Virtual Private Networks
Virtual Private Networks (VPN) are a more secure way to access the Internet. Large businesses and governments have used VPNs for years as a way for their mobile workforce to access the main computers securely. It has also been a good idea for anyone accessing the Internet using public WiFi (hotspots) to use VPN to protect themselves from other people in that location. Now even home users can benefit from using VPN to protect themselves from malicious websites that could do them harm.
What is a VPN? Simply put your computer or device uses encryption to connect to a VPN server which in turn connects to the Internet. The VPN server can filter out malicious websites and block them from reaching you. This protects you from possibly getting a computer virus or malware or worse.
How do you use it? Simply install the VPN software on your computer or device and it will take care of the rest. When you attempt to connect to the Internet the VPN software establishes a secure connect and viola, you are secure. Now when you try to go to a website the VPN server will check the website for any malicious activity and if it detects it stops the website from reaching your device.
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| F-Secure Freedome VPN software |
F-Secure Freedome ($50 per year, 3 devices) is my favorite VPN service. Over the last year I have tried three different services and this one is by far the fastest and easiest to use. The speed of the VPN server can make a big difference in how you experience the Internet. Since your Internet requests have to first go to the VPN server and then out to the Internet, the speed of the VPN server plays a big part in how fast the Internet feels.
F-Secure Freedome is by far the fastest VPN server I have tested. I feel no lag time in my Internet activity, which is exactly what we all want, and at the same time it is disabling trackers and blocking potentially malicious connections.
In the early days of computers we simply used anti-virus software for our protection. Then we moved on to Internet Security suites with firewall and malware protection. Now it is time to add VPN software for online privacy and security. If you connect to public WiFi networks, are concerned about hackers gaining access to your computer, or are concerned about or have in the past been infected with malicious malware or a virus, then consider installing VPN software. F-Secure Freedome is available for PC, Mac, iOS (iPhone & iPad) and Android and you can try it for 14 days for free.
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