6 Things a VPN Hides to Keep You Private Online

Keeping your personal information private online can feel like a balancing act. You need to share enough to access what you need but limit what’s exposed to protect your security. This is where a VPN, or Virtual Private Network, can help. It works by hiding key details – like your IP address, location, and browsing activity – to make it harder for third parties to track or collect your data.

In this article, we’ll explain exactly what a VPN hides, how it protects your online activity, and how anonymous you really are when connected to one. Choosing the best VPN can greatly enhance your privacy and ensure your online security.

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What Is a VPN and How Does It Work?

Before we get into what a VPN can hide, let’s take a step back and look at what a VPN is and how it works.

A VPN is a technology that creates a secure and encrypted connection between your device and a less secure network, like the internet. Think of it as a secure tunnel that protects your data as it travels from your device to the internet and the website you’re trying to visit. 

The VPN encrypts all data between your device and its server, meaning no one can intercept or read it. The VPN also masks your true IP address for added privacy, replacing it with one from its own network. This makes it harder for websites, advertisers, and even your ISP to track you. 

Using a VPN won’t make you completely anonymous online, but it adds extra layers of protection by shielding your internet activity from prying eyes.  While a VPN adds security and privacy, complete anonymity online requires additional tools and practices. Let’s explore all the things it can hide and how it helps keep you safe online.

6 Things a VPN Hides

1: Your IP Address

An IP address is a unique string of numbers assigned to each device that connects to the internet. Think of it as a digital home address that allows devices to communicate. Every time you visit a website, send an email, or use an app, your IP address helps route data to and from your device.

Your IP address reveals details about you, like your ISP, city, region, and country. While it doesn’t show your exact physical address, it can pinpoint your general location. With your IP address, ISPs, websites, and even governments can monitor your online activity to build a digital profile of your habits and interests. This profile could include details like which social platforms you use or the sites you visit frequently.

To protect your privacy, concealing your IP address can help prevent this kind of tracking and surveillance. A VPN replaces your IP address with one from the VPN’s server, so your activity appears to come from the server’s location rather than your own. With CyberGhost VPN, you can choose from a global fleet of servers in over 100 countries to browse privately and securely.

2: Your Geo-Location

A VPN also conceals your real physical location by connecting you to a server in a different country. For example, if you’re in Austria and connect to a US VPN server, anyone trying to track you would think you’re in the US. Changing your virtual location also brings several advantages, including the ability to:

    • Bypass online content restrictions – Some websites or apps enforce geo-restrictions, allowing only users from specific countries to access their content. With a VPN, you can change your IP address to bypass censorship and keep access to your favorite sites from anywhere.
    • Enjoy support for worldwide streaming services – Enjoy access to your favorite shows and streaming services, regardless of where you are. A VPN helps you stay connected, even if you’re on a restricted network or traveling abroad.
    • Avoid online purchase price discrimination – Many websites show different prices for the same items based on location. Changing your IP address to a different region may help you find the best deals and discounts.

Beyond your IP address, third parties can still track your location in other ways. Many apps use your device’s GPS to monitor your movements and even require access to your GPS to function. By turning off GPS tracking and using a VPN, you can prevent apps from following you, even on public Wi-Fi.

A VPN makes it easy to conceal your real location, giving you more control over your digital footprint and privacy.

3: Your Search History (Partially Hidden)

A VPN shields your browsing activity from your internet provider, government agencies, and cybercriminals. Many people don’t realize how much information their ISP can gather –  your search history, the websites you visit, and any unencrypted data you send are all visible and could be logged.

Here’s what a VPN protects and where privacy gaps still exist:

    • ISP Tracking: When you connect to a VPN, your search requests go through the VPN server instead of your ISP’s, cutting off their view of your activity. The VPN encrypts your internet traffic, making your online actions unreadable. While your ISP can still see that you’re using a VPN, they won’t know the specific websites you visit or how long you spend there.
    • Browser Tracking: Even with a VPN, your default web browser can still log your searches. For example, if you’re logged into a Google account and using Chrome, the browser itself will continue to see your search history. However, websites can no longer link your searches to your IP address, giving you more privacy.
    • Incognito Mode Limitations: If you’re using private browsing, but without a VPN, your ISP can still track your online activity. Incognito mode may stop your device from storing local data like cookies, but it doesn’t prevent your provider from seeing your activity.

A VPN provides substantial privacy by concealing your search history from external parties, but it’s essential to combine it with private browsing practices and privacy settings within your browser for complete control.

To maintain your browsing security, select a more private browser and be sure to clear your cookies. Cookies expose what you’ve been doing online. Use CyberGhost VPN’s free Cookie Cleaner add-on to ensure browser privacy! It also frees up space on your hard drive and boosts your browser’s speed. 

4: Your Downloads and Torrents

Just like with your browsing activity, a VPN hides your downloads from your internet provider, preventing your ISP from seeing the files you download or their content. However, while a VPN conceals your downloads’ content, your ISP can still see that you’re transferring data and how much.

Even though a VPN protects your download activity, you should still follow best practices for safe downloading:

    • Use Reliable Sources: Stick to official, reputable platforms for downloads. A VPN doesn’t scan files for viruses or malware, so downloading from trusted sources can help you avoid malware risks.
    • Avoid Copyrighted Material: Using a VPN doesn’t mean you can download copyrighted content freely. You could still face legal consequences if you’re caught downloading illegal content.
    • Combine with Antivirus Software: While a VPN conceals your IP address, it won’t detect or block malware in downloaded files. Using antivirus software alongside your VPN adds an extra layer of security.

When you share or download files without a VPN, your IP address is exposed, often triggering data alerts with your ISP – especially if you’re using a lot of bandwidth. Government agencies and advertisers can also track your download activity, sometimes leading to warning letters, fines, or other legal issues depending on what you download.

A VPN helps protect your download privacy by hiding your IP address and encrypting your data, so third parties have a harder time tracking your activity. However, using a VPN wisely and sticking to safe download practices is essential to avoid unwanted risks.

5: Your Streaming and Gaming Activities (and Saves You from Bandwidth Throttling)

Streaming and gaming are notorious for their massive data consumption, often causing ISPs to throttle bandwidth to reduce network strain, especially during peak hours. When you hide your streaming and gaming activities with a VPN, you can avoid these limitations.

Here’s how a VPN helps:

    • Avoid Bandwidth Throttling: By masking your IP address, a VPN prevents your ISP from seeing which activities are data-heavy, so it can’t selectively throttle your connection. This way, you’re free to stream shows or challenge friends to online games without interruptions.
    • Better Gaming Performance: VPNs with optimized servers can also help reduce lag by connecting you to faster game servers, providing a smoother and more responsive gaming experience.

With a VPN, you’re free to enjoy your favorite shows and games without worrying about ISP limitations or throttling. This ensures your streaming and gaming activities are private, seamless, and unrestricted.

CyberGhost VPN encrypts and routes your internet traffic through a private server, hiding your activity from your ISP. This prevents your ISP from seeing what you’re doing online and selectively throttling your connection when you’re gaming or streaming.

6: Your Personal Data

Data breaches, malware attacks, and other online threats put your sensitive information at risk, including login details, credit card numbers, and email conversations. A VPN is one of the most effective tools for protecting your personal data while browsing.

CyberGhost VPN uses advanced tunneling protocols and state-of-the-art encryption to secure your connection. This encryption is highly resistant to even the most sophisticated hacking attempts, keeping your data private from cybercriminals, ISPs, and other third parties. Our no-logs policy ensures that none of your online activities are tracked or sold, so whatever you do online remains entirely your business.

While a VPN protects much of your data, there are still certain limitations. In the next section, we’ll cover what a VPN can’t fully protect and how you can take additional steps to maximize your privacy.

3 Things a VPN Can’t Hide 

1. Your Logged-In Account Activity

A VPN connection won’t prevent platforms from tracking your account activity when you’re logged into an account on a website, app, or online service. The VPN conceals your IP address and masks your location, but it can’t prevent platforms from seeing activity tied to your logged-in account.

For example, if you’re streaming on Netflix or another platform with CyberGhost VPN, the VPN hides your IP address and location. However, the platform can still see your account details, including your watch history, saved preferences, and other activity associated with your profile. This means that while your IP address is hidden, account activity remains linked to your unique profile.

Even when using a VPN, it’s wise to be cautious with the amount of personal information you share on logged-in platforms. Adjusting privacy settings within your account can add an extra layer of privacy.

2. Malware, Viruses, and Infections

Many people think a VPN protects them from malware and other cyber threats, but a VPN primarily provides privacy and encryption, not device security. While a VPN helps you stay hidden online, it doesn’t shield you from direct online threats like ransomware, phishing attacks, or computer viruses.

Malware and viruses usually spread through malicious downloads, phishing links, or infected websites. That’s why it’s essential to pair your VPN with reliable antivirus software, which can actively scan, detect, and block these threats.

For the best protection, use antivirus software and enable a firewall alongside your VPN. Together, these tools create a comprehensive digital security setup, helping you stay both private and secure online.

3. Your Complete Online Identity

Many people hope that using a VPN will make them entirely anonymous online. While a VPN enhances your privacy, it doesn’t make you fully invisible. Cybercriminals and intelligence agencies can still access valuable data through techniques like digital fingerprinting – where unique data about your device, browser, and settings combine to create a “fingerprint” that can track you across websites.

What you choose to share online also plays a crucial role. A VPN can’t undo information you’ve posted on social media or data you’ve shared with various platforms. Social media is great for staying connected, but sharing too much personal information can lead to unwanted consequences.

For better online privacy, consider limiting social media exposure, using privacy-focused browser settings, and regularly reviewing what personal information you share online.

What to Look For in a VPN That Hides Your Activity Safely

Choosing a reliable VPN provider is essential to ensure your online experience is private, secure, and hassle-free. Here’s what to look for to ensure your VPN effectively hides your online activity:

    • Advanced Encryption: Strong encryption is crucial. Look for a VPN with secure encryption protocols that protect your internet traffic from interception.
    • Kill Switch Feature: An automatic kill switch prevents data exposure by stopping all internet traffic if your VPN connection drops unexpectedly. With CyberGhost’s automatic kill switch, your IP address and location stay private even if the VPN connection is interrupted.
    • No-Logs Policy: Check the VPN provider’s privacy policy for a true “no-logs” commitment, which ensures that your browsing data isn’t stored or shared.
    • Security Enhancements: Some VPNs, like CyberGhost, offer extra protection through features like NoSpy servers, designed to prevent hardware attacks, and security add-ons, such as the Security Suite for Windows with anti-malware and antivirus protections.

Finally, a trustworthy VPN provider won’t make exaggerated claims, like total anonymity or completely erasing your browsing history. A reputable VPN enhances privacy but can’t guarantee total invisibility online. If a VPN provider claims otherwise, it’s wise to verify their promises carefully.

The Bottom Line: A VPN Hides Key Details for Stronger Privacy

While a VPN doesn’t provide complete anonymity, it offers significant control over your online visibility. By hiding your IP address and concealing your physical location, a VPN enhances privacy and protects personal data. Whether streaming, downloading, or browsing, it adds a layer of security, making it more challenging for ISPs, advertisers, or cybercriminals to monitor your activity.

Still, it’s important to recognize a VPN’s limitations. While it can hide much of your online activity, it doesn’t safeguard against every threat, such as malware or tracking linked to logged-in account activity. VPNs work best as part of a comprehensive privacy approach that includes additional tools like antivirus software and mindful account usage.

Choosing a VPN with strong encryption, a no-logs policy, and features like a kill switch can help create a more secure online environment. Used alongside other protective measures, a VPN can provide a substantial first step in safeguarding online privacy and security.

FAQ

What does a VPN hide?

A VPN hides your IP address, physical location, and internet activity from third parties like your ISP, advertisers, and potential cybercriminals. When you connect to a VPN, your online traffic is encrypted and routed through a secure server, making it difficult for others to see what sites you visit, what files you download, or even where you’re located. This additional privacy helps protect your personal data and keeps your online activity more private.

Does a VPN hide your IP address?

Yes. Hiding your IP address is what a VPN does. The VPN reroutes your connection requests through a remote VPN server. It then sends all your requests to the web using an IP address from the VPN database. That way, the websites you visit will only see the VPN’s IP address and your real IP address becomes invisible.

Can your ISP see what you’re doing while using a VPN?

No. The VPN software encrypts your online connections. That makes it impossible for anyone to see what you do. The ISP can tell you’re using a different IP address from the one it assigned you and figure out you’re using a VPN. It can’t monitor what you’re up to online, though.

Does a VPN Hide Your Browsing History from the Wi-Fi Owner?

Yes, a VPN hides your browsing history from the Wi-Fi owner by encrypting all your online activity. While they may still see that you’re connected to the network and that a VPN is in use, they can’t view the websites you visit or the specific online content you access. This encryption keeps your browsing private, even on shared or public Wi-Fi.

Can You Still Be Tracked with a VPN?

Yes, you can still be tracked with a VPN. Your ISP can detect VPN usage by identifying traffic patterns and IP addresses associated with VPN servers. Streaming services can also detect VPN usage because they observe multiple users sharing the same IP address. This is why you might encounter access issues with streaming services even when using a VPN.
CyberGhost VPN’s strict no-logs policy ensures that none of your online activities are stored or tracked. Additionally, CyberGhost’s RAM-only servers automatically wipe all data with every reboot, further safeguarding your privacy.

Leave a comment

Home computer and 2 phones use one wifi provider. If a private network is set up on the home computer and is listed under available networks will it or can it be listed on one or both phones’ available networks?

Reply

Hi, Judy,
 
Thank you for your question! You can set up a home Wi-Fi network to either be seen by all devices or by no devices – note that someone with a bit of networking knowledge will still be able to scan all available networks manually or by using a tool like inSSIDer.
 
You can configure a network to not broadcast its SSID and still be able to connect to it if you know its exact name and password. You can also block certain devices from being able to connect if (easy) they are connected to it or (harder) know their MAC address and use a MAC filter/whitelist option for your network. Hope this helps.
 
Stay safe!

Hi,

If I connect to a website with a vpn and have a created account in the website. And then at another time connect to the same website without vpn in an entirely separate account could they find a link between the two connections or would they appear effectively like 2 completely different users?

Thanks,
Sean

Reply

Hi, Sean,
 
It depends on what forms of tracking the website uses. Unfortunately, browser and device fingerprinting is quite common.
 
If the service in question is actively looking for the scenario you described, there’s a good chance they’re using device and/or browser fingerprinting to identify devices that might be associated with more than one account.
 
Stay safe,

Good articles and info guys keep up the good work. M

Reply

Hi, Ghostie
 
Thank you for the kind words and for being a part of team Ghostie!
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Stay safe,

Hi! My friend told me he used the vpn to change the name of the device and the device type so it appeared as an iPhone 14 pro on my Xfinity account even though he was using a much older phone. Can a vpn do this, can it really change the type of device you’re using? Thank you

Reply

Hi, Jill
 
A VPN cannot make it seem that you’re using a different device. To achieve that, you’d have to not only completely block trackers, but also use third-party applications to spoof your device’s fingerprint.
 
Please note that masking/changing your device information might be against the ToS of various apps and platforms and that we do not support or condone breaking such agreements.
 
Stay safe,

I have a subscription account that’s preventing multiple device login. Can a VPN circumvent that?

Reply

Hi, Daisy,
 
It depends on how the service restricts other devices from connecting. Hypothetically, if a service restricts connections based on the IP (e.g. allowing just one IP to connect) then it might be possible to have simultaneous connections from different devices.
 
If you connect to the same VPN server on multiple devices, than your external IP will be the same on all of them.
 
Please note that we do not encourage or condone breaking the terms of any service.
 
Stay safe!

HI,
I work for a company that has video calls and phone calls built in to their platform. I am wondering if when I log into their websites/platforms with a VPN, can they see where I am physically or otherwise?

Reply

Hi, Ghostie,
 
That’s a great question! If the platform you mentioned uses the GPS capabilities on your devices to determine your location, then they will be able to tell your location.
 
If they’re using your device’s IP, then the VPN should successfully hide your actual location.
 
Stay safe!

Is there a way to find out on my computer if GPS is enabled or tracked? I am unclear as to how the GPS can detect my computer’s presence somewhere. It is not a work issued computer. It is my personal computer. Thank you.

Hi, Ghostie,
 
Microsoft has started implementing such features, but it would not be possible if your hardware does not have the embedded technology.
 
In Windows, you can check the Location Privacy Settings menu to see what apps are allowed to access your location.
 
Stay safe!

There may be an obvious answer to this question, but I have gotten two different opinions from local IT Professionals I respect. The question is does a VPN do anything to protect files or folders held on your local PC, regardless of whether you occasionally use the Internet?
If the answer is No, what do you recommend to prevent anyone having access to that local data? I back my local data up to an external backup drive and am considering backing it up to the cloud, if that would be a better option. While backup is very important, of course, it doesn’t prevent someone (usually a hacker whether for ransom or otherwise) from accessing the data on your local PC in the first place.
Any citations to others who have dealt with this question would also be greatly appreciated.

Reply

Hi, Dave,
 
VPNs are not made to protect local files and folders. If you’re looking to transfer sensitive files & information over the internet, then a good VPN can help keep them safe while in transit.
 
To protect files on your local PC, your best bet would be to make sure that information is password protected (which also includes encryption).
 
If you’re on Windows, try using the Windows Search function to look for “BitLocker Drive Encryption” and follow the instructions. This should work for both local and external drives connected to the machine.
 
Stay safe!

if using cyber vpn and downloading something, will my isp be aware of it?

Reply

Hi, Ghostie
 
When you use CyberGhost VPN, your ISP will not be able to see what you’re downloading.
 
Stay safe,

Sky TV…………..and others have the technology to know where you are whatever VPN you try to hide under, its false to say your location is hidden.

Reply

Hi, Garry,
If you’re logged into an online service and it uses GPS to determine your location, then you’re correct.
 
However, if the website uses your IP to determine your location, then your actual whereabouts are hidden. This is true for most websites on the internet.
 
Stay safe!

You’ve got my attention.
I’m also tire of talking about something and then Google starts showing adds for a product I’ve been talking about.. All this Listening and watching… There has to be a line Drawn somewhere. Thanks for all the Useful information. This has really been Helpful..

Reply

Hi, Bones,
 
The feeling is definitely mutual. Glad we could help!
 
Please stay safe,

Russell Schneider

Posted on 17/11/2022 at 22:13

When using the VPN, will download managers like IDM still initiate a download request from inside the VPN but download outside the VPN? How secure is that in terms of exposing IP address, etc.?
Thanks!

Reply

Hi Russell.
To secure your download, make sure to connect to a CyberGhost P2P VPN server from within our apps. You can find them under the For torrenting tab. As soon as you connect to a P2P server, your entire internet traffic will be encrypted. This means that the download will initiate from inside the VPN tunnel. CyberGhost VPN protects your IP address and browsing history in lines with our strict No Logs policy.
Keep in mind that our browser extensions only encrypt your browser’s traffic which isn’t ideal for download managers. We highly recommend using the apps.
For more details, please contact our 24/7 Customer Support team through email or live chat.

What I still don’t understand is this, I have to connect to the internet before logging into my vpn. Whether I’m at home, hotel, cafe or library, someone could tell where I am from the provider I used to access the vpn.

Reply

Hi, John
 
You are correct in regards to the fact that you have to use an ISP to connect to the internet. There’s no way around that
 
However, when you browse the internet with a VPN, your traffic is routed through a VPN server, which masks your real IP. This means means nobody will be able to tell where you are based on your IP.
 
Stay safe,

Clyde....possibly a pseudonym

Posted on 20/09/2022 at 22:32

Thanks for the info. I’m considering a VPN, but I already have trouble streaming Xfinity on occasion.

Reply

Hi, Ghostie,
 
You should be able to stream Xfinity with CyberGhost VPN without any issues. If you ever encounter any problems, our friendly customer support team is ready to lend a hand!
 
Stay safe,

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