Maintain Sanity with Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

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For every great invention they abound vices; humans or robots, always looming to take undue advantage; and as such one would need to thread with caution when dealing with such technologies. The importance of the internet at this time and age cannot be emphasised and as such it’s ubiquity and dependence by virtually everyone on planet earth for our existence.

Certain scenarios like earlier stated in the previous edition such as carrying out confidential transactions online via a public network can be a high risk as your login details and even your identity could be stolen.

A virtual private network (VPN) extends a private network across a public network, and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. — Wikipedia

VPNs are the very first line of defense against people and systems trying to spy on your data and online activities. This tool, a VPN, helps guarantee the protection over our identity on the internet. However, it has its cons despite the advantages.

A common example is booking a ticket online, the same airline website generates different airfares depending on the location and sometimes the number of times one revisits the website. Thus, if your itinerary within the US is being booked from the UK, It’s likely that the fares would be higher than one who’s resident in the US and making the same reservation. The issue of Geo-Location comes into play, thus if your VPN points to the US, the website automatically treats you as a US resident and you get a better deal. In as much as this does not deal with security, it just goes to show how you can benefit from using a VPN.

However, the use of VPNs while resident in some countries are either Government controlled or illegal. These countries include the following as at the time of writing;

Government Controlled;

1. China
2. Russia
3. Iran
4. United Arab Emirates
5. Oman
6. Turkey

Outright Ban

1. Iraq
2. Turkmenistan
3. Belarus
4. North-Korea

Source: https://thebestvpn.com/are-vpns-legal-banned-countries/

Generally speaking, using a VPN can protect you from Government invasion and hackers who have mastered the art of identity theft. One rule of thumb remains to carefully avoid sensitive transactions while using open public Wi-Fi hotspots, you know those free internet hotspots found mostly in hotels, parks etc. Hackers can access your login credentials such as banking and email passwords while using these open public Wi-Fi hotspots. It’s critically advised you do not login to your online bank account, shop and pay online or even access your email over these public hotspots as your sensitive details are open to hackers.

Now, you can see for yourself some of the details that are available to these hackers and agencies who are interested in your browsing history and activities by simply logging into https://www.whatismyip.com/ Details such as;

• Your public IP
• Location of your IP (your location)
• And even the ISP you’re currently using

With just these information, you can easily be tracked down for whatever reason based on your browsing activities. Furthermore, if you carryout an IP lookup (www.whatismyip.com/ip-address-lookup), more details about your location is revealed.

As interesting and secure a VPN is, there however are some downsides. Since it fools the internet about your location as well as encrypts your data, you are likely to experience slower internet speeds, but that I believe shouldn’t be your problem as far as your data is protected and your security assured.

Some VPN services are listed below;

• Express VPN: this service is currently rated the best VPN service in the world, despite the fact that its not cheap, it’s speed and robustness as well as the servers they maintain which are currently in over 100 countries gives the edge over other services.
• TunnelBear: might have something of a cutesy design, but it’s a serious free VPN, especially after its acquisition by security giant, McAfee. There are free and paid-for subscriptions to choose from. The only restriction with the free plan is that you are limited to 500MB of traffic each month.
• Windscribe: is a relative newcomer to the free VPN scene, but its generous data allowance and commitment to protecting your privacy make it the best around. The free service gives you 10GB bandwidth per month as standard, and lets you choose from eight remote server locations.
• Opera: the popular opera browser has its VPN service embedded in its browser for computers and mobiles. I currently use this especially when browsing in open public Wi-Fi hotspots

For more information on VPN services; visit: https://www.techradar.com/vpn/the-best-free-vpn-services-of-2018