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For several years now, it's been hard to escape the flood of advertising surrounding VPNs. According to providers, it doesn't even make sense to use the Internet without one. However, beyond the scare tactics, there are some situations where using a VPN is actually desirable. To escape the marketing arguments, here's how to decide when to use a VPN. We'll also look at the options available to you when you need one.
Why use a VPN?
If you're not familiar with this technology, understanding VPNs can be a complex business. There's a lot of misinformation and misrepresentation online. Worse still, some of these misrepresentations are intentional ploys to increase sales of VPN subscriptions.
To begin with, VPN stands for virtual private network. It's a technology that encapsulates the connection between two Internet endpoints in a layer of encryption. Originally, VPNs were used almost exclusively by businesses and governments. The aim was to provide employees on the move with secure access to protected networks. In other words, VPNs offered secure, encrypted paths through corporate firewalls.
Today, however, individuals are using VPNs for a variety of purposes. One of these is to mask the destination and content of their Internet traffic. VPN services make this possible by hosting VPN servers in data centers around the world. When a user connects, their Internet traffic is encrypted and passes through one of these endpoints. One of the aims is apparently to prevent ISPs from spying on their customers' use of Internet connections. Another is to modify the way web servers detect user location.
When do you really need a VPN?
Despite misinformation, there are situations where using a VPN is beneficial. For example, when you're using an unfamiliar Wi-Fi network, including Wi-Fi access points in public spaces. The latter are notoriously insecure and often used to steal data. Another case where a VPN makes sense is when you're trying to access geo-blocked content. For example, imagine you're trying to watch your favorite show on a paid streaming platform while on vacation abroad. The platform may not work at all in the country you're visiting. Or, if it does work, the show you want to watch may not be available due to licensing conflicts. By using a VPN with an endpoint in your home country, you can unblock the content you've paid for.
It's also advisable to use a VPN when accessing websites containing financial, personal or proprietary data. However, this is only necessary when you're using a network you don't control. That's why business travelers should always use a VPN, preferably one provided by their employer. Failing that, a quality consumer VPN service will suffice.
Choosing the right VPN option
Choosing the right VPN solution depends on the goal you're trying to achieve. Here are some common use cases and how to choose the most suitable solution for each.
Basic security and obfuscation
If you need rudimentary protection, but not often enough to justify a VPN subscription, you have several options. One is to use one of the many free VPN options offered by reputable providers. In this case, choose a provider with a solid track record in privacy and security. Never use a VPN from an app store Apple or Google. Most of them present a greater security risk than using nothing at all. Instead, go to the site of a well-known provider and sign up. If you need a region-specific free VPN, you can search for options on Google. For example, a search on " Free VPN for Canada "This should redirect you to a reputable provider like NordVPN.
Regular professional use
If you need a VPN for business use, the best option is to operate your own VPN endpoint within your business network. If you're a medium-sized or large enterprise, the best option is a hardware-accelerated VPN device. Several options are available, which can be easily integrated into your existing infrastructure. If you're a small businessThe most economical option is a self-hosted open source VPN server. There are also many options, most of which can be run on an unused desktop or low-end server.
High-performance streaming and file transfer
Finally, if you want to use a VPN to access streaming content, it's important to do some research. The advice to choose a reliable provider remains valid. However, you'll find that most streaming services go out of their way to block VPN endpoints as soon as they identify them. As a result, a VPN service that works today may cease to work tomorrow. That's why you may need to use strategies to get the best possible results.
One strategy is to subscribe to several VPN providers. This increases your chances of finding at least one functional endpoint in the desired location, at all times. To optimize your chances, choose a provider with a reputation for proactively relocating endpoints. Some providers are quick to create new endpoints in response to streaming service bans. You can also maintain a subscription to a lesser-known VPN service. Lesser-known services generally don't generate enough traffic for streaming sites to bother blocking them.
VPN basics
In the end, many VPN users do so without deriving any benefit from it. However, under the right conditions, a quality VPN is a valuable tool to keep in your technological arsenal. By choosing the option best suited to your use case, you can ensure that you're not wasting your IT resources without obvious benefits.