A surge protector provides two main functions that make it an invaluable tool when working with electronics. The first is that it increases the number of effective outlets for a wall socket. The second, and arguably most important reason to get a surge protector is to keep your electronics safe. Surge protectors act like shields against electrical surges (hence the name). This means that if a lightning bolt strikes a power line, then that excess energy will overload the surge protector instead of your computer or other valuable electronic device.