What is VPN? How you can use it to protect your privacy online?

Nowadays, almost everyone in this world is accompanied by a laptop or a Smartphone in his/her hand. It has become a significant part of our daily routine. Each and every work is accustomed to the use of this technology. If a task needs to be completed, then the use of these devices is compulsory to get it completed. And also, to complete the job successfully, the availability of wired or wireless networks is a must. This is because of the purpose of research or to send the completed work to their seniors via email and so many other uses. So, many companies provide networks via towers, provide through routers that are accessed by Wi-Fi receivers, etc. Some of the companies even offer these networks for free. VPN For example, free Wi-Fi in hotels, stations, waiting for halls, etc.

As the use of technology and networks are increasing day by day, the breach of information to data miners and various organizations is also increasing. This is because of hackers who get easily accessed to our personal devices without our knowledge.

When a user connects his/her device to a freely provided network, there are ample chances of information breach by hackers. And also, there is no privacy to any of the user’s sensitive information like location, IP address, etc. This is where a VPN comes into play.

VPN, an acronym for Virtual Private Network, is a solution for all the above-stated problems. This helps you in creating a private network from a public internet connection. This also masks your IP address making your online activity untraceable. VPN service creates higher security and encrypted activity than provided by a Wi-Fi hotspot.

WHY VPN?

Think about your habits such as checking emails while waiting in a line, checking your bank account and balance in your free time, shopping online for your needs, etc. For the completion of these works, you need to provide some sensitive information like a password. If you are connected to an open network, then this information can be exposed by hackers. Your information is vulnerable to anyone connected to the same network. Here, VPN comes of good use. VPN helps you protect your online activities like sending emails, online transactions. VPN also makes your web browsing anonymous. VPN is a must for anyone who is concerned about their online privacy and security. It gives encryption and anonymity to your information.

HOW DOES A VPN protect?

A VPN service provider may have servers all over the world. VPN creates a tunnel between your local network, which is the entry node and has an exit node at any of the servers present all over the world. This benefit makes shows the browsing action from another place rather than showing the original location. This allows online freedom and helps you access all websites and apps throughout your browsing experience.

Here is how a VPN works. VPN makes the data encrypted and scrambles it when it is transmitted through a Wi-Fi network. Encryption makes the reading of data difficult and also secures the data from breaching.

You can also hide your browsing history. This is because of VPN that makes the browsing originate from different parts of the world and keeps the online activity private. This feature is very helpful because internet providers can know the entire browsing history, which is not good.

Some search engines also track your search history through your IP address. But a VPN manipulates and assigns a different IP address from the various servers it has around the world.

VPN PRIVACY

You can hide a lot of information using a VPN that can put your privacy at risk. These include:

BROWSING HISTORY-

Your internet provider can access your browsing history and track everything you do on the internet. Browsers can keep track of all your history and tie that information to an IP address.

Browsing history affects your browsing experience. When you visit a particular website, it keeps a record of your visit to that website, and you may start receiving targeted ads at the time of your internet surfing and draws your attention further. This also allows the website to collect the information you enter on the internet. The internet provider can sell your browsing history to data miners. Here, a VPN can protect the information from breaching to others.

IP ADDRESS-

Your IP address can help the trackers about the things you have been searching on the internet and the location you are present at the time of surfing. An IP address acts as the return address on a letter. A VPN uses an IP address that is not your own but to one of the many servers available around the world. The provider connects to one of these servers and keeps your location safe and secure. This deviates the trackers from other locations rather than showing the original ones.

STREAMING LOCATION-

Many of the streaming services are restricted to a single country. But a VPN helps you stream your favorite shows from any corner of the world. This can happen when you connect your device to your country’s server provided by the VPN and voila! You can now stream your favorite website.

DEVICE-

Your device is the prime target of cybercriminals when you are in a public Wi-Fi network. A VPN can protect your devices from these criminals. It helps in sending or receiving data so that hackers won’t be able to extract your information.

IDENTITY THEFT-

Identity theft occurs when thieves use your personal information to commit crimes like buying a property, filing income tax returns, etc. A VPN can help you against identity theft by protecting your data from hackers. It encrypts your data so that it becomes outreach from cybercriminals.

There are some options that you need to consider while choosing a VPN service. They are:

Privacy
The current protocol they run
Data limits
Number of servers located
Is it accessible to multiple devices?
Cost

So these are some of the options you should consider while choosing a VPN service. This is how a VPN helps you from providing privacy to a user and his data.