In today’s world privacy and security are fast becoming the need of the hour. Learn how to set up a VPN on your mobile here.
Virtual Private Networks or VPNs are your safety net when it comes to your internet related security and privacy concerns. A VPN works by ensuring that your online presence and activity is untraceable by redirecting all of your online activity using safe, coded connections. Mentioned below is a detailed account of the essentials of VPN networks and how to use them.
The need of having a secure VPN on your mobile phone (iOS or Android)
The world has seen a major shift from using laptops and computers as the primary technology for the use of the internet, to phones and tablets. Phones and tablets have become the nexus of our lives so much so that we do most of our shopping, banking, searches, and communication through them. While this is very convenient for us all, we can’t ignore the fact that almost all of these activities require us to share our personal and private information, sometimes even of very sensitive nature over an online network irrespective of the fact whether it is safe or not.
While the security of these networks may be left to question, should we really throw caution to the wind and not take preemptive measures to ensure our information such as our bank details and even our credit card information is safe?
Having a safe and private internet connection is top amongst the list of reasons to install a VPN on your mobile phone whether you have an iPhone or an Android. This is important because oftentimes we find ourselves logging into public Wi-Fi networks while out and about, may it be while grabbing a coffee with your friends at a local café and running out of your data package or weak network signal coverage in the restaurant where you decided to treat your parents.
However, the security of any and all public Wi-Fi connections is questionable at best even if they require you to use a password to log in, because everyone does have access to the same Wi-Fi network and the password being handed out by the barista or the restaurant manager. This makes it easy for any amateur hacker to access not only your data but all other data being shared over that particular network connection. Hence it is essential that you have a VPN installed on your cellular devices to ensure that no matter where you are and which connection you are using, your data is always safe and your privacy remains intact.
Have you ever opted for the incognito mode or enabled the private browsing feature on a Web browser to look for any service such as ticket fares comparison or hotel accommodations and rates to evade tracking and then a bombardment of advertisements? If yes, then using a VPN on your mobile is the answer for you as it not only keeps your searches private and your data secure, it also helps you evade the intrusive browser tracking that Google, ISP, and other similar websites deploy to capitalize on your data.
VPNs are real lifesavers while traveling abroad as they let us access restricted websites or access subscription-based services including video platforms that may change based on the location you are in, for example Netflix. Even using restricted features on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram and having unbridled access to all content that you may want to consume is made possible using VPN.
You can even use VPN on your mobile phone to restrict access to your location and choose a server in the location of your choice to host your connection so that you may have access to content or websites that may otherwise be blocked due to reasons such as censorship etc.
Here are 8 Real Life Scenarios Where Using a VPN Plays to Your Advantage
These are important things to consider while opting for a VPN provider to use.
Once the importance of having a VPN in your mobile is made apparent to you, the next step is to choose the right VPN service. The internet is full of choices to pick from, including free of cost and subscription based VPN providers. It is best to opt for a paid VPN provider as opposed to a free service as free services do have limitations that may be annoying to use.
However, if you are looking to get an idea of how VPNs work, then trying out a free service to begin with is a good idea too. What are some of the things to keep in mind while shortlisting a VPN to use on your mobile phones?
Are you using a secure connection?
This depends on the VPN provider’s encryption processes. A 256-bit encryption method and using secure protocols like OpenVPN is the hallmark of a good VPN. A free VPN may not use any encryption service at all or it might offer just the bare minimum security. Though having no encryption does enable one to unblock content.
Does your VPN provider keep track of your online activity?
A VPN that ensures full privacy will never keep track of your online activity. Hence, if privacy is your top most priority, always keep the privacy policy in mind while opting for a VPN provider and pick the one that most aligns with your needs.
What is the revenue stream and monetization for the company that you are opting for?
We know how a VPN that charges monthly generates revenue; however, it is unclear how a company that provides free VPN earns revenue and maintains a profit. It may be ads based revenue or they may be keeping a log of your data and selling your data to generate revenue. So if privacy is your top most concern, using a free VPN might not be the thing for you.
What is the speed of the connection and what is the number of servers that connection is using?
Is the VPN heavy on your internet connection thus compromising your online experience? Having a lesser number of servers across limited locations puts a lot of load on the servers as there are more users sharing the same bandwidth. This might also mean that your access to the VPN connection and its availability might be dependent on when you are choosing to use the VPN and in which area. The best option thus is to use a freemium service, i.e., a service that does charge monthly however it also offers free trials to consumers to try out the service and its functions.
Do these Services have Limitations and a Cap on the Usage?
There may be some limits to the amount of usage per month or per day on free services. Some freemium services offer a limited free version of their service that may later be upgraded to unlimited usage against a monthly subscription.
