There are certainly times where you have connected your cell phone to an unsecured WIFI. This may have been in a restaurant, library, airport, or other public place. The problem with this is that your connection is not private. These WIFIs are susceptible to hackers who can often view your activity from a nearby location.
This is not to say that you should never use a public “hotspot” because it does have benefits. The most common reason people log on to them is to save on data charges from their phone carrier. Sometimes the phone plan may not include internet usage. In any case, it is good to understand your options and the risks you are willing to take.
What is a VPN?
The term “VPN” stands for “virtual private network. This means that you can surf the web and use the internet privately without the threat of someone else hacking you. The VPN creates a secure, encrypted connection that adds a huge element of protection. If you are leery of your privacy or use public networks often, you may want to consider installing a mobile VPN on your smartphone.
A process called tunneling is used by VPNs to give a private connection. This can come in handy when you are doing banking, confidential work, or simply would rather not have anyone potentially see what you are seeing. Another major area of concern for many people is when they are using their credit card to make online purchase. It is often better to be safe than sorry.
Other Benefits
A VPN can prevent other infringements of your privacy. There are cases of individuals who create fake networks with open access in public areas. In these cases, the network name might look very legitimate (due to its name), but in fact belong to an unscrupulous character trying to scam someone.
Another great benefit of a VPN is that it eliminates ad trackers. These are the annoying ads that repeatedly show up after you have visited a certain website or e-commerce website. They appear over and over because they are tied to your personal IP address. This can also be a bit scary when you think of the technology involved in keeping track of all your web-surfing activities.
One benefit some people forget about is that most VPNs allow you to change your IP’s location to anywhere in the world. This allows you to find things on the web that you normally couldn’t from a local IP. From sporting events blacked out in your area to news items targeted to a specific location, you can see the possibilities.
Finally, peace of mind is always the best benefit of a VPN. You can surf the web and make all the transactions you like without the worry of being hacked.
You will find a wide variety of VPNs to choose from that are both paid for and free. Simply go to the app store on your Android or iPhone and search for “VPN”. From there you can make a good decision on the next right move.
