What is VPN - Virtual Private Network

What is VPN and how can it help you?

These days it has become more important to protect your personal info because more and more people are using public networks. It is therefore obvious that these networks will be targeted by criminals because most users are unprotected.

What is VPN (Virtual Private Network
What is VPN used for?
Is VPN legal?
Is VPN safe?
Why do I need a VPN?
Should I pay for VPN?
How do I get a VPN?
Best VPN software providers

What is VPN - Virtual Private Network?

A VPN is software that you use to secure your privacy when working online over a public network.

The software changes your online environment into a Virtual Private Network. Because of this, you remain undetected from others sharing the public network with you, and the personal information you are sharing remains safe inside the VPN you have created.

Because of the VPN software installed all your online traffic will be encrypted and your online identity will remain anonymous to others using the same public network.

In short, you are creating yourself a private secure workspace online where you can work fairly anonymously.

What is a VPN used for?

Your VPN is used to make online connections more secure by doing the following:

Hide your IP Address
Encrypt your data
Block malicious content

Hide your IP Address

Hiding your IP Address have the following advantages:

Your Internet Service Provider can no longer track your activity while you are connected to the internet. They can only see that you are connected and therefore they will be unable to collect data against your profile that can be used for commercial purposes.

It will also prevent ad trackers or other spyware to track your activity or collect personal information.

Will keep your online search history private so it cannot track it back to you.

The biggest benefit is probably the fact that you can hide your location from websites and trackers which will give you access to content not normally available to your geographical area.

Encrypt your data

Your VPN software encrypts your data in a manner that only your VPN server can read from your device input. It also provides a secure channel that will ensure that your information can only go where you intended for it to go.

Data cannot be intercepted and taken to another final destination which you did not specify.

This is the biggest benefit of using a VPN especially if you are running a business or online store where you are sharing a lot of your own personal information.

Block Malicious Content

Although VPN software blocks some malicious content it is not 100% guaranteed that it will prevent viruses and malicious software altogether.

It is just another level of added protection you can have on your device to limit this kind of attack.

What it will do is protect you against hackers wanting to steal your personal info. Although it is also not totally impossible to get hacked it will make it very hard for someone to attempt.

Is VPN legal?

When it comes to the legality of using VPN software on your devices it is better to do a detailed investigation of your country of origin.

In the USA it is legal to use VPN software but there are a few countries that have banned the use of VPN software outright.

Although the use of VPN is legal it is still a crime to use it for illegal activities such as piracy, torrent downloads, and stealing information.

Before using it to hide your geographical location to access the information it is also a good idea to check the sites you access. This is mainly because some providers such as Netflix require you to declare your location in their terms and conditions.

It is not illegal but it is against the terms and conditions of some service providers so make sure you are using your VPN correctly.

Is VPN safe?

It is safe to use VPN software but as with anything else, nothing will ever be 100% foolproof on the web. It is only a more efficient way to encrypt and safeguard your information on public networks.

The key to online security is to place as many barriers between yourself and the prowling criminals.

For example, if you are using the free wifi at a restaurant, shopping mall, or station your information becomes public between you and the server containing the free hotspot. An experienced hacker can be in the same place using a laptop to intercept your information before it gets to the server.

Using a VPN in this instance will encrypt your information and the hacker cannot read it.

A VPN does not affect what is on your device but only applies to data sent and received.

Why do I need a VPN?

Most people will use a VPN for all the wrong reasons such as blocking their location or country status from servers they will normally not be able to access. If this is a good enough reason for you then you will need VPN software.

The real function of VPN software is to protect your personal info and data between you and your server to prevent interception by hackers. If you operate a lot on private networks from multiple devices it will be a good idea to have VPN protection.

If you are running an online business and have a lot of personal information that can take a lot of time to repair or recover it will add another layer of security.

In the long run, it will save time and money should your personal information be compromised. If you can afford it, it will cause no harm.

Should I pay for VPN?

Affordability is always a question and it is no different when looking at VPN software.

In the case of VPN, it is the same as with other software. Free does not always offer the full package and has limitations. Websites offering free VPN software in most cases rely on advertising for income and do not offer the same level of expertise on their servers as specialized websites.

Paid VPN offers will normally offer different packages at different costs that you can select according to your needs. Their websites are also more secure as their main income and focus are related to internet security.

The best is to see why you will need VPN protection before selecting a free or paid package. It is no good paying for something you won't need.

A good free option is the Tuxler VPN which will give you enough protection to start with. Their paid options are pretty solid and the free version will give you enough testing ground to make a permanent decision.

How do I get a VPN?

Thankfully, downloading and installing your new VPN is much easier than trying to understand the ins and outs of how they work! All of the best VPNs listed above make it really quick to get started on a desktop or, if you're on mobile, then you could go to the App Store or Play Store and download them there, instead.

Usually, the prices are quoted in their effective monthly cost but note that you will need to pay the full amount upfront.

Once installed, you can then get extensions added to your chosen web browser, and go about adding functionality to your various devices. That includes your computer and mobile phone of course, but also your games console, tablet, TV streaming devices - even your internet router.