VPN’s have become an extremely popular service in today’s cyber society. It is very difficult for people to trust the internet because it leaves you very much exposed to things like identity theft, malicious ads, and breaches of your personal privacy. But what is a VPN exactly?
Imagine a service that allows you to use its servers to connect to the internet. These servers allow you to become more anonymous by hiding or faking your IP address (which is basically your online location) and they also add protection by verifying that connections are secure and detecting malicious software. This is how a VPN service works.
Different VPNs offer different specialties when it comes to privacy and security, for instance, if you wish to view Netflix USA content, you can pretend to be in the United States by using a VPN that specializes in unblocking content. There are many different reasons for needing a VPN so it would be useful to start by finding your reason for needing a VPN.
If your need for a VPN is not too desperate then you can consider using a free one. The biggest drawback when it comes to free VPNs though is the protection of your personal data. To put it simply, when you are using a VPNs server you are allowing them access to the information that is stored on whatever device you are using to connect to the internet. On top of this, they have the ability to track your online activity and habits. This information is very valuable to third parties online. The biggest risk of a free VPN is them selling this data to third parties because, if you think about it, where is there money coming from if you aren’t paying for their service?
Luckily all the free VPNs available are not out to get you. There is a lot of free VPNs that do not track your activity or store any data on you. An example of a top-notch free service is Avast’s Secureline VPN.
Avast is a reputable company that has been providing online security and increased anonymity for years. They have a well-established client base and customer service department if you do experience any problems with their service. On top of this, because of their reputation, they are unlikely to sell personal data to third parties such as advertisers.
If you do a search for the avast VPN review you will find that it has received a lot of positive reactions. Especially if you are a casual gamer, streamer or download lots of torrent files, the free subscription will work perfectly fine. It is slightly limiting, however, so if your VPN needs are greater than the yearly subscription is the most popular option.