Virtual Private Network

Today 100% anonymity can't be achieved and so does the privacy. But to some extent it can be maintained a lot and VPN is the solution. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. If you google about VPN then here's what Wikipedia defines it as:"A virtual private network (VPN) extends a private network across a public network, such as the Internet. It enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. Applications running across the VPN may therefore benefit from the functionality, security, and management of the private network."

 As the name suggests; Virtual Private Network, it is a virtual network inside a network, just for saying. For example, you are connected to the Internet via a network, be it an ISP(Internet Service Provider), Wifi or wireless, your mobile data or some other way round. When you are connected to the network, it is public and anyone can know what you are using and accessing on the internet as it is public. What a VPN does is that it creates another Virtual network inside the same network via which you are connected to the internet  and it is private, i.e., no one can see what you are accessing or using,or we can just simply say, it creates a "tunnel" in that particular network which is accessible only by you. This virtual network hides you from the actual network via which you are connected to the internet and thus is private. Talking technically, a VPN is a security mechanism to hide you on the network. It provides security and privacy. VPNs creates an encrypted connection over a less secure network. The benefit of using a secure VPN is it ensures the appropriate level of security to the connected systems when the underlying network infrastructure alone cannot provide it. 

Why to use VPN

Now, when you know what VPN is, I guess you've got the perception to understand why one should use a VPN ;) A VPN keeps your web browsing secure and private over public Wi-Fi hotspots. VPNs can also get past regional restrictions for video- and music-streaming sites and help you evade government censorship restrictions—though the last one is especially tricky. Your PC connects to a VPN server, which can be located in the United States or a foreign country like the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, or whatever. Your web traffic then passes back and forth through that server. The end result: As far as most websites are concerned, you’re browsing from that server’s geographical location, not your computer’s location. When you’re on public Wi-Fi at an airport or café, that means hackers will have a harder time stealing your login credentials or redirecting your PC to a phony banking site. Your Internet service provider (ISP), or anyone else trying to spy on you, will also have a near impossible time figuring out which websites you’re visiting.On top of all that, you get the benefits of spoofing your location. For example if you're in India,and the VPN server is in USA, then whatever sites you are visiting, you are visiting them from USA, not India. You can also bypass download restrictions using a VPN service.So now it is clear to you why to use a VPN!

How To Use a VPN

The first and foremost step for using a VPN is choosing a VPN provider.  VPN provider has their own one-click client that gets you up and running in seconds. There are usually mobile apps as well to keep your Android or iOS device secure over public Wi-Fi. So for using a VPN, all you need is to choose a VPN provider, sign up and then use. But here's the tricky part. Most of the VPNs are paid service. There are free VPNs also, but all are not good. So in this paid and free VPNs there are lot of VPN provider and it becomes very hard to decide which to use or which ones are worth using, and what are the criteria to judge them. The bad news for anyone used to free services is that it pays to pay when it comes to a VPN. There are tons of free options from reputable companies, but these are usually a poor substitute for the paid options. Free services usually allow a limited amount of bandwidth usage per month or offer a slower service. Then there are the free VPNs that use an ad-supported model, which in my experience usually aren’t worth using at all. Plus, free VPNs are usually anything but; in lieu of payment they may be harvesting your data (in anonymized form of course) and selling it as “marketing insights” to advertisers. It is always suggested to use a paid VPN, VPNs are not too costly.
 

By
Tanushree Sharma
2nd year CSE