What Can You See with a VPN?
When you use a VPN (Virtual Private Network), all the sites and apps you normally use become accessible again, regardless of where you are. You can access your favorite social media accounts, send emails, and watch videos and TV shows as you normally would. Even though you may be going abroad, you remain completely protected in terms of your personal data and which sites you visit.
You can also use a VPN to circumvent any restrictions on what you can or cannot do when using public Wi-Fi. Whether you’re at home, in a hotel, or even on the go, using VPN ensures that your internet connection is always private and secure.
What Can You See with a VPN?
Social Media Sites
One of the significant advantages of using a VPN is being able to access your social media accounts again. If you’ve been away from social media for a while and want to catch up on what your friends are posting about, you can quickly and easily do so. You don’t need to worry about whether or not you should be on a certain site, as using a VPN allows you to log in from anywhere and use whichever sites you want, when you want.
Some VPNs offer enhanced features that make navigating and using different social media platforms easier. If you use a range of different accounts and platforms, you can get an idea of what’s trending across them all. This type of feature makes it simpler to keep up with everything, as well as helps expose you to content that you might not have seen before if you’re only using one or two accounts.
Personal Email Accounts
Another thing that you can’t do without basic internet access is send and receive emails. Using a VPN enables you to do this safely and securely, without having to worry about your personal information ending up in the wrong hands.
You can use your personal email to send and receive messages to people on your contact list, as well as to make it easier to keep track of your emails. If you prefer to keep your personal emails separate from your work emails, you can do so with a custom email server. This allows you to set up different email accounts for different purposes. Using a VPN makes it simpler and more convenient to do this, as it allows you to access your personal account from anywhere, at any time.
Online Shops, Blogs, And Forums
An important aspect of having a private and secure internet connection is being able to access online shops, blogs, and forums safely. If you plan to do any online shopping, you can rest assured that all the information you provide will be protected, and none of your personal details will be shared with anyone else. This ensures that your privacy is always respected.
Many VPNs offer dedicated apps and websites for shopping, so you can do all your online shopping through them rather than having to go through your web browser. This has the added advantage of ensuring that your shopping app is always up to date and that you’re not browsing the web version, which could be out of date or contain glitches.
Hotels And Airports
If you plan to stay in a hotel, using a VPN is essential. Hotels usually have some sort of wifi available, but getting connected to it often isn’t easy. You probably won’t find many hotels that block their guests’ internet access, so it’s up to you to make sure you’re always using the right VPN when staying in one.
Airports are another place where you need to keep your VPN activated. Most airports will have you connected to their Wi-Fi network as soon as you arrive, but if you forget to log off when you leave the airport, all your personal data could still be accessible, including any emails you may have been sending or receiving throughout the day. Using a VPN helps ensure that this doesn’t happen by automatically disconnecting you from the airport’s network when you leave.
Government Monitoring
Another issue that needs to be discussed when it comes to privacy is government surveillance. In 2014, it was reported that the NSA was collecting 500 million email addresses of people around the world. Although this was later revealed to be a false report, the fact remains that the government has a lot of access to our private information, whether we want them to or not. If you want to keep your personal data private, you need to take steps to ensure this as well.
When it comes to government monitoring, there are actually two main things you need to keep an eye out for. The first is whether or not your internet service provider (ISP) is a known ‘neutrality point’ or ‘default point of settlement’ for the government. If they are, then this means they have a lot of personal data about you and could potentially sell this data to the highest bidder. You can check whether or not your ISP is a neutrality point or default point of settlement by visiting your local libraries website and looking up your nearest library branch. Your local library will have the latest information on whether or not your ISP is a privacy or security risk. You can also contact your internet service provider directly to ask them whether or not they are a neutrality point or default point of settlement.
The second thing you need to keep an eye out for is any legislation that could be passed that would grant the government more power to access your personal data. If you believe that this is a risk, then using a VPN is the simplest and most convenient way to protect your personal data.
What Can You Do With a VPN?
Protect Your Computer
Another critical function of a VPN is to protect your computer and the information stored on it. To ensure the security of your personal data, you need to take the following steps:
- Use a strong, unique password for your account;
- Change your password regularly;
- Never share your password with anyone;
- Use an antivirus program on your computer; and
- Back up your important data regularly.
The last thing you want is someone getting access to your personal data just because you forgot your password. A lot of times, this could result in identity theft and financial loss. If you do find yourself in a situation where your computer has been compromised, turning off your VPN and changing your password immediately could help prevent further damage. If you’re traveling abroad, then you also need to make sure that your computer is not set to automatically log off or restart. This could leave you vulnerable to online attacks if you’re not using a VPN at the time.
Access Government Resources
If you work for an organization that provides various government resources, such as court systems or national ID cards, you need to ensure that these resources are accessible wherever you may be. For example, if you’re working in a country that uses the British court system, you may need access to British court resources, such as case law and other forms of electronic evidence. If you want to keep your personal data private and secure, using a VPN is the simplest way to ensure that you have the necessary resources when and wherever you need them.
Protect Your Business
Businesses, especially small businesses, also need some protection from cyber attacks and financial loss due to data breaches. If you run a small business, you can use a VPN to ensure that your customers’ personal data remains private and you don’t have to worry about losing financials to hackers. If you decide to use an online store to sell your goods, using a VPN is the simplest way to protect your business from hackers and ensure that your customers’ personal data remains private. It’s also the simplest way to ensure that your business’ resources, such as court cases and financial records, are always accessible, regardless of where you are or what system you’re using.
Travel With Peace Of Mind
Last but not least, we want to mention a feature that some VPNs offer and which makes traveling easier and more convenient. A lot of times, especially when traveling abroad, people will connect to the internet via hotels or other public Wi-Fi networks. Although this might not seem like a problem, the fact is that hotel and public Wi-Fi networks can be hacked by criminals who want to access your personal data. To ensure that this doesn’t happen, you need to be sure that you’re always connected to the right VPN when you’re abroad and, if you forget, there’s always the option of connecting to a different network and using the VPN app on your phone or computer to reconnect.