Interesting VPN Statistics And Trends In 2024

Since VPN is taking over the market so fast, there is a chance that you are missing out on the latest interesting VPN statistics and trends. A virtual private network, or VPN, does not keep track of a user’s IP address, browsing history, or connection records while they are online.

It’s a cybersecurity precaution meant to keep prying eyes away from your online persona. It can be utilized for a variety of things, including intense gaming, streaming and accessing banned content, sensitive data transfers, and normal internet browsing.

VPNs are widely used for corporate, professional, and personal purposes worldwide because of their characteristics that provide online protection.

Almost half of India’s 692.0 million internet users connect via a VPN to access the internet, despite the country’s government requiring providers to collect personal data from customers. VPN users are growing in the country as well.

Many virtual servers situated abroad are available for customers to connect to the VPN, however, many VPN providers have closed their physical servers in India following this ruling by the Indian government because it would jeopardize the privacy of their users.

Having said that, using a VPN to conduct criminal acts is still unlawful in India, even though it is legally legal to do so.

The most recent VPN data and patterns for 2024 are shown here.

Highlights of VPN Statistics

• 70% of VPN end customers reported using them daily or nearly daily.
• According to Datanyze, Cisco AnyConnect was the VPN that businesses utilized the most as of 2023.
• 130 million VPN downloads were made.
• 37% of businesses planned to switch from a VPN to a ZTNA solution as soon as possible as of June last year.
• According to Zscaler’s report, 55% of respondents claimed their company had not been the victim of a VPN assault in the previous 12 months, while 45% said it had occurred at least once.

What is a VPN?

The term “virtual private network” (VPN) Assuming you are familiar with the concept of a network, let’s examine the “virtual” and “private” aspects of the term.

You have most likely utilized a private network if you have ever gone to an Internet café or public library. Private networks enable users on various devices to access the same data. They are made up of multiple computers and the server that connects them all.

Data on a private network is only accessible by the devices that are linked to it, even though those devices can be connected to the public internet.

In a remote office, however, it is not possible to establish a physical connection to a company server. This is where the term “virtual” is useful. With the use of the public internet, virtual private networks can establish a connection to the office that is isolated from the wider internet (see our advice on remote access VPNs).

The virtual private network is secured and encrypted to prevent access to its contents by unauthorized parties.

Market Share and Adoption of VPNs

VPN usage has increased recently, especially since more people are following the work-from-home trend. The market share and adoption rates of VPNs are examined in the numbers below, together with the general perceptions of VPN use and their geographical variations.

VPNs are quite popular for secure corporate work, but some people find them too expensive or difficult to set up.

88% of Americans knew about VPNs in 2022 compared to 72% in 2020. Nevertheless, 61% of respondents either didn’t know about VPNs or didn’t use them (Security, 2022).

VPN data figures

VPNs continued to be the primary method of remote application access in that year, according to 59% of respondents worldwide. Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) at 55% and cloud-based access management or single sign-on (SSO) at 51% trailed behind it.

70% of end customers reported using VPNs every day or nearly daily, indicating their reliance on this technology for routine business work. 77% of respondents used VPNs almost daily for business, including those who used them four to five times a week. Remarkably, no one reported using VPNs fewer than once a month.

These were the market shares held by the leading VPN providers among businesses:

• 29% of businesses utilize Cisco AnyConnect, with 2,467 of them using it.
• 25% of 2,125 enterprises are Cisco VPN.
• VPN Juniper – 887, 10%
• Citrix Gateway: 670, 8 percent
• OpenVPN: 583, 7%
• 3% of Check Point VPN is 228,
• VPN NCP IPsec – 195, 2%
• 162, 2% is Nortel Contivity VPN.
• ExpressRoute for Microsoft Azure – 124, 1%
• AT&T VPN: 112, 1%

Views Regarding the Usage of VPNs

For personal use, more than half of Americans (59%) claimed in 2022 that they don’t require a VPN. More than a fifth (22%) said it’s too costly, and almost the same number (21%) said setting it up would be too much work.

A fifth (20%), however, claimed they were unclear about the advantages.

In addition, 7% of respondents expressed doubt about their security, 3% reported difficulty accessing websites they would like to visit, and 1% attributed the problem to slowness (Security, 2022).

Just 7% of people who weren’t sure if they needed a VPN in 2022 said they would acquire one in 2023. In contrast, 41% of respondents stated they wouldn’t, while 52% of respondents claimed they may.

VPN Users’ Profiles

In 2022, there were more men than women who used VPNs. Only 43% of women and 57% of men utilized VPNs for personal use.

Additionally, the majority of respondents (21%), who were earning between $25,000 and $49,999, were the ones most likely to utilize a VPN.

The age range of 45 to 60 years old was the most likely to utilize VPNs (28% of respondents).

Additionally, according to VPN statistics, 52% of VPN users said they used iOS devices, compared to 37% who said they used Android devices.

Only 6% of Windows users and 3% of MacOS users reported using a VPN on desktop computers.

Actually, at least once a week, 61% of mobile users and 59% of PC users used their VPNs.

The difference in usage between desktop and mobile users is most likely due to the fact that phones are used when on the go and may be connected to public Wi-Fi. However, as laptops and PCs are typically used at home, a VPN may not be as necessary there.

VPN Safety and Vulnerabilities

Users can hide their location and encrypt their internet activity with a VPN. As a result, it becomes extremely difficult for hackers and the government to monitor your whereabouts and online activities.

In terms of security, it lessens torrenting, DDoS assaults, ISP bandwidth limiting, and access to content from anywhere. These are the respondents’ opinions regarding VPN security and hacks.

When using a VPN, 54% of Respondents Feel Secure. A Cyberattack Was Experienced by 57% of Respondents While Using a VPN In 2022, Records of 25 million VPN users were exposed.

What Makes VPN Users Appear?

In 2022, little more than a tenth (13%) used VPNs exclusively for commercial purposes, while almost a fifth (17%) used them exclusively for personal purposes. For personal and professional purposes, just 9% of users utilized VPNs.

The percentage of VPN users in 2021 was essentially the same.

The following were the main justifications for using a VPN:

• Security in general: 55% of participants
• 50% for general privacy
• Workplace prerequisite: 34%
• Connect to private business networks (31%).
• Protection of public Wi-Fi: 24%
• ISP-hidden internet activity: 23%
• Access streaming media outside of the market: 22%
• 20% more safety when making purchases online
• 17% of searches are hidden from search engines.
• 12% of users torrent
• Avoid institutional or governmental constraints – 10%
• Stay away from cookies – 9%
• Anonymity for journalism, activism, or whistleblowing – 5%
• Calls made via secure VoIP – 2%
• While the first two reasons remained almost the same as in 2021, the use of VPN for work (to access secure corporate networks and as a requirement for the job) declined dramatically.

The return of American workers to their workplaces and upgraded infrastructures (such as ZTNAs and cloud-based databases) are contributing factors to this drop.

VPN data figures. Moreover, the percentage of people using VPNs to secure public Wi-Fi connections decreased by ten points. Better HTTP encryption, fewer individuals working remotely, and the rapid expansion of 5G networks—all of which lessen the need for third-party connections—are some of the factors contributing to this decline.

Use of Personal VPN

The following were the main justifications for using a personal VPN:

• Overall privacy: 59% of participants
• Security in general: 57%
• Hide activity from search engines, ISPs, and other sources – 44%
• 37% of people use streaming content.
• Protection rate for public Wi-Fi: 28%.

VPN Utilization in Establishments

In June 2023, 84% of firms used VPNs to grant access to remote workers. Other common uses were to connect several locations (40%) and grant access to third parties (24%).

Additional goals included access for unmanaged devices (11%), IoT/OT device connectivity (14%), and on-campus access (20%).

VPN Statistics

In contrast, the following were the top justifications for using a business VPN:

• Workplace regulations and policies: 70% of responses
• Access protected business networks: 62%
• 40% for general security
• Privacy in general: 18%
• 11% of public Wi-Fi is protected.

Organizational VPN Usage Plans

Just 21% of firms expected to reduce the number of VPN users; the majority, 48 percent, intended to expand the number of users on their current VPNs.

Fortunately, more than half (57%) wanted to improve the security measures on their existing VPN configurations.

Nonetheless, one must now take into account the implementation of Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solutions. This represents a substantial change in contemporary cybersecurity tactics.

37% of businesses planned to switch from a VPN to a ZTNA solution as soon as possible as of June 2023.

Issues and Fears Regarding VPNs

Although VPNs provide a safe way to browse the internet, there are drawbacks for both individual users and businesses. Internet speeds are frequently poor for users, particularly when using free VPN versions that have a lot of advertisements.

Paid VPNs also have problems, such as erratic speeds and challenging login procedures.

Smooth-running businesses occasionally experience VPN issues that interfere with productivity and incur additional costs to resolve. Further complicating matters is the fact that some nations forbid the usage of VPNs.

Concerns about security are included in the VPN package. People are afraid of ransomware attacks, phishing scams, and unwanted access. Furthermore, the fundamental purpose of VPNs—keeping our data private—seems to be in jeopardy now that internet behemoths like Google are selling VPN services.

The VPN data below delves into topics related to safety, worldwide usage limitations, and performance.

Problems with VPN Performance for Users

Although consumers on a tight budget may find free VPNs appealing, their functionality isn’t necessarily dependable or safe.

Approximately 52% of free users in 2022 reported having at least one problem, such as trouble streaming or torrenting, ad issues (such as too numerous or glitchy advertising), or sluggish internet speed.

The breakdown of those who experienced problems is as follows:

• 39% of free users report having slow internet speed.
• Too many advertisements or flaws in the ads: 13%
• Trouble with torrenting and streaming: 12%
• 10% are bugs (software problems).
• Problems with battery life: 7%
• Privacy issues or identity theft: 3%
• Malware attempts and viruses: 2%

Nonetheless, the proportion of consumers experiencing slower internet speeds while using free VPNs decreased by 12% compared to 2021, indicating that the quality of these free services has improved for customers. The proliferation of internet speed testing tools may also be associated with this improvement.

When accessing applications via VPN, users most frequently experienced sluggish connection speeds (25% of issues), connection drops (21% of issues), and inconsistent user experiences across different devices/platforms (16%) across all types of VPNs, premium or free.

According to Zscaler, additional concerns that were mentioned included difficult or time-consuming VPN authentication procedures (14%), the inability to connect to a VPN or access applications at all (11%), and trouble accessing applications because of authentication problems (10%).

VPN Performance Issues at the Organization

72% of enterprises reported being somewhat to very dissatisfied with their VPN service in June 2023. Merely 28% expressed that they were completely happy.

VPN Statistics

The following were the main problems that companies had with their VPN services last year:

• Poor user experience (many disconnections, sluggish connections, etc.) was mentioned by 32% of respondents.
• High expenses (maintenance, infrastructure, licensing, etc.) – 14%
• 13% had difficulty interacting with other services and systems.
• Complex administration and management: 12%
• Limitations on scalability and flexibility: 11%
• Inadequate compliance and security – 7%
• Insufficient assistance for working remotely and collaborating – 4%
• Other: 7%.

VPN data also showed that, as of last year, the following issues with infrastructure management were the main ones:

• Balancing VPN performance and user experience on a tightrope: 22% of responders
• Troubleshooting VPN connectivity and stability problems on a regular basis – 20%
• Keeping up with regular updates and patches for VPN software – 18%
• balancing VPN compatibility across different hardware, software, and operating systems – 16%
• Managing the difficulty and labor-intensive process of growing VPN infrastructure – 10%
• 9% of the cost of growing VPN infrastructure must be borne.

Worldwide Limitations on VPN Use

Of the 195 countries and territories that were studied, 15 (8%) have verified to have placed limitations on the use of VPNs, either currently or in the past.

These included the UAE, Belarus, Russia, Egypt, Uganda, Tanzania, China, India, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Pakistan. Only Uganda has removed its VPN prohibitions.

VPN data figures
All told, these laws affect 3.7 billion people or 47% of the world’s population.

Ten (71%) of the 14 countries that still have VPN limitations are in Asia, impacting more than two-thirds (72%) of the continent’s population.

VPN Safety

According to VPN data, 88% of respondents were concerned that their VPN could jeopardize their security. Significantly, 22% of respondents expressed “very” or “extreme” fear, indicating a high degree of concern regarding VPNs’ potential security risks.

VPN Statistics

According to the same survey, 90% of respondents were concerned about VPN access being used by outside parties to access their networks. 35% of respondents expressed “very” or “extreme” anxiety, indicating that third-party VPN access is a significant issue.

Indeed, 49% of respondents expressed concern about phishing attempts, and 40% expressed concern about ransomware attacks via the VPN used by their company. Usually, these attacks use malicious software to lock systems until a ransom is paid, or they trick victims into disclosing personal information.

Additional issues were as follows:

• 33% of infections are malware
• APT plus zero-day exploits = 29%
• DDoS assaults: 24%
• Attacks by “men in the middle”: 22%
• Attacks using privilege escalation – 20%
• Attacks using data exfiltration: 18%
• assaults using brute force: 11%
• Site-wide scripting – 11%
• Code execution remotely: 9%
• Statistics about VPNs

VPN technology is becoming easier to access as companies integrate networks with consumer electronics. For example, Google preinstalls a free VPN on Pixel 7 phones and includes it in its cloud storage subscription bundle.

Customers should be aware of a potential conflict of interest, though.

Although VPNs are meant to protect our data from Big Tech, having VPNs controlled by large data collectors, such as Google, may cause issues.

As a matter of fact, according to 29% of Americans in 2022, they would not trust a mobile VPN offered by Google. However, forty-five percent said they would be very likely or likely to trust it (Security, 2022).

Cybercrime Data and VPNs’ Significance

The dramatic rise in cybercrime underscores how critical it is to use VPNs in order to increase online safety.

VPNs act as virtual security guards, preventing unwanted access and shielding user data from frequent dangers like fraud and identity theft.

This section examines the alarming statistics surrounding cybercrime, the critical role VPNs play in enhancing cybersecurity, and the ongoing conflict between VPN cybersecurity and cybercriminals.

Over 5.1 million reports were sent to the Consumer Sentinel Network in 2022; of these, 46% involved fraud, 22% involved identity theft, and 33% involved other offenses.

This raises an urgent worry about internet safety: VPNs are clearly required given how common fraud and identity theft are. VPNs play a crucial role in safeguarding user data and preventing illegal access, which might potentially lower the $8.8 billion lost to fraud in 2022 (FTC, 2022).

More than 800,000 complaints about losses totaling $10.3 billion were received by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center in the same year.

Phishing (300,497 complaints) was the most common type of crime, followed by identity theft (51,629) and personal data breaches (58, 859). Using a VPN can help prevent the last two offenses (FBI, 2022).

People in the 30- to 39-year-old age range reported the most cybercrime (94,506 complaints), followed by those in the 60+ age range (88,262).

The overall losses for people aged 60 and over were more than twice as high ($3.1 billion against $1.3 billion for those aged 30-39) despite a disparity of 6,244 complaints (FBI, 2022).

By total number of victims of cybercrime in 2022, the top 5 states were:

• Counties in California: 80,766
• 42,792 in Florida
• 38,661 in Texas
• 25,112 in New York
• Illinois: 14,786

The following were the top 5 states in terms of victim loss:

• California: more than $2 billion
• Florida has $844,950,000.
• At $777.0 million, New York
• Texas: $763,1,000,000
• $322.6 million in Georgia (FBI, 2022).
• In contrast, more than half of respondents (55%) in 2023 reported that over the previous year (June 2022 – June 2023), their company had not been the victim of a VPN assault (one that exploits security flaws in VPN servers). But forty-five percent said it had happened at least once.

Of these, 45% are:

16% reported that it occurred two or three times in the previous year.
12% indicated they had done so more than five times, while 13% had only done so once.
(Zscaler, 2023) 4% stated 4-5 times.

VPN Cost

In 2022, 47% of VPN users said they had used a free VPN. Approximately one-fifth (18%) made between $5 and $10 each month, while 14% made less than $5. Merely 7% made monthly payments above $10.

As of October last year, the following 10 VPN service providers were the least expensive out of the top 14:

• $6.67 per month for ExpressVPN
• $2.03 per month for Surfshark
• PrivadoVPN: Free; AtlasVPN: Free
• ProtonVPN is free; IvacyVPN costs $1 a month.
• $2/month for PrivateVPN
• Monthly Cost of Private Internet Access: $2.03
• $2.19 per month for CyberGhost VPN
• For $2.29 a month, PureVPN
• Monthly TotalAV: $3.25 (Techopedia, 2023)

Pandemic VPN Usage Forecast

The use of VPNs increased significantly as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak and the move to working from home. In addition, it peaked in 2020 on significant occasions when there were increased worries about internet filtering and orders to stay at home.

In fact, there were significant jumps in VPN usage between March 8 and March 22, 2020, when the United States had a 124% increase in VPN usage in just those two weeks.

During that same period, huge rises were also documented in other countries. Among them were:

• Italy: +160%
• Spain: +58 percent
• Russia: +57 percent
• Germany: 40% plus
• Iran: +49%
• France: +44 percent
• Switzerland: +12%
• United Kingdom: +18%
• (VPN Atlas, 2020)

According to famous VPN statistics, the usage of VPNs increased in 2020 on specific occasions. When former President Trump discussed the possibility of outlawing TikTok, for example, interest in VPNs increased by 74%.

Additionally, it increased by 55% after Trump’s vacation itinerary was changed and by 78% when the Olympics were postponed.

Trends of 2024

Safe Encryption in Quantum

Our current internet connections are secure thanks to normal encryption techniques, but they may become insecure with the advent of quantum computing.

It is anticipated that VPN providers will implement quantum-safe encryption techniques, guaranteeing the security of data against attempts to decrypt it using quantum technology.

Potential features include unbreakable encryption to protect private data from possible quantum assaults.

Risks: Using quantum-safe encryption could be difficult at first, and there might be incompatibilities with current systems. Furthermore, if done incorrectly, it may create a false sense of security.

Growth of VPNs Powered by AI

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in VPN services is one of the biggest topics we should watch in 2024. VPNs with AI capabilities will be able to react and adjust dynamically to changing online threats.

They offer a proactive deterrent against cyberattacks by analyzing traffic patterns in real-time to find anomalies or possible security breaches.

Potential benefits include faster threat identification and reaction times, flexible security measures, and better cybersecurity in general.

Risks: There is always a chance that technology will be abused or taken advantage of. AI in VPNs could result in more advanced cyberattacks or ways to avoid detection.

VPNs that are decentralized

Peer-to-peer VPNs, another name for decentralized VPNs, are becoming more and more popular. These networks function by directly linking users; a central server is not required. Because there is less chance of a single point of failure or data interception, privacy is improved.

Potential benefits include decreased dependency on centralized VPN providers and more security and privacy.

Risks: Because these networks are decentralized, there may be additional difficulties due to their scalability and possible security flaws in the peer-to-peer connections.

Improved Privacy Laws and Observance

Governments and regulatory agencies are expected to impose stricter regulations on VPN services in response to growing worries about data privacy. Mandatory data retention guidelines, tighter user authentication requirements, and open logging procedures are a few examples of this.

Potential benefits include increased user confidence and uniform privacy policies among VPN providers.

Risks: Tighter laws could drive up expenses for VPN service providers, which might raise customer membership prices.

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