What is a VPN and why you should use it whenever you go online

In most colleges, Wi-Fi connections are always public and you need to use them to complete your college papers online without anyone accessing them. Most systems are integrated with VPN to ensure secure connections between computers and allow access from home. It connects a smartphone, PC, or tablet with a server on the internet, and the server allows you to browse using its internet. So if the server is located in a different country, your browsing activity is registered as coming from the resident country of the VPN and it will help you access information that was initially restricted in your country.

How it works

A VPN can be available from your workplace or you can create one for yourself or host one. Acquiring it is not complicated because you just need to sign up with any of the many sites readily offering the service, and to research on which VPN best works for you then settle on one. Download it and start using it.

When your device or computer is connected to a VPN they act to be on the same network with the VPN. This way you can be sure that all your network traffic is secure. This means you can access local network resources from the original location of the VPN. This is beneficial since you access geographically restricted sites and when you are on public Wi-Fi you can connect without much concern since you are secure. For example, depending on which country you’re located in, if you want to access Netflix you might need to acquire a VPN based in the USA and you will easily access Netflix as your connection will be from within the USA.

Why you should use it whenever you go online

It improves your connection’s security

We sometimes see it in movies and series that people can hack into the system and watch your every move online. That’s just acting, but in the real sense, it happens. It is easy for rogue attackers to access your connection and monitor all that you do online. Though public Wi-Fi networks are more susceptible to such attacks, it does not mean you are safe on other connections either. If you are looking for a reliable and fast Wi-Fi network, some connections can cause you more damage than good. Instead of risking everything you have it is better to add a VPN to your connection to be safe. The encryption used keeps you safe from snooping eyes when online. It hides your emails, online transactions and browsing history from attackers.

It bypasses restrictions by defeating censorship

Most networks have terms & conditions that you need to agree to before you can use them and in this case what you can access over the networks is limited. Some countries also censor information that can be accessed online on their websites. When choosing a VPN, consider the country you are choosing and any restrictions they might have set. Some countries have started clamping down VPNs to maintain censorship within their countries. Using VPN allows you to access restricted sites from different locations, but if you realize problems with the connection you can change to another in a different location.

It stops tracking

It is not a wonder that Google or Facebook track your activities online bringing friend suggestions and advertisements that suit you. These profiles are easily sold to advertisers. VPN encrypts data that you send across and scrambles it making it impossible for the message to be intercepted by a third party. The website you are on cannot track you down and your browsing history and search terms are hidden. If you are logged onto your Facebook and Google accounts you might be at risk of them storing your movements, so minimize this by using anonymous search engines.

It keeps you away from surveillance

It seems it is not only the social networks that are interested in knowing what you are up to but even the government wants to know about it. Some leaked reports show that some governments are prying on their citizens wanting to know what they are doing, the messages they send online and even phone calls they make. VPN is very handy in such instances because it turns all your data to nonsense by decrypting it. However, if the government asks for the encrypted messages, be sure that your VPN provider will supply that information to them.

VPN is an easy way to improve your online security when accessing different sites such as ewritingservice.com. However, you need to be careful of free VPNs – some are out to make a profit without proper provision of service required. Some providers also fake locations so intensive research is needed before you commit to any particular one. A good VPN is simple with great speed and good functionality.  

This is a guest post by Alice Yoon.