How A VPN Can Take Care of Your Online Privacy?

A lot is said about protecting your data on the internet and using VPN servers out there. Although it seems a complicated and very technical subject, it is actually something simple that we will explain in an easy way in this article.

Currently, we do absolutely everything over the internet, from watching series to paying bills, so it’s very important to take care of our privacy and think about who will be accessing our data.

Want to learn all about what VPN is and how to use a network to your advantage? Come with us!

What is VPN?

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) server is a service that allows you to use the web in a completely secure way, protecting you from any person or service that tries to access your data illegally.

A VPN service is basically an app that you can use on your iOS, Android or your regular computer. You sign up, download the app, log in and press a little button to connect to a VPN network.

That’s it, you are already using a VPN network and you are protected. It’s that simple!

For advanced users, some VPNs are a little more complex, with options you can configure manually, choosing the country you’d like to use the address and other more technical details.

However, we suggest that you start with a simple VPN that will already protect you without having to worry about these details.

Simple and Secure VPN

Among the hundreds of VPN service options that are available on the internet, we have selected a few that are absolutely simple to subscribe, download and use.

They don’t ask for any technical knowledge and can be used by anyone who is a layperson in the subject. If your needs change over time, you can start using a more advanced VPN service that lets you configure other details of that network.

These are the simplest and most secure VPNs you can use:

ExpressVPN – Best security, privacy, and high-speed streaming

ExpressVPN is the best option if you require a VPN that provides excellent security as well as military-grade encryption. ExpressVPN takes user privacy seriously and was one of the first VPNs to remove their physical servers from India after the Indian government announced it would require VPNs to store and share customer data.

You can still get an American IP address by connecting to the US servers, but you’ll also get to avoid data collection.

ExpressVPN maintains a strict policy of not collecting activity or connection logs, so your data will not be stored and no other party can request to access your data—making it completely private and secure.

OpenVPN, L2TP-IPsec, and IKEv2 protocols are used by ExpressVPN. These are popular for being the most reliable and safe security protocols. But ExpressVPN also has its own proprietary VPN protocol called Lightway, which is used by default in most cases for its superior speeds, reliability, and security.

ExpressVPN has server locations in 94 countries, with high-speed servers offering speeds of
up to 100Mb/s. It enables you to stream Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, and many more in ultra HD streaming quality.

ExpressVPN also provides you with a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can easily get a full refund in case you find it doesn’t live up to expectations.

If you do run into any problems, you can contact their Support Team via live chat, which is
available 24/7.

Special offer: Get 49% off ExpressVPN when you purchase a 12-month subscription. They’ll give you 3 extra months free!

2. NordVPN – Affordable prices for unblocking streaming platforms

Get 65% off now

Try NordVPN

NordVPN is a favorite of OTT content watchers. Up to 6 simultaneous connections and a colossal number of servers make NordVPN desirable for content watchers as they use multiple devices for watching.

The NordLynx protocol, developed around the new WireGuard VPN protocol, is an eye-catching feature only on NordVPN.

• Nord VPN has a network of whacking 5,348+ servers from 59 countries
• Superfast speed and unlimited bandwidth for streaming.
• Control up to 6 devices at the same time.
• Risk-free 30 days money-back guarantee.
• Unblocks all streaming platforms like BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix etc.
• Compatible with: Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Chrome, Linux, Firefox, routers etc.

A 2-year plan starts at just $4.13/month, whereas a year-long subscription costs $4.92/month. There is also a 30-day money return guarantee in case you find something missing from the VPN.

How Does My Internet Connection Work?

You connect to the internet through a wifi connection or through a service provider such as Claro, Oi, Tim etc. Once online, you can load a page or a service, such as Google or Spotify.

For these pages or services to be available, they need to be hosted on some server – which can be absolutely anywhere in the world, whether in Brazil, China or the United States.

This server allows several people to be able to view the same page at the same time, even when they are in completely opposite parts of the world.

Some servers host these pages online, and others just forward this traffic. For you to see a page from the United Kingdom, for example, you will not connect directly from Brazil to the United Kingdom, because it would be very expensive and would limit access to just that site or server.

To circumvent this problem, the internet was built as a big web, like a spider’s web. A handful of computers are used as servers, scattered around the world.

They are responsible for storing websites and facilitating access for those closest to them. These computers are all connected to each other and talk to each other all the time.

So when you access a UK website, you are actually accessing your server closest to your location. It stores the data from that website there in the UK to facilitate your access and allow you to see that website.

So each of these servers can check exactly what is being sent or requested, perfectly reading who you are and what you are viewing on the site.

In a very simplified way, this is how your internet connection works:

Your information is basically dripping from server to server, being stored throughout your online life. Every time you connect, you use the same connection address.

So everything you do on your phone, tablet or computer is being stored inside your unique address, your device’s unique address.

While all this personal information is being spread around, there are millions of people spying and recording our every step. Just thinking about someone looking at absolutely everything you do makes you uncomfortable, right?

Starting today, however, you can start using a VPN network – which protects you from exactly those people who have an eye on your data.

How Does a VPN Work?

VPN works as a point of contact between your internet network and what you are trying to access, creating a bridge that hides your online address and uses another address to access anything online.

When the recipient “reads” who is accessing the internet, it doesn’t read your address, but the intermediate address that the VPN provides.

The VPN will create this protection for your connection by sending your data in encrypted form to the VPN server. Soon after, who connects with the site or service is the VPN server, completely hiding who is the person behind it – in this case, you.

This encryption ensures that information is kept secure. Your data is translated or encoded into code that is basically unreadable, making it nearly impossible for malicious hackers to break in and read your information.

This method is used not only by people like you and me, but by the military, by banks, and even by malicious spies and hackers who also protect their own identity.

In addition to encryption, the VPN server also handles data tracking and recording issues in different ways:

• From the web’s point of view, the VPN server is responsible for the traffic, not you;
• It is very difficult to identify you or your computer as the source of the traffic, nor what you are doing – like what websites you are visiting, what data you are transferring, and so on.
• Since your connection is encrypted, even if someone takes a peek at what’s being streamed, all they see is a cloud of information that makes no sense.

When Do I need a VPN to Protect Online Privacy?

When connecting to open WIFI networks

Nowadays you can access the internet in malls, hotels, libraries, buses, airports and many other public places. Usually these networks are free and even completely open, without a password to facilitate their use – and we end up leaving security aside for convenience.

In these cases, you completely depend on the security that the place offering the network ends up offering – if the establishment has any care in this regard.

If care is not taken, a malicious hacker can intercept information between the user and the server, being able to read everything you do over an open network. To prevent this type of invasion, the use of a VPN is essential.

To circumvent government censorship

In countries like China, many people use VPN to avoid the censorship imposed on sites like Facebook, Twitter and Google.

This happens when your VPN server is outside the country you censor. When you connect to a VPN server, for example in Canada, you have full access to the Internet where that server resides.

Any data transmitted between you and the VPN server is encrypted and cannot be blocked. In 2016 Brazil also had a similar censorship battle when a judge tried to block WhatsApp, remember?

To access content from other regions

Another very common use of a VPN server is when a person wants to modify their location to access content that is not available in the country they are in.

This works for sites like Youtube and even for viewing the Netflix catalog that is available in different countries. An interesting thing is that using a VPN server also allows you to access content that is not available in Brazil, such as Hulu and any other IPTV options.

In specific situations, it is also possible to watch seasonal sporting events such as the World Cup, the Olympics or even the UFC.

Some VPNs have the ability for you to choose the country you want your connection to be redirected to before reaching the final site.

To prevent the use and sale of your data

Do you access many websites and buy from online stores, but always have that flea behind your ear afraid of getting a virus or someone taking your credit card details?

In the US, laws have changed and now allow internet providers to sell information about their customers’ browsing history without their express permission.

Luckily, using VPN hides your online activity from your ISP as well, so all they can see is that you are connected to the VPN server.

We hope you understood how to use VPN, how important it is to maintain your online privacy and protect your data from malicious hackers and malicious websites. There is a lot of other important information about using a VPN