The internet has come so far ever since it was first created and the effect it has had on us as a society can’t be understated. It’s come a long way from simple emails and search systems; we’re now able to talk to people on the other side of the world with ease, keep up with all the breaking news from all over the planet and search through an almost infinite amount of websites for whatever knowledge we’d like. I think it’s fair to say that society would start to crumble without online services today; our reliance on them is greater than ever and without them, we wouldn’t be able to complete so many daily tasks that we take for granted. It’s a marvel.
That doesn’t mean it’s all plain sailing, though. For every good thing on the internet, there are a number of potential bad counterparts and these include hackers. There are a lot of crooks out there who look to exploit innocent internet users like you and me, and they tend to be pretty good at doing this. That’s why we need to be able to protect ourselves as best as possible and there are a number of ways to do this. Out of all this, I believe that purchasing a VPN could be your best shot. These have really grown in popularity in recent times and it’s not hard to see why. What actually are they, though? What are they used for, and could they help you? Read on to find out in my report on everything you need to know about VPNs.
So what actually is a VPN, then? Well, the acronym stands for ‘Virtual Private Network’, so why’s this? It’s virtual because it isn’t a physical thing and does its job on a computer. It’s private because only you can use it and when you do, ultimate privacy is secured (but I’ll talk more about that later). It’s a network because upon activating it, you are connected to a variety of different computers and their systems. It’s actually quite easy to understand. When you use a VPN, they allow you to block out all kinds of hackers and criminals when you’re using the internet and this is really important; you achieve the best level of privacy that you can and will be able to go about your online business without worrying.
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So how does a VPN actually work? It works all its magic by temporarily changing your IP address- this is your Internet Protocol address. This is more or less a unique identifier that allows governments and internet regulators to keep an eye on what you’re doing. However, it also provides an easy way for hackers to gain access to all of your information and computer details. Whenever you turn your VPN on, you are given a temporary IP address and you are connected to a random computer server- which is normally in a different country entirely. This makes you almost impossible to track. In non-computer terms, your VPN sort of digs a tunnel from your computer to a different system and connects you to the internet elsewhere. That’s why it’s so effective at helping you to hide in plain sight.
Now, there are a lot of different VPNs out there and it’s not nearly as simple as choosing the first one that crosses your eye or mind. Each VPN will have its own pros and cons and it’s up to you to decide which one is best for you. The best way to do this is by going online and reading reviews of as many VPNs as you can as this will allow you to form an opinion on a wide selection; you can then move onto choosing the best one for you. To do this, check out websites such as the one we included above. There are different factors you should look for when you’re choosing a VPN; for example, if you need your internet to run really quickly you should be looking for a VPN with high-speed capabilities. If you need to access internet systems in specific countries, make sure the VPN you buy allows you to do that. Price should come into the equation as well, as they’ll all have different costs and you need to cater that to your budget.
There are a lot of different people who use VPNs; the simple truth is that anyone can use them and that’s what makes them such an effective method of defense. However, there are certain groups of people who use them more. People who use public wifis a lot need to use them; these kinds of public systems are really easy to hack into and if you use them, any private details on your computer or internet could be at risk. If you use wifi in cafes or restaurants a lot, I’d definitely recommend getting a VPN.
Big companies often utilize VPNs as well. These kinds of companies tend to have a lot of workers and therefore require a lot of computers. Due to the fact that they’re often all connected to the one server, hacking one computer gives a criminal the opportunity to hack into each individual computer and therefore the entire company system. This has the potential to expose a lot of personal details in relation to both the company and employees themselves. That’s why these kinds of companies strive so hard for privacy and VPNs help to provide that.
VPNs can be used for a variety of different reasons. Of course, privacy and online security tend to be the primary focus for most people. However, they can also be useful for others things; for example, if you’re watching Netflix and want to watch a show that’s only available in other countries, you can connect to a VPN in that country and should be able to watch your show from there. The possibilities are almost endless and if you do the right research, you could find the perfect VPN for whatever you need.