What Happens When Your VPN Disconnects?
VPNs require a stable internet connection in order to send your data to remote servers for encryption and IP masking. Therefore, if a virtual private network experiences connectivity issues or your bandwidth isn’t sufficient for your data to reach the server, you can easily become disconnected without even realizing it.
Of course, you may also disconnect from your VPN intentionally. The slowed connection speeds that come as a result of using a VPN can be frustrating at times, so you may occasionally turn it off just to watch a movie without buffering or download a file without waiting a long time. It’s easy to assume that deactivating your VPN for just a short while won’t do any harm, as you know you’ll hop right back on and re-connect shortly. But this isn’t really the case.
The moment you become disconnected from your VPN while still using the internet, your IP address and all your online activity instantly become visible to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). So, even if you’ve been masking your IP and activity for years with your VPN, this element of privacy is eliminated as soon as your VPN disconnects.
Additionally, you become very vulnerable to malicious online activity without your VPN, as your data is now more easily accessible to cybercriminals. This is a major problem if you’re using a VPN to access riskier websites.
Of course, it is worth keeping in mind that a lot of legitimate sites use HTTPS, or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, a protocol that encrypts the connection between a website and its user, ensuring the integrity of their data. So the deactivation of your VPN won’t be quite as risky if you stick to sites that use HTTPS.
You’ll know whether a site uses HTTPS by simply checking the web address in the URL bar. If the address begins with “https”, then you’ll know the site is secure. However, not all sites use this protocol, and the internet is rife with malicious individuals who are ready to abuse your data if your security levels are at all lacking.
So, if there’s a chance that your VPN can disconnect at any moment, is there anything that can be done to prevent your sensitive data from becoming more vulnerable?
How to Stay Safe When Your VPN Disconnects
If you’re using any of the major VPN providers, including ExpressVPN, NordVPN, SurfShark, or ProtonVPN, then you’ll have access to a feature known as a “kill switch”. Activating this feature ensures that, if your VPN fails at any given moment, you will be immediately disconnected from the internet.
This means that there is no chance for your real IP address to be revealed or for your data to be decipherable by your ISP (along with any third parties or malicious users) after your VPN disconnects.
Regardless of the VPN provider that you’re using, if it supports the kill switch option, you’ll be able to activate it quickly and easily in your app settings. There’s a good chance that the kill switch will already be enabled depending on your device settings. Note that the option may not literally be called a “kill switch”. For example, on the Express VPN app, the kill switch option is called “Block All Non-VPN Traffic”.
You may have to go into your device’s settings and make a few changes in order to activate the kill switch option, but don’t worry, this will be a pretty straightforward process. Simply run an internet search to find out how to enable the kill switch using your specific VPN provider or contact them directly.
Losing Your VPN Connection Doesn’t Have to Be Risky
While using the internet after disconnecting from your VPN can put you at risk, ensuring that you have the correct measures in place will prevent any of your private data from being viewed by unauthorized parties. By activating your VPN’s kill switch feature, you can surf the web without having to worry about the possible consequences of any sudden VPN failures.
