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Blog Privacy & Identity Protection What is a VPN? How It Can Make Your Time
Online More Private and Secure.


HOW A VPN CAN MAKE YOUR TIME ONLINE MORE PRIVATE AND SECURE



Jasdev Dhaliwal

Jul 30, 2024

6 MIN READ

What is a VPN (virtual private network)? And how can it make your time online
more secure—and a little more private too? Here we’ll take a look at what a VPN
is, what it has to offer, and how that benefits you.


WHAT IS A VPN AND HOW DOES IT PROTECT ME?

A VPN is an app that you install on your device to help keep your data safe as
you browse the internet. When you turn on your VPN app, your device makes a
secure connection to a VPN server that routes internet traffic. Securely. This
keeps your online activity private on any network, shielding it from prying
eyes. So, while you’re on a VPN, you can browse and bank with the confidence
that your passwords, credentials, and financial info are secure. If any
malicious actors try to intercept your web traffic, they’ll only see garbled
content thanks to your VPN’s encryption functionality.


DOES A VPN CHANGE MY IP ADDRESS?

Every internet connection is assigned a unique set of numbers called an IP
address, which is tied to info such as geographic location or an Internet
Service Provider (ISP). A VPN replaces your actual IP address to make it look
like you’ve connected to the internet from the physical location of the VPN
server, rather than your real location. This is just one reason why so many
people use VPNs.


HOW CAN I USE A VPN TO CHANGE MY IP ADDRESS?

To change your IP address, you simply open your VPN app, select the server
location you’d like to connect to, and you’re done. You’re now browsing with a
new IP address. If you’d like to make sure your IP has changed, open a browser
and search for “What’s my IP address” and then select one of the results.


WHEN SHOULD I USE A VPN?

An ideal case for using a VPN is when you’re using public Wi-Fi at the airport,
a café, hotel, or just about any place where “free Wi-Fi” is offered. The reason
being is that these are open networks, and any somewhat enterprising
cybercriminal can tap into these networks and harvest sensitive info as a
result. One survey showed that 39% of internet users worldwide understand public
Wi-Fi is unsafe, yet some users still bank, shop, and do other sensitive
things on public Wi-Fi despite the understood risks.

Further, you have your privacy to consider. You can use a VPN to help stop
advertisers from tracking you. Searches you perform and websites you visit won’t
be traced back to you, which can prevent advertisers from gleaning info about
you and your online habits in general. Moreover, some ISPs collect the browsing
history of their users and share it with advertisers and other third parties. A
VPN can prevent this type of collection as well.


CAN A VPN PROTECT MY SEARCH HISTORY?

A VPN protects your search history through the secure connection you share. When
you search for a website or type a URL into your navigation bar, your device
sends something called a DNS request, which translates the website into the IP
address of the web server. This is how your browser can find the website and
serve its content to you. By encrypting your DNS requests, a VPN can hide
your search habits and history from those who might use that info as part of
building a profile of you. This type of info might be used in a wide variety of
ways, from legitimately serving targeted ads to nefarious social engineering.


ARE VPNS AND “INCOGNITO MODE” AND “PRIVATE MODE” IN BROWSERS THE SAME THING?

Note that a VPN is quite different and far, far more comprehensive than using
“Private Mode” or “Incognito Mode” on your browser. Those modes only hide your
search history locally on your device — not from others on the internet, like
ISPs and advertisers.


DOES A VPN MAKE ME ANONYMOUS?

No, a VPN can’t make you anonymous. Not entirely, anyway. They help secure what
you’re doing, but your ISP still knows when you’re using the internet. They just
can’t see what you’re doing, what sites you visit, or how long you’ve been on a
site.


WHAT ABOUT SERVICES LIKE APPLE’S PRIVATE RELAY?

Apple’s Private Relay is similar to a VPN in that it changes your IP address so
websites you visit can’t tell exactly where you are. It works on iOS and Macs as
part of an iCloud+ subscription. Yet there is one important distinction: it only
protects your privacy while surfing with the Safari browser.

Per Apple, it works like this:

When Private Relay is enabled, your requests are sent through two separate,
secure internet relays. Your IP address is visible to your network provider and
to the first relay, which is operated by Apple. Your DNS records are encrypted,
so neither party can see the address of the website you’re trying to visit. The
second relay, which is operated by a third-party content provider, generates a
temporary IP address, decrypts the name of the website you requested, and
connects you to the site. All of this is done using the latest internet
standards to maintain a high-performance browsing experience while protecting
your privacy.

Note that as of this writing, Apple Private Relay is not available in all
countries and regions. If you travel somewhere where Private Relay isn’t
available, it will automatically turn off and will notify you when it’s
unavailable and once more when it’s active again. You can learn more about it
here and how you can enable it on your Apple devices.


DO I NEED A VPN IF I HAVE APPLE’S PRIVATE RELAY?

As mentioned above, Private Relay only works with Safari on iOS and macOS as
part of an iCloud+ subscription. Even if you are using an Apple device, a VPN is
still a good idea because it will protect the info that your device
sends outside Safari — such as any info passed along by your apps or any other
browsers you might use.


HOW TO GET YOUR OWN VPN

An unlimited VPN with bank-grade encryption comes as part of your McAfee+
subscription and provides the security and privacy benefits above with
bank-grade encryption. Additionally, it turns on automatically any time you
connect to an unsecured Wi-Fi network, which takes the guesswork out of when you
absolutely need to use it.

In all, our VPN makes it practically impossible for cybercriminals or
advertisers to access so that what you do online remains private and secure, so
you can enjoy your time online with confidence.

INTRODUCING MCAFEE+

Identity theft protection and privacy for your digital life

Download McAfee+ Now



Stay Updated

Follow us to stay updated on all things McAfee and on top of the latest consumer
and mobile security threats.


Jasdev Dhaliwal Director of Marketing and Security Evangelist

Jasdev is a Director of Marketing at McAfee and a specialist in consumer
security and online privacy. With over 10 years of security industry experience,
he is a regular writer...


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