A Virtual Private Network is a kind of encrypted “tunnel” through which data (encrypted again) passes. Why?
Say you’re surfing on a public wi-fi signal in a coffee shop. You are on the same network as everybody else in the shop. Others can easily watch and log what sites you are visiting, what passwords you may pass, and so on. So, you turn on your virtual PRIVATE network.
I set mine up and tried it today, comparing speeds of wi-fi access. Obviously, I took a big hit in surfing speed, but pages and email still came in at an acceptably fast rate.
Having a VPN is a good idea if you use public wi-fi.
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It’s doesn’t require to much time or special equipment to roll your own VPN but most people will prefer to pay a few bucks a month and have a commercial VPN provider. Google one up, (or DuckDuckGo.com is better) decide on price, features and trustworthiness of the company and away you go.
The really smart, aware, sophisticated thing to do on public wifi is to stay off.
True, Frank.