Last month, we reviewed our top five favorite reasons that every connected traveler should be using a VPN. All five boil down to two essentials for travelers in the digital age: security and safety. There’s a ton of options that will help with both when you’re on the road, but none that we know are as simple and effective as top-notch VPN software.
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The software works by creating an encrypted (read: secure and anonymous) tunnel between you and a dedicated server. That server acts as a “go-between” between you and the outside world (wide web) – ensuring that you remain virtually invisible.
© Kuba Bozanowski
But did you know that one additional benefit of such a tunnel is the ability to bypass internet censorship in countries where the government likes to keep tabs on its citizens (we’re looking at you, China)?
Free VPNs are available worldwide (a Google search reveals a boatload of options), but trust me it’s worth it to spend the money for good software and a rock-solid, paid-for VPN server solution. Software such as Hotspot Shield provides a list of servers outside of your current country for you to connect to and to serve as a proxy between your computer in, say, China and any other web server you connect with.
The best part? The only thing the snoops at the federal government can see is that you’re making an encrypted connection to and sending/receiving data with some foreign server. That’s it.
The other best part? VPNs are standard issue for corporations and some smaller companies nowadays (they like to know their employees are accessing their network on an entirely secure line). And countries like China know this, so they’re very unlikely to completely block VPN access. Which is to say that, unlike some other options, the VPN solution of bypassing internet censorship isn’t likely going away any time soon.
If you haven’t already, download a VPN software package today. You don’t need to be a computer nerd – it’s stupid simple to use. In fact, the software sits in the background, ensuring you’re quietly connected to the VPN at all times. It requires zero interaction on your part – easy, peasy!
(Bonus: follow Hotspot Shield on Facebook to get special offers, interesting resources about Online Security and various opportunities to enter our ongoing giveaways for the chance to win great prizes such as an iPad Air or a Kindle Fire HD!)