In almost all cases, they offer a subscription-based access to their services, and often have different pricing plans depending upon your needs. Most modern VPN services that are focused on consumer services offer an array of features in their service that varies considerably from provider to provider. The important takeaway is that every user, no matter what they do online, can benefit to some degree or another from using a VPN service. This is, of course, just a rudimentary explanation of how VPNs work and what they offer to consumers. VPNs can also help to keep you safe from bad actors out there, providing added layers of protection from those who might seek to hack your system, steal your information, and so on. They can help to wipe your digital fingerprints from the Internet, allowing you to browse in relative security and anonymity. They can help provide a secure, anonymous way to utilize file sharing and Torrenting, without worrying about being sued by the RIAA or other groups.

This obscures the true destination and content of a user’s Internet traffic, even from their ISP, as well as any kind of government, corporate, educational, or other censors that might exist.īased on that same method of how VPNs work, they can help users to bypass geographic restrictions on content, such as streaming services like Netflix. From there, they use the VPN server, often with some additional hops, as an outbound point for browsing or doing whatever else they might do online. VPNs allow for users to connect to the VPN’s servers, and create a secure tunnel between their computer or phone and the VPN server. VPNs offer a number of features that are beneficial to consumers, including some that are critical for those living in countries or regions with heavy restrictions on Internet access.

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