It’s the digital age and cybercrimes are as rampant as ever. You have hackers trying to breach data, scammers looking to exploit your information and corporations monitoring your every move. We are powerless in the face of the machine or are we?
Enter VPN’s (Virtual Private Network), a technology designed to shield you against the ever watchful digital world. With all this cybercrime going around, VPNs are highly recommended for both personal and professional use.
What is a VPN?
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Your online presence is constantly monitored by organisations, internet service providers (ISPs) and malicious users. There’s no hiding in the online world unless you have a VPN.
It creates a secure and encrypted connection over the internet, masking your online activities and enhancing your security. A VPN will also allow you to bypass censorship and access restricted content. This is called geo spoofing and it’s one of the main perks of using a VPN.
But how does all this work? And what’s the science behind it?
How Does a VPN Work?
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Without a VPN, your ISP becomes the main mediator between your device and the internet. On the other hand, having a VPN will reconfigure the way your internet connection functions. It filters your internet traffic through a series of secure servers, cloaking your online presence.
This means that all your data will be redirected to through your VPN rather than your ISP. Here’s a step by step process of how your data is filtered:
1. Encryption: Your data will be encrypted through the VPN client. This is where your regular internet traffic transforms into unreadable code.
2. Tunnelling: Your encrypted data then passes through a VPN tunnel where the data is encapsulated in a packet. It’s like putting your data in a bulletproof case which others can’t access, not even your ISP.
3. VPN Server: After your data is tunnelled, it then forwards your requests to your VPN server. This is where you choose a virtual location and gain access to content that is restricted in your area.
4. IP Address: Lastly, your original IP address will be replaced with the IP address of the VPN server. This masks your true IP address, making it difficult for websites and online services to trace your online activities.
Advantage of Having a VPN
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- Enhance Privacy and Security
VPNs are mainly known for their ability to enhance privacy and security. This is especially useful in an age where privacy is a commodity. It will prevent your ISP and other entities from tracking your data.
Not to mention stopping them from creating a detailed profile of your online behaviour.
- Bypassing Geo-Restrictions
As mentioned, VPN will give you the ability to teleport your internet connection to other servers. It’s one of the main advantages of having a VPN as it can give you access to content outside of your country.
You’ll be able to play games on different servers, stream movies that are restricted and even save money on online shopping.
- Protection Against Throttling
Have you experienced intense lags while streaming or gaming? This may be a case of throttling, the act of slowing down your internet connection. ISP’s tend to throttle your connection when they detect data heavy activities.
It can be frustrating especially when you’re trying to enjoy your content. Using a VPN can help avoid this as it can prevent ISPs from seeing the type of traffic you’re engaging in.
Conclusion
The digital world can be a dangerous place and we must always be vigilant. We are constantly being monitored and having a VPN can help improve our defences. VPN’s offer privacy, security, accessibility and speed, making them an invaluable tool in this day and age.
So, take control of your online presence and don’t let the digital world control you. Secure your connection and get that VPN as soon as possible.
