Every internet user wants his private information and data to stay, well, private. But that is almost impossible on the world wide web, where information is spread in a split second. You know what they say: once you upload something on the internet, it can never be deleted. And it’s true, all the clues lead to your IP address. So, one of the best solutions to keep your IP address hidden is to use a VPN.
Simply put, a Virtual Private Network, also known as VPN, provides a private virtual network that allows users to connect to another server and browse the web safely. Even though VPNs seem complicated, they are, in fact, easy to use. So, if you want to learn more about VPNs, how they work, and questions commonly asked regarding VPNs, read further.
1. Definition and usage
A lot of people have heard about VPN, but they have no idea how it works, nor how to use it. As previously said, a VPN is a service that allows you to access the internet privately and safely, by redirecting your connection through another device’s address and hiding your online activities. But how does the VPN actually work?
To understand the way a VPN software works, you don’t need to have advanced computer science knowledge. Knowing what an IP address is, is more than enough to get you started.
You, as the client, start the VPN service from your personal computer, tablet or smartphone. That service encrypts your data way before your internet service provider or public Wi-Fi provider sees it. Your information and data then go to the VPN, and from there to your virtual destination anything from your search engine, college website to your company’s website. The internet destination sees your information and data like they’re coming from the VPN server and its location, and not from your actual device or your location.
2. What a VPN do for me?
It’s commonly known that the internet is a collection of servers in charge of various websites and providing access to anyone who wants to browse them.
Those online servers interact with each other all the time, they share your data which allows you to surf the net. It’s a great process if your main goal is fun, but not so great for privacy.
So, if you’re looking at a fun web page, you don’t need to worry about privacy and personal information. While, on the other hand, if you’re doing online banking, writing an important and confidential business email, or doing anything sensitive, privacy should come first.
So, this means that when you’re using a VPN service, your data doesn’t automatically connect to the internet. It goes through a third-party server, the VPN, which encrypts your information allowing you to securely and privately use the internet.
It solves the privacy problem by hiding your traffic origin, making it difficult to identify you or your IP address as the source of the data, encrypting your data, so even if someone does find what you’re sending, they don’t see the raw data but the encrypted information.
3. How secure and legal is it to use a VPN?
As you can see, it’s much safer to connect to the internet through third-party services than in the traditional way. So, the question arises: “How secure is a VPN?“.
These types of questions are often a cause of debate amongst many IT professionals and other people in the industry. However, there is no unambiguous answer. When you take a look at any two products, for example, two mugs, made by two different manufacturers, you will see that they are not identical. This logic can also be applied to VPN services.
No two VPNs are identical in their security and offerings. There are two main reasons behind that. The first one is that each provider has its own limitations depending on the type of VPN he uses. The second one is regarding legal and policy limitations. It depends on the laws of the country where the VPN is located and other company policies regarding technology.
So, if you ask if it’s legal to use a VPN, the answer is yes, but not always. Taking into consideration that the VPN concept is relatively new, many countries have not managed to keep up with it. That means the rules are unclear and that they can be interpreted in many ways.
To conclude, using VPN is okay in most countries. To know whether or not a VPN is legal in your country, your physical location matters, not the online one.
4. Free vs. Paid VPNs
When it comes to keeping your personal information private on the internet, many people live in the illusion that they have to spend a lot of money to stay anonymous. And they are mostly right because running a good VPN that includes top speed and the best data transfer is expensive. But it doesn’t have to be.
Finding a free VPN online is quite easy, but at what cost? Looking for a trustworthy VPN service that is also free can be mind wrecking. Most of them make compromises on their behalf which aren’t always stated. So, to save you time here’s a thoroughly selected list of free VPN services.
Even though most free VPNs come with a hidden catch that limits your data or endangers your online privacy, the list previously stated only provides trustworthy and secure VPNs.
When to use and when not to use VPN
As you can see, there are several good reasons why you should use a VPN. Besides many benefits of using the VPN, there is absolutely no good reason not to use one.
They encrypt your activity online, hide it from anybody who may seem interested in it, hide your exact location allowing you to access sites that are blocked in your country, protect your connection on public Wi-Fi hotspot, make you more anonymous, and even improve your gaming experience.
Even though VPNs don’t make you 100% anonymous online, without one your connection is completely open. This allows anybody with the right skills to take a peek at your data and information.
Keep in mind that every VPN is different and that they have different levels of protection, so choose wisely.
Conclusion
A VPN is a quite useful service that every electronic device that connects to the internet should have. Besides securing your personal data, it helps you browse the web more safely.
The best part of it all is that it doesn’t have to cost anything, as there are reliable VPN services free of charge. So, when you decide to get a VPN, choose wisely, as no two VPNs are the same.
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