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There are many and varied dangers online, most of which can be avoided if you use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). If you're a regular user of wireless hotspots, especially open hotspots in places like coffee shops, you might be surprised at how vulnerable much of your data is.
Think of the many passwords you've entered, credit card information you've entered, and countless usernames you've tossed into the ether – all of these are susceptible to criminals seeking access. unencrypted to your personal life.
READ NEXT: What is a VPN?
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VPNs are also an essential tool for those who live in countries with severe online restrictions, such as the People's Republic of China. For those of us with fewer online fences to manage, VPNs allow access to content from other countries without regional blocking, with many paid VPNs openly stating how much they can access US Netflix in the UK. United. If you're a UK license fee payer, you can also access BBC services like News Online ad-free.
VPNs are also incredibly easy to install. We have a simple guide for you here.
If your company or ISP blocks certain apps — Skype, for example, or certain types of websites — you can use a VPN to bypass those blocks. But what is the best VPN? Well, not all VPNs are created equal…
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The Best UK VPN for 2022
Best VPNs 2022: How VPNs Work
VPNs open a secure "tunnel" between your laptop, phone, or tablet and the VPN provider. The data in this tunnel is end-to-end encrypted, and therefore unreadable to anyone who comes across this data and might want to snoop around.
This includes your ISP, the government, and hackers who might want to steal your credit card or banking login information. That's not to say a VPN isn't crackable, it's just that it's a lot harder to do.
There are also different types of VPNs. You can create your VPN using your home router. This creates a private network that you and your family can connect to. You can install VPN software or download VPN apps on your smartphone. Alternatively, if you have Kodi or an Amazon Fire TV Stick, it's possible to install a VPN app directly on those devices, which will allow you to access content from outside your region. These are generally VPNs that are available more widely, but work specifically with devices. IPVanish is a good example, as is Open VPN.
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Proxies are an alternative to VPNs. While VPNs route all traffic through the VPN server, including programs and apps you use on a laptop or phone, proxies act as web-only filters.
A proxy applies only to your Internet browser, regardless of the browser used. Additional security, speed and location information only applies to web pages. A proxy will ignore all other applications in use.
Trouble is, with so many of these tools criss-crossing their products across iOS, Android, Windows, and more, how on earth do you choose between them? Is it okay to use a free VPN or do you have to pay? That's where our guide to the best VPNs of 2022 comes in.
