3 Reasons You Need a VPN, 5 Awesome VPNs You Should Definitely Get

Article by George Norman (Cybersecurity Editor)

on 29 Oct 2015

VPN, which is short for Virtual Private Network, works like this: after you connect to a VPN server, you can surf and browse the web through the VPN connection.

Why should you surf the web though a VPN instead of your regular connection? There are three main reasons why you should do so: security, privacy, and location spoofing.

Security – No one can snoop, steal your data

The connection between your computer and the VPN server is encrypted. This means you will be surfing the web on an encrypted connection (a.k.a tunnel). And that in turn means that no one will be able to see the data you send and receive. The VPN will prevent eavesdroppers from sniffing your internet activity.

Ask yourself this question: would you log into an online account if you knew someone could snoop on you and steal your username and password? When you log into an account using a connection that isn't encrypted, someone could capture the data you send and thus steal your credentials. VPNs use encryption to make sure your data stays safe. The data you send is encrypted and kept safe until it reaches its destination.

Privacy – Hide your real IP address

Just by taking a look at your IP address, websites such as WhatIsMyIP, WhatIsMyIPAdress, or WhatIsMyIP.org can tell where you’re from, who’s your ISP (Internet Service Provider), and what browser you’re using. These websites are meant to shed information about your IP address. They’re purpose is to educate.

The thing is that there are websites out there that go one step further. By detecting your IP address and by using some other methods, they can track your online activities. VPNs hide your real IP address and help you block online trackers.

VPNs do one more thing to protect your privacy. I mentioned above that by using a VPN you’re browsing on an encrypted connection that keeps eavesdroppers at bay. Know who knows a lot about your online activities? Your ISP! By using a VPN to surf the web on an encrypted connection, you’ll hide your online activities from everyone, including your ISP.

Location Spoofing – Bypass online censorship


Certain websites put virtual borders around the content they provide. If you’re from a geographical location they frown upon, you’ll get a message saying something like “this website is not available in your country.” You can bypass this form of online censorship by using a VPN to make it seem like you’re from another country.

VPNs let you connect to servers from all over the world. Servers in the US, UK, Sweden, and so on. Connect to a server located in Sweden and all the websites you visit will think you’re from Sweden. Connect to a server located in the US and all the websites you visit will think you’re from the US. You get the idea.

Now that you know why you should use a VPN, here are some useful and user friendly VPNs for you to try.

F-Secure Freedome – Stay safe, invisible, untrackable



Freedome, a VPN service from Finnish security company F-Secure, protects against harmful sites and apps, encrypts your internet connection, lets you surf the web anonymously, ensures advertisers cannot track you, and lets you access blocked content (make it seem like you’re from another country).

“Some say that loss of privacy is simply the price we pay to live in the digital age,” says Samu Konttinen, Executive Vice President, Consumer Security at F-Secure. “We say no way. We’re Finns who love technology and privacy, and we say both can exist together. If you’d like to take back your digital liberties and defend your privacy, join the Freedome movement.”

Freedome is available for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. You can use it for free for 14 days. After that you must get a monthly or a yearly subscription.

Get Freedome for Windows right here on FindMySoft.
Learn more about it here.


ZenVPN – Doesn’t block BitTorrent connections



ZenVPN has all the features that make a VPN great. It encrypts your connection, it lets you connect to servers from all over the world, it hides your real IP address. ZenVPN has an ace up its sleeve: it doesn’t block or throttle BitTorrent connections.

ZenVPN is a zero configuration application. You won’t have to go through any configuration, you won’t have to do anything other than install ZenVPN on your PC. Download it, install it, and you’re ready to go!

ZenVPN is available for Windows. The trial version comes with a daily quota and it lets you access a limited number of VPN servers.

Get ZenVPN for Windows right here on FindMySoft.
Learn more about it here.


SurfEasy – Your internet, your privacy



SurfEasy operates a global private network and uses bank-grade encryption technology to secure your public Wi-Fi connection, protect your identity, protect your privacy, and unblock access to websites.

Do you know who owns SurfEasy? Opera Software, the Norwegian company that's best known for the Opera web browser. Opera announced that it acquired SurfEasy back in March 2015.

“Over the past few years the dialogue and awareness around online privacy issues has increased dramatically. We are all now very aware just how vulnerable our data is to hacking, monitoring and censorship, regardless of the network or device you’re using to access the web. By teaming up with Opera, a global internet company with over 350 million users, we are able to accelerate our vision to give users access to simple applications that let them take back control of their online privacy and freedom,” said Chris Houston, SurfEasy Founder and CEO.

SurfEasy is available as a desktop application for Windows and Mac, as a mobile app for Android and iOS, and as a browser extension for Opera and Chrome.

Get SurfEasy for Windows right here on FindMySoft.
Learn more about it here.


Private Tunnel – Your secure tunnel to the web



OpenVPN is known as the most secure way of connecting to a VPN server. Created by OpenVPN Technologies, it has established itself as a de-facto standard in the open source networking space.

Private Tunnel is an OpenVPN product. It’s very easy to use, it gives you 500MB of traffic for free (with the possibility to earn or buy more), it gives you a safe and private means of surfing the web. You can use it on your Windows or Mac desktop, and you can use it on your iOS or Android smartphone.

Get Private Tunnel for Windows right here on FindMySoft.
Learn more about it here.


TunnelBear - Tunnel your way around the world



I’ve covered TunnelBear so much you’d think I’m getting paid to do it. I’m not! I’m just a big fan of this incredibly easy to use VPN application. I like the amusing text that’s displayed during the installation. I like that TunnelBear is incredibly easy to use. I like its wood-themed interface. I like that it can tunnel to multiple locations and maul trackers. I like everything about it and I'm confident you will too.

TunnelBear is available for any platform you can think of. It’s available as a desktop application for Windows and Mac, it’s available as a mobile app for iOS and Android, and it is also available as browser extension for Chrome.

A free TunnelBear account gives you 500MB of traffic per month. With a simple tweet, you can earn an extra 1GB. And if you’re willing to part with a bit of money, you get unlimited tunneling.

Get TunnelBear for Windows right here on FindMySoft.
Learn more about it here.

There couldn’t possibly be more

The VPN applications presented above are the ones that I like best. There are plenty other VPNs other there.

Such as: YAC VPN, VyprVPN, Avast SecureLine, ZenMate for Firefox, HideMe, ShellfireVPN, VPN Unlimited, and more.



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