Until that glorious future day when blockchain technology is widely implemented, the internet will be an inherently insecure place. If you spend much time daily online, you might do so with a sense of creeping dread, aware that it’s not a matter of if you get hacked but when. The good news is that there is a relatively inexpensive way to secure your data to an extent far more than the average surfing slob. It’s called a Virtual Private Network (VPN). If you haven’t heard the advantages yet, consider this a public service to prevent your personal and financial identifying information from ending up for sale on the Dark Web.
What is a VPN?
Let’s not get bogged down in technical flimflam jargon. This is not a complicated concept, which should be good news to all you non-techies out there. You don’t have to be Albert Einstein’s secret love child in order to understand a VPN. Think of it as a personal cyber-tunnel between your computer or mobile device and a server operated by a VPN service. Data that travels in this tunnel is encrypted, which is beneficial in so many ways – we’ll discuss that later. Just like any other hosting service, you subscribe to a VPN plan for a monthly fee.
How a VPN Works
How does this cyber-tunnel make your life more secure? For starters, all internet data traffic related to your browsing – even when you stream music or movies – passes through the tunnel, which means it’s encrypted. Encryption refers to the process of scrambling data so that it can’t be viewed without the appropriate security key. If you weren’t aware, encrypted data is much more secure than the internet standard non-encrypted variety. To anyone trying to hack your information, it looks like junk. Meanwhile, your computer assumes the IP address of the VPN server, making you essentially invisible to prying eyes.
Public Wi-Fi is Risky Behavior
Unless you like having your personal and/or financial data stolen, don’t even think about using a public wi-fi without a VPN. Coffee shops. Airports. Millions of people every day take advantage of this “free” internet access. Like having unprotected sex with an icky stranger, public internet can screw up your life for a long time. That guy drinking coffee so innocently beside you could be scooping up your passwords, banking data, credit card numbers, and private emails.
While free VPN service does exist, it’s not a good idea to go down that path. There are seriously legitimate reasons to choose a company that charges a fee in return for allowing access to their server. You’re only going to spend $5 to $15 dollars monthly for a legitimate VPN service. That’s chump change for the peace of mind it buys. And with https:/vpn.coupons/ you can get discounts up to 30% off.
The Bottom Line
Keep in mind that the security inherent in using a VPN is only as reliable as the company itself. Such businesses can and have in the past handed user data over to law enforcement officials. This means you need to scrutinize the Terms of Service and check forums for disgruntled customers before signing up. Also, some VPNs are squirrelly when it comes to allowing Netflix streams through. Once again, ask questions if that’s a concern. The internet is the bully that will punch you in the nose and take your lunch money if you let it. A VPN connection is the bodyguard you pay to keep that from happening.
