VPN: The Complete Internet Security Solution

Everywhere around the world, Internet freedom is under attack. There was a time when the freedom of press always used to be under attack by the government.But these days, the Internet is a more popular means of free speech and expression, earning the displeasure of governments across the globe. In certain countries like Russia and China, the Internet isn’t free at all. People cannot access whatever they like.

 

In China, for instance, every popular service is blocked, from Facebook to Gmail. Even the only available service, WeChat, is always under strict government scrutiny. If the government thinks you are doing something you shouldn’t be doing on the Internet, your IP address will be blocked. You may even be penalized or jailed.

Get off of me, government!

With the Internet not as safe or as free as it used to be 20 years ago, people are always on the lookout for means to remain secure online. Technology has advanced, and the easy availability of smartphones has made it convenient for everyone to stay connected.

The use of social media, digital data storage and sharing, and online transactions have risen by leaps and bounds, and at the same time, online threats have also grown.

Sensitive data and financial information can be easily stolen if you aren’t careful. It seems like no one can be safe on the Internet without resorting to additional tools or applications.

There are few other applications more efficient than a virtual private network at the moment. No matter where in the world you are, a virtual private network is what can keep your Internet activities safe at all times. No one wants John Brennan spying on them!

So much so that the use of VPNs is growing by 30 percent every year. Because of the rising awareness about internet threats and the usefulness of a VPN, an increasing number of people are now resorting to this application to secure their online activities.

What is a VPN?

A virtual private network is an easy to use application for securing all online activities. Normally, all your Internet traffic is routed through your internet service provider. This means, all your internet activities can be seen and tracked by your ISP, even without your knowledge.

After net neutrality was revoked in the US, Internet service providers now have the full right to track your online activities, store your information without your consent, and even share the data with third parties, including the government. Therefore, you must first secure yourself against your ISP.

When you use a VPN, your Internet traffic doesn’t pass through the ISP server anymore. The encrypted traffic is rerouted through the secure VPN server.

This process is called tunneling because the traffic passes through a private tunnel between your device and the VPN server. Since the traffic isn’t routed through the ISP server, your Internet service provider – or anyone other than you – cannot decipher the content.

Your Internet service provider can neither figure out what you are doing online nor where the traffic is headed. By masking your IP address, you are kept anonymous online.

Why use a VPN?

A VPN is the application you need if you want to remain anonymous on the internet and stop outsiders from snooping on your activities.

Aside from an anti-malware solution, a VPN is the only application you will need for complete online security. Remember that a VPN doesn’t prevent malware from being downloaded on your device, so using an anti-virus is also important alongside a VPN.

There are a number of ways in which the VPN keeps you and your data safe online. First and foremost, it hides your original IP address, so no one can know where you are located, where you are online from, or who you are.

Virtually bounce yourself!

What the VPN does is replace your original IP address with a random IP from any of the VPN servers around the world. So even if you are actually in the US, your IP address might be that of an Australian region.

Hiding your original IP has several advantages, besides keeping you anonymous. You can easily bypass geo blocks and access your favorite content on Netflix.

You can also bypass internet censorship if you live in or travel to a country like China or Russia. You can stop your bandwidth from being stolen by your neighbor. You can torrent to your heart’s content without having your IP blocked.

Although a VPN performs all these functions, it doesn’t come with any technical complications. Like any other app, it needs to be installed and then activated. When not in use, it can be deactivated. You can choose from the available servers anywhere in the world, depending upon your plan. Most plans begin from as little as $3 a month. 

With so many features rolled into one, a VPN is truly a wholesome solution for Internet safety today.