Put simply, VPN is a technology which allows you to connect to online resources in a secure way. For most people this means web browsing or chatting without worrying that they are being spied on.

How does VPN work? 

VPN works in a client – server mode in which you are the client and you connect to a remote server. Usually, you will be using a third party’s VPN server unless you have installed and configured your own. The communication between you, the client, and the VPN provier, the server, is secured and encrypted which is the essence of the VPN service.

Why should you use VPN? 

You have probably heard of all kinds of abuse with personal and business information. With the increase of our online presence and interactions, the question for privacy and security becomes more actual. Here are some of the most common problems and concerns in this regard:

• Your web experience and history, i.e. the web sites you visit, can be easily seen by third parties. This means that your private life and personal interests are no longer private.The information you submit and receive can be intercepted and even altered. This could become especially sensitive matter when you make online payments or you communicate with your loved ones online.

• You can be traced and identified by your online activity. It’s important to be aware that not only governments, including oppressing ones, might be interested in you. There are also many criminals who are investing serious time and efforts to track people and exploit the information they find about the latter. When the criminals get hold of such information they usually use it for anything for, scam to blackmailing.
  

You may have already suffered or been a victim to online abuse because of personal information disclosure in regards to any of the above points. If not, it’s not necessary to get paranoid but instead you should be aware, informed, educated and prepared these kind of increasingly growing risks.

One way, and probably the best, to protect yourself from online threats and abuse with personal information is by using VPN. Here are some of the essential VPN benefits:

• VPN hides your physical location and identity. It is not possible for anyone to identify you by your Internet connection and IP address. This is not only essential for protecting your privacy but it also allows you to unblock block sites and online resources which are limited only to certain Internet service providers and geographical regions.
  

• VPN encrypts the information you send and receive which means that it is impossible for anyone to read it. Thus hackers cannot see your credit card details. Furthermore, interested third parties are not able to find out who you are communicate with nor what.
  

• VPN hides your web history and protects the privacy of your web experience. No one is able to find out what web sites / Internet resources you are connected to. This is unmatched protection because even if you use http encryption (https) it is still visible to what IPs / remote resources you are connected.
  

The above features of VPN make it a must-have solution for many people and organizations who are concerned about their online security and privacy.

The best of all is that VPN is not a complex technology and it can be used even by non-IT people. You will be perfectly fine with using a VPN as long as you know how to install a regular PC program (VPN client) and to start it. Once started, the VPN client will take care of everything for you. Thus you don’t have to make any software configuration changes, nor you have to change the usual way you work online, open web sites, chat, etc.

You should also know that VPN is not even expensive. Affordable VPN plans start from a few dollars per month such as those provided by VPNTunnel. When you choose a VPN provider, though, don’t go for the cheapest price because it is important what the VPN plan offers to ensure your protection. Here are some of the things to look for:

Number of physical locations and how they are spread all over the world. Enough points of presence ensures that you will be able to connect fast from and to virtually everywhere in the world. After all, you shouldn’t suffer from slow connection when using VPN. Also, no site will be blocking you any longer based on your geolocation which remains undisclosed. Cheap VPN service provider sacrifice this feature and support less locations.

Support for PC and smart phones. A complete security / privacy protection solution requires that not only your PC is protected but also your smart mobile phone. This is because smart phones and the infromation they send and receive are just as vulnerable as PCs.

User protection through reliable privacy policy and terms of use. Ensure that the VPN provider is always on your side, keeps no traffic data nor logs on their end. Otherwise, your privacy can be easily compromised by companies which underestimate the legal formalities.

Encryption and security protection. Look for enterprise-grade encryption to ensure that even if your data is captured it will be close to impossible for anyone to read it. Unworthy providers may also sacrifice this part because it requires more hardware resources on their end.

These are the essentials of the VPN technology with everything you need to know put in simple words. No matter whether you are an expert or a regular Internet user consider VPN as a necessity to protect your data and privacy.