What does a VPN hide?

To know exactly what a VPN hides, you will need to take into account all the things that hackers, companies, or even governments are after. There are many small pieces of information, both personal and collective, that are very attractive to some entities that roam the web. For detailed information click here.

A professional VPN will hide and mask your:

• IP address
• Router Location
• Web Site Access History
• Message Source Device

Unlike some active steps, you can take, having a premium VPN doesn't eliminate risk, it avoids it entirely. The best way not to hand over your data to malicious people online is to encrypt it through a protected VPN server.

With premium providers, you will also have some additional features and protection for all your devices. The result is next to perfect digital security.

The only thing left of there is your attention and discretion online.

It's Not Paranoia

Many media outlets will call people pointing out online risks as conspiracy theorists.

Why would our good and just governments and corporations want to spy on us?

To quote Eugene H. Cangrejo: "Money!"

In addition to hackers looking for your information to directly access your bank accounts, cards or credit rating, there is also a lot of money in your shopping habits and behavior. If someone knows what you like, it will be easier to sell you something.

It is also beneficial to know your political ideas and tendencies, especially if you are not the biggest fan of the government.

Metadata Collection

Metadata gathering might be the least of all cybersecurity evils, but it's still annoying from a bigger perspective.

By collecting metadata, large entities can discern trends and movements. This will make companies like Google or Facebook willing to use their power in less neutral ways. Sometimes this will be to the benefit of profits and shareholders, while at other times, it will be due to the political and social leanings of the company's top management.

What Does a VPN Hide You Personally?

For most people, the broader social implications of cybersecurity are not as important as they are for us. What a VPN hides when it comes to our direct information is even more visible than these broader trends.

And with a premium VPN service, you can choose a free VPN server from anywhere in the world, which will keep you protected and cared for.

Five essential data will be masked or hidden by the best VPN. Revealing this information to the wider network will not always hurt you in that instant, but it will leave you open for any future attacks, especially if some of the platforms you are a part of have been compromised.

IP address

This is essential information protected by a virtual private network. Unlike a normal connection through your Internet Service Provider (ISP), connecting through a VPN will show the IP address of the server and not the home router from which you are accessing.

And this address is a very strong string that a hacker can use. By knowing those numbers, they will know your location and your ISP, and with a little research, they could find your home address, your name, and even more data that could put you at risk.

Location

While not as specific as GPS / GLONASS information, your IP address will show your general location, usually in one block.

This may not be enough for individual tracking, but it's great if you want to customize the additions or block a specific location of some information. For example, if there are political protests in your area, the ISP might block everyone coming from that area from viewing reports and footage of them.

But, with a VPN connection, you will avoid all that experience.

Browsing History

Two entities will collect your browser history if given the opportunity. First of all, there are those who will intercept your connection and spy on you, the hackers.

Second, there are the websites you visit.

Using a VPN will prevent hackers from encrypting your connection and will remove your IP from websites. Still, you may want to use browsers that do not submit personal information. That is exactly what TOR is.

Messages

Because messaging is generally done through applications, it is important to use only those services that work exclusively on a P2P basis and do not have a central server that stores your messages.

When using a VPN with apps like WhatsApp or Telegram, there is basically no way someone can spy on your conversation. And it's always important to use a VPN because every person in your contacts can figure out your IP by working backward, leaving you open to attack.

Profile information

If you frequent social media or online games, you will send a lot of data to many people, often without knowing it.

If you don't have a VPN, it will be relatively easy to get your name, profile, and pictures back, and attempt identity theft. But, with a personal VPN turned on, a data thief just won't have a thread to pull.

#Conclusion

While it's easy to promote security services as something used for fun and games, what a VPN hides is far more important than the benefits that come with a premium service.

Companies work to protect your devices and completely protect them from external risks. With them, you can browse the web freely and you just need your common sense to stay safe.