There are many reasons why people have to use public networks instead of their own. Some travel. Some work remotely. And, some simply spend a lot of time outside. Whatever the reason for using public networks and hotspots may be, eventually, we may all become victims to prying eyes. There are people out there who simply want to get inside of our phones, tablets, and computers, and gain access to all the sensitive data we have in there.
Luckily, there is a way to protect ourselves and our data from those prying eyes! How? By using a virtual private network (VPN). This app helps you browse the net freely, safely, and anonymously. It is there to protect all your online data and online activities.
But, what about the offline data? Do you actually need to protect your offline data as well? YES! Keep on reading to learn more.
What Is Meant By Online and Offline Data?
Before we start talking about how important a VPN is for the safety of your offline data and about all the advantages of using a VPN, let us first begin with the basics. That is, let us begin by explaining the difference between online and offline data.
- Offline Data: Basically, offline data is data collected from some offline sources. Examples of offline data are – demographic data, credit card data, contact information, all the purchase histories, etc.
- Online Data: This kind of data is collected from different online platforms. Examples of offline data are e-mails, messages, etc.
As you can see, both online and offline data contain sensitive and private information. Thus, both of them need protection from hackers and other ‘spies’. The only way to do that is by installing a good-quality VPN app on all the devices you are usually connecting to public hotspots.
What is a VPN?
When people think about Internet safety and VPN’s, most of them focus on online data. But, as we showed earlier, your offline data can be at risk as well. From your offline data, a hacker can gain access to your location, your bank accounts, and even your contact information. Only by using a VPN will you be able to protect all that data.
So, what is actually a VPN? Well, a VPN, or a virtual private network, is an app that enables you to browse the Internet safely, to do whatever you need doing anonymously, and to hide all your online and offline data from the hackers, government, and even from your ISPs (internet service providers).
How Does a VPN Protect Your Offline Data?
What a VPN app can do to protect your privacy is really remarkable. When you connect to a public Wi-Fi, the app gathers all the data ‘packets’ that are to be sent, encrypts them, and then sends them through a tunnel to some remote server, both of which are encrypted too! So, if someone tries to intercept your offline data, all he or she will see is garbled nonsense.
Moreover, besides encrypting your offline data and making it unreadable, the app sends all that encrypted data through its own server before sending it to its final address. What this does is making it look like all your offline data actually came from that server, which in return, makes that same data impossible to connect with you.
Of course, not all VPN apps are the same. Thus, do your research on the best VPN deals before you make any purchases, that is before you install this kind of app on your phone.
Why Should You Get a VPN?
You may think that you do not need a VPN app on your phone, tablet, or computer as you do not ‘work’ with sensitive information at all. But, you do not have to be a government official to work with sensitive information. Just think about it – your contacts, your location, and your bank accounts are all representations of offline data, and they are all more than sensitive. Here are some more examples of why you need a VPN app:
If you travel a lot
When traveling, all of us can’t wait to find a public hotspot and connect to it. But, little do we know that that hot spot is hacker’s heaven. If you are unprotected, the hackers can take advantage of that, and snoop on your phone, and gain access to all of your offline data.
If you are dealing with sensitive info
One of the most ‘sensitive’ things you can do on your phone, tablet, or laptop is online banking. Your bank accounts, your passwords, and similar offline data can be accessed by someone else using the same hotspot as you. Before you know it, you may lose your money. Sensitive data does not regard only bank matters. You may have some doctor information data, or even some research information data that you do not want other people to find out. In all cases, a VPN can be a life-saver.
If you want to conceal your location
Your location is also ‘handled’ by offline data. And, you do not need somebody to tell you why hiding your current location is necessary. You never know who is around you, especially when traveling, so concealing your location is a must. A virtual private network will not only conceal and encrypt your address but also send it to a server located somewhere far away.
If you want to protect your browsing
Most of the things you browse are ‘handled’ by online data. However, there are some, like your purchase and wish lists that are covered by offline data. So, for example, if you buy some clothes online, shortly after that, you will see tons of ads for other stores offering their goods to you. Yes, this is Google, or some other search engine, spying on you.
Image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-black-iphone-4-4489171/
