CYBER SECURITY AWARENESS MONTH – VPNS. What is a VPN? Are your using one?

[Sasha]

Quick! What is a VPN? Do you even know? Are your using one? Is it free or are you paying for it? Well if you don’t know what a VPN is then forget the other questions.

What is a VPN?

A VPN or virtual private network is a private network that uses the public internet. It allows you to send and receive data across public networks as if your computer is directly connected to a private network. Applications, like your web browser, running across a VPN benefit from the functionality, security, and management of the private network. This mean that your data is usually encrypted. No one can see what you are doing and can’t read the data. So essentially your activity is secret from anyone who might be snooping. Like who you ask. How about your ISP? We’ll get back to that in a minute.

A VPN has become an essential tool for using the internet. Why? Well first nearly every website you go to collects some information about you. And that information can be shared with others. Another fact to keep in mind is that you leave a cookie trail around the internet that allows advertisers to track what you are looking at and what you are shopping for.

Your ISP is in your business

Now about your ISP; they are watching everything you do online. Let me explain. In order to get to a website you need a domain name. That’s the www.thatcompany.com you use online. That name is translated into a URL address that looks something like this 123.45.67.891. That where the DNS comes into the game.

A DNS, or Domain Name Server, is a server that translates your website request into a URL address and hooks you up. Now who owns that DNS server? Who can see everything you do online? Who know where you shop, what are your medical or personal issues, what your children or spouse is doing online? You guessed it; your ISP. Because, A) you are using their DNS server and B) you’re not using a VPN. Got it now?

The truth of the matter is that congress has made it perfectly OK for ISP’s to gather and sell you information to whoever they wish. Now you know why you need a VPN.



https://ontechstreet.com/2020/10/cyber-security-awareness-month-vpns/#prettyPhoto