A virtual private network or simply VPN is a service that protects your privacy online. This article explains the concept of VPN and the vest VPNs with the No Claims or Minimum Logs policy in 2022.
What is a VPN?
A virtual private network (VPN) is a service designed specifically to hide your internet activities and identity. A VPN establishes a protected network connection via public networks by encrypting your internet traffic. It hides your online identity making it difficult for third parties and threat actors to track and monitor your online activities.
VPNs have become crucial privacy tools that you must always use when logging onto the internet through a public Wi-Fi network, such as at a hotel lobby, café, shopping mall, or another spot where free public Wi-Fi is offered.
When you log on to the internet with a VPN, it creates a tunnel to hide all your activities, such as the websites you visit, links you click, and the files you download. In a nutshell, a VPN service protects you from the prying eyes of marketing firms, cybercriminals, and government agencies, as they won’t be able to track you online.
What does VPN Offer?
VPNs offer you optimum online privacy and anonymity. It achieves this by converting a public internet connection into a private network. A VPN successfully masks your IP (internet protocol) address so that your online actions become untraceable. And most importantly, it establishes a secure and encrypted connection to offer superior privacy than even the safest Wi-Fi hotspot.
What is a Cloud VPN?
Over the past decade, new Cloud technologies have emerged, and we have witnessed a mobile workforce boom. This shift in technological preferences forced many companies to switch from in-house data centers to the Cloud.
This trend has gained unprecedented momentum, and according to global market intelligence firm IDC, around 67% of enterprise software and IT infrastructure will become Cloud-based by the end of 2020. Hence, it makes sense that a company would choose to avoid using open source VPN clients to connect its remote workers to the office and opt for VPNs compatible with Cloud technology. That’s where Cloud VPN becomes relevant in the current scenario.
A cloud VPN, also known as a virtual private network as a service or hosted VPN, is a relatively new type of VPN technology designed specifically for the Cloud platform.
A Cloud VPN server makes resources and services available to employees/users through a Cloud platform using the public internet. It allows users to safely access a company’s data, applications, and files in the Cloud via a website, desktop, or mobile app.
Unlike traditional VPNs, for which the end-user needs a dedicated VPN infrastructure of some type, Cloud VPN offers a globally accessible and secure connection. This connection is part of the company’s cloud delivery infrastructure. You can set up Cloud VPNs and deploy them globally within mere minutes.
Benefits of a Cloud VPN
There is a wide range of benefits for businesses and organizations to switching to a Cloud VPN.
Firstly, it enables employees to securely remain connected to the company’s network even when working outside its premises or worldwide. Until recently, employees working remotely had to use a remote VPN to access the services/information from their organization’s servers.
Now that more organizations have moved to the Cloud, workers can access cloud-based data and applications conveniently. This makes an organization’s infrastructure more flexible, agile, and scalable.
A VPN cloud service lets users access private networks anytime and anywhere safely and ensure a solid user experience. Employees, conversely, can access resources/networks in the same way they otherwise would in the physical office.
Why using a VPN at all times is a must?
A VPN can effectively conceal your location and connect you to a remote server so that third parties are unable to locate you online and monitor your browsing activities. It would help if you always relied on a VPN when online, mainly via a public Wi-Fi network. Let’s check out some other benefits of using a VPN at all times.
Privacy and Anonymity
The most crucial benefit of using a VPN is securing your identity online. A VPN prevents websites from tracking you and your browsing data, so external actors cannot monitor the sites you visit or content you download/upload.
Usually, marketing firms discreetly monitor users’ online activities to target them for advertising. It becomes possible through simple moves like searching for a product on Google or discussing something online with a friend. But, with a VPN, no one can keep a check on what you do online, your data is entirely encrypted, and your activities remain private.
Unlimited Global Internet Access
When you connect to the internet using a VPN always, you can access geo-restricted content from across the globe. A VPN connects you to a secure server in your selected location, making you appear as if you are in that country.
If you want to watch HBO Max or Hulu and you aren’t residing in the USA, a VPN will allow you to access them by bypassing the geographic limitations. You will connect to a server-based in the USA, create an American IP address, and be in the US virtually.
Moreover, you can seamlessly switch servers, so accessing an American server to watch HBO Max and changing to a British server to watch BBC iPlayer would not be an issue.
Maximum Security and Protection
A VPN offers greater security to your internet connection so all the data, such as bank details, login credentials, email credentials, photos, etc., remain secure. It automatically encrypts your activities and data since VPNs use military-grade 256-bit AES encryption, so everything stays safe. Even if someone accesses your personal data, they cannot decipher it.
A VPN protects your communications like Zoom meetings and email content while ensuring that your messages remain private and secure. You can also transfer money safely and protect your mobile device.
What does data logging by a VPN firm means?
VPN logs refer to data VPN service providers need to track, and it entails aspects like the usage of their service. But, the kind of data a particular VPN provider logs usually vary regarding what they can store and to what extent they can access your internet activity.
In this regard, you need to check the complete logging agreement of your chosen VPN provider before purchasing the product. Here’s a brief overview of the different types of logs VPN firms can do for your convenience.
Type 1 – Troubleshooting Logs
These logs are recorded to track users’ issues with the VPN product and may comprise individual details like IP address and username. However, troubleshooting logs are made exclusively to troubleshoot the product-related problems and enhance the VPN’s efficiency.
Type 2 – Connectivity Logs
Some VPN firms impose constraints on their products, such as how long a connection would last or the permitted number of synchronized links. Connection logs allow a service provider to track each session on the VPN and may store your IP address.
Type 3 – Activity Logs (Red Flag)
Please remember that VPN web servers can transmit every bit of the incoming web traffic so service providers can monitor every single internet request sent out or accepted by the user. This means a VPN host can track a user’s internet activities easily while identifying the kind of data they download and install.
