Everything you need to know about virtual private networks |
Posted: October 29, 2020 |
Virtual private networks (VPNs) have become more commonplace than ever. In addition to business and commercial applications, a growing number of people now install VPNs for personal use. Using a VPN can go a long way to assuage concerns regarding online security, privacy, and anonymity. Here is a quick look at how VPNs work, and some of the ways they can benefit us. Understanding VPNs The term 'virtual private network' is descriptive enough. A VPN service creates a virtual network to connect a client (customer) device to a remote server. The client could be a computer, smartphone, tablet, or another mobile device. The connection to the remote server is virtual in that it exists only over internet links. The VPN software makes it private and secure. The remote server connects to other internet locations, making it seem as if the internet traffic originated not from the client device but from the remote server. All of the data transmitted over a VPN is encrypted and thereby hidden from prying eyes. How they work A VPN works by creating a ‘tunnel’ between a client device and remote server (aka VPN server). The data transmitted through the tunnel is private and secure. Any access to internet resources is provided through the VPN server, which hides the IP address of the client device. This process is called ‘IP masking’. Masking makes it almost impossible for any online monitoring service to know what the client device is up to. In other words the VPN client becomes 'anonymous'. VPNs offer some protection against blanket surveillance. Another noteworthy benefit of using a VPN is ‘location spoofing’. A client can use a VPN server in another country to access online resources that are blocked in their own country. More than security The Global Web Index 2020 survey on the habits of VPN users found that more than 25% of all internet users frequently use a VPN service. Enterprise users employ VPNs to keep their data and communications hack-proof. Individuals use VPNs for a range of purposes. College students often use VPNs to bypass the access restrictions on their campus networks. Residents of countries that ban services like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, YouTube, Google search, and Facebook use VPN clients to gain access. Some ISPs throttle bandwidth when downloading torrents. Using a VPN ensures this does not happen. VPNs can provide considerable protection against hackers and malicious router hosts. This is particularly useful when using open access public WiFi such as at cafes, airports, and other hotspots. VPNs for expats International entrepreneurs travel a lot. They are often forced to use public Wi-Fi for business and work. Connecting via hotel or airport Wi-Fi leaves devices susceptible to snooping and hacking. A VPN can ensure data security and privacy. An unexpected benefit of using a VPN is that you can get cheaper airfares. Airlines often price tickets based on the country (and currency) of purchase. Booking the same return flight from London may cost significantly less than if booking from New York. By using a VPN to emulate a different location, travelers can usually save 10% or more on each flight booking. Another benefit of VPN comes to light when expats do online banking. Some banks don't allow online access from abroad. Using a VPN solves this problem. Good VPN services also securely encrypt online transactions. This is relevant when making overseas payments or sending remittances. The transaction data passes through multiple international servers and waypoints. Those who transfer money internationally with regularity must consider investing in a VPN service. How to choose Quality comes at a price. Premium VPN services usually offer more features and security than the free ones. Free VPNs use less reliable servers and sometimes throttle the bandwidth. The terms of many of these services don’t mention how long they keep the session logs. Reputed services such as NordVPN, ExpressVPN, SurfShark, and CyberGhost don’t store any user data. They delete the metadata and connection logs as soon as the session is terminated. Most Silicon Valley firms mandate their overseas employees to use VPNs for official communication and calls. The US government has not banned any VPN services so far.
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