What is a VPN? VPN is short for Virtual Private Network, a technology that you can easily use to protect your personal information while browsing the internet. Without an active VPN connection, all of your online activity; including your location, authentication data and other sensitive information can be tracked (by both the current website your visiting and others who might not have the best intentions for your internet traffic). How a VPN works When you access the internet from you local computer, through your browser, a connection is made to a remote web server. During the process of establishing this connection your internet traffic becomes accessible to everyone from governments to hackers and internet service providers. To prevent your internet connection from becoming vulnerable to these and other third parties, a VPN redirects your internet traffic through an encrypted tunnel, away from prying eyes. Benefits of using a VPN • Your computer IP address is similar to your home address. If someone knows your IP address they know where to find you. And you don't want just anybody knowing where you are at all times. • A VPN changes your IP address, masking the location from which your accessing the internet. So it can appear to onlookers that your accessing the internet from Japan while your actually located in South Africa. • Any online services that want to track you can no longer do so. The encryption prevents them from gaining insight into your online activity. • You'll also be secure from simulated Wi-Fi networks. There are networks that look like publicly accessible networks that you can use for free, but their just acting the part, so they can get their hands on your personal information. Top 3 VPN's PrivateInternetAccess - Known for their military grade encryption. Highly rated by gamers due to the stable connection and low lag time. It's recommended by trusted online technology publications. CyberHost - They offer many servers located throughout the world. This allows you to modify your browsing to suit your needs. Social proof, with over 30 million users. Offering you a secure service without compromising speed. NordVPN - The ability to organize your passwords from a central location. You can use the VPN on any one of your internet enabled devices. Private cloud storage for up to 10GB of your personal data. How to install a VPN The VPN installation process is easy and intuitive. It's as simple as visiting the websites of one of the recommended VPN's and downloading their app to your device. After accepting the user agreement policy, you'll be prompted to enter some verification information; usually just your email address and a password for future sign ins. Once your email has been verified, your VPN will redirect you to their closest private and secure remote server. If your VPN implementation allows for it, you can manually change the remote server from the available options. Now you can browse the internet privately and securely as long as you have your VPN connection enabled.