VPN is an acronym that stands for a virtual private network. A high-value VPN offers you a much safer internet experience by concealing your sensitive data and personal information from your internet service provider, scammers and even authorities. But how does a VPN do all of it? Discover here all the nuts and bolts of a VPN.
What is a VPN?
Two computers establish a “private network” when they both are connected to one another yet are isolated from other devices. A VPN uses special servers as well as data encryption to make a connection unreachable to the rest of the internet, and therefore, to protect your data.
VPN are used to encrypt data exchanged on the Internet, thereby making it indecipherable for anyone attempting to disrupt it between the VPN server and your PC or mobile device.
The VPN does so by routing your traffic through the server of a private network. Besides the encryption, a VPN changes your IP, since you’re connecting the Internet from another location, which also allows you to bypass restrictions to access certain content.
Are VPNs safe to use anywhere in the world?
Using a VPN is legal in most countries and is totally safe to use. Indeed, it helps to secure your connections by encrypting data you can exchange on a network.
Reliable VPN will most likely include features such as a no-log policy, a kill-switch and propose servers in many locations to ensure users are safe when using their services.
You can use a VPN legally in 185 of the 195 countries
In Russia and China, for instance, VPNs are controlled by the government (you can still use a VPN, but you have to hand over your data if requested) as well as the UAE, Iran, Oman, and Turkey. However, you cannot use a VPN in any form in North Korea, Turkmenistan, Belarus, and Iraq.
Of course, using a VPN to commit crimes would make you a felon anywhere in the world, but if you’re located in any other country, you can use a VPN to improve your online privacy and access geo-restricted content freely.
How to choose the right VPN?
- Choosing the right VPN can be a daunting task as there are dozens of options available in the market, which is why we have detailed a list of features trustworthy VPN will propose:
- The number of servers: A VPN with many servers in many countries gives you several options to access the internet. As a consequence, if you’re in Singapore and that you want to access platforms that are only available in Europe, you can connect to the country you want to be able to connect to the website.
- Tunnelling protocols: Perhaps the most significant part of VPN security is its tunnelling protocols. You should be looking for OpenVPN and IKEv2 support while avoiding VPNs using obsolete protocols such as LT2P.
- No-logs policy: A VPN that maintains a no-logs policy means that the company will not store any personal information (ie. name, hours of connections, visited webpages…) when a user connects to their servers to browse the web.
- Kill switch: A VPN with a kill switch instantly disconnects you from the internet if your protection is compromised.
Of course, such as any service, contracting with a VPN that offers friendly prices and efficient customer support will save you time and trouble.
For instance, a VPN like NordPVN proposes more than 110 servers in Singapore, 5200 worldwide, and costs less than $5.5 SGD for a two-year plan.
Conclusion
A good VPN makes your browsing experience safe by protecting and hiding your sensitive data from authorities and malicious individuals. Free VPNs are available in any App Store but should be avoided as they will most likely resell your personal data for advertising purposes, or be bugged. A trustworthy VPN just cost few dollars a month and can be useful to access content and protect yourself.