With the rise of scams and dangers on the Internet as well as the arrival of a large number of juicy platforms that offer streaming of series and movies, everyone wants to enjoy the honeys of a VPN but… do you know exactly what they are and what for? are used?
Forget about the extensive and complicated technical articles because today we are going to explain to you in a simple way and in a few steps what a VPN is and the uses you can make of them.
What is a VPN?
This is the million dollar question that everyone asks but very few know how to answer without making the reader very dizzy. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is, as its name suggests, a virtual private network whose objective is to protect the information from all the data that enters and leaves your computer. Don’t worry, we are going to explain this process to you in the easiest and simplest way.
When we connect to surf the Internet or for example now, while you are reading this article on Softonic, your team sends and receives data to be able to show you the requested information. The usual way is as simple as your PC sending the data to your Internet provider and it is responsible for returning the requested information as is to your computer. When making the direct connection with your provider and later with the Internet, the data you send is not encrypted , so you share, for example, your geographical location, searches, etc. through the network. That is why your searches always appear personalized to the language of your region or magically you see ads on topics that you have been consulting on the Internet for the last few days.
What happens when we use a VPN? Very easy. After accessing your Internet provider, the VPN will redirect you to a server located in the place of the world that you choose and you will use its IP to search and receive information. In addition to all this, the VPN will take care of encrypting all your searches , so your provider will not have a record of what you are looking for on the Internet.
If it is not clear to you, we will use a simple example . Imagine that you are going to connect to the Internet from your apartment in Barcelona to do several searches on garden tables. For this you will connect to the Internet through your provider and Google will appear by default as Google Spain (because thanks to your IP it will know where you are). Once this is done, you will look for information on a good garden table and since none convinces you, you will dedicate yourself to other things. After a day, you will reconnect to the Internet and as your connection was not encrypted , Google will automatically show you advertisements for garden tables.
What would happen if we used a VPN? The first step would be exactly the same. Your PC will connect to the Internet server, but from there it will go to the VPN server in the geographical location you choose , for example the USA. Google this time will appear as Google USA because you will see the IP of the VPN server. In addition to this, all the data that from this moment you share with the browser and the Internet will be encrypted . In this way, when you reconnect to the Internet, there will be no record of any of your searches on your Internet provider.
What is a VPN for?
In its beginnings, VPNs were used mostly by large companies and always in a work environment. This is because a VPN creates a secure local network that allows all workers to connect, whether they are in the same location or teleworking without the risk of data leaking or a hacker can take control of any company computer remotely .
Today, VPNs are still used by companies but also by the homes of many Internet users. These offer many benefits, among which we highlight the following:
You can browse safely and with total anonymity
One of the main uses of VPNs is that they allow you to surf the Internet with an extra layer of security . This is because the server we choose encrypts our data making it difficult for it to be intercepted or stored by third parties. This is especially useful considering that we live in an age where online scams abound . In addition to this, through a VPN we will enjoy anonymity in our searches because they cannot be tracked, thus respecting our privacy and that of our data.
You can use an open Wi-Fi network securely
If you are one of those who connects to the Internet using local Wi-Fi networks such as coffee shops, libraries or airports, you will know that these always carry a certain security risk . Any data you share through that Wi-Fi network can be intercepted by a hacker who is also in it and believe us when we tell you that it is quite simple and habitual. If you use a VPN this changes radically, as it is capable of encrypting all the data that you circulate through that open network, making it safe from any malicious user.
Are free VPNs secure?
If you have started to do a little research about VPNs, surely you have already noticed that there are free VPNs as well as paid by subscription. Are both options equally safe? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Although the free VPNs have the attraction of having no cost, they manage to pay for their price by putting our data and our security in check .
A recent study has found that up to 38% of free VPNs on the market install malware on devices to show you ads with which they can monetize. These are not only annoying, but in most cases they will redirect you to unsafe pages where you could endanger your computer and your data.
Another black point of free VPNs is that they sell the data they collect during your Internet sessions to third parties . This is how they get the VPN to be offered for free, and even if it works, you may run into some annoyance when sharing your data.
Finally, one of the great scandals of free VPNs is that they can even take away your bandwidth and sell it to third parties . It is not necessary to go very far to remember the case of the free VPN Hello . It sold the bandwidth of its users, who unknowingly ended up as part of a botnet attack on 8chan. That is why using a free VPN will not only lose connection speed and privacy, but your team may end up being complicit in il-legal activities.
For this and much more it is always recommended that if you want to use a VPN, opt for a paid subscription . These cost just a few euros a month and offer a fast, safe service with many advantages.
What are the best VPNs on the market?
After reading this article, you may want to use a VPN either to surf the Internet more securely or to access blocked content in your region. There are many VPNs on the market, but not all of them are equally fast and fail to protect your equipment with the same level of reliability. To facilitate your search, we are going to recommend some of our favorites.
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a true off-roader in the world of VPNs. It is not only very fast but it is also capable of protecting your data thanks to its 256-bit encryption system. With over 3,000 servers spread across over 160 geographic regions , ExpressVPN is the perfect choice for accessing geo-blocked content, playing online, or downloading without compromising your connection speed. In addition to all this, it works perfectly on desktops and laptops as well as on mobile phones and tablets.
2. NordVPN
NordVPN is the best option for any user who wants to use a VPN but is concerned about the security of their data. It has a 2048-bit encryption system and some of its servers even have DDoS protection . This ensures that your equipment and your data can never fall into the wrong hands. Regarding its specifications, NordVPN has more than 5500 servers spread over more than 55 locations around the planet. To finish, we can only add that we are facing another really versatile VPN because you can also use it on your computer as well as on your mobile or tablet.
3. Hotspot Shield
To finish we want to recommend you Hotspot Shield . Do you remember when we talked about how open networks can endanger your team? With this VPN you can use them with total security. And is that Hotspot Shield uses an AES military encryption system with which your data will always be safe. In addition to all this, Hotspot Shield has a really simple and very intuitive interface . Just press a button and you will be connected to the Internet from the server of your choice … it’s that easy!
If you are interested in more options, do not hesitate to take a look at our complete list of the best VPNs of the moment . This is really complete and also from it you will access exclusive discounts of up to 80% on your subscriptions.