're going to see the IP address that your machine is connected to, but that's not the scary part. The scary part?

[00:08:48] Ralph Estep, Jr.: It's going to tell you where you're at. Let's say, for example, if I was to do that here—I'm in Middletown, Delaware—I type in "whatismyip," I get the IP address, and then it says, "Middletown, Delaware." Well, guess what? Now somebody knows the area where I live. That’s one of the big benefits of using a VPN. Another big benefit—

[00:09:07] Ralph Estep, Jr.: And this is not really a cyber thing, but it allows you to access geo-restricted content. For example, this is a big one I hear talked about all the time. Let’s say you're traveling overseas, and you really enjoy watching Netflix. Let’s say you’re like the fellow in Germany. You log into Netflix, but when you log in from Germany, it takes you to the German Netflix. With a VPN, you can pick a server that's located in the United States and watch Netflix just like you were sitting at home. Another thing it does—

[00:09:36] Ralph Estep, Jr.: This is the big thing it does: it prevents your internet service provider—you’ve probably heard the term "ISP"—from seeing your online activity. And think about this: I don't know how many times I've done this. Let’s say I decided I’m going to look for a new pair of sneakers, right?

[00:09:51] Ralph Estep, Jr.: So I go out to Amazon.com, and I type in "sneakers," right? And what you don’t realize is all of those keystrokes are being captured by your ISP. Then I turn around and open up Facebook, and next thing you know, every single ad that comes up on Facebook is about shoes. How does that happen?

[00:10:11] Ralph Estep, Jr.: I can tell you how it happens. Your ISP is selling your data to these data brokers, these people that tie all this data together and sell it to advertisers. Now you might be thinking, "Ralph, that sounds great, but look, like I said, I'm not a tech guy. I'm not a technical person. Is it hard to set up?"

[00:10:31] Ralph Estep, Jr.: I'm going to say right now, a VPN is one of the simplest things you can ever do. It’s really simple. Most of them—and I'm going to talk about a couple you can pick from—are user-friendly. They’re an app you install on your computer, phone, or tablet, and with just a click or two, you connect to a secure server and start browsing safely.

[00:10:49] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Your IP is hidden, and all your traffic, like I said, goes through that tunnel. Think about that tunnel: everything is encrypted all around it, and it just passes right through to that server so that your ISP isn’t capturing your information. That public Wi-Fi isn’t capturing your information. So, let me tell you—I'm not going to endorse a specific one.

[00:11:08] Ralph Estep, Jr.: I personally use Norton 360. It does a lot of things for me; it gives me some ID protection, credit monitoring, all that kind of stuff. And one of the cool things about it is it also gives you a VPN that you can install on all your devices. But some other ones are ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark, which I found when I did a little bit of Google searching. But bigger than that, you might be asking, "Ralph, how do I even choose one?"

[00:11:30] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Like I said, I'm not a tech person. Here are the things you want to look for. Number one: You want to make sure they have a strict no-logs policy. In other words, they’re not going to keep records of your online activity, and you don’t have to be doing weird stuff to want to keep your data from being sold to these data brokers.

[00:11:47] Ralph Estep, Jr.: There is a huge amount of data that gets sold, but you want to look for a VPN that has a no-log policy. The other thing you want to make sure of—and this one is critical because if they’re not doing this, it’s pretty much useless—you want to make sure they have strong encryption protocols. So, as your data is passing through that tunnel, it’s encrypted.

[00:12:06] Ralph Estep, Jr.: So even on a public Wi-Fi, they can’t see it. Another thing you want to look for is having servers in multiple countries. That’s the benefit of hiding your IP address or maybe accessing content from another country. And here’s what most people don’t think about, and it's an inevitability when using a VPN: it's going to cause you to lose a little speed. But the truth is, the benefits of using these will far outweigh that. You want to look for a VPN that has really good speeds. Now, there are some out there that are free, but as my grandfather always said, you get what you pay for. And if it’s free, think about it—how’s it free?

[00:12:42] Ralph Estep, Jr.: Somebody must be using that data. Maybe they’re not aggregating it like your ISP, but somebody is capturing that data, which, in my opinion, doesn’t make any sense. So, a paid VPN service is generally a better choice for that robust protection. So, what can you do today? One of the things I always want to talk about on my show is what you can do today.

[00:12:59] Ralph Estep, Jr.: So, the number one thing I want you to do is research VPN services and choose one that fits your needs and budget. They are all over the place. You can buy ones for less money, more money, depending on your specific needs. The next thing you've got to do is—one of my things I say all the time—you can have great intentions, but if you don't put them into action, you're never going to get anywhere.

[00:13:20] Ralph Estep, Jr.: So find that VPN, buy that VPN, and install that VPN. Put it on all your devices, not just your computer. Put it on your phone, your tablet. Even if you're not using public Wi-Fi, you can start using that VPN at home. And then the next thing is to make it a habit. Turn that VPN on. Like, say you don't want to use it at home; you feel very secure in your network. You know you've got a good router that has a password. Then just use it when you're out using those public Wi-Fi networks. But make it a point to always click on that button to turn the VPN on. I know with mine, Norton actually gives me a pop-up a lot of times that says, "Hey, you're joining an unsecured network, Ralph. Do you want to connect to your VPN?" And like I said, you can use it at home too. I definitely recommend that if you're doing any online banking. And here's the thing: I've said this a million times on the show—you've got to keep your software updated. So just like with any other antivirus or malware, keep your VPN software updated so that you have the latest security features. So just as a bit of a recap, remember this: You may not have known what a VPN was at the start, but now, all of a sudden, I think you've got a pretty good idea.

[00:14:23] Ralph Estep, Jr.: It's a powerful tool that you've got to use in this world where everything is digital. It is part of your cybersecurity arsenal. It's encrypting your internet connections, hiding your online activities, and protecting you from potential hackers lurking on those public Wi-Fi networks. They might seem technical; they might seem modern, but they are truly user-friendly. If you can install and download an app, you can make it work with just the click of a button. Remember this: In our digital age, being prudent means taking steps to protect yourself online. We all need to do these things. A VPN is a simple, yet effective, way to do just that. Well, listen, tomorrow is going to be our Wacky Wednesday show.

[00:15:03] Ralph Estep, Jr.: You know I like to have a little fun and get a little off the beaten track, you know? So what I'm going to talk about tomorrow—it's not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s something that some people might say, "Well, that’s a little funny." But here’s the question: I’m going to answer this question—and that’s, how do I get my infant—yes, I said infant—on the course to great credit? It’s never too early to start thinking about your child’s financial future. So be sure to check in. If today’s episode has you thinking about your online security, and maybe it’s got you thinking about your overall financial health...

[00:15:31] Ralph Estep, Jr.: I would love to help you dive deeper. If you're looking for ways to improve your finances, both personal and business, maybe you're looking for ways to improve your security, your business, or your financial security, I would be happy to set up a coaching call with you. I charge $150 and let me talk to you about your specific needs.

[00:15:50] Ralph Estep, Jr.: You can schedule an appointment with me at askralphpodcast.com/store. Let’s work together to strengthen your financial foundation and your online safety at the same time. Remember, my passion is to help you achieve financial success. I want you to live out your dreams and grow in your faith. I know that together we can master your finances from a Christian perspective. So, as I always say, stay financially savvy, and God bless you.