Home Sponsored Content VPN: The latest must have for homeworkers, but what is it?

VPN: The latest must have for homeworkers, but what is it?

by Peter Smyth Tech Journalist
7th Jul 20 12:54 pm

VPN stands for “Virtual Private Network” which is a service that encrypts your Internet traffic and protects your online identity, especially when working from home.

When you access a website on the internet, you start by connecting to your internet service provider (ISP). They redirect you to any websites (or other online resources) that you wish to visit.

All your internet traffic passes through your ISP’s servers, which means they can see and log everything you do online. They may even hand your browsing history over to advertisers, government agencies, and other third parties.

Here is where a VPN comes into play

It redirects your internet traffic through a specially configured remote server. This way, the VPN hides your IP address and encrypts all the data you send or receive. The encrypted data looks like gibberish to anyone who intercepts it, and it is impossible to read.

Consider a public Wi-Fi network, perhaps at an airport or a coffee shop. Usually, you would connect without a second thought, but do you know who might be keeping tabs on the network traffic?

Can you even be sure the hotspots are legitimate? Could it be set up by a criminal who is hunting for your personal data?

You must think about your passwords, banking details, credit card numbers, and any other private details you send every time you go online.

With a VPN connection enabled, all the data you send and receive travels through an encrypted tunnel so that no one can get their hands on your private information. This means even if a cybercriminal does somehow manage to intercept your data, they will not be able to decipher it, meaning your data is safe.

Without VPN protection, your connection is fully open to cybercriminals and others, such as government agencies. A lot of random people or devices can look at your data, log it, and use it in ways you cannot control.

This includes your ISP, employer, the Wi-Fi router in the coffee shop, any server along the way, or any person with the right tools. Based on your IP address, which depends on your location, sites and services may charge different prices or show intrusive targeted ads.

Government agencies can track your online activity and share the retained metadata with each other. They also share intelligence across country borders through alliances such as “14 Eyes.”

With a VPN connection, you can have peace of mind knowing your data is encrypted and your IP address is hidden. Your ISP can no longer see which websites you visit because all your activity is routed through the VPN server. As a result, they cannot collect your internet metadata nor log your browsing history. Best of all, they cannot share it with anyone else.

Various countries around the world restrict access to one type of online content or another. Social networks, games, chat, apps and even Google itself is not beyond the reach of censorship.

Many workplaces and academic institutions also use firewalls to limit access to websites. They do it for different reasons, from increasing productivity to restricting inappropriate content.

Websites and services are blocked by denying access based on your IP address. When you connect to the internet, your IP shows the country you are currently in. So, any country specific restrictions are applied to you as well.

Using a VPN allows you to connect to servers in different countries, making your IP address look like you are somewhere else. This IP swap helps you access restricted websites and keeps your private information safe at the same time.

Additionally, you can use your VPN, to stream and watch terrestrial UK, USA or Global TV channels anywhere in the world at any time.

Off on holiday? Keep up with your favourite soaps or dramas, do not miss a thing.

Visit WorldNet today to find out more or to instantly obtain your own high speed, secure, carrier class VPN at less than £3 a month with the added security of WorldNet management and the best commercials in the market today.

WorldNet are offering a promotional offer, of 70% off for all new customers throughout July. Click here to find out more.

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