Computer gurus

[The Shoer 27979]

I have been hearing a lot about VPNs  lately on my xm radio, i hear the commercial about half way through so I am not quite sure what a VPN is, it also said you should download one for privacy. so here are my questions

 

What is a VPN ?

are they any good ?

are they worth downloading?

and what is a good one if they are good?

 

Thanks ahead of time

[Subdeacon Joe]

https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-privacy-what-is-a-vpn.html

 

Quote

A virtual private network (VPN) gives you online privacy and anonymity by creating a private network from a public internet connection. VPNs mask your internet protocol (IP) address so your online actions are virtually untraceable. Most important, VPN services establish secure and encrypted connections to provide greater privacy than even a secured Wi-Fi hotspot.

Why do you need a VPN service?

Surfing the web or transacting on an unsecured Wi-Fi network means you could be exposing your private information and browsing habits. That’s why a virtual private network, better known as a VPN, should be a must for anyone concerned about their online security and privacy.

Think about all the times you’ve been on the go, reading emails while in line at the coffee shop, or checking your bank account while waiting at the doctor’s office. Unless you were logged into a private Wi-Fi network that requires a password, any data transmitted during your online session could be vulnerable to eavesdropping by strangers using the same network.

The encryption and anonymity that a VPN provides helps protect your online activities: sending emails, shopping online, or paying bills. VPNs also help keep your web browsing anonymous.

How a VPN protects your IP address and privacy

VPNs essentially create a data tunnel between your local network and an exit node in another location, which could be thousands of miles away, making it seem as if you’re in another place. This benefit allows online freedom, or the ability to access your favorite apps and websites while on the go.

Here’s a closer look at how a virtual private network works. VPNs use encryption to scramble data when it’s sent over a Wi-Fi network. Encryption makes the data unreadable. Data security is especially important when using a public Wi-Fi network, because it prevents anyone else on the network from eavesdropping on your internet activity.

There’s another side to privacy. Without a VPN, your internet service provider can know your entire browsing history. With a VPN, your search history is hidden. That’s because your web activity will be associated with the VPN server’s IP address, not yours. A VPN service provider may have servers all over the world. That means your search activity could appear to originate at any one of them. Keep in mind, search engines also track your search history, but they’ll associate that information with an IP address that’s not yours. Again, your VPN will keep your online activity private.

 

[The Shoer 27979]

Thanks Joe that first paragraph answered almost all my questions  

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

One thing I use a VPN for is making it look like my computer is in the USA.

 

Banks are concerned about fraudulent logins from many countries and do not allow access from countries like Russia, Ukraine, and Bulgaria. I use a VPN to make it look like I am logging in from New York.

 

there was a site, I think Netflix, that would not let me use a VPN.

 

 

[Ramblin Gambler]

Whether you need one depends mostly on your paranoia level. Mine is nearly high enough to have one. If I could find a good free one I would. But I'm not paranoid enough to pay. Also like marshal MO hare said, sometimes you need to trick a website into thinking you're in a different country. So if you travel a lot internationally and don't want to get flagged, they're worthwhile. I happen to know some people who use a vpn with Netflix so I'm guessing they only block some of them. Many websites block vpns because bad actors like to use them to mask their identity. Streaming sites have to make an effort to block people trying to access stuff from the wrong part of the world, but I don't think they really care enough to make more than a token effort.