VPN: a tool that will become necessary in 2022?
Let’s start by presenting the concept of VPN since we hear everything and anything about it. So a What is VPN ? VPN stands for Virtual Private Network or “virtual private network” in French. It is a kind of tunnel through which your Internet traffic passes. Each data packet is encrypted to make it incomprehensible. The goal is simple: if someone scrutinizes your communications, they will remain unusable. This is a measure that works on your computer, but also on mobile where you sometimes have to connect to WiFi access points that you do not know anything about. A VPN therefore protects you against spies, hackers, curious people and password thieves.
A la carte IP and data encryption
But these services also offer to provide you with an “à la carte” IP. To put it simply, your visible IP on the network will be that of a VPN server you are using. We can take a French IP, but also an “exotic” domiciliation to maintain its confidentiality, but above all to be able to take advantage of American geolocation to obtain the US catalogs of Netflix, Disney + or Amazon Prime Video which are provided much more in content. Conversely, if you are on vacation abroad, you can take advantage of your paid packages by choosing a French IP.
On mobile or PC, one-click access to military-grade encryption with your VPN!
On all your devices!
But that’s not all, as VPNs have more than one trick up their sleeve. Most of them offer several simultaneous connections, because they are compatible with a lot of devices: Windows, Android, Mac, router, Linux, iOS, etc. Some offer browsers to thwart activity trackers, others offer “double VPNs” that allow you to go through two countries or use onion Tor routing in addition to encryption for enhanced security.
Free or paid VPN?
Many VPNs are free, especially on mobile, where they abound on the Google Play Store. Don’t be fooled: it is better to spend a few dollars to really enjoy the services provided by a VPN. Often, free VPNs only give you access to a limited amount of data per day, without being able to choose your server with limited bandwidth. Because if it’s free, it’s because there’s eel in the rock: who pays for the infrastructure? By subscribing to certain free services, don’t be surprised to see ads appear in the menus of the app. In the worst case, you could also end up with an app containing malware or a VPN that will sneak your data back!
If serious VPNs do charge, there is a reason and to help you choose, we can point you to our pick of the best VPNs of 2022 …
