VPN (Virtual Private Network) has been around for a long time, but recently it gained momentum not only in business but also in private life. Every time the Internet is used for any purpose, it is being monitored, attacked and filtered by multiple interest sides. For instance, government, service providers are constantly monitoring your activity for numerous reasons. Content may be censored and even blocked due to some political or other reasons. The more obvious example is marketing. Every move of your browsing habits is logged by large corporations such as Google or Facebook. According to collected data and your interests, they usually target you with personalized ads.
You can do a little experiment. Simply browse for some information (for instance search for shoes) in Google search engine and then log in to your Facebook account, and you will see that your timeline will be stuffed with adds full of shoes. You can only imagine what information is collected from you. And this is only your activity which you may not care much. But such access is not acceptable for business, where lots of sensitive information is floating around.
What is VPN
There is no doubt that regular internet traffic is not protected from some degree of intervention. One of the most popular ways to protect yourself is to use a VPN. You can imagine VPN as a middle server, through which all your internet and intranet activity is going through. VPN channel is secure and encrypted, so no one can tap in to get recognizable information – the only thing they might see is VPN server information.
Why VPN is important
There are many advantages of using VPN service. From a business perspective, the main benefit is security. VPN ensures that all data flow is encrypted and in case of leakage, it cannot be interpreted. The secure connection allows workers to connect to organization resources from remote locations without worrying about vulnerabilities. There is no problem to connect to any sensitive resource like FTP, remote desktop, documents and other media.
From a personal usage perspective, there are plenty of advantages of using a VPN. First of all, it protects your browsing history. Web browsers track your activity and tie that information to your IP address. Such information may be used to bring targeted ads, usually with not the best offers. Most importantly, VPN similarly to business helps to protect personal information, including identity, location and activity.
Benefits of VPN
There are many benefits of using a VPN. Let’s look at a few most essential:
- Security. VPN creates an encrypted tunnel for all your data flow. In case of data leakage or hacking, you are safe as it is near to impossible to decrypt and use such data. It is even more critical if you are using public internet access. VPN hides your IP and encrypts flow of data.
- Remote connectivity. Using a VPN allows you to connect to your sensitive resources from any location. With VPN you can connect to your workplace from home and work like you are there.
- Hide your identity. Being online anonymously is near to impossible these days. Every move, every search is logged and analyzed using big data engines. We talked about ad targeting, content adjustment to your interests. Take Facebook. Every time you refresh the homepage, you see records differently, and you may wonder why some records disappear, and new appear. Such anomalies occur because your activity is analyzed continuously, and original content is arranged according to your profile. VPN gives you anonymity and brings back control to what you are doing online.
- Censorship bypass. Many countries are applying one or another content filters. For instance, multiple torrent websites are being blocked by some countries. This includes free music or movie sites. VPN, by IP hiding geolocation, ensures that any content is accessible. With VPN on it appears that user comes to website from different country.
There are even more benefits of using a VPN. When shopping online through the VPN, you can get better deals, because there is no reference data about your interests. Airlines tend to adjust prices depending on the buyer’s geolocation. Tickets in different countries are different. VPN may help you find the best deal.
Top 5 best VPN service providers
Let us look at the five best VPN providers with critical benefits. The list may vary depending on your preference, so analyze and choose one that suits you best.
1. RUSVPN
The “RUS “name stands for Reliable, Unlimited and Secure. Behind its simplistic design hides a powerful, stable and fast service. They are offering fair pricing schema starting from 2.99 USD/month.
RUSVPN have more than 330 servers around 29 countries, so there are plenty of choices to stay anonymous. Major devices are supported, including Windows, Linux, iOS, Android. 24/7 support ensures smooth integration of any of your device.
2. NordVPN
Its pricing starts from 3.49USD/month. It offers excellent performance and ensures your privacy. As any other VPN provider, it doesn’t keep logs. It is beneficial at unblocking BBC iPlayer and US Netflix.
3. VyprVPN
It is a secure and quality VPN service with great support. Their pricing starts at 2.71 USD/month. Its plan allows up to five simultaneous connections on any server from 70 countries.
4. IPVanish
It is a US-based VPN which is considered not the best place for all cases. Anyway, it is much-managed service with quality in mind. Its pricing starts at 3.25 USD/ month. The spread of servers on 60 countries give great ability to access most of the popular services such as BBC iPlayer and Netflix US.
5. Surfshark
It is a new and more aggressive player with lower pricing starting at 1.99 USD/month. They offer fast speed performance on 500 servers in over 50 countries.
Conclusion
No matter which VPN provider you choose, you get three significant benefits: privacy and anonymity, enhanced security, and access to restricted web content. You can find free VPNs that are limiting your data transfer and reduced options. Free option is great for trying services and user interface, but for normal usage paid options is way to go.