If you use the Internet regularly, you’ve most likely heard of the term VPN before. VPN stands for virtual private network, and there are a number of advantages to using one when browsing online. First off, there’s the obvious security benefit. The moment that your computer connects to a VPN, it’s encrypted, the data you split is split into packets in a process called encapsulation, and finally your connection receives a new IP address. This makes your connection much more secure and private, and significantly reduces the chances that a third party will be able to eavesdrop on your traffic.
Furthermore, because you get a new IP address, that means that you can fool the web that you’re browsing from a location other than your own since websites use information from your IP to discover where you’re located. This helps you bypass annoying geo-blockades that a lot of websites are employing these days, and it can also make it possible for you to bypass Internet censorship laws, if you happen to be from (or visiting) a country like China, Iran or Saudi Arabia.
There are a couple of criteria that you need to look out for when choosing a good VPN. First off, you’re going to want to look at the type of security protocol the VPN supports; as of today, OpenVPN is considered to be the most modern and most secure protocol. The provider’s logging policy is also something that you should look out for, and you should try to find a VPN service that logs as little of your traffic as possible. A lot of VPN companies nowadays employ zero-logging policies, and this largely depends on the country in which the VPN is based. Some additional factors are the speed of the VPN, because if a VPN server’s connection is slower than your own, that means that your speed will be compromised as well; and lastly, you want to make sure that your VPN of choice imposes no bandwidth caps.
There are a lot of great VPN services that you can choose from these days, so to make things easier for you we’ve summed it down to a list of great VPNs that you can choose from today.
IPVanish
IPVanish provides you with a number of useful functions such as SmartDNS, DNS leak protection and even an Internet Kill Switch that you can use to interrupt your connection to the Internet in case your VPN server fails, in order to protect your privacy. But even without these cool features, IPVanish’s performance is absolutely amazing. Top-notch speeds, an easy-to-use interface and available IPs in more than 60 countries around the world are just some of the characteristics that make this VPN one of the best in the world today.
Additionally, IPVanish uses DynDNS to provide you with an extra layer of security and privacy, so there’s very little chance of anyone eavesdropping on your traffic. And of course, the provider employs a very strict no-log policy, which means that none of your traffic is being recorded even by IPVanish itself.
ExpressVPN
Widely regarded as one of the fastest and most stable VPN providers out there, ExpressVPN is the go-to choice for many people worldwide. This VPN has servers in more than 70 countries across the globe, which means you’ll almost certainly be able to find a server that’s close enough to not have to experience any latency issues. ExpressVPN wouldn’t be one of the most popular providers out there if it didn’t have a zero-log policy, so that’s another reason why you should check it out. And lastly, if you choose to opt out for their services, ExpressVPN will offer you a 30-day money back guarantee if by any chance you’re not satisfied.
NordVPN
Based in Panama, NordVPN has the luxury of employing a zero-log policy, because it’s safely out of reach of both the NSA and the GCHQ. But that’s not the only thing that this provider has going for it; the interface is highly intuitive, the speed is good enough that no noticeable slowdown is apparent, and it’s Android app is superb, if you’re interested in browsing the web securely from handheld devices.
VyprVPN
The biggest strength of this VPN provider is the fact that they own one hundred percent of all their servers and infrastructure, which is great for stability and security purposes as it’s much easier to patch up various security holes this way. VyprVPN sadly does keep some limited logs of your traffic, although they’re completely purged after 30 days and the provider claims that it does so only due for internal purposes and none of them are shared with third parties. Additionally, VyprVPN allows all its new users a completely free 3-day trial, so you truly have nothing to lose from giving this provider a shot.
Author Bio – Thomas Milva is 28 and has been in an Information Security Analyst for over four years. He loves his job, but he also loves spending his time in nature, because he’s working from home, which sometimes means not getting enough fresh air. He also regularly writes for wefollowtech.com, where he often comments on the latest web trends in his articles. Thomas currently lives in Baton Rouge with his dog, two fish and his girlfriend.
