What is the use case for web security vs vpn?

Mandalorian

Can someone from the community help me understand the use case for when I would use web security versus when I would use vpn? I’m new to BitDefender and am a former Norton-Lifelock customer but unlike N-L, BitDefender seems to force users to make a choice between whether web security runs versus the new vpn product (although my understanding is that the issue existed on the original vpn product as well).

N-L had similar web security and vpn offerings but both could run concurrently. But apparently not the case per BitDefender Support…. It’s as designed.

So from a user perspective, I’m on the web at a Starbucks on a public WiFi and I have web services on to protect me from things like phishing, but then I surf to Amazon.com to purchase something using my credit card. I’m thinking web security doesn’t help me to cloak my credit card usage, so does BitDefender suggest I make a manual decision to turn on my VPN or protect myself from phishing as I surf around the internet on a daily basis?

Im thinking I’m simply misunderstanding something. Perhaps in this use case I presented, I pick the vpn to encrypt my session but try to surf only to previously known and safe sites?

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/97232/what-is-the-use-case-for-web-security-vs-vpn

One reason is that both web security and VPN can impact your internet speed. When both features are running at the same time, this can lead to a noticeable slowdown. By not allowing both features to run concurrently, Bitdefender is able to optimize performance for users.

Another reason is that web security and VPN can interfere with each other in some cases. For example, if you're using a VPN to access a geo-restricted website, web security could block the website because it thinks it's a threat. By not allowing both features to run concurrently, Bitdefender can avoid these conflicts.

So, how do you decide which feature to use when? Here's a general guideline:

1) Use web security when you're browsing the internet and want to protect yourself from phishing, malware, and other online threats.

2) Use VPN when you're connecting to a public Wi-Fi network or want to hide your IP address.

In the example you gave, where you're at a Starbucks and want to purchase something from Amazon, you would want to use VPN. This will encrypt your traffic and make it more difficult for someone to intercept your credit card information.

You're also right to be careful about what websites you visit when using a VPN. It's important to only visit trusted websites, even when you're connected to a VPN. This is because a VPN can only encrypt your traffic, it can't protect you from malicious websites.

Here are some additional tips for using Bitdefender's web security and VPN features:

1) If you're using a public Wi-Fi network, it's a good idea to use VPN even if you're not browsing the internet. This will help to protect your device from being hacked.

2) If you're using a VPN to access geo-restricted content, make sure to connect to a server in the country where the content is hosted.

You can whitelist certain websites in Bitdefender's web security settings. This will allow you to visit those websites even if they are blocked by web security.

You can also configure Bitdefender to automatically turn on VPN when you connect to a public Wi-Fi network.

Regards