“Kim, I hear you and everybody else say to use a VPN on hotel, cruise and coffee shop Wi-Fi. But do I really need one at home? My internet’s already password-protected.” — Steve in Philadelphia
Great question, Steve, and I love that you asked it. The short answer: Yes, you still want one at home. A password and real privacy aren’t the same thing.
🔑 Your password protects only partially
That Wi-Fi password keeps your neighbors off your network. Good. But it does nothing about the company that runs your internet. Your provider, whether that’s Comcast, Verizon, AT&T, Spectrum or anyone else, can see every site you visit, the apps you use, your location and anything you do using that connection.
The FTC studied the biggest providers and found many of them have access to 100% of your unencrypted internet traffic. They combine it, package it and sell it. And no, incognito mode doesn’t stop them. Your provider still sees everything.
Here’s the part that stings.
In 2017, Congress scrapped a rule that required providers to get your permission before selling your browsing history. So this isn’t a glitch. It’s legal. That’s your private life, bought and sold, and you’re paying them for the privilege.
It’s not only advertisers. Data brokers resell that profile, and even law enforcement can request it. Your late-night searches, your medical questions, your shopping, all tied to your name.
🛡 What a VPN does at home
A VPN wraps your traffic in a tunnel your provider can’t read. They can tell you’re online. They can’t see where you’re going or what you’re doing. To them, your browsing turns into noise.
So yes, the hotel, cruise and coffee shop advice still stands, because on those networks a stranger can snoop. But home is where you spend the most time online, banking, shopping, researching health issues at midnight. That’s exactly the stuff you don’t want sitting in a marketing file with your name on it.
One caution. Skip the free VPNs. They make money the same way your provider does, by selling your data. That defeats the whole point. Pay for a real one with a no-logs policy.
Steve, I use ExpressVPN, and I tested it myself across my phone, laptop and TV. One subscription covers 14 devices. I keep it on every device I own.
It’s fast enough that I forget it’s running, even when I’m streaming. BTW, you can change your country settings to watch shows Netflix and other streaming services don’t show in the U.S.
It’s simple to use. You tap once, and you’re protected. It’s based outside the U.S., runs a strict no-logs policy. No tech degree required, I promise, to get this awesome protection.
👉 Lock it down at ExpressVPN.com/Kim. My radio listeners get 4 extra months free.*
📩 Send this to someone who swears they’re safe at home because their Wi-Fi has a password.