Hard Drive Recovery Associates Shares VPN Tips

Irvine, CA-based Hard Drive Recovery Associates recently published a new post about the advantages of using a VPN, offering several tips for the community as well. The company, which has been serving their clients since 1990 to the highest standard, are taking this initiative to better educate their clients.

Anyone in the modern era with a basic knowledge of computers has encountered VPNs, otherwise known as Virtual Private Networks. The article begins with a breakdown of VPNs and how they work. To quote the post, “Virtual Private Networks are private networks that exist because two (or more) locations need to be connected with each other so that it would appear and they would work like they are in the same network.”

The post explains that when a VPN is created, people who have access to it can be far apart, and they can use it to access the network itself or another network (which may be a public one). Businesses use VPNs so that their private networks can be more secure and so that remote employees, who may be working quite a distance from the office, can have access to company data hosted in those office networks. With the onset of the pandemic, this benefit has been of great use since lockdowns are forcing employees all over the world to work from their homes. This also is a cost efficient way for companies to maintain secure offsite data.

For individual users, VPNs have the benefit of being a reliable way of remaining anonymous while one is browsing. VPNs are also known to do a good job in securing data when one is using networks that have poor security, such as free WiFi public networks. Thus, when it comes to assessing the pros and cons, one may come to believe VPNs provide more advantages than disadvantages. While that is not necessarily untrue, the article goes on to highlight that if an individual is considering using a VPN, it is best to have a thorough knowledge of the benefits so they can maximize their usage.

VPNs provide enhanced security as they primarily encrypt all one’s network traffic, so transmission through the network is very secure. Therefore, when one is using an unsecured network (like WiFi hotspots in malls, airports and libraries), using a VPN can prevent eavesdroppers on that network from seeing one’s traffic, therefore rendering them unable to steal confidential data stored on one’s devices (such as credit card information or passwords). To quote the post, “Along with being able to hide their IP address and location, users of VPNs also have their personal data hidden, thanks to some sort of encryption system.”

VPNs also have the capability of bypassing geo-restrictions. For example, many users tend to get frustrated with the fact that they cannot watch certain videos on Youtube due to restrictions based on their location. With a VPN, one may avoid such frustrations as the VPN gets all network traffic through a virtual tunnel, which makes it look like one is accessing the web from another location (the VPN’s) as opposed to one’s actual location. Thus, if one wants to access sites that place heavy geo-restrictions on their content, a VPN acts as the free pass to such sites.

VPNs also change the IP address a website sees and makes it seem that one is from a different region or country. If successful, one may only have to conform to the regional pricing intended for that country, which can be less than the price for one’s actual location. VPNs allow a person to download anonymously as well. An internet service provider may maintain a watchlist for heavy downloaders who inconvenience the network. The provider — and even some government agencies — may not be able to track a person who uses a VPN. The post makes it a point to reiterate that one must be sure to only download material they are legally entitled to.

To find out more about the services offered by Hard Drive Recovery Associates, one may visit the company’s website. They may also be contacted directly via phone call and email.