Virtual Private Networks (VPN) began with companies using the secured system for connecting multi-location office networks and its employees, but now consumers too have started using it widely. Consumers prefer to use VPN for connecting with public wireless networks in a secured manner by eliminating the threats of cyber-attacks. The VPN creates a secure tunnel between several computers over the internet and allow access to the devices as if working as a local area network. With the threats of cyber-attacks rising rapidly, safe use of computer networking has become a priority for all types of users from Corporates to consumers. Computer users want to keep data well protected and maintain complete privacy when using public Wi-Fi networks by availing VPN services of the kind that you would find at https://www.fastestvpnguide.com/.
Security and privacyare the top reasons for using VPN services, but you must gather complete information about it so that you can take the right approach during selection. There are many VPN service providers, and you have to know the selection parameters so that you can compare the offerings, match it with your requirements and then select one that seems to be the best. In this article, you will find information about what VPN can do for you and what options are available when choosing a VPN service provider.
Protect your privacy and network security with VPN
Public wireless networks are highly vulnerable to hacking and other kinds of cyber-attacks that pose severe risks to users. The cybercriminals are very active on such networks that they find very helpful for hijacking accounts on websites and accessing private information of users for fraudulent use. Sites that do not use HTTPS protocol have vulnerable security systems that cybercriminals target for hacking. Moreover, when using public Wi-Fi, you are always under the surveillance of cyber watchers who track your online activities, and it is impossible to maintain privacy during surfing. Some private Wi-Fi operators intentionally infuse advertisements into web traffic with the purpose of monitoring surreptitiously.
When you are using a VPN connection, the traffic coming from public networks routes through the VPN server. Thus it creates a shield that cuts off the possibilities of monitoring the traffic flowing to your IP address. Your computer gets protection from tracking and hacking as the VPN server acts as a wall between the websites you access and your computer.
Varied VPN technologies
The principle of VPN is the same, but people use different techniques for delivering the services that vary in the extent of encryption and security. You must know the type of technology that provides the desired level of protection.
PPTP or Point-to-point tunneling protocol is a VPN technology that offers good speed, but the level of security is low as compared to other technologies like Open VPN or IPSec that uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS). The key length and the type of encryption algorithm used in TLS are also significant.
Open VPN connections are mostly available with RSA key exchange and AES encryption and SHA signatures. The recommended settings are AES 256 encryption along with a 2048 bits RSA key having SHA 256 (SHA2) cryptographic hash function. Remember that the connection speed depends on the encryption strength and when choosing the VPN technology, consider the data that has to pass through it. Moderate encryption is good enough to protect yourself from snoopers eager to track your traffic.
Switch between VPN servers
Often there are restrictions on viewing some content in some specific geographical regions, but this is not a problem for VPN users. The servers of VPN service providers have locations at different places across the world, and you can change servers which allow users to camouflage their actual location and access restricted content. However, this depends on the extent of restrictions imposed by the content owners. To access content restricted in China but not in the US, you can select a US based server for viewing the content.
The facility of switching servers is especially useful for users in countries like Turkey and China where the government restricts access to various websites for political reasons. By using the server of the country to which the site belongs, users can circumvent the restrictions and enjoy whatever content they like. The popularity of VPNs is higher in this type of countries.
Free and Paid VPN services
To get a taste of VPN services you can try out some VPN services offered free before you decide to switch over to some paid service. Free services use fewer servers that are mostly overcrowded, and this slows down the connection speed. Moreover, advertisements being the source of revenue for free VPN services, there are plenty of ads used on these platforms. Since few servers are used, the choice of servers is also limited. Using the service for trial is all that you can do with such services that do not offer enough protection from hackers and spammers.
Typically, you have to subscribe to some selected VPN service to enjoy using the secured network without any data limits or any restriction on download speed. Some VPN services do not maintain any user log that ensures complete concealment of your online identity. Some antivirus vendors like Kaspersky offer VPN services to their subscribers who are often cost effective solutions for those who use the service intermittently.
Check the local laws
It is essential to check the local laws to ensure that it is not illegal to use VPN in that country. The laws of China are such that it leads to various interpretations that could eventually mean that using VPN is unlawful. Since the rule wants to prevent access to content that the government of the country does not want consumers to view, it can affect business operations.
How you want to use the internet and the level of security and connection speed you prefer decides the choice of VPN service.