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VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, and as the name suggests, it is a tool used to set up a virtual private network. You can think of it as an extension or add-on to the existing private network you use at home or work. It takes data from your internet connection and routes it securely through a separate server before sending it out to the wider world. Your VPN service provider will assign you an IP address when you log in, and this new IP address can be used by websites to identify your location. Many benefits come with using a VPN service, especially when it comes to your online security. In this article, we will go through some.
Your IP Address Is Kept Private
Your IP address is your digital fingerprint when you’re online, and just like with the real world, no two are exactly alike. It can be used to identify you among all the other internet users out there, and it’s just one way that cybercriminals can use to track you down. As the experts from VPNBrains explain, when you’re online, your IP address can be used to learn all kinds of information about you. With a VPN in place, it keeps this information safe and secure, away from prying eyes. This is especially true if you use a free public wifi network or one belonging to an internet service provider that keeps logs, as your data can be easily harvested. By using a VPN, however, you will have a new IP address assigned to you by the provider. It’s similar to having a second identity for a limited time, and it means that cybercriminals won’t find it so easy to track down your online activities.
You Can Browse The Web Anonymously
A VPN can also help you to achieve complete anonymity when browsing the web, as it conceals your real location and network identity. Your activities can’t be logged or seen by other users on that same public wifi network because they are encrypted before leaving the server. It’s also useful if you’re living in a country where there is censorship, so everyone else sees the introduction page, but for example, if you clicked on another webpage beyond this one, then no rules apply since it has already left the network at this point, so you are completely invisible to others. Even if cybercriminals wanted to track down an individual user based on their activity, it would be impossible because of this encryption.
It Provides Security When Using Public Networks
A VPN service is especially useful when you are using public wifi networks in cafes or airports for example, as they have been known to be targeted by cybercriminals who can intercept your data if you’re not making use of a VPN. Even better is that your users will remain private and will not be linked to any other devices or accounts that you use at home for example, so browsing the web freely without having to worry about prying eyes is extremely simple with a VPN service such as ExpressVPN. A VPN service provides a high level of security and encrypts all your data both before it leaves the network and when it reaches its destination on the web.
You Can Use Public Wifi Safely
Public wifi networks are not safe due to the data being broadcasted over the airwaves without encryption, which makes all of this data sent from these networks open to prying eyes so anyone nearby who wants to take advantage of this situation could do so quite easily with software freely available online. This is one reason why a VPN service is so much safer when it comes to using public wifi networks, as the data is encrypted before leaving your device and remains private throughout the entirety of its journey to your choice of destination. The only people who can see your activity will be you and the VPN service provider, which makes a world of difference when browsing the web.
It Prevents Web Trackers And Unwanted Ads
This means that by implementing a VPN service in combination with browser add-ons, you can prevent websites from tracking your activity and serving ads based on this information which can often be intrusive and annoying. A VPN service makes it possible to block third-party trackers and ads, while also preventing websites from trying to access cookies or privileged data such as flash player authentication tokens used for content playback. It’s even possible to set your browser so that it will only load the ads that you want to see, which can be done with a specific plugin.
Using a VPN service is extremely simple and also very important if you want to protect yourself online. It is worth taking all of these points into consideration when deciding whether or not to use a VPN service, as it has so many benefits that outweigh the risks if you’re using public wifi networks.
