Tips 2 min. read

Traveling with a VPN

Traveling with a VPN

airport2Summer is the busiest travel season of the year. Whether it is a business trip, a family vacation or a solo backpacking journey, the least of our worries would be staying secure online. As travelers, we connect to Wi-Fi networks for several reasons such as getting directions, sharing photos, blogging, emailing, research and much more. But even during our travels, we must remind ourselves that doing these activities under unsecure Wi-Fi hotspots can make a trip unpleasant if you are not cautious of the risks.

With free public Wi-Fi hotspots on the rise, many people don’t realize how amazingly easy it is to hijack an internet connection on unencrypted Wi-Fi hotspots. On top of that, most people are using their mobile devices instead of laptops when traveling which means they are probably not using security software on their mobile device. An unsecure device + unencrypted Wi-Fi = high chance of identity theft and online fraud. On the bright side, there is always a solution to every problem: Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network).

For example, AnchorFree CEO David Gorodyansky travels frequently for both business and leisure. During his travels, he uses Hotspot Shield VPN on his laptop and mobile phone to stay protected when he connects to public Wi-Fi networks. Since we’re on the topic of traveling, make sure to check out his recent blog entry on Forbes, as he warns travelers how mobile and Wi-FI can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

VPNs are an essential tool to bring with you when traveling. While using a VPN during travel can protect your online activity from prying eyes, a VPN can serve other purposes as well.

If you have ever traveled outside of the country, you probably know that many websites and internet services are “government-censored” to a certain degree. The government of some countries want to have control over what their citizens can access, publish or view on the internet. Even popular websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Gmail may be blocked in the some countries.

As a traveler, this may be inconvenient and very frustrating; especially if you are trying to access your email account or share your travel photos on social media. But using a VPN like Hotspot Shield enables you to bypass internet censorship and access blocked content from anywhere. Give it a try the next time you go on your next vacation.

Do use a VPN when you travel? If so, where did you go? We’d love to hear your experience.

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