What is A Virtual Private Network? (and why you need one)

It is common for all of us to access our emails, music, videos and all of our digital content everywhere we want to. We access our bank accounts on the move. We shop from anywhere we want, using our mobile phone or a tablet computer. When there is no WiFi hotspot available, the mobile device’s own data plan is more than enough to see us through.

And yet, we forget the most important aspect here: security. No day passes without the news of a network getting broken into by someone unauthorized – either for the sake of fun or as a professional cyber-criminal.  The critical fact is that the internet is open to everybody and there is no stopping the bad guys from stealing.

So what can we do to take care of this? Of course, there is the usual way of installing a good anti-virus solution. It helps ensure that our device is protected and nobody gets unauthorized access to it. However, there is another way to secure our devices, and that is the Virtual Private Network, or VPN.

Now, what is a VPN? Imagine a highway where cars are running at high speed. Think of this highway as the internet, and the cars as the traffic that goes on it. There are bound to be several cars that are in the wrong lane or making bad driving moves. Now, imagine a toll gate just before the cars enter this highway. They have to pay a toll tax to get there and then the traffic is directed at a certain speed and in a certain direction, ensuring higher safety. This toll tax and toll gate is the VPN. Once your device connected to a VPN, your traffic is secured better.

In other words, the primary job of the VPN is to make sure that data between your computer and the internet is carried in a secure manner. It is useful for anybody – a student, a businessman, or a privacy-centric person. It is particularly useful when accessing the internet through an unsecured network, such as the hotspot at an airport.

A few providers of VPN you can consider are: http://proxpn.com/; http://torvpn.com/information.html; http://torguard.net/ or https://www.witopia.net/.

All these providers have a host of pricing plans and options that will suit your budget, whether you are a corporate user, a student or a businessman. All of these have offerings in the UK, with most of them offering billings in Euros, British Pounds, US Dollars or even BitCoins.

So what are the factors you should consider while selecting a VPN provider? Let’s see.

Security protocols

While selecting a provider, you will come across technical jargons such as SSL, PPTP, L2TP. Frankly, all of them have a certain set of common and basic features. Beyond that, they have both advantages and limitations. SSL is the most common. So, whichever provider you select, don’t get hassled by the unimaginable alphanumeric puzzles they throw at you.

Server locations

This offering helps you decide what you can do on the internet. For example, if you are in the UK and want to follow baseball, you will want a provider that has its base servers where it is played more often e.g. U.S.  If you are in the US and want to watch the BBC show Sherlock, you need a provider who has servers in the UK. If you are really concerned about your information landing up with the government, be aware: it may not be really useful to treat this as a make-or-break feature. If the government wants to access your data, it can and it will.

Track of log-in time

Your VPN provider has the ability to keep a track of when you logged in, where you logged in, for how much duration – all of that. People from outside the VPN may not be able to view into your network, but your provider can. So be sure to read about the login tracking done by the VPN provider.

Surf safe

Using a VPN does not guarantee 100% safety. It is a security enabler and affords you a good amount of protection, but as happens with everything, it is not absolutely perfect. So when you are shopping, make sure the website has an HTTPS address, and the same goes for your internet banking website also. You may want to check if your VPN provider offers malware protection also.

Mobile apps

Since most of us access the internet increasingly on the move, it makes sense to select a provider which offers security to our apps and mobile devices also. If you shop carefully, you will be able to select several vendors that offer protection for both computers and mobile devices.  Selecting two providers for two different devices may not make practical (and financial!) sense.

Pricing points

All vendors usually offer several tiers of pricing, that range from a few weeks up to a year. They may also offer a free trial. There is no harm in testing the service, even if it’s with limited features. If you do like it, it will only get better once you pay and get everything it offers. If there is no free trial, select the shortest possible time-period (because it is the cheapest) to try it before you commit to an annual plan.

All in all, remember, VPN is a tool to facilitate your security on the internet. It is not the definitive – nor is there one – 100% solution to online security. So surf safely, stay away from anything that seems suspicious, and use a good anti-virus software.