We can use a VPN to protect our data when browsing the Internet, avoid censorship or even bypass possible geographical restrictions. There are many options available, both free and paid, so we can choose which one best suits what we are looking for. In this article we are going to focus on explaining under what circumstances we should always use this type of program and thus avoid problems.
When to use a VPN
Keep in mind that a VPN is not necessary in all circumstances, far from it. However, there are times when it is recommended and even essential to be able to navigate correctly. Let’s see which are the main ones.
When browsing public networks
The first reason to use a VPN is when we surf on public Wi-Fi networks. For example, in an airport, shopping center, library … We do not really know who has been able to create that network, whether it is legitimate or not, nor who may be within it and their intentions.
Therefore, if we are going to navigate from places of this type, where security is not always going to be present, our advice is to install a VPN program and thus protect our security. What this type of program does is encrypt the connection and prevents our data from being filtered. Of course, you should know that the VPN works without problems.
Enter unencrypted pages
A VPN can also protect us when we enter a web page that is not encrypted. We talk about the sites that are HTTP and they do not have an SSL certificate to protect user data. In these cases, the information we send and receive can be intercepted and end up in the wrong hands.
What these programs do is encrypt the connection. They act as a kind of tunnel and all that we send reaches the recipient in encrypted form, avoiding interference from anyone who might have access. It is one more way to surf the Internet more safely.
We want to hide the IP
On the other hand, we may be interested hide real IP address. This can be interesting for privacy, since we avoid giving more data than necessary when we open a web page or use any program that has access to the network.
It could even happen that our IP is blocked. This would prevent us from accessing any services that have been banned from us. We can easily avoid this by using a VPN and modifying the real IP address.
Countries where there is censorship
We can also find countries where it is difficult to navigate the Internet or use certain services. For example, social networks like Facebook or applications like WhatsApp may be restricted in certain places in the world. Basically they are blocked and not working.
To avoid this we can use a VPN. What these services do is simulate that we are in another place, with a different IP address. It is a way to bypass the censorship against web pages or programs that may be on the Internet.
Access geographically restricted services
The opposite case may occur, and it is that certain services may block its use in some territories. For example, Netflix does not let us see a Spanish series if we are traveling in another country. We will also avoid this if we have a VPN program.
What this type of application does is simulate that we are in another place. For example, if we want to access a series that is available in Spain but we are in Italy, we would simply have to connect to a server in Spain and thus modify the location.
In short, having a VPN can be very interesting on certain occasions. It is essential even to maintain security when entering services that can be dangerous and can be used by cybercriminals to steal personal data.
