A VPN Is the Key to Digital Nomad Success: Here’s Why
In the 21st century, there has been a marked shift in how we view our relationships with our jobs. Compared to generations gone by, the modern workforce places a much higher value on the day-to-day experience of working and less on the financial rewards involved, prioritizing work-life balance over pure financial compensation. This has brought about the rise of digital nomadism, with many choosing to work remotely from abroad without compromising their careers.
While the freedom and adventure of digital nomadism might appeal to you, however, there are some challenges that you will need to account for before diving in head first. Cyber threats and geolocation issues, in particular, can put you at risk and hinder your productivity when working from abroad, so you need to have the right solution in place to ensure that everything runs smoothly for you. A Virtual Private Network is that solution, and here, we’ll explain exactly why.
It keeps you secure
When you rely on the Internet to make money while traveling, security issues are a major concern, as breaches can put your livelihood in jeopardy. When you also consider that instances of cybercrime are increasing year on year, it’s clear that tighter cybersecurity is in order if you intend to embrace digital nomadism as a lifestyle choice. Fortunately, by simply using a free VPN service such as that of Urban VPN, you can easily bolster your defenses against cyber threats.
VPNs work by routing your internet connection through a remote server via tunneling, and this process protects you in two important ways. The first is that it enables you to browse under an alternative IP address, which can prevent hackers from tracking you online to mount an attack. The second is that your VPN applies encryption to your traffic, effectively making it indecipherable to anyone who might try to access and exploit it.
By protecting you in these ways, a VPN can keep your device secure, regardless of whether you’re an unsecured public network, so that you can avoid potential setbacks. Additionally, you will be able to engage in secure remote access so that you work effectively with colleagues or clients.
It lets you stay productive
When you’re always on the move, there’s a good chance that you will be relying on cloud-based tools and workspaces for productivity and collaboration. That’s all well and good, but depending on where you go, you might find yourself locked out of your most-used platforms due to the existence of geo-blocks. This can throw a wrench into the works if you’re unprepared, but having a VPN on hand can allow you to solve the issue.
Since a VPN will allow you to divert your internet connection through a remote server, it gives you the ability to change the IP address and geographical location that is visible to the websites you connect to. This means they cannot see where you’re actually browsing from, so you can bypass IP-based geo-blocks with ease to access all of the online software tools you need to continue performing at a high level.
By the same token, you can also use your VPN solution to access entertainment platforms, such as Netflix or BBC iPlayer, for use in your downtime.
It saves you money
While the digital nomad lifestyle offers a fantastic work-life balance, the financial side of things is a balancing act all of its own, as you can only travel as far as your money can take you. Travel expenses can add up pretty quickly as a digital nomad, and this is made worse by the use of dynamic pricing practices. Airlines, rental companies, and accommodation providers routinely change their rates online, with prices fluctuating based on a wide variety of different factors, chief among which is your location. With a VPN, though, you have a workaround for this issue.
Since your VPN solution will let you change location and IP address, it will enable you to simulate searches from other parts of the world. This means that you can connect to different VPN servers and conduct searches to aggregate prices on flights, accommodation, and vehicle rentals to ensure that you aren’t paying over the odds. As such, a VPN can help you to make your money stretch considerably further as you travel, enabling you to make your newfound lifestyle a more sustainable one.
Wrapping up
At a time when work-life balance is a greater priority than ever before, the freedom of the digital nomad lifestyle can be extremely appealing, and there’s no reason not to embrace it if you wish to. Before you do, however, it’s wise to take steps to ensure that things run as smoothly as possible once you get up and running as a digital nomad. Cyber threats, geo-blocks, and dynamic pricing have the potential to hinder you, but with a VPN at your disposal, you can overcome these issues with ease. Once you do, all that’s left to do is explore.
