A VPN connection is a smart way to improve your data security and privacy while using the internet at home or while travelling. Commercial VPN services are inexpensive and they have versatile features. Read this article to know the benefits a VPN service could have for you.
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What is VPN?
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. VPN is meant to provide an encrypted communication channel between two devices on the internet. For example, the other device can be the user's computer or phone and the other is the service provider's VPN server. When the user's device is connected to the VPN server, the traffic between the user's device and the service provider's server is encrypted using a strong method.
When a user switches on the VPN connection on a device, the internet traffic of the device goes through the VPN service provider's server. The benefits of the arrangement include, among other things, improving the user's privacy, masking information like the user's IP address, location, and search history and encrypting the traffic going through an open wireless network. In short, the VPN service improves the user's data security and privacy, but there are other benefits as well.
Benefits of a VPN Connection while Travelling
A VPN connection offers a range of benefits in terms of security and privacy for a traveller especially while travelling abroad.
Safer Use of Wi-Fi
Many travellers use unencrypted Wi-Fi networks abroad. Usually, the hotel's Wi-Fi is open meaning that any competent person can monitor the communication of other users. Even the hotel owner or employees can monitor the online behaviour of their guests, although this is rarely legal based on local legislation.
Another factor that poses a risk to travellers is using airport Wi-Fi. Unknown to many, airport Wi-Fi networks are far less secure than the network at home and therefore should be used with caution. The reason why free Wi-Fi at airports is less safe is that generally airport Wi-Fis are unencrypted and can be easily faked with networks that have similar names.
With a VPN service, the user's internet traffic appears to an outsider to be directed only to the VPN service provider. A competent person cannot easily find where the user is surfing or which applications are being used. In addition, the traffic is strongly encrypted, so its content cannot be determined using conventional methods.
Using Facebook
Unfortunately, censorship is still in force in many developing countries. Censorship targets often social media such as Facebook, but many other applications deemed unethical have also been blocked.A VPN is a great way to bypass internet censorship in these countries.
By turning on the VPN connection, the user can reroute internet traffic through, for example, Finland, in which case the censorship of the traveller's country of residence is no longer effective. Unfortunately, it is also possible to block the operation of VPN connections, and in some countries, even a VPN is not a sufficient way to circumvent censorship. However, blocking the VPN connection is not quite simple, that is, it works in many countries.
It is good to be aware that circumventing censorship may be illegal according to local laws. Problems hardly arise as long as one's actions are not hostile to the country of residence.
Circumventing the Country Restrictions of Streaming Services
While on vacation, it's nice to watch your favourite movies or series on streaming services just like you are at home. Wi-Fi networks in hotels have developed to such a high quality that, in terms of capacity, there are no longer any obstacles to watching high-resolution videos over the internet. In the EU, phone data charges are also so cheap that data transmission costs for live streaming are minimal.
Streaming services are often limited to operating only in certain countries. For example, watching Finnish news while travelling in Indonesia is not possible as it is geo-blocked. However, with the help of the right VPN service, one can access this news network.
You can try to get around the country restrictions of streaming services with a VPN connection. By opening a VPN connection to Finland from abroad, some of the limited services are available regardless of the country of residence. Unfortunately, many streaming services recognize the use of a VPN connection and therefore do not offer content to those using a VPN connection.
Benefits of a VPN Connection at Home
The VPN connection is not only a service aimed at vacationers but the user also benefits from it at home.
Privacy
A VPN provides privacy for home use. By turning on a VPN connection, it is difficult to trace the user's activities on the internet and the services used cannot estimate the user's geographical location. Finding out the user's identity is therefore difficult. With the protection provided by a VPN, you shouldn't consider doing illegal things, but a VPN gives you much more privacy. This is useful when you do things that you don't want to leave a trace on the internet.
For sensitive topics, Googling should also be done using the browser's private mode together with a VPN.
Finding Geo-targeted Offers
As a basic feature of several VPN services, the user can choose which country the traffic to the internet goes through.With a few clicks, you can virtually move from Finland to America or Singapore. It is known that, for example, several flight booking services offer users different prices depending on the location. Using the VPN service, changing the location is smart and the user can quickly find surprisingly affordable offers targeted only to a certain area.
Virtual Travel
Changing the location also allows for virtual travel. Few people know that Google search results vary from country to country. It is interesting to study search results from different geographical locations. Due to the changing location, you can end up on very different websites, even if you are looking for information on the same topic. This kind of virtual travel does not compare to real travel, but it broadens the worldview.
Why and How Do We Use VPN?
For added security, we always use a VPN connection while at home and also while travelling. Especially if travelling abroad, VPN protection is a great way to improve data security while using hotels' open Wi-Fi networks. We also bypass country restrictions with the help of a VPN because the use of the internet abroad has usually some restrictions compared to Finland.
At home, we've used a VPN to watch world badminton events for free. Several international competitions are not broadcasted on Finnish television even for a willing paying subscriber, in which case a VPN connection to Australia, for example, has solved the problem. Even though the traffic travels a long way on the internet in this case, streaming has worked without problems.
Many people use a VPN connection to bypass country restrictions to watch TV programs that cannot normally be watched in Finland.
Where to Get a VPN connection?
There are numerous free and paid VPN services. A competent user tunes one to his home router so that when he is abroad, internet traffic can be recycled through his own home. However, this does not provide all the same features as paid VPN services, and the capacity is also limited.
Free VPN services are also a good option, but they have not been productized to the level of commercial services and implementation may be difficult.
For those who value simplicity, a commercial VPN service is a viable option. The user pays the service provider a monthly fee, after which the VPN connection can be turned on or off at any time with a user-friendly mobile app installed on your device. In general, the user can choose which country the traffic will go through and numerous other settings.
There are several VPN service providers. Almost all well-known security companies sell their own VPN product.
Atlas VPN
We recommend Atlas VPN -services due to its ease of use and affordability. The service is developed by a reliable American information security company and has a 30-day money-back guarantee. The service recycles traffic through the location chosen by the user and is also optimized for streaming. The biggest benefit of the Atlas VPN service is a significant improvement in user privacy, which is achieved through several methods that improve user privacy.
Atlas VPN subscriptions offer unlimited data transfer and there is no upper limit to the number of devices that can be used. Traffic is encrypted using strong algorithms. The service does not store log information about the user's traffic to maintain and increase privacy.
In addition to the VPN connection, Atlas VPN offers additional security services:
- The service automatically removes hostile ads or blocks websites like this one.
- It is possible to circulate traffic through several VPN servers, which improves privacy even more.
- The service includes a data breach monitor, so the user can check whether his data has been leaked in connection with a known data breach.
The Atlas VPN service costs only a few euros per month, depending on the contract period. It is available for both phones and computers. Get to know all the features of the service which you can find at the Atlas VPN homepage.
Setting Up
Setting up an Atlas VPN connection is very simple. After the payment, the service is immediately available.
Connecting your device to a VPN is easy. The first time you use it, go to Atlas VPN's homepage and log in with your email address. There is no password, but when logging in, the user receives an automatic confirmation message in the e-mail with a link to confirm the login.After logging in, you'll be prompted to download the Atlas VPN software.
Once the software is installed on the device, it can be turned on with a few clicks without logging in again.
Bottom Line
A VPN service is a great way to increase your data security and privacy both at home and when travelling considering the growing rate of cybercrimes. Online users must maintain safety measures to secure their valuable data by activating a reliable VPN service like Atlas VPN. Using a VPN will allow users to bypass geographical restrictions. With the encryption provided by VPN, the use of public Wi-Fi networks (airports, cafes or hotel Wi-Fi) also becomes safer. A VPN service is a must-have for anyone who wants to ensure data protection and privacy online.
VPN software should be installed on a phone in addition to a computer. This will provide peace of mind for travellers or internet users at home either on their phones or personal computers with the data security and privacy protection provided by VPN services like Atlas VPN. Atlas VPN Premium is a great VPN. The free version which we tested did a promising job that's why we decided to purchase the premium version. Atlas VPN always works well and we never encounter any problems using it. It provides the service it promised and has a few useful features, too. The Atlas VPN app design is simple making it an easy-to-use VPN for everyone. It has fast speeds and connections are reliable. It has no IP or DNS leaks and does a good job of unblocking services. Overall, Atlas VPN is one of the best VPN service providers in the market.
What VPN do you use when travelling? Comment below!
About the Author
Niko is one of the founding members of Finnoy Travel. He does not only handle the technical operations of the Finnoy Travel, but also generates content, both independently and in collaboration with others. His content primarily focuses on reviewing travel services, providing information about Finland, and sharing useful travel tips.
Niko's passion for aviation complements his vast global travel experience. When crafting articles, he devotes substantial amounts of time to thorough research on his subjects. His pieces are not only enlightening but also encompass his individual experiences.
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