Episode 18: Cybersecurity Myths — Myth 8: VPNs Make You Completely Anonymous Online
Welcome to another episode of FamilyCyber.ie — where we share simple digital safety habits and online privacy tips for those of us who want to make life harder for the digital Voldemorts out there.
🟢 This episode is based on the original Spanish version of CiberseguridadParaFamilias.com. It’s been translated using AI so more people can access these tips in English.
❌ Myth 8: “VPNs make me completely anonymous online.”
Many people believe that using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) makes them invisible on the internet. While VPNs do improve privacy, they don’t guarantee total anonymity.
🔎 What is a VPN?
A VPN is like a private tunnel on a busy highway.
Imagine driving on a highway full of cameras and people who can see your car, your license plate, and where you’re going.
When you use a VPN, it’s as if you enter a private tunnel where no one can see your car or where you’re headed.
- Without VPN: Your internet traffic is visible to your internet provider, websites, and potential attackers.
- With VPN: Your connection is encrypted inside that tunnel, hiding your activity from outsiders.
But remember:
When you leave the tunnel and stop at a shop to pay with your card, the shop still knows who you are. Similarly, if you use a VPN but log into Facebook or Google, those services still know exactly who you are.
💡 Conclusion: A VPN protects your connection, but it doesn’t make you invisible.
🔎 Why is this a myth?
VPNs encrypt your connection and hide your IP address, making it harder to track you — but they don’t fully hide your identity.
📌 Real example:
If you log into Google or Facebook with a VPN on, those services still identify you because you signed in with your username and password.
Also, your VPN provider can potentially see your activity, and some may keep logs depending on their privacy policies.
💡 Lesson: VPNs are a great tool for privacy, but they don’t grant you digital invisibility.
🔒 How to protect yourself better
✔ Choose a trustworthy VPN. Not all VPNs are the same. Free ones may sell your data.
✔ Always use HTTPS. A VPN encrypts your connection, but visiting websites without HTTPS still exposes you to risks.
✔ Combine VPN use with other measures. Use private browsing, enable two-factor authentication, and avoid sharing personal information on social media.
✔ Don’t rely only on your VPN. Logging into data-collecting services still reveals your identity.
📌 Practical example:
It’s like wearing sunglasses and a hat to avoid recognition in public but paying with a credit card that has your name on it. The sunglasses hide your face, but not your true identity. The same logic applies to VPNs.
📌 Conclusion
VPNs are helpful for encrypting your connection and boosting privacy, but they do not make you invisible online.
✅ Use a VPN when needed, but stay cautious: online privacy depends on many other habits, not just one tool.
If you found this episode useful, share it with family and friends. Together, we can browse more safely.
🚀 Stay tuned for the next episode in our cybersecurity myths series.
📌 This has been another episode of FamilyCyber.ie — where we share simple digital safety habits and online privacy tips for those of us who want to make life harder for the digital Voldemorts.