There is lots of fun in the online world, and we, as well as our loved ones, probably spend a lot of time there. But while the internet may seem like a safe place, at first sight, it has its dangers and dark corners. And they are not always obvious, so it is best to rely on professionals to protect you from them.
Why Do I Need a VPN
VPN — your friend and protector
VPN, or virtual private network, is one of these tools you should rely on when surfing the vast oceans of the world wide web. It provides you with top-notch protection and safeguards your online privacy too.
But what does it do? Firstly, it encrypts your traffic by routing it via an encryption tunnel. Without encryption, your traffic travels unprotected, and someone can snatch your data or snoop on your online activities. VPN protects you from that. When encrypted, your traffic can no longer be seen by third parties (e.g., government agencies, internet service providers, etc.).
Secondly, it changes your IP and hides your virtual location. Your IP address can tell a great deal about you and identify where you are up to a street level as well as disclose your internet provider. By connecting you to a remote server, VPN changes your IP to one of the countries of your choice, and no one will see your original address.
Other VPN uses
There are lots of other benefits of VPN:
– It can protect in high-risk situations (e.g., in countries with low freedom-of-speech indexes) by securing your traffic. Some services can even hide the fact that you use a VPN, thanks to the obfuscated servers function;
– You can protect your whole household with a single account, as many VPNs support more than one device. For example, your kids can be safe with their mobile devices as it can protect them everywhere. Moreover, you can protect your whole network if you install a VPN on your router;
– It can help you avoid ISPs curbing your bandwidth during peak hours or when you game or stream. VPN will hide your activity, so one will be able to see what you do;
– You can also use it while traveling. You can get exposed to unsafe Wi-Fi spots, which can be exploited by hackers to snatch their victims’ data. It will protect you wherever you are;
– It is easy to use. Most previous services will make you protected with just a single click;
– It can help you to bypass geo restrictions and access content unavailable in your locale.
What VPN to choose
Here are some issues you should pay attention to when choosing a VPN provider:
– Avoiding free VPNs. While having free protection might seem like a tempting idea, such services often do you more harm than good. Most free VPNs monetize their services by collecting user data and passing it to third parties or flooding them with ads. Moreover, it can have limited functionality;
– No data collecting. Make sure a VPN service guarantees you privacy and doesn’t collect and store any data. Also, check if the service adheres to a no-logs policy and has this fact proved by independent audits;
– Lots of servers. A premium VPN service should have a large server infrastructure so you can connect to many locales as well as avoid server overload;
– Lots of security features. Make sure a VPN has extra security features such as Kill Switch or Obfuscated Servers. You may need them especially when traveling through more restricted regions;
– Protects many devices. It is really convenient when you can protect more than one device with a single VPN account. This way you can protect your entire household. For example, NordVPN’s account secures up to 6 devices;
– Good customer service. Even the best VPN services can have issues, so make sure the provider has a good customer team, which will help you to solve problems quickly and efficiently.
NordVPN has all of the above features, and it’s also super fast. This makes it our top pick when it comes to choosing a VPN.