When hearing about VPNs (Virtual Private Networks), many users probably think of a hacker wearing a hoodie accessing the dark web on their computer in a dark room. However, these tools are useful for any Internet user because they guarantee privacy in the connections that our device makes with websites or other services.
Before you start using a VPN, it’s important to remember that privacy doesn’t equate to security, and as Josep Albors, research and awareness director at information security company ESET in Spain, explains to this newspaper, “VPNs don’t do that.” Prevent you from accessing a website, downloading and installing a virus on the device because that is not its function”, although they are often offered as security systems.
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“A VPN creates a tunnel in which encrypted communication takes place between your connection on your device and a website or service you are trying to access, and you don’t want anyone to be able to see the data. becomes private through this transfer tunnel,” he adds. VPNs not only provide privacy but also have other uses such as: B. to allow the user to watch a movie that is not available in their country or to find cheaper prices for some products.
Connect privately to Wi-Fi networks while traveling
In recent years, awareness of the dangers of connecting to a public WiFi network has increased. We already know that as tempting as it may be to find free WiFi on the street, in a mall, or even on the beach, there could be a cybercriminal on the other side, ready to steal information from users who connect produce. A VPN guarantees that when we connect to a public Wi-Fi network on the street or in a hotel, the communication established is private. However, this does not mean that we must continue to take the same precautions when accessing websites or downloading applications or files. “This prevents someone spying on this WiFi from knowing where we’re accessing it or what information we’re sharing,” explains Albors.
Buy cheaper flight tickets or take out cheaper subscriptions
As Josep Albors recalls, there are users who use VPNs to get cheaper prices when buying plane tickets. “Depending on which country you buy them in, the price may vary by a certain amount depending on the purchasing power attributed to the people of that country. If you’re buying a plane ticket from the Philippines, chances are you’ll save quite a bit of money with a VPN,” he explains.
However, in an article published in US Today newspaper, journalist Nathan Diller says he has confirmed that the price differences are not usually significant, for example on airline tickets between the US and Mexico. In fact, one of the hotel reservations he was looking for was more expensive when using a VPN with a server in the UK than if he requested it directly in his country. However, it is case-by-case and there are users who claim to find lower prices by relocating to countries with lower purchasing power.
When it comes to price discrimination based on device IP address, switching locations with a VPN and clearing cookies and cache could also result in better prices for online purchases in general. There are users who use these tools to buy video games at the price of countries on the other side of the world or, for example, to get a subscription to a music platform to become more profitable without much effort.
Watch movies or series that haven’t reached Spain yet
How many times have you searched for the title of a series or movie on Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming platforms and received the message that the title is not available in your country? The alternative is usually to see this content on an illegal webpage where dozens of ads appear, so in the end you take the risk of finding a virus in your computer sooner or later, and moreover, contributing to a website that conducts illegal activities performs activity. With a VPN, the user can more safely access content that is not available in their country, since they would not have to resort to these websites, but simply to their Netflix account (or any other platform they have a contract with) as usual ) must access. As if he had traveled to another country. It is enough that you use the VPN to choose the location where you want to connect to a server, be it the United States, Colombia or Japan. Not all VPNs offer servers in all countries and regions, so choosing one or the other often comes down to what’s on offer. Some have servers in 90 countries, others in 50, etc.
Keep your identity secret when sailing in countries with authoritarian governments
VPNs are not just for entertainment or consumption; In countries where certain websites are inaccessible, censored, and even subject to jail time for users who share or search for certain content, these networks can help users keep their identities and information private.
However, not all VPNs protect user information in the same way. In the case of free networks, Albors explains that they usually store some information: “You prevent them from spying on what you visit or what communications you have, but these VPNs can store some information on their servers to later sell it.” other products. And that’s a problem, because if someone later needs that information in a country with repressive laws, it can lead to people trying to access content that can’t be reached from their country and is considered illegal to go for it be exposed, which can be condemned for it.”
Keeping the information confidential can be crucial for activists, human rights defenders or people belonging to the LGTBI collective. “These types of people would be at risk if they were using a VPN that can transfer the data at the request of that country’s authorities. For this reason, it is important to only hire those who offer guarantees and have been audited (and are responsible for advertising them), who do not keep any records and who try to interfere with the information their customers have nothing to offer. That’s the gist of it, and free VPNs typically don’t do that,” adds the expert.
Its use is also recommended for telework
Albors insists that VPNs are recommended for all businesses because “if you’re remotely accessing your company’s computer or one of its online platforms and dealing with sensitive information, it’s logical that you’re only accessing it properly from there.” the company’s internal network, either through a tunnel that you generate from home or from your workplace, and that this communication is encrypted so that no one can spy or steal credentials. That way, even if someone gets the credentials, they can’t access the platform because they’re not connecting through the company-backed VPN.”
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