A virtual private network (VPN) may be one of the most powerful internet tools you haven’t yet heard of. But don’t worry, it isn’t anything complicated or intimidating, and we’re going to walk you through everything you need to know about this simple but very useful tool.
A VPN gives you the power to remotely connect to your computer as if you were sitting in front of it and, from there, access all of your files, apps, and programs — even while on the go!
1. Giving others access to your computer:
Unless you’re using a virtual private network, or VPN, your employer can see everything you do on your computer. By using a free VPN service like Cloak (which automatically connects when you turn on your computer), you can anonymize yourself while also protecting your company data.
In other words, no one will know what you’re doing on your PC, but they also won’t be able to tell what you access on your business network. Best of all: there is no install required!
If you’re looking to give others access to your computer, then consider what an anonymous browser like Tor can do. Tor allows you to route your Internet traffic through several nodes around the world before it reaches its final destination. It does so by bouncing data across its global network of servers and relays, making it impossible to trace any activity back to you personally.
If you’re worried about malware and viruses, some VPNs can also provide security against online threats. L2TP/IPSec and PPTP are two such protocols.
Virtual private networks that support these protocols encrypt your data before it leaves your computer or smartphone, making it unreadable to malicious software while it travels to its destination. The encrypted data is then decrypted at its final destination, making sure it stays protected throughout its journey across your local network or internet.
2. Browsing the web privately:
While it’s obvious that using a virtual private network is ideal for protecting your identity and web traffic, there are many other ways you can benefit from using one. If you want to use a virtual private network to ensure privacy while browsing or streaming content online, here are some unique uses that may not have occurred to you.
If you’re looking to stream your favorite TV shows or movies online, it may be possible to get in trouble with your ISP or even prosecuted by rights holders if you do so. With a VPN , however, your traffic is routed through an encrypted tunnel that prevents your Internet Service Provider from being able to see what you’re doing online.
If you’re concerned about identity theft or want to keep your browsing history hidden from prying eyes, it’s possible to use a virtual private network to browse privately.
Even if you have strong privacy protections in place, such as using an ad blocker and clearing your cookies when you’re done browsing, these measures may not be enough to ensure that your internet service provider can’t keep track of what you do online.
If you want to ensure that you don’t miss an important email, it may be possible to use a virtual private network to send and receive emails anonymously. While there are some services which can help you set up anonymous email addresses, using a virtual private network ensures that all of your data is routed through encrypted tunnels and doesn’t create any potential issues with ISPs throttling your internet connection.
3. Protecting yourself from hackers:
Hacking has become all too common in today’s cyber world. Most hacks are rooted in identity theft, credit card fraud, or malware-based attacks. If you’re even remotely concerned about these things, it makes sense to invest in a VPN, or virtual private network.
A VPN will encrypt all of your incoming and outgoing internet traffic and route it through an intermediary server before it reaches its destination.
One of our favorite uses of a VPN is to protect ourselves against hackers. Whether it’s malicious attackers or even nosy corporations, there are all kinds of bad actors out there who would love to get their hands on your information and do you harm.
A VPN can make it impossible for them to do so. If you want protection from hackers, your best bet is to invest in a high-quality, reliable VPN that offers strong encryption.
Another interesting use of a VPN is to bypass geo-restrictions on your favorite shows and movies. There are all kinds of streaming services out there that cater to just about every taste and interest.
One of our favorite uses of a VPN is to unblock Netflix. We love Netflix. We really do! The thing is, though, we don’t live in North America. As residents of Australia, we face restrictions on what we can and cannot access through our Netflix account.
Luckily, with a reliable VPN service like IPVanish, we can still use all of our favorite shows and movies thanks to their diverse range of servers around the world.
4. Access public Wi-Fi safely:
Public Wi-Fi can be insecure. Your data, including passwords and credit card numbers, can easily be stolen over unsecured public Wi-Fi networks. Using a VPN will help keep your personal information safe while on public Wi-Fi.
In fact, after you turn on your VPN, it’s impossible to tell if you’re using regular or public internet. It just looks like any other connection — secure and private.
The solution is to use a virtual private network, or VPN. A VPN allows you to access public Wi-Fi safely and securely, by encrypting your data from end-to-end. It hides your location information from third parties and limits how much of your personal information can be intercepted by those third parties.
The solution is to use a virtual private network, or VPN. A VPN allows you to access public Wi-Fi safely and securely, by encrypting your data from end-to-end.
Having problems with public Wi-Fi? Here are some basic tips to help you stay safe on public Wi-Fi:
- Get a VPN. Using public Wi-Fi without a VPN leaves you vulnerable to eavesdropping, identity theft, and other privacy breaches. An easy way to protect yourself is by using top-rated VPNs to encrypt your data from end-to-end.
- Use HTTPS whenever possible. If you’re using public Wi-Fi to access sensitive data, like personal information or credit card numbers, use HTTPS to help protect your information from eavesdroppers. The S stands for secure and it encrypts your connection so that only you and those who should have access can view what you send. Always make sure to check that HTTPS is enabled in your browser before accessing sensitive sites such as online banking or e-commerce shopping sites.
- Use a password manager. One way to avoid getting hacked on public Wi-Fi is by using complex passwords. But don’t worry about trying to memorize multiple passwords — there are password managers that can help with that! These tools use encryption to protect your data and make it nearly impossible for hackers to get into your accounts, even if they manage to steal your password from one site. The best ones can sync across all of your devices, so you never have to remember or type in any of your passwords!
- Turn off location services. Your smartphone has one job: to know where you are at all times. If you’re using public Wi-Fi, your phone can easily share that information with third parties — even if you don’t want it to! Thankfully, there’s an easy fix: disable location services on your device whenever you connect to public Wi-Fi.
5. Streaming media internationally:
If you’re living abroad, using a VPN can help you stream media from home by connecting to your network at home. If you’re traveling abroad, and you want to be able to watch video content from back home, like live sports or news broadcasts on sites like BBC News or CNN, using a VPN allows you to fake your location so that services think you’re located somewhere else.
It’s important to remember that while using a VPN can give you better streaming options and more content, it will slow down your connection. If speed is something you value in your Internet connection, then you may find yourself unhappy with what streaming with a VPN has to offer.
All of these uses make it clear why you might want to use a VPN, but why would you need one? In many countries, access to geo-restricted content is still quite limited.
And since many companies see their media as an incentive or incentive to subscribe, they sometimes limit that content based on where you’re located. If you’re traveling abroad and want to watch your favorite show or sports team, using a VPN will allow you access to geo-restricted content and more streaming options.
If you’re an expat living in another country, using a VPN allows you to keep up with home news, watch local sports teams, and more without losing access to services from back home. If you’re traveling abroad, using a VPN can help you avoid paying high prices for services like Netflix and Hulu.
6. Online shopping safely:
A virtual private network, or VPN, is an invaluable tool to protect your personal information when shopping online. It can also allow you to bypass geo-restrictions and use services that aren’t available in your home country.
The reason to use a VPN is to get around geo-restrictions. This refers to being able to access services in other countries that aren’t available where you live.
Another reason to use a VPN is to allow you to access services that aren’t available in your home country. For example, if you travel often, chances are that some of your favorite streaming sites aren’t available in all of your locations. A virtual private network can unlock those sites and keep you safe while doing so.
Conclusion
I would say that Virtual Private Networks are one of those online tools that you can hardly imagine living without. We’ve gone over six of these today, but we’re sure you can think of more than a few additional uses for them. As our list shows, VPNs aren’t just useful when it comes to security and privacy — they have applications in other areas too.
If you’re not already using a VPN, it’s worth considering. It’s one of those tools that once you start using it, you wonder how you ever managed without it. So, don’t just take our word for it — try out some of these interesting uses and see what they can do for your online life.