Very Private Notes? Voles Peeling Nuts? No, VPN stands for Virtual Private Network – it’s a way of keeping computers and phones, in fact any internet connected devices, secure and anonymous when they are being used online.
The concept is quite simple and the results of using a VPN are very effective. There are many advantages to their use, which we’ll examine here. First off, how exactly does a VPN work?
For the purposes of this example, imagine you’re using a Windows-based laptop computer. In order to install a VPN client (a software instance of the VPN network) – it’s only necessary to download a small installer file, often as an add-on ‘extension’ to the laptop’s browser, whether that’s Microsoft Edge or Google chrome.
When the VPN installer is activated, the browser automatically connects to a remote server provided by the VPN company. In turn, that server then connects to the wider internet, usually via the customer’s regular internet service provider (ISP). Then, the ISP looks up the online service requested (i.e., a destination website or email portal) and the connection is made. It’s important to note that this additional technology doesn’t interfere with online meeting software like Google hangouts or Zoom calls. The user simply carries on accessing the internet during the connected session as normal.
But the crucial aspect of the VPN server is that it’s encrypted, so analytics and tracking software of the destination online service can’t tell who is connecting via that server, nor the genuine location of the initiating connection. A VPN user can choose from the provider’s international network of servers to access the destination service. In effect, the VPN user could be at home in London, but appear to be connecting to the internet from Lisbon. It’s this anonymity and geographic cloaking which afford several benefits to the VPN customer. So, now we’ve answered the question ‘what is a VPN’ – let’s look at the utilities on offer:
Faster connections
The technically minded reader might be forgiven for thinking that the addition of a VPN server between a user and the ISP would only slow the connection due to an extra friction point. To an extent, that’s true, there may be a tiny reduction in speed by the addition of using a third-party connection, but this slight downside is hugely outweighed by the fact that when using a free VPN, your ISP can’t ‘throttle’ your internet connection.
Data throttling is the term used for ISPs slowing down their customers’ connection rates, in response either to individual account overuse, or geographical load balancing requirements. In the former case, where a customer is transgressing the ISP’s ‘fair usage’ policy by streaming movies 24/7 and using huge amounts of data, the ISP slows the customer’s connection so that it becomes almost unusable – hence preventing the problematic activity.
In the latter case of entire geographical areas being slowed down, this might be in response to a major sporting event going on in a particular city, whereby everyone in that region logs onto their internet at the same time to watch, say, a football game.
In either case, using a VPN prevents throttling, because the ISP can’t detect the user’s true location, nor identify the person’s account using too much data. The ISP just has to put up with it!
Lower Prices
Another major advantage to using a VPN is the avoidance of ‘dynamic pricing’ (DP). DP is the term used when providers of online goods or services, for example eCommerce stores or online travel portals, offer differing prices based upon the location and socio-economic demographic of each individual customer. In plain English, the AI in the analytics software of an online shop charges you what it ‘thinks’ you can afford.
The perpetrators of these practices hotly deny the accusation, but anecdotal evidence the world over points to the probable truth. Imagine that you’re on a website called FlightSeeker, which sells airline tickets from all the world’s major airlines. You’re interested in flying from JFK airport to San Francisco. You live in a swanky part of Long Island, and you use your brand new M3 $2000 iMac to access the web and find a flight. The AI in FlightSeeker’s analytics software knows that you live in a wealthy area and you’re using an expensive computer. The website effectively ‘knows’ that you’re likely to be rich – so it shows a flight ticket at, say, $300.
If you clear your browser cache, restart your computer, use incognito mode and log onto the same website using a VPN, and choose to access the internet from the VPN’s server in Mexico, you might well find that the price has dropped to $250. The reason is simple: someone living in rural Mexico accessing the internet from an unrecognizable piece of hardware is unlikely to be very wealthy. The price offered is therefore cheaper. Another good reason for using a VPN.
Better Security
Finally, another very useful aspect of accessing the internet via a VPN server is the added security of protecting your digital assets. Reputable VPN providers’ servers all carry up to the minute malware and anti-phishing protection. It’s very common for people using insecure Wi-Fi networks to fall victim to ‘phantom hot spot’ scams. They’re nothing to do with ghosts in your machine – they’re just Wi-Fi hotspots that purport to be belonging to shopping malls and cafes, but are actually set up by hackers located nearby (often in a van in the car park outside). Once you’ve logged onto a phantom network, clicking on an email from the hotspot provider can infect your machine with viruses etc. But VPN servers detect these fake connections, and instantaneously disconnect the hotspot before any damage can be done.
In summary, a VPN is just like having a ‘virtual bodyguard’ by your side every time you go on the internet – it seems foolish not to take one with you everywhere.
