What Is a VPN, and Why You Need It for Online Browsing

The internet is amazing! It connects you with the world, makes daily tasks a breeze, and provides endless amounts of content.

But the Internet isn’t safe. You are easily attacked when you surf online as hackers try to breach your security and invade your online privacy. The personal information you left online and what you search for on the Internet could be exposed if you visit certain pages or perform transactions through insecure connections. In addition, some governments even block your access to particular websites. And what’s worse, you’re totally unaware when this is happening most of the time! The internet has given us so much freedom, but with that comes a plethora of new and unknown risks.

Then, how can I protect my Internet security and privacy? The answer could not be simpler: to use a VPN. Protect your online security and privacy is just what a VPN does.

What Is a VPN, and Why Do You Need It for Internet Browsing?

What Exactly Is a VPN?

A VPN or Visual Private Network is a type of network that people or communities use privately to ensure online security and anonymity. A VPN helps you to connect to the Internet safely, to hide your IP address – which is how websites track your location and identity – and to protect the privacy of your data through encrypted tunneling protocols.

Briefly speaking, a VPN gets your PC, smartphone, or tablet connected to the Internet through a server that may be placed anywhere around the world. When you browse, the IP address your device displays to companies and websites is not your real one, which means your identity can’t be tracked and you’ll have complete anonymity.

In summary, a VPN helps you in the following aspects:

A VPN protects your online security through an encrypted tunnel;
A VPN protects your privacy with a disguised IP address;
A VPN allows you to visit restricted websites.

What Do You Need a VPN for?

Normally when you browse online, your data is unsafe. In just a few clicks:

Governments may track you through the IP address provided by your ISP (Internet Service Provider);
Businesses monitor your online activity to know about what you like and dislike and spam you with adverts;
Your online account information may be stolen or misused;
Your network may be hacked, and your computer loaded with viruses.

In What Ways Can a VPN Help You?

Keep Your Online Activity Out of Reach

When you use public Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi hotspots, all of your browsing activity is exposed to people nearby. Your browsing can be hidden to maintain privacy if you connect to the Internet through a VPN because a VPN can make your connections bypass ISP monitoring.

Protect Your Data

A VPN can protect your online data so that hackers won’t have open access to your logins, passwords, credit card numbers, personal information, and intimate data about your daily lives. A VPN encrypts data to boost your online security and eradicate any direct exposure of your data on the internet, improving your cybersecurity.

Visit Geo-Blocked Websites

Not all websites can be visited equally. Due to local government censorship, some websites are blocked in certain countries or regions. As a VPN user, however, you can grasp the full potential of the Internet, connecting your devices to any blocked or restricted website through a VPN server. It can even bypass firewalls to reach target websites, putting you in control.

Get Back Your Internet Freedom

A VPN gives you anonymity. It hides your real IP address undercover and means it can’t be reached. As it works, it changes your IP addresses to prevent you from being identified. And as a result, you maintain your Internet privacy.

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What Categories is VPN Classified into?

Although there are numerous VPN providers on the market, there are only two types of VPN: traditional/centralized VPN and decentralized VPN.

Traditional/Centralized VPN

Traditional VPN, or centralized VPN, depends on a centralized network where users store all their data and information. These types of VPN connections pose two huge risks.

Risk #1: The centralized network means all data transmitted through a single server. If that server is hacked, all the stored data is exposed to danger.

Risk #2: The VPN service provider can seize your data and misuse it at will since all the data comes into their hands.

Decentralized VPN

A decentralized VPN is based on peer-to-peer mesh networking so that data transmission within the network doesn’t depend on a single node anymore. With a decentralized VPN, multiple nodes are on the chain to transmit users’ partial data so that the complete data can never be acquired by any single node or server.

A decentralized VPN stops hackers attacking servers because they have no idea which one to attack – it is impossible or too costly to attack all the servers in one go. It also stops the VPN service providers from accumulating or exploiting the data because it’s too difficult for them to collect all the data from the widely distributed servers.

A decentralized VPN has the following advantages:

Secure

With layers of data encryption and scrambling, a decentralized VPN protects you from data breaches and hackers to keep you secure.

Private

Based on blockchain technology and distributed structure, a decentralized VPN lets you regain your Internet privacy and stay unseen and untracked by all kinds of monitors and government censorship.

Unstoppable

With VPN nodes spread across the world, a decentralized network lasts forever and enables you to bypass firewalls and geo-restrictions.

In a word, apart from all the merits that a centralized VPN has, a decentralized VPN performs much better than a centralized VPN at shielding your privacy and boosting your online security.