There are many reasons why one would invest in a VPN. Some of the top reasons include doing a lot of online transactions with sensitive financial information, you want to protect yourself more thoroughly from hackers, or you simply like your privacy. Regardless of your reasons, a VPN is a great way to protect yourself while you are browsing online.
What is a VPN?
Many of us have heard of a VPN, whether it be from friends or family in the tech world or in television commercials. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. Basically, it secures your connection to the Internet through encryption. A good example to visualize what it does is as follows: your computer is your access point.
You are using the unsecured internet to access content or financial websites. That connection between your computer and what you are trying to access can be seen by hackers and even the government. A VPN encases this connection in a steel tube so that people can’t see what you are browsing.
Options for a VPN
The best time to get a VPN is when everyone has their Cyber Monday deals going. However, this isn’t exclusively the best time to get the best deal on a VPN, for sometimes companies will have discounts going—you just have to check in regularly.
There are a lot of options that you can run with if you are considering using a VPN. The cheapest route is to download a free VPN extension for your web browser. The problem with this you will quickly find is speed. They aren’t the most reliable when you need to be protected so you can access the internet.
Your next option would be to find a virus software/VPN package. Just because you have a VPN doesn’t mean that you are protected from malicious content. You will still need your virus software to ensure that your computer is protected from virus and other malicious threats. However, the reason why I personally did not go this route is that I wanted to buy a product from a company that considered VPN their bread and butter—not a complementary or secondary item.
Again, the above package idea could be a great solution if you are on a budget. But again, the speed and quality of the VPN may not be the best. If you want to ensure you get a good VPN product, I would recommend checking out Nord VPN. I recently gave them ashot and I have thus far been really pleased with the product. They have an application that allows you to easily connect when you boot up your computer. I went with their 3-year plan, which is still 75 percent off. You can connect up to six devices.This includes your Smartphones and tablets, which also connect via an application.
In this digital age,privacy is a justifiable reason as any to invest in a VPN. It is just one more way you can protect yourself when you are online. Research thoroughly the products you are considering to make sure you understand exactly what you are getting for your money.
