The Pressing Concern of Digital Privacy for Travellers - How to Properly Use a VPN

While traveling, you will want to know that your communications are safe. Whether you’re planning to send a message to your spouse or deliver an important online document to your business partners through a secure channel, digital privacy can be a very real concern, as messages can be intercepted and communications can be hacked quite easily in public places. 

If you want to enjoy some actual privacy during your travels, you simply have to learn how to use a VPN properly. There is no other way. VPNs (short for virtual private networks) are secure means of accessing the internet, which can really come in handy when you’re using a low-security connection when you’re traveling. For example, if you travel to a small town somewhere in Southeast Asia or South America, and you want to use your laptop in a restaurant, you should seriously consider using a VPN to mask your connection to the internet.

Is There a Real Security Risk?

The short answer is: YES! The security risk is very much real, and it can result in everything from the password to one of your favourite streaming services being stolen, to full-on identity theft that you’d need years if not decades to recover from.

The thing is that it’s very easy for a hacker to spy on you in a cafe somewhere in another country. Once they have access to your connection, they can easily choose to sell your information or use it for their own purposes. There are countless ways in which a hacker can cause you a lot of problems, and you won’t even realize it at first.

Fortunately, VPNs are cheap and efficient in encrypting and masking your connection, so you’ll have an excellent degree of privacy when you connect to the internet from a foreign country. With high-level encryption hiding your every move while you’re online, you can send your communications confidently and avoid any of the debilitating risks that most traveling internet users might expose themselves to.

Using a VPN Is Easy

Using a VPN is not always as straightforward as you might want. Some providers make it more difficult because of the multiple settings they make available for advanced users. However, in most cases, you will find that you have the option to simplify your VPN usage. By using a simple yet powerful service like the one provided by Surfshark, you can get all the benefits of the most efficient VPN connections with a minimal learning curve. 

That’s basically all there is to it. Of course, the process will differ to a small extent depending on the platform you use, and there are additional settings available for more advanced users. However, if you just want a quick way to connect to the internet through a secure and private VPN connection, this is more or less everything you need.

The great thing about VPN connections is that they can also be used as part of a browser extension that can act as your guide to your secure virtual private network connection. With Surfshark, this process is even more straightforward than you might assume. All you have to do is install the browser extension provided by the company, insert your account details, and start using the extension whenever you want to connect through your VPN. It’s fast, simple and highly efficient!

Also, the great thing about these connections is that you are not stuck on the same level. If you gain some more information and dexterity in using VPNs, you can opt to set up your connection manually and choose everything from the location you wish to appear instead of your regular IP, to the type of encryption used to mask your connection in real-time.

Free vs. Paid VPNs – Considering Your Level of Security

Free VPN connections do exist, however, as the saying goes, “you get what you pay for.” Although many of these are in fact effective, the companies that provide them often plague you with ads, and the speed of the connection leaves a lot to be desired. 

Instead of opting for free VPN, you’re a lot better off with an affordable and highly efficient connection made available by Surfshark. Everything from the setup process to the actual connection to your VPN through any device of your choice will be entirely easy, and aside from the essential VPN features, such as the quick connect and kill switch feature, you’ll also enjoy a surprisingly high level of security that is practically the closest you can get to encryption that’s impossible to beat.