How to Use Public Wi-Fi Safely
Learn about steps you can take to protect your personal information when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks, including understanding the security limitations of public networks and using secure websites.
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Learn about steps you can take to protect your personal information when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks, including understanding the security limitations of public networks and using secure websites.
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, establishes an encrypted connection between your device and a VPN server. Learn how VPNs work, what they can protect against, and what they cannot protect against.
VPN encryption can help prevent other parties on the same network from easily reading protected network traffic.
Explore how VPN encryption works, why encrypted connections matter on unsecured networks, and the role VPN protocols play in establishing secure communication.
Understand important factors when evaluating a VPN service, including its privacy policy, logging practices, ownership, technical security, and business model.
A VPN can encrypt traffic between your device and the VPN server, depending on the connection and protocol being used.
VPN encryption can provide an additional layer of protection when using networks that you do not control.
Websites generally see the VPN server's IP address rather than the public IP address of your device.
Before selecting a VPN, examine its privacy policy, data collection practices, security technology, company ownership, and transparency about how the service operates.
Learn fundamental cybersecurity practices for protecting accounts, devices and information when using the internet. A VPN should be considered one security layer rather than a complete replacement for other security practices.
Compare VPN providers based on their technical architecture, privacy practices, supported protocols, transparency and how they handle user data.
Use strong passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, keep software updated, avoid suspicious links and consider additional network security measures such as a VPN when appropriate.