The internet has changed everything we do. From storing photos to banking, everything can be done online. It has become a blessing to the current generation. However, it also brings threats of data theft and privacy.
In order to protect your online presence, you can use a VPN. VPNs offer a secure and encrypted connection, allowing users to browse the internet safely and anonymously. Here, we are going to tell you how to use VPN services for ultimate privacy.
The Basics of VPNs
Well, before we get to the specifics of its use, let us first try and understand what a VPN is and how it works. This is a secure tunnel that will encrypt your internet traffic, route it via a remote server, mask your actual IP address, and change your location. In so doing, VPNs keep your activities online safe from people like hackers, government agencies, and other ISPs.
Various encryption protocols, like OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, and WireGuard, are utilized by VPN for your data security. The protocol offers a private exchange of internet traffic that is not intercepted or deciphered by unauthorized parties.
Select the Right VPN Service
There are several critical considerations to make while choosing a trustworthy VPN service. First, robust encryption protocols like AES 256 or higher ensure the best security for your data, and therefore, one must find a VPN that employs the said protocol. The VPN provider must provide a no-logging policy, meaning that they won’t record your online activities or personal information.
It is also an important thing to select a VPN service with a vast network of servers in various geographical locations to help you access geographically specific blocked content and bypass censorships.
The VPN provider should be able to offer applications for all your devices, from smartphones and tablets to computers. Lastly, avoid any VPN service that does not provide reliable customer support; 24/7 availability through live chat or email correspondence is desirable.
With all these features in mind, you will be able to pick the right VPN service that fits your requirements and offers the highest security and privacy.
Set Up and Configure Your VPN
Once you choose your VPN provider, then comes the part regarding the setup and configuration so that you can quickly start using your VPN connection. In general terms, here is an overview of what happens next:
- Download and Install the VPN Client: Most VPN providers have user-friendly apps for downloading and installing onto your devices.
- Create an Account: Sign up with the chosen VPN provider by providing the required information for an account and selecting the subscription plan.
- Connect to a VPN Server: Open the VPN app and select the server’s location from the list of options given. Connect to that server to get a safe VPN connection.
- Verify Your Connection: Now that you’re connected, you can then run a check of your IP address on WhatIsMyIP.com to make sure that it indeed shows the location of the VPN server you’re connected to.
Secure VPN Usage
Here are some of the best practices if one is to derive maximum security benefit by using a VPN:
- Enable Kill Switch: It is a feature by which the internet connection gets automatically disconnected in case of an unexpected drop in the VPN connection. This is done so that your IP address wasn’t exposed.
- Use Strong Authentication: Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) within the account for your VPN client. It’s like having an extra layer of security by using the MFA. MFA requires more than one verification to grant access to your account, such as the code that is texted to your cell phone or however else may be set up.
- Avoid Free VPN: These free offers may be beautiful, but more often than not, there’s always a catch, as described above. Useable free VPNs will have limitations for data allowance, server locations, and speed, or even infect your device with malware.
- Keep Your VPN Software Up-to-date: Keep your VPN client updated to receive all the latest security patches, as well as new and upgraded features. Very often, a VPN provider will update their software in order to deal with vulnerabilities, offer better performance, or add new functionality.
- Use a VPN on Public Wi-Fi: Whenever you connect to public Wi-Fi in a coffee shop, airport, or any other place, make sure you fire up a VPN in the background on your device so that the data isn’t intercepted by hackers/snoopers.
VPN Considerations and Limitations
As attractive as VPNs are with their important security benefits, one should be aware of the limitations and drawbacks that may arise when using them:
- VPNs Are Not 100% Anonymous: Much as VPNs are changing your IP address and encrypting your online activities, they are not designed for complete anonymity. Your VPN service is in a position to see your online activities; therefore, when they get a subpoena, they might be forced to give them your information when needed by the government or other interested parties.
- VPNs Can Reduce Your Internet Speed: Very frequently, encrypting your internet traffic and using a VPN server as a middleman to browse the internet will slow down your internet connectivity. How much of the slowdown depends on many factors, which include the location of the server, the load of the server as well as its strength of encryption.
- VPNs Do Not Protect Against All Types of Threats: These encrypt your internet traffic, but they will not economize you against other types of threats, malware, phishing attacks, social engineering, etc. That is why the use of a VPN has to be combined with other actions of security: antivirus software, and firewalls.
Final Thoughts
Using a VPN is a good way of boosting security and privacy online. The best practices observed and outlined herein will ensure proper configuration and optimization of your VPN connection while guaranteeing maximum security. But it is also important to remember that VPN is not a catch-all solution to every security threat. It should be tantamount to saying other security tags, along with strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and regular software updating are important enough.
