Vpn for security

I use VPN over any Wi-Fi connection other than those on my own router. I also use it over 4G mobile data as well.

A VPN is not a complete panacea, but to the extent your computer itself is secure, and the service is reputable, it will drastically increase safety of traffic through public Wi-Fi.

Do not fall for the cheapest services operating out of browser extensions, though. A decent VPN service will cost $7-12/month. There is drastic differences in speed and bandwidth. Most services will offer a free trial period.

A secondary benefit of VPN is to allow you, while browsing for air fares or hotels on third-party websites, to connect through different countries (changing the server), so that you might see sometimes substantial difference in prices, or conditions (for instance, using continental Europe versions of AutoEurope website will often bring a lot of offers with insurance included and full reimbursement of deductibles).

You might want to check out the new Opera web browser, which includes VPN capability for free. Works for me on both my Mac desktop and a Dell laptop that I use for travel.

I have the paid version of Hotspot Shield and use it when I need a secure connection.

A plus is that I can watch the BBC live when in the U.S. Also log onto BBC and ITV websites to watch recent programs.

I use Cloak as a VPN provider, cost $9.99/month. I would never use a unsecured WiFi connection without the layer of security provided by a VPN.

I don't bother with a vpn. Most websites are encrypted these days (including this message board) and that's good enough for me. Most hacking occurs at the server where your data ends up and there is nothing a vpn can do to prevent that. If I were traveling on business and had to send out sensitive spreadsheets, emails, documents , or payroll records I would use vpn. But not on vacation.

Lots of interesting responses. I read the Ars Technica article, which was kind of overwhelming, but left me thinking maybe the risk of getting hacked at my hotel's WiFi was less than the risk of choosing the wrong Vpn provider.

James,

I've never bothered with VPN and so far no problems. If I'm going to be accessing any "sensitive" websites on my phone, I switch off Wi-Fi and use LTE as that's more secure.

I believe Lifehacker has some useful comparisons too and aren't (to my knowledge) trying to sell you anything.

I'm hopefully heading to China later this year and I've heard I'm going to come up against some big internet problems there. I guess it'll be a good digital detox of sorts though.