With the rapid development of information technology for users of the global network, the problem of anonymity on the Internet has become urgent. At the same time, anonymity is necessary not only to hackers but to entirely law-abiding citizens, for example, to gain access to resources blocked in a particular country. In 2017, the Freedom House agency published a report, according to which the governments of 37 countries around the world tried to block specific Internet resources on their territory. In such cases, VPN services come to the rescue.
How VPN works
Virtual Private Network is a special network that allows you to connect to the server from the user’s computer. For example, OkayFreedom provides a connection on top of another network, thus making it possible to work within its framework, but with connection to the necessary addresses. The destination server cannot identify the user, and the provider cannot determine which particular resource the user is visiting.
VPN technology makes it possible to remain anonymous because the destination server does not see the network address of the user. Similarly, it is possible to bypass locks of certain resources under specific conditions, for example, when the provider restricts access. Moreover, high-quality services provide secure encryption of traffic, and this is very important to ensure the security of information and minimize the risks of possible interceptions by hackers.
Why it is essential to use VPN
The main purpose of using virtual private networks is security and anonymity on the Internet. It is known that the governments of many countries monitor the online activity of their citizens, and even cases of bringing to justice for seemingly innocuous criticism of the authorities are common. VPN allows you to anonymize your activity: the servers will see the IP address that does not belong to the user’s computer, and the provider will not even know when and to which servers the user is connected since he will only see his or her connection to the virtual network.
Struggle with information collection
Of course, VPN capabilities can also be used for illegal purposes, although governments are not only struggling with this but want to control the network activities of their citizens. Similarly, they control the activities of Internet users and search engines but already pursuing their own, exclusively commercial goals. If someone does not want Google to collect his or her information (completed forms, visited sites, etc.), then a virtual private network can help.
Free access to websites
Free access to sites is also essential. For example, in such countries as China, access to popular social networks and other entertainment resources, which, in the opinion of the Chinese authorities, can harm the state, is completely closed. It is not very clear exactly how you can harm China by viewing the new game of thrones season in the online cinema or chatting with friends on Facebook Messenger, but the fact remains. VPN provides an opportunity to get around the notorious Great Chinese Firewall.