What Is a VPN and Why You Need to Have One

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September 2, 2020 Business

Because of various technological innovations in the digital world, any information, product, or service that you need is often readily accessible online. For this reason, more and more people find having an internet connection already a necessity. However, it is of utmost importance that you keep your data safe and secure from those with malicious intentions as you are surfing the web. This is where a virtual private network (VPN) comes in. Below are some of the basic things that you need to know about VPN and why you need to have one.

What is a VPN?

A VPN can be compared to an encrypted tunnel where your internet traffic passes through, such that any data en-route this tunnel cannot be easily seen by internet watchers. In this case, you can surf the web anonymously with a VPN because your traffic is encrypted and your location is masked to reflect that of the VPN server. Originally, VPNs were created to connect business networks, but in this modern-day and age, they are widely used for various other purposes.

How does a VPN work?

Once you connect to a VPN, all your internet traffic will be redirected to one of its servers where it will be encrypted. Because of the encryption process, your internet service provider (ISP) will no longer see the websites you access. The VPN will be the one responsible to direct your traffic to the website that you are trying to access. In this case, the website recognizes the internet protocol (IP) address of the VPN server, instead of your IP address.

Why do you need to have a VPN?

1. Privacy

There are several reasons why you need to have a VPN connection and the first thing is, of course, your privacy while you are surfing the web. Aside from being free from the prying eyes of those with malicious intentions, your browsing activity is also kept private even within the VPN.

This is because of the stringent no-log policies that prevent VPN providers from recording any of your web activities. A VPN also provides a DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leak protection which hides your browsing activity from your ISP.

2. Access Geo-Blocked Websites

Another reason why you need to have a VPN is for you to access certain geo-blocked websites or the sites that are inaccessible in certain geographic locations. For instance, you may be currently situated outside the United States, but you still want to access certain content from streaming sites such as Netflix. A VPN will help you do so since it masks your IP address and the site you are visiting recognizes the IP address of one of the servers of the VPN instead. This is like tricking the website of the streaming service to think that you are based in another country instead of your actual location.

3. Access Your Home or Business Network while Traveling

With a reliable VPN provider, you will be able to access your home or business network even if you are traveling. In terms of the former, you will still have the liberty of using local file shares as if you were connected to the same local area network (LAN). On the other hand, the local resources of your business network will stay protected if you access it through a VPN since these are not exposed directly over the internet.

4. File Downloads

More and more people now use VPN to download the files that they need, particularly if your ISP is throttling, making the download process extremely slow and unmanageable. With a VPN, you will be able to download files at a faster speed. This is true not only for file download but for other web surfing activities that your ISP may interfere with.

Things to look for in a VPN provider

Make sure that you go for a VPN provider that suits your needs, but at a reasonable cost. In this case, it is a good idea to check for Black Friday offer from various VPN providers for you to score a great deal since Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just around the corner. Aside from the cost though, you should also consider the services that they offer.

One of the things that you should look for in a VPN service is if they provide 256-bit encryption which is the highest level of encryption available. This will surely safeguard your sensitive data and surfing activities. It is also good if the VPN provider offers an automatic kill switch that takes over once your connection becomes unstable. This will disconnect you from the service, eliminating the risk of data leaks.

Also, go for a VPN provider with a strict no-logs policy, as well as a DNS and IPv6 leak protection. Alongside this, a VPN provider with superb customer support and large server coverage will also prove to be more beneficial. Those that allow multiple simultaneous connections are also perfect if you intend to connect several devices to the network at the same time.

Disadvantages of using a VPN

Like with any other internet service, there may be quite a few drawbacks with the use of a VPN. For one, your connection may slow down a bit because your data needs to travel further to reach the VPN servers.

Some websites block VPN servers and some payment gateways may even flag a security breach on your account if they detect that you log in from a foreign IP address. It is often the case that payment gateways implement these measures to prevent fraudulent transactions.

Final Word

In accessing the online world, make sure to prioritize your safety and security. To do this, you can leverage a VPN that will provide you with a certain level of guarantee that what you do over the internet is free from any prying eyes. With this, you will be assured that your private information and sensitive data are safe from those who intend to use this to their advantage. Just keep in mind to go for the services of reputable and reliable VPN providers.