What is a VPN? How To Keep Your Data Protected
‘Luckily, I was using an incognito window, so no one will ever know about my embarrassing question…’
Errr… that’s not true.
‘What?’
Just because you use an incognito window doesn’t mean your ISP can’t see what you’re doing…
‘But... incognito deletes my history’
Yea… and that’s pretty much all it does. Plus, if you’re using a public wifi like a college campus or coffee shop, there may be administrators looking at that.
‘Oh…’
...
‘Well that’s gonna be embarrassing’
LISTEN! We all need our privacy sometimes, we can’t keep our doors open all the time. Sometimes we have to lock the door. Many people think using an incognito window is the equivalent of locking your door, but it’s more like closing the door and asking people to knock before they come in so that you have time to tidy up…
When you use an incognito window, people can still barge into your room unannounced. They can still catch you in the embarrassing act of… googling random questions!
The only way to TRULY protect your online data and to hide your search from your ISP is to use a VPN, a Virtual Private Network.
How Do VPNs Work?
A Virtual Private Network essentially encrypts your internet data and masks your IP address so that your data cannot be breached through a public network.
The VPN creates an anonymous IP address, along with encrypting everything you do on the internet.
It does this by connecting to servers in the country of your choice. These servers make it near impossible to find where you’re surfing from.
If you’re in the UK but connect to a USA server, or a Russian server or anywhere in the world, your ISP thinks you’re in that country, and your data becomes un-trackable.
What Are The Benefits Of Using a VPN?
It’s pretty rare these days in the Western world to find a cafe or restaurant that doesn’t offer free wifi access. While the accessibility to wifi is pretty awesome, the safety of using these public networks isn’t so awesome.
Internet and Data Privacy
If the Wifi in that public space has been compromised, cybercriminals can track and ‘listen’ to what you’re up to online, or even feed your browser with malicious web pages that steal your data and information, whether you’re using a regular web page or an incognito tab.
Internet privacy and security is the main benefit of using a VPN, protecting you from potential fraud and financial despair...
However, there’s a much more fun and less technical reason to get a VPN. And that’s entertainment!
A Way Around Geo-Blocking
If you’re based in France and you desperately want to watch Ru Paul's Drag Race All Stars Season 6, you’ll sadly not be able to…
UNLESS, you get yourself a VPN and connect to a server in the UK, where Rupaul's All Stars Season 6 is uploaded in its entirety. It’s that simple! And it doesn’t end there…
Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Youtube all have restrictions on what you can watch based on where you are in the world. If you can be anywhere in the world online from your living room, you’ll have access to the world’s library of entertainment!
Browse Anonymously
Are you tired of all of those personalised ads that make you think someone’s constantly listening in on your conversations? (that’s a myth btw! No one’s listening through your device). If you don’t want to be targeted by personalised ads, using a VPN will enable you to browse the web anonymously, making those cookies fall right off of your digital identity. No one’s profiting off your data when you’re using a VPN!
What Other Ways Can I Protect My Data?
A VPN truly is the best and more effective way to protect your online data and internet history.
You can also make sure you’re using the best of your devices built-in security measures, like using FaceID if you use an Apple device.
If you’re looking to protect your information from wandering eyes in the real world, like when you’re commuting to work and the guy next to you is really nosy staring at your screen, you can use screen protection with privacy filters.
These screen protectors make it impossible for people from the left or right of you to be able to see what’s on your screen. To those wandering eyes, you’re just staring at a black screen! Check out our range of Privacy Screen Protectors here, and use discount code PRIVACY20 to get 20% at checkout.