In-depth review of VPN’s
In this modern age, the internet is the main driver of social evolution. The Internet has revolutionized the world and our daily lives. It has changed everything from education to business, medical facilities, modes of transportation, and even our ways of communication. The Internet has made our lives easier, faster, better, and more entertaining. Information is at our fingertips. Thanks to the Internet. But with increasing demand for smart internet devices and countless streaming media services like Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify, etc. Protection against hacking, spying, and data leakage has become a must.
Do you think the internet is perfect?? No, it’s not.
In the early days of the internet, the focus was only on openness, not on defense. There are built-in flaws that make you defenseless when you’re online. You should know that because hackers, government, snoopers, and advertising companies take advantage
Government surveillance
Your data is not safe from government snooping. Most of the governments run mass surveillance programs to fight terrorism, prevent crime and social unrest, protect national interests, and control the population. No matter where you are, there’s a reason some government agency would want to monitor you.
Governments also hire hackers or third parties for getting information. The largest and most advanced spying and surveillance programs are backed by the US government. NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked a lot of technical manuals and other documentation to the media.
Social Media Platforms are Vulnerable to Hackers
Social media platforms have become a hotbed for hacking. Your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram account, all are parts of publicly owned companies. The New York Times revealed that Pentagon’s hacking attacks came from Twitter. Pentagon officials were confident that state-sponsored hackers were using social media platforms for breaching the Defense Department computer networks. Every app or game that you love to play on your phone, mostly asks for your email, password, or personal info and when you input this info, you give them access to your data.
Did you ever notice many apps and games don’t tell you they’re not sharing your information? That’s because they are.
When you’re shopping
You can also get hacked while shopping online. Shopping online also requires access to a lot of your personal information, including your bank information and that’s a gold mine for cyber-criminals that hack into online sites.
Your IP address is an easy target for hackers.
An IP address is a specific number given by Internet providers to your computer and this permits you to go anywhere on the internet. But the worst fact about IP address is that it also shows your location and makes it easier for someone to track you by your IP address. Governments, Online businesses, hackers can also monitor internet activity coming from IP addresses. In simple words, your IP address leaves footprints on the web and makes it easier for hackers to monitor your activity.
Why You Need a VPN.
Public Wi-Fi networks are known for being potentially laden with hackers and other security threats. So, you must be really careful when using one, even it is password protected. Consider the public Wi-Fi network of bus stations or shopping malls. Normally you connect it without a second thought. But this can have negative outcomes.
Do you know who might be watching the traffic on that network?? Think about your passwords, personal data, credit card numbers, or any information that you transmit every time while going online?
But if you connect this network after switching on a VPN, you can rest assured that no one can intercept your data or monitor your internet activity.
It means your ISP cannot monitor your internet activity. Because you appear to access the internet by VPNs provided IP address rather than your IP address. So, it’s nearly impossible to monitor your activity. If you want to use the internet being untracked, unidentified and want to make the internet safer.
VPN is an all in one solution
1) VPN provides you with browsing security by encrypting your data and hides your location.
2) VPN secures your web traffic against snoops, spies, and anyone else who wants to steal your information or data.
3) VPN will add a security layer to your data; it also encrypts your communication and protects you from being hacked.
VPN prevents you from leaving fingerprints on the web.
4) VPN provides you privacy in a way that your connection cannot be linked to your computer and your ISP doesn’t know where you have been. It turns your internet activity unreadable.
5) VPN also hides your IP address and makes you untraceable because you’re using different instead of your own. Simply it looks as if you’re in another region of the world from where you are.
What is a VPN?
VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between you and a remote server operated by a VPN service. It secures your data by sending your internet traffic through this tunnel and masks your identity and location.
A VPN serves as an anonymous middleman that does your browsing for you.
VPN offers low-priced, protected, access to private networks. It allows remote users to access private networks securely over the internet. A remote user in one part of the US can set up a protected network connection by a VPN to another part of the US and only incur the call cost for the local internet connection
What does the term virtual private network mean?
Virtual — means that the connection is dynamic. It can adjust to different circumstances using the internet’s fault-tolerant capabilities.
Private — means that the transmitted data is always kept confidential and can only be accessed by authorized users.
Network — is the entire infrastructure between the endpoints of users, sites, or nodes that carries the data.
What does a VPN consist of?
VPN gateways–These gateways create virtual tunnels from which data passes. Before transmission from a tunnel, VPN carries encryption and decryption on the other end.
Security servers–The objective of security servers is to maintain the access control list (ACL) and other user-related information that the security gateway uses to determine which traffic has authorized access.
Keys–Used for the encryption and decryption of data. •
Network –Network is the main infrastructure present at both ends to provide an actual transmission medium.
Advantages of a VPN
A VPN confirms that all the received packets of data are coming from an authentic or trusted source, it makes data confidential.
It minimizes the call cost because the established connection is over the internet
Reduced cost of management, maintenance of equipment, and technical support.
VPN simplifies network topology by eliminating modem pools and private network infrastructure.
Best Free VPNs
Plenty of free VPNs are available. But it’s difficult to find a reliable free VPN. I have made this list for those people who want to use free VPNs.
But free ones are never on the same level as paid options. They are either less securing than reputable VPNs or offer fewer features.
My free VPN recommendations list
1) Hotspot Shield
2) Windscribe
3) ProtonVPN
4) Hide.me
Hotspot Shield
Hotspot Shield provides a broad server network for free users. It is an amazing free VPN that has helped people in a time of need. It was the most popular VPN during the Turkey coup. It is also available as a Chrome extension. Its free service allows connections to the location of the US only, but the extension permits connections to 14 countries. Users can unblock content in 15 countries for free. The free plan of Hotspot allows you to download 500mb per day. It is available on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and also works with Netflix and iplayer.
Windscribe
Windscribe is a very reliable tool. It secures Wifi and protects your privacy. It’s free and gives more than 10GB of data per month and 10 free servers too. It is available on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux and also works with Netflix and iplayer. Its free features include a one-click turn option, data encryption, strict no-logging policy, and access to servers in 10 countries including the US, Canada, UK, and many more countries. Its pro features include unlimited bandwidth, unlimited connections, and access to servers in many countries.
ProtonVPN
It is a protected tool and is a truly free and unlimited VPN. ProtonVPN is a valuable VPN ideal for avoiding censorship and for reaching to restricted content. Using the free version you can get access to servers in the Netherlands, Japan, and the USA. Apps for PCs and Macs, iPhones, and Androids. It offers multiple servers, a friendly user interface, and is available on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux.
Hide.me
Hide. me is a mind-blowing service. It is based in Malaysia and provides free accounts, as well as premium ones It gives 2GB data per month for free. Speed of hide. me is decent and for enjoying free Hide. me VPN you don’t need to enter your payment details for registration. Free users also get a whopping 10 GB data allowance per month, with connection speeds of up to 80 Mbps. It is available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and android.
The Best VPNs for 2020
As I explained that VPN will keep you protected, but it comes with a cost. Using a VPN means your VPN provider will know everything about your browsing habits. This makes VPN providers an attractive target for hackers. That’s why picking the right VPN is a very serious decision. There are plenty of good options for VPNs. But the selection of a reliable VPN could be a difficult task for you.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN has proved its worth in the market. It is backed by trusted server technology, fast speed, and solid customer support. ExpressVPN is been verified to not keep customer logs. It has fantastic apps, a user-friendly system, amazing speeds, excellent 24/7 client-service support, and wide compatibility across devices. Services are available on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, or even Linux and BlackBerry. It can also be installed on android TV, games console, or your home router. There are more than 3000 servers, 160 locations, and 30,000 IP addresses, and most important is its free usage of 3 months if you purchase a 1-year plan.
· Number of IP addresses: 30,000
· Number of servers: 3,000-plus
· Number of server locations: 160
· Number of simultaneous connections: 5
· Country/jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands
· 94-plus countries
· 3 months free with a 1-year plan
It offers a useful kill switch feature, which prevents network data from leaking outside of its secure VPN tunnel in the event the VPN connection fails. ExpressVPN has a substantial network of fast VPN servers spread across 94 countries. Its best plan is priced at less than $7 a month for an annual package, which includes three months free.
NordVPN
One of the coolest facts about NordVPN is its large pool of servers (5,700+), and more than 80 locations around the globe. It can support up to six devices at the same time, and the data gets 2048-bit encryption. Features like DNS leak protection, killswitch, dedicated IP address, and being able to pay with cryptocurrency are also very worth mentioning.
· Number of IP addresses: 30,000
· Number of servers: 5700-plus
· Number of locations: 80
· DNS leak protection
· Strong performance and security
Even when it came to the most important part — performance — NordVPN stood strong. Its speeds for short connections were commendable, long-term ones — delicious. It also has a thorough ‘no logs policy’, and audited privacy measures.
IPVanish
IPVanish is unique, flexible and user friendly VPN. You can have 10 connections simultaneously.
· Number of IP addresses: 40,000-plus
· Number of servers: 1,300
· Number of server locations: 60
· Number of simultaneous connections: 10
· A big win for IPVanish is its fun, configurable interface, which makes it an ideal client for those who are interested in learning how to understand what a VPN does under the hood. Its multiplatform flexibility is also ideal for people focused on finding a Netflix-friendly VPN.
A unique feature of IPVanish, and one we’re intrigued by, is the VPN’s support of Kodi, the open-source media streaming app that was once known as XBMC. Any serious media fan has used or built Kodi or XBMC into a media player, and the integrated IPVanish Kodi plugin provides access to media worldwide.
Which one should you choose?
Making a final decision is up to your requirement. What you want to use a VPN for and where you want to use it. I like ExpressVPN but that doesn’t mean it's right for you. Proton is super-trustworthy and Hotspot shield is also very efficient. There are, of course, VPNs to avoid, but hopefully, by using this article plus a little research, you will feel confident in making your own choice.
References
1. https://whatismyipaddress.com/vpn
4. https://whatismyipaddress.com/free-vpns
