The Internet is now a daily habit for all of us. We use it for work, for our entertainment, to find information and buy things.
However, many of the data we distribute on the Internet is personal and contains sensitive information that we do not know exactly how it is handled and to whom it is noticeable. A good solution, therefore, is a VPN (Virtual Private Network) for additional protection of our data, but also useful for accessing a site that is prohibited for specific countries.
What is a VPN?
A VPN is a network of remote servers where the user can connect to it by acquiring a new IP address (different from the ISP and the country) while at the same time all the data passing through it is encrypted. Simply put, VPN is a virtual private network that encrypts our Internet connection.
Imagine the VPN as a tunnel through which all the data of our connection passes encrypted. In this way, we protect our business, the pages we enter, the files we download and information that has to do with the IP address of our connection, including information that has to do with the composition of our equipment as functional that we use.
When is a VPN needed?
There are times when we want to visit a page or watch a video even on YouTube or Netflix where access is limited to some countries. By using a VPN, access becomes feasible.
If, for example, you want to visit a site, which is accessible only to the American public, there is a solution. Connect to the internet via VPN, choose a server located in the United States and you’re good to go!
A VPN provides us with secure remote access to our home or professional network, where we also see our computer from where we are as a local computer network.
If during our internet browsing we enter pages that are not HTTPS all our activity is evident to someone who wants to record something. But when we connect via VPN, all our data will be hidden inside the VPN.
What to consider?
When we surf the Internet through a VPN network, only we and the company that has VPN servers, know our business. Almost all VPN providers claim that they do not store their users data. In this list, you will find VPN providers that do not keep any logs.
Nor does our Internet provider know the data transferred through a VPN. What our ISP knows is that there is a VPN without knowing what data is moving on it.
Is it legal to hide the IP address via VPN?
In most countries, it is, and it is not about legality. China is an exception as using a VPN is considered a serious violation of state censorship. In Europe, all VPN providers are required to keep their user logs for six to two years.
I hope you’ve already figured out what a virtual private network is and why you should use one. Our privacy is one of our fundamental rights and we must fight for it.
