Today we’ll be talking about VPNs which stands for (Virtual Private Network).
In this technologically advanced age, security is high on most people’s list of concerns when surfing the web.
By using a VPN it puts your mind at ease and allows you to go about your business online knowing most of your activity is shielded from prying eyes such as monitoring from your ISP, Government bodies or anyone eavesdropping for nefarious purposes.
This isn’t the only threat online users face in terms of privacy. VPNs can also help avoid attacks by hackers or anyone wishing to steal your personal information.
A VPN can also be an essential tool for anyone living in a very restrictive regime that wishes to communicate with the outside world and access information freely online that would otherwise be blocked.
How Does a VPN Work?
You can download a VPN on a range of devices. Mobile phones, laptops, smart tv, even devices such as Amazon Firesticks are all ideal and recommended for use with a VPN.
In basic terms, a VPN works by encrypting your IP by bypassing the “unsafe internet” and instead passing through a secure VPN tunnel.
Without a VPN: User Device – Internet Service Provider – Internet
With a VPN: User Device – VPN Client – Internet Service Provider – VPN Server – Internet
Installing & Activating a VPN
After sourcing your VPN, it’s just a matter of downloading it to your device.
Always make sure you download your VPN from a reputable source, as well as checking reviews and compatibility.
Once your VPN is downloaded it just needs activating.
You will normally have to pick a country of origin. Once chosen, press activate. Now that your VPN is active it’s just a matter of opening your browser.
That’s it! Your VPN should now be active and showing that your IP is coming from your chosen destination, e.g. USA, UK, etc.
Now that the basics are covered, let’s move on to the top 3 VPN we think you would benefit the most from.
ExpressVPN
With over 3,000 servers across 90 countries and more than 160 locations, ExpressVPN gives the user plenty of options to choose from.
Based in the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN falls outside of the 14 Eyes Group jurisdiction. Meaning any requests by Governing bodies for user data will most likely fail.
The main goal of ExpressVPN is to give the user an unrestricted online experience.
With the ability to connect up to 5 separate devices simultaneously, router-level configuration, 256-bit AES, split tunneling, strict no-log policy, DNS/IPv6, plus kill switch among some of its top features, you can see why the ExpressVPN would be an essential add-on to anyone’s cybersecurity arsenal.
If you’re looking for a VPN that is super fast with the ability to unblock geo-restricted content whilst supporting Kodi, Netflix, as well as many other streaming Apps. Then the ExpressVPN could be the one for you.
IPVanish VPN
One of the fastest VPNs currently available, the IPVanish is another fantastic VPN addition to the many VPNs already out there.
IPVanish offers the user some solid connection security but falls a bit short on the server and country settings compared to other well-known VPNs.
With only 1,200 servers and only 60 country options available, it’s not the best, but by no means the worst either, it even gives ExpressVPN a run for their money.
Where it does outshine other VPNs is in the number of devices that can be simultaneously connected at the same time. The IPVanish VPN offers users the ability to connect an impressive 10 devices at any one time!
With router-level configuration, 256-Bit AES encryption, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 the IPVanish sits proudly near the top of our list and would be a worthy VPN for a multitude of devices.
NordVPN
The NordVPN offers the user an all-round VPN experience that is fast, reliable but most importantly secure.
With industry-standard encryption technology, NordVPN gives you peace of mind that your online traffic is passed securely through dual-layered security which reroutes through two servers.
With the ability to connect upto 6 devices simultaneously and an easy to use application for both the Amazon Firestick and Fire TV, we think NordVPN absolutely deserves to be included in our top 3.
What’s Next?
As more and more people get connected, the importance of securing your data online becomes even more prevalent.
As we’ve all seen from the many data leaks and scandals, people’s personal data is the new online currency for many.
From the major global corporations to the lone hacker, users’ data equals both influence and profit.
From online searches, to what you watch and how many times you click on something, to what you buy and much more, all of this can and will be monitored somewhere by someone.
VPNs are becoming ever more popular to somewhat combat this issue, and there’s a multitude of options out there. Most can be downloaded at the push of a button.
By incorporating a VPN into your daily online routine, you at least minimize the risk of becoming the next victim.
About Author: Patrick Smith, Founder, Fire Stick Tricks.