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What is VPN and is it necessary?

As the world evolves, we are no doubt spending more and more time online. According to a study, Australians are spending an average of 37 minutes on the internet per day! With an array of smart phones available; more people are using the internet on-the-go and more activities are being done online than ever before and especially now that the holidays are fast approaching.

An increase in online activities can also affect online privacy and well-being. About 62% of Australians online have shown their concerns about how companies will use their personal data, or whether the information they see online is credible. Therefore, it is important to know how you can protect and secure yourself online. And one way to do it, is by using a VPN.

VPN or Virtual private Network allows you to create a secure connection to another network over the internet. Normally when you use the internet, your device sends out information that goes directly through your retail service provider to the website/database you are interacting with. The VPN can serve as personal bodyguard as it can shield your browsing activities.

Further to that, the information you are sending to the website your accessing is made to look like it’s coming from a destination other than your own – either in a different city or country!

Using a VPN means the data you normally send straight to a website/database now must detour through a private server and this can definitely impact speed. Therefore, you also want to make sure that you are subscribed to an internet plan that can keep up to this new course of data transport.

So, when do you use VPN? It depends on your online activities. Netflix streaming can be exempted in the use of your VPN as you don’t want your internet speed to limited by it. But if you are entering personal information such as doing online shopping for Christmas and entering credit card and billing information, this is where you want to use VPN.

Stay safe online and offline this coming holidays!