Given the increasing concerns around cybersecurity, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is the next logical step for those who care about their privacy. A VPN helps you to access the web anonymously without revealing your location or personal details. That way, all your online activity is hidden from prying eyes, including your internet service provider (ISP) and government agencies.
What Does A VPN Do?
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a technology that allows you to access a private network through a public network. VPN provider gives you an IP address from a country of your choice, and all your traffic is routed through this IP address before heading out to the cloud. For example, if you choose an IP address in the US, the software will direct your traffic through a server in the US. This has numerous benefits for users as it permits you to obtain access to region-blocked websites or information. However, it also has far more apparent benefits, including making it almost impossible for nefarious actors to spy on you and steal your data.
Things To Look For In A Vpn
There are six key things that you should look for when shopping for the perfect VPN for your needs; these include:
- Speed: It needs to mimic as closely as possible the speeds that your internet can usually reach. Although the rerouting of traffic will inevitably slow it down, the better VPNs will provide different setting choices so that you can reduce the impact on speed.
- Security: Anyone looking for a VPN will have this high on their priority list. This means that it shouldn’t keep any logs about your data usage and have a robust anonymity policy.
- Reliable Encryption: The best option is to route your data via multiple locations, which should ensure far more robust security.
- Simplicity: You shouldn’t have to be a tech savant to be able to use the software. The best ones offer simple and easy-to-use interfaces that allow almost anyone to reap the benefits.
- Multi-Device Usage: Many of us use our phones to access the web these days, especially our emails and messaging. Your VPN should have a fully-fledged app to use with a phone.
- Price: The competition for this system is fierce, which ensures that the cost remains low. Nevertheless, you should get one that you can afford and has all of the features mentioned above.
With that information in mind, let’s check out the top VPNs on the market today.
NordVPN
NordVPN secures your connection by encrypting all data traveling between your computer and its server, making your computer invisible to prying eyes, such as hackers, ISPs, and the government. It is a great choice and is often listed as one of the best options available. They usually promote fantastic deals, and the money-saving advisors at www.swagbucks.com/shop/nordvpn-coupons suggest that you can save up to 75% by applying some of the promotions that offer. Moreover, NordVPN often offers multi-year plans to choose from, which means that you can purchase and not have to worry about renewal while saving money in the process. It also has a simple user interface and a great companion app, making it straightforward to conceal your online actions.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN has been around since 2009 and has always been a top-notch VPN provider. It’s easy to use, has a simple design, and offers excellent connection speeds. Perhaps most importantly, ExpressVPN’s commitment to security and privacy is unrivaled.
The company has servers in 78 countries and doesn’t track or keep logs of your activity. It uses 256-bit AES-CBC encryption, which is one of the most substantial forms of encryption out there.
Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield is another VPN service that helps you browse the web anonymously & privately. It enables you to access blocked content & blocked services. And it will let you unblock geo-restricted websites like Netflix, Hulu, etc. So if you travel a lot and want to access those websites, then Hotspot Shield will be a great VPN to help you do that.
Private Internet Access (PIA)
While PIA isn’t the fast or the cheapest option available, it does have one trick up its sleeve that could convince you. The number of servers worldwide that it operates borders on the insane. While most VPNs will have up to 200 servers, PIA boasts over 30,000 to choose from. It gives users the ability to select the server that is best suited to their activity.
CyberGhost
The benefits of CyberGhost VPN are numerous. First, it allows you to download or stream anything, including videos, movies, music, and TV shows. Did you know that there are websites that actively block people in certain countries from accessing them? With CyberGhost VPN, you can get around these restrictions. Not only that, but you can also use CyberGhost VPN to spoof your location. This is great for people looking to access location-specific content but who don’t live in that area. With almost 7000 servers in 91 different countries and a 45 day trial period, this is an excellent option for privacy-conscious web users.
Windscribe
Windscribe is a new VPN that is trying to change the game of broadband privacy. Their goal is to give you access to your favorite sites safely and anonymously. The VPN application is effortless to install and use, and it offers a free plan that gives you unlimited access to the Windscribe servers. Windscribe also boasts unlimited device connections, so you can buy one copy and allow your family access so that they can also benefit. In this way, the household can be leak-free. Compared to the others on this list, the main downside is that it doesn’t have as many servers. Sitting at around 400 at the time of writing, this is substantially less than the usual 1000 plus. However, 400 is still plenty and enough for most people.
Summary
A VPN can be considered a vital part of using the internet in this day and age. With hackers looking to steal your money, companies harvesting your data, and governments attempting to limit free speech, it is crucial to have a VPN.
