In today's world, traveling is a big deal, and rather than turning off our electronics while abroad, it is common to bring phones and laptops along to check emails and stay connected via social media. And with internet access available practically everywhere these days, it’s become much easier to do this. 

Unfortunately, this modern luxury brings untold risks to your data and privacy. Keeping your data and privacy safe can be difficult, especially on an open network. However, it is not impossible.

If you are in a foreign country and you need to sign in to your bank account or email, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) may be the answer. The following article discusses exactly how a VPN can protect your sensitive information.

What is a VPN?

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a personal network that you can use to create a secure connection that is only visible to you, and essentially makes you invisible to hackers. Connect your laptop, smartphone or tablet to a computer server using your VPN, and you can browse the internet using that server’s internet connection.

VPNs were originally created so that employees could access business networks from remote locations, such as when working from home, but they are widely used all over the world to do much more, such as:

  • Protect yourself from unsecure connections
  • Hide your location
  • Stream music, movie and television shows
  • Bypass geographic restrictions

VPNs and Traveling 

So you might be wondering why having a VPN while traveling is so important, but the main takeaway is that you know for certain that you are protected wherever you go. All your information, your files, your browsing history - everything. As stated before, public WiFi is a highly targeted place for hackers, and what are you usually using when traveling? Public WiFi. To make things easier for you, make sure your VPN auto connects just in case you forget.

Also, using a VPN is a convenient way to stream your favorite movies or shows while traveling. You might not know that our beloved Hulu is only available in select countries, and even though Netflix is available almost everywhere, each country has its own selection of what it offers. Your VPN will allow you to bypass those country restrictions and allow you to watch anything you want, just like normal! 

Lastly, you can use your VPN to get exclusive travel deals. Yep, you read that correctly. Your location plays a big part in the prices of flights, hotels, excursions, and other traveling commodities. Try a few different locations when booking and creating your next travel itinerary to see if you can snag any deals.

How To Get A VPN

There are plenty of VPN services to choose from, but they aren’t all created equal. It’s best to do your research and compare the pros and cons of some of the more reputable companies that offer VPN services. Most VPN providers offer free trials, and if that’s the case, consider running a speed test to see how fast it really is.

Though VPNs aren’t exactly super exciting, they will make your traveling experience much more peaceful knowing that you’re able to protect yourself while browsing the internet and keeping your feed up-to-date with travel photos and statuses. They’re cheap, and they’ll probably end up helping you in more ways than you’ll ever know when you start to use one of your own!

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