When using the internet, one widespread problem we often have is the lack of privacy afforded. Some internet services are safer than others: that is more or less a fact.
However, a secure and strong internet connection is often connection can be hard to find consistently.
Even with the best options in countries like Ireland, you might find it hard to get an internet service provider suited to your needs. If that is the case, then we recommend that you look at securing your internet connection even more. How can you do that? By using a Virtual Private Network or VPN.
What is a VPN?
A VPN is a system that allows you to connect to the internet as if you were based elsewhere. As research from Best VPN shows, some people use it for things like connecting to geographically blocked software, such as the US Netflix. With a larger library, some prefer to be hooked-up to this as they get better value for their subscription. A VPN, though, is a tool used to help make sure you can easily get more security.
For example, a VPN helps you to get even more protection in terms of what you are looking at online. If you do not want your internet service provider to see what you are doing, you need a VPN. This removes the likelihood that your data will be stored. A VPN is like a middle man, connecting your PC and the web. This means that your service provider knows you are on the VPN but does not know what you are doing after that point.
By giving you a new IP address, too, the VPN makes you feel safer when using services that might normally be out of your reach when using the internet.
Why does any of this matter to me?
Really, the main reason to work with using a VPN is to help feel safer and more secure. Data privacy and protection is becoming an increasingly commonly discussed topic. People want to know that they are not being read and marketed to by third party companies. With a VPN, you basically make the rest of the internet unable to follow your usage and your internet patterns. Now, you can hide your traffic and make sure that you are going to be much more private when you do choose to use the internet.
If you care about anonymity on the internet, then using a VPN should be something that you hastily consider. Since your IP address is a straightforward way to find out where you are based, a VPN granting you a new IP address change this instantly. You will no longer be where you are based, in the eyes of the internet sites that you use. Instead, you will be based wherever the connected server of your VPN is based. This gives you access not only to more content to pick from, but to more control over where – and when – your data is stored.
Is this not basically just a proxy server?
One argument against using a VPN is that, to many, it does much the same job as a proxy server. A proxy will be giving you a new location, so that you appear to be using the internet from somewhere else. However, VPNs are far more robust. A proxy only covers your web activity, so you could still be picked up if you were using things like peer-to-peer file sharing, video gaming or any other form of gaming activity.
Therefore, if you want to make sure that you have total privacy and control over where your data goes, you need a VPN. It is not “just” a bit more secure than a proxy. It does far more. It protects you on any kind of platform that you use, and your VPN can often be used on other devices like mobile devices and video games consoles.
Does a VPN encrypt my data, then?
Yes, it does. By using a VPN, you make sure that your data is going to be unreadable by the less desirable corners of the internet. It also stops you having your usage logged, tracked, and perhaps even used against you. By using a VPN, you can easily stream from locations you normally could not or get access to content that is often behind a geoblocked paywall.
This helps you to make sure that you can always get the most out of your time on the internet. You can then combine your use of a VPN with things like torrenting, playing games or simply viewing material you would rather was not tracked by your ISP. The fact that this hides your content viewing and your web browsing process means that, for many people, you no longer need to worry about your service provider censuring or limiting your internet usage.
How can I choose a VPN?
There are many good VPNs to pick from. The main thing that you need to work out, though, is what you wish to use your VPN for. Some choose to use VPNs because they want to use geoblocked content. If that sounds like you, then you want to make sure you get a streaming-friendly, file sharing friendly VPN. If you want to use your VPN for better connections when streaming or gaming, then look for a service tailored to this.
Also, be sure to look at the cost of the VPN and how many devices you can use simultaneously. If you want to make the use of your VPN a bit easier, then simply work out how much you can afford to pay versus what you want to use the VPN for. This will help to cut down on the number of choices that you have to pick from, thus making your VPN choice a bit easier.
You can rest assured, though, that your internet history and usage is far more secure behind a good VPN. Pick correctly, and you could make everything from internet tracking to download speeds far more suitable to your day-to-day requirements. If security and privacy matters to you, a VPN is well worth investing in.
