If something goes wrong with your VPN server or your device, even if it's a temporary blip, that extra layer of privacy and security is gone in an instant. Your browsing and app usage then becomes exposed – which is probably not what you want if you've gone to the trouble of installing a VPN to begin with.
A kill switch—like it does on machinery-Stops everything. Your Internet access will be automatically cut off if the VPN connection is lost: so when you have the inconvenience of suddenly being offline, you won't be able to send and receive data that other people will be able to receive.
Without a kill switch, the site or app you're connected to would suddenly have access to your IP address, for example, and from there probably know your location and more information about you. The more serious your reasons for using a VPN – perhaps to avoid censorship restrictions, or to protect sensitive information – the more important it is to have a kill switch in place.
How to Enable VPN Kill Switch
How you use the kill switch will depend on the VPN provider you choose and the features available in the software you get. Some VPNs do not offer a kill switch, and those that do vary on whether it is enabled by default or not. If this is definitely a feature you want to use, find a VPN service that offers it.
This feature should be somewhere in the settings of the VPN apps you're using on your computer, tablet or phone – although you may have to go to the Advanced section of Settings to find it. in the matter of protonvpn For example, the kill switch button can be found on the desktop app countries Tab to the main dashboard.
if you use nordvpn On your computer, click the gear icon on the top toolbar, then select kill switch From the list of options on the left. For expressvpn For users who have installed the desktop client, the kill switch can be found by clicking the menu button (top left) Option And General: Then you can check the box marked Stop all internet traffic if VPN unexpectedly disconnects,
It's in different places for different VPN apps on different platforms – and sometimes has different names – but the basic idea is the same. Additionally, some VPNs offer a kill switch that activates only when you're using certain programs and apps, so this isn't a blanket rule that applies to all Internet access.