At a time when high-speed Internet is so common, privacy on the network has become a paramount concern. People want more than just being able to connect to the Internet anywhere. They want to protect their personal data from eavesdropping or interception and just have a greater sense of confidence while browsing the worldwide network. All this and even more is possible with a strong VPN. In this article, we will tell you what a VPN connection is and what it is used for.
Contents:
- What does VPN mean?
- What is VPN used for?
- The best places to use a VPN.
- What is the best VPN for Mac?
What does VPN mean?
VPN (Virtual Private Network) is an absolutely secure channel that connects your device to the internet network and any website. This channel is called a VPN tunnel where all the traffic is encrypted, so nobody can intercept the data. You have many advantages with a VPN, such as hiding your online activity and accessing sites restricted by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or government censorship.
How does a VPN work?
The principle of the VPN is simple and “transparent” to the user. Every time you access the network, a virtual “tunnel” is created between your device and the remote server. This forms a shield of protection from hackers, government agencies and other persons who may wish to inspect your traffic and data. Your personal information, business correspondence, conversations on Skype or any other messengers cannot be intercepted or overheard. All your data is encrypted by a special encryption algorithm which is virtually impossible to crack.
In addition, you have the opportunity of obtaining the IP address of any country in the world and using the network resources of these countries, for example, to watch TV channels that were previously unavailable.
What is VPN used for?
The purpose of a VPN is simple: when you use a VPN service, you connect to the Internet, not directly but through the VPN server. In this case, your IP address cannot be viewed, neither can all your network activity performed on behalf of the VPN-server IP address. Thus, websites you visit will not know your IP address. It may also be important that the technical staff of your Internet provider do not know what you are doing on the network. So using a VPN is a convenient way to protect your privacy.
Here is a short list of what else VPN can be used for:
- to remain anonymous on the Internet
- to hide your real IP address
- to bypass the blocking of the network administrator or ISP limitations
- to encrypt transmitted data
- to access geo-restricted websites
- to download from Torrents
- to protect your data when you connect to a public Wi-Fi
Read in our previous article 7 reasons, why you should use a VPN.
Best places to use VPN
The importance of protecting personal data, bypassing Internet censorship, and preventing identity theft is becoming higher. All this and even more is possible with a VPN. Below, we are going to highlight the top best places where you should use a virtual private network and what the purpose of VPN is in each place.
When doing online shopping
Online shopping saves much time. Instead of standing in long lines and spending time is in traffic jams on the way to the mall, we can buy everything online with just several clicks. But besides the advantages of online shopping, there are some risks each shopping enthusiast may have. Scammers, unfortunately, are never idle and continually come up with new ways to steal our money. You should be careful when providing your credit card information to make a purchase, or alternately use a VPN.
When you connect to the Internet through a VPN server, the VPN app encrypts your data and eliminates the possibility of malicious influence, including hackers.
Read also our previous article “15 tips for safe online shopping.”
When playing online games
A VPN is also widely-used for gaming. Today, the online mode of games is more popular and the quality and continuity of Internet connections are critically important for the gamers. The benefits of a VPN for gamers is that it allows them to access geo-restricted games, establish a good connection to remote servers, or simply protect themselves from Internet providers and DDoS attacks.
In short, there are the following benefits of using a VPN for gaming:
- A slight decrease of ping
- The ability to access any game
- A low packet loss rate
When planning travels
Did you know that online booking websites usually use the user data to dynamically change the prices and different characteristics for each visitor? This is especially true for air ticket, hotel booking and car rental sites. For example, some hotels offer different prices for different locations. You can take a look at examples in our previous article.
Luckily, you can avoid this inequity by using a virtual private network. Just clear cookies in your browser and change your IP address with the VPN software.
When browsing the Internet
Modern web browsers store every bit of information about our every step and action. But if you want to browse anonymously and keep your browsing history private, use a VPN. Of course, you can always clear the cache, cookies and history after each web session. But using a VPN is easier, more convenient and more secured. Also, with a VPN you can bypass Internet censorship and unblock geo-restricted websites.
When sending electronic correspondence
When it comes to electronic correspondence, the question becomes how to send secure email. There are lots of end-to-end email encryption services for protecting your emails from hackers. But why install additional, complicated tools when a VPN service is the easiest and quickest way to protect your important documents related to your work and otherwise? A VPN creates a secure channel (tunnel) where all the traffic is encrypted. Thus, no one can intercept the data. Moreover, it encrypts not only your emails, but also any other correspondence that you send via messengers like Skype, Slack and so on.
When making SEO analysis
Internet marketing managers widely use a VPN as a useful SEO tool. Due to the fact that VPN providers allow you to connect to any country’s location while living in another, you can see search engine results for each specific country. As a result, you may research what potential customers are searching for and the results obtained in their browsers.
At cafes and restaurants
If you often go online through open WiFi networks from cafes, restaurants or metro, you should think twice about your online security. When you connect to a public hotspot, you become vulnerable to potential hackers who can easily access your personal data. Hackers use sniffing – the technology by which all data packets in the same local network are sent to machines. That means that a simple program can intercept everything that passes your laptop just from the table next to you. Using a VPN significantly increases the level of your personal data protection.
What is the best VPN for Mac?
Now you know what VPN means and what VPN stands for. If you need a VPN to protect your identity while being online, or for any other reason, try for free the best virtual private network application – VPN Client. This app provides 90+ VPN servers across 40+ countries. It offers a 7-day Free trial with the unlimited VPN and unlimited bandwidth.
