A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a service that encrypts your internet activity on unsecured networks to safeguard your online identity, mask your IP address, and shield your online data from third parties. VPNs employ real-time encryption and send user internet data through a secure VPN tunnel to minimize the possibility of anyone tracking the user’s digital footprint.
How does a VPN work?
Connecting to a VPN service authenticates your devices, such as a smartphone with a VPN server, and applies an encryption protocol to all your internet data. The VPN service then creates an encrypted tunnel by masking your local address and protects the data traveling from your device.
A VPN will also provide an extra layer of cybersecurity on public Wi-Fi networks, which is especially substantial if you ever send or receive sensitive information over the internet. VPN helps you evade ISP throttling and enhances your safety by making it formidable for private and public entities to see your browsing and search history.
What are the benefits of using a VPN?
There are various benefits of using a VPN, such as the following:
- VPN can be used to bypass the geo-restriction of leading streaming services and thereby opening up your streaming options. For example, you can watch SonyLiv in the USA with a premium VPN.
- It provides safety by increasing anonymity. When you use a VPN, your network information appears to come from a different location than your own. This disguise helps in keeping your online identity safe.
- Many security interventions are available nowadays, but the latest security software and firewalls can be expensive and create more issues than they prevent. Instead of using an expensive solution, you can use a VPN to safeguard your digital footprint.
- Data throttling occurs when you have consumed a specific amount of your available data, and your ISP then decides to slow your internet activity. However, if you use a VPN, you can avoid a data cap because not even your ISP will assess how much data you are consuming.
- Premium VPN can be used to reduce support costs. With a VPN setup that incorporates cloud computing architecture, you have the opportunity to mitigate huge costs on support services. For instance, with an on-site setup, the performance and upkeep of the in-house is typically the job of the internal IT team. Whereas, if you use a VPN, all upkeep, performance checks, and security measures are managed by the service provider, saving a huge amount of operating expenses.
What are the best VPNs in 2022?
There are many VPNs available in the market, but we have enlisted the best 3 VPNs based on the following qualities:
- Speed
- Price Points
- Number of Servers
- Security and Reliability
- Privacy and logging
- User-friendliness
- Customer Support
Following are the best 3 VPNs in 2022:
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is the most recommended VPN available in the market. You can purchase ExpressVPN for $ 6.67 per month. Moreover, ExpressVPN is compatible with most devices, such as iOS, Android, Amazon Firestick, PS3/PS4, Roku, Kodi, and many more.
The real stand-out service of ExpressVPN is its 24/7 available customer service. You can contact them by live chat or email. They help you resolve any technical issue in the best possible turnaround time. It has excessive speed and top security with best-in-class encryption. ExpressVPN has more than 3,000 servers across 160 locations.
ExpressVPN ensures that your activities remain anonymous using AES 256-bit encryption and DNS leak protection. In addition, it has a strict no-log policy and a kill-switch feature, which prevents the leaking of data and saves it in its VPN tunnel in case of connection breakdown.
CyberGhost
CyberGhost VPN has many advantages over other VPN services. It offers good protection for everyday use, is easy to use, and offers a large number of servers around the world. It is also easy to work with various streaming services and affordable. In addition to its excellent features, CyberGhost has 7000 servers across 91 countries. You can purchase CyberGhost for $2.18/month.
CyberGhost offers a dedicated IP for users in Australia, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and the United States. This feature is not available on all platforms, however. If you want to access IPs that other users don’t share, you can purchase dedicated IPs for $4.25 or $5 per month. These dedicated IPs will allow you to avoid IP restrictions on streaming services.
NordVPN
NordVPN is the best VPN for beginners because it is extremely user-friendly and easy to set up and use. Moreover, it has an expansive network with over 5000 servers in 59 countries. In addition, it uses NordLynx tunneling protocol to provide extremely fast connections from anywhere.
You can purchase NordVPN for $3.71/month and earn a 68% discount with its 2-year plan. Moreover, NordVPN uses AES 256-bit encryption and has a kill switch that assures that your data is fully secured and no traces of your digital footprint are left in their servers.