What is a VPN and how can it protect your privacy online?
In today’s cyber society where most of our lives and daily activities are run, managed, communicated and ultimately tracked and stored online, it can often feel like our personal privacy and anonymity is a thing of the past. However, despite the hunger from ‘The Powers That Be’ to monitor and track our every move online, there is what you might call a rebellion in the wing, a network of secret tunnels burrowing around the ‘all seeing’ eyes of the ISP firewalls and giving all those that pass through them complete online invisibility! No this is not middle earth fantasy – this is what is known as a VPN!
What is a VPN?
A VPN or Virtual Private Network is a network of computers which are kept private and secure over a public internet network using a VPN Server. Although general internet connections will enable your Internet service provider to monitor your activity online, when using a Virtual Private Network your ISP can only see your connection to the VPN. Originally VPN’s were used in businesses whereby sensitive information needed to be shared across a network of computers in different locations without compromising security, however recently with our own personal online privacy increasingly coming under threat by both ISPs and cyber criminals, more and more people are starting to consider a VPN a necessary line of defence when using the internet.
When you set up a VPN, you usually download and launch a VPN client on your computer, which (once you’ve logged in) will enable your computer to create a secure connection with the VPN server. This secure connection will then encrypted all internet activity you make, meaning it is completely inaccessible to any prying eyes.
What benefits can a VPN provide?
Because a VPN effectively creates an invisibility cloak over your Internet connection, it means that not only can you browse the internet privately, but; you can download and upload data without worrying about restrictions, you can view content that might have been previously blocked by government internet censorship, you can watch TV channels that might have been restricted in particular regions or countries and you can be rest assured that spammers and hackers will never be able to even find you, let alone steal your details (not even on insecure Wifi connections)!
How to Find a Good VPN
Not all VPN service providers offer the same benefits and service specifications and you’ll find that service quality can greatly vary from one to another, but as a general rule of thumb, the top three things to consider when choosing a VPN are as follows:
1. Logging Policy
One of the biggest things to watch out for when choosing a VPN is its logging policy. Some VPN providers will log your activity on the connection, meaning that although you might have escaped the prying eyes of the ISPs, you’ve actually now become open to eavesdropping from systems sharing the same VPN connection. Always check that the VPN specifies ‘No Logging’ within their policy!
2. Data Usage Amount
Data usage is another slippery fish that can sometimes catch people out. Some VPN providers will actually restrict the amount of downloads and data you’re able to access. This can be incredibly annoying, if you’re forever having to clock watch or monitor your usage. The best VPNs will always provide ‘Unlimited Data Usage’!
3. Exit Server Locations
If you’re interested in getting around a location restriction (maybe to bypass state internet censorship) or getting access to data in a particular area or country (ie: to access global TV channels or shopping sites), then it’s important that your VPN service provider has multiple servers located around the globe for you to choose from.
Of course we couldn’t go without recommending our very own VPN – IP Bulldog, which of course encompasses all the factors and benefits required to be a top VPN service provider and more! Plus we’re also offering a whopping 512GB of secure cloud storage to all our VPN packages! Click here to find out more>>
