VPN technology is like a dose of chocolate for your internet connection. If chocolate helps you hide away your sadness on a Friday night, what do VPNs hide and do precisely?
I feel like we’re still at that point where internet users know stuff about VPN (Virtual Private Network), but consider this technology as a tool for tech gurus. While, in reality, the VPNs are legal and easy to use technology, that helps you accomplish the most basic online activities in complete online privacy, anonymity, and security.
So, let’s dig into the subject and better understand what is a VPN and what does it do.
What You'll Learn
What does a VPN hide?
Let’s say that we have general information about the Virtual Private Network and its advantages, but what does a VPN do and what does it hide?
A VPN hides your IP
Your IP reveals a lot about you, like your zip code or your physical address, and there are websites where you can check this information by yourself. Moreover, your ISP (Internet Service Provider) can associate your IP address with everything you do online. Luckily, ISPs don’t make public such information, only in very special and delicate situations, when the police or other authorized third-party requests access to your data.
To avoid sharing all this information with the curious eyes spying at the Internet’s corners, you can use VPNs.
A Virtual Private Network uses a series of components that put together can add magic to your connection.
So, let’s have an overview of this process.
When you enable a VPN connection, you connect to a server that has its own IP address. The server alongside an encryption standard and a VPN protocol is responsible for your connection’s military-grade encryption.
Therefore, the data encryption will help you rest assured that your activities are not available in plain text for your ISP or hackers, while you will automatically have a brand-new IP, associated with the server you will choose for your connection.
A VPN hides your location
The fact that VPNs hide your location is (somehow) obvious. As soon as you enable a VPN connection, you connect to a VPN server. This server can be located somewhere in the world. When this server changes your IP, it automatically hides your geographical location too, and this is a huge advantage.
You may want to hide your IP address and location to access restricted websites, services, or even games.
Geo-blocking is an internet censorship type that helps a website be accessible only to certain countries/regions.
Thus, by using an advanced algorithm that verifies all the incoming internet traffic, these websites can detect and block traffic received from blacklisted countries.
With the help of VPNs, you get access to the desired website with just a click, without having your bandwidth throttled. This technique helps you unblock websites is also called IP spoofing.
A VPN hides your web browser activities
Every time you go online without using a VPN, you leave online traces visible not only for your ISP (Internet Service Provider) but also for curious marketers. Let’s place a bet if you don’t use a VPN right now.
Go on your favorite online shop and look for comfortable hoodies or cool sneakers. Leave the website after a couple of minutes. Then access Facebook or any other website that allows ads placing, and there you have it, dozens of ads, specially made for your online shopaholic profile.
I don’t want to ruin your dreams, but browsing incognito will not help you skip targeted ads. Incognito browsing helps you keep your search browsing history private in relation to your WIFE, not to your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
Even if your wife may be sneakier than any marketer in the world, you still need the protection provided by the VPN.
A VPN hides your personal information
You don’t need to feel like you’re overthinking things if you’re preoccupied with your internet security. In 2020 VPNs are clearly a must for any internet user, especially when we talk about public WiFi networks. Around 24.7% of all the public WiFi networks around the world are unprotected. What does this mean? It means that behind any of these hotspots, there may be a hacker ready to steal all the personal information you transmit over the internet.
When we talk about personal data, we mean e-mail addresses, phone contacts, private photos, and even bank account details.
In such a case, using a VPN to hide your personal information is mandatory. Enabling a secure connection from a hotel lounge, an airport, or a pub is easier than you expect. There are special apps for iPhone and iPad or Android devices that can secure your internet connection. All you will need to do is to pick a VPN provider, a powerful protocol within the encryption protocols list, and a VPN server (there are regular servers or DoubleVPN servers for double protection).
Once you completed these easy steps, with the help of VPNs, mobile security and secure internet browsing are at your fingertips. Get a VPN app and take your browsing habits at the next level. We live in the Internet era, so you need to keep pace with the latest digital trends and online tools.
A VPN hides your torrenting activities
Torrenting is a controversial topic. Many internet users associate torrenting and P2P file sharing with illegal activities. There may be a shade of truth, as greedy internet users download or share illegal content.
Thus, torrenting is safe and legal if you do not download or share copyrighted content with other users. As long as you keep your P2P activities into the legal side, you will need a torrent VPN to hide these activities, and to keep yourself secured.
Just like you use a secure tunnel to hide your personal information, you may want to protect your online anonymity while downloading torrents too.
Keep in mind that the VPNs act as a protective shield between you and any other third-eye spying on your data. VPNs make the difference between downloading torrents and downloading torrents securely and legally.
Important note: If you’re downloading or sharing illegal content via torrents, your activities will remain illegal, with or without a VPN.
A VPN hides your Tor activities
Tor or onion browser is a popular tool among internet users. As you may know, Tor is also known as the dark web, and I assume that we all know why.
Luckily, there’s a solution that helps you hide your original IP while visiting onion websites. Yes, the solution is to mask your IP address, by connecting to a server (or a TorOverVPN server) anytime you connect to Tor.
Such measures are mandatory as if you visit onion websites often, your ISP can mark you for surveillance. Moreover, you may end up on really fishy websites, and you may want to protect your browsing activities in this case.
How to browse in complete anonymity?
All the websites you visit collect information about you. Besides this, there are thousands of other online dangers you can face, without even being aware.
In such situations, you need to protect your data and hide your location while making sure that your connection is strongly encrypted.
To accomplish all these things, you will need just VPNs.
Now that we know what does the VPN cloak, here’s an ultimate checklist that helps you rest assured that you hide all your browsing information and activities:
- Always have an active VPN subscription. If you don’t have an active subscription, you can start by testing our VPN service, as we provide a free VPN trial. In this way, you can test how hiding all your personal information and keeping your online activities feel like. If you’ll love our service, you can always go premium, as you can benefit from yummy discounts and a delicious moneyback guarantee policy.
- Have the VPN app compatible with your operating system (Windows VPN app, macOS VPN app, iOS VPN app, Android VPN app/Android TV app). If you use a unicorn OS (like Linux) and there’s no app available for that, you can set up a VPN connection right on your VPN router, or directly on your device.
- Enable the Virtual Private Network connection anytime you go online.
- Desperate situations require advanced VPN features. You need to know that there are advanced VPN features, like the Kill Switches, which can keep you away from any leaks that may occur in case of a VPN/Internet disconnection. On the other hand, we have the anti-leak options that will provide you WebRTC/DNS leak protection. You can enable such options directly within the apps. Perform a DNS leak test/WebRTC leak test and make sure your VPN spills nothing about you.
Important note: Never confuse the VPN service with the proxy or Smart DNS technologies. Just like the VPN, the proxy can hide your IP address, but it will never encrypt your data. So, the proxy browser extensions will not provide you any type of online security. On the other hand, we have the Smart DNS technology that helps you trick geo-blocked websites into seeing your location as an eligible one, but it will never change your IP address. Bottom line – VPN rocks!
The VPN can keep a secret!
Now we know what is VPN, what does a VPN hide, so we can say that the VPN is like a digital best friend, helping you hide your online secrets from your ISP and other curious eyes.
You will just need an active VPN subscription, a VPN app, and your online privacy, security, and anonymity are at a click away. Simple as that.