Do I Need a VPN Service:

Do you want an individual VPN service? If you Google surrounding you will see that most people use VPN services to bypass the Internet restrictions from their countries, as with the Middle East or China. However a VPN can do a lot more for you personally. Checkout The all new 4x - "freevpn" for more!

The VPN functions by encrypting all your Internet traffic and redirecting it using a VPN server, typically located in the USA. This will have two immediate effects:

1. Your online traffic is going to be obscured from anyone "listening" at risk. Even your ISP or company may have no clue as to what your actual Internet traffic really is.

2. Your real Ip will be hidden from the sites you visit, thus providing you anonymity while online.

So even if you're in Wireless HotSpots, places that hackers often scout to locate new victims, you'll be protected while using the VPN. Firesheep, the Firefox plugin is a preferred tool of the trade and it is extremely easy to use, even by amateur hackers, or "script-kiddies" as they are called in the underground community. The VPN encryption may also keep you protected from the Firesheep attacks.

Unhealthy part is that it all comes at a cost. Two main issues to be discussed here:

1. When using the VPN you'll notice a reduction in speed. This really is caused by the encryption and also the traffic routing. So if you are in France and you are utilizing a VPN server, your traffic will get encrypted, sent from France to the VPN server in USA and in the VPN USA server redirected to it`s original intended destination. After that the traffic flows through the same route completely back in France... That`s an extended trip right?

2. Most good VPN services are paid. There are several free ones, but individuals have had bad reviews in the past about free VPN service: limits on bandwidth, poor speeds and connection drops some users say. The paid services generally do much better when it comes to performance. Expect to pay from 10$ - 20$ per month for a good VPN service.

Another important aspect may be the encryption the VPN uses. Now SSL VPNs are considered to achieve the safest encryption. The most popular SSL VPN protocols are SSTP and OpenVPN. Unlike other protocols they will use certificates throughout the authentication process, creating a man-in-the-middle hacker attack almost impossible. The last thing you need to do is to put these considerations together. The easiest method to do this would be to read reviews relating to your shortlisted companies. Keep in mind that it's impossible to plan for everything when it comes to VPN so reading about other people's experiences can help you find information such as service reliability, promotions, and security straight from the outlook during the user. These intangibles aren't always visible in the offer brochure.

So, my advice could be, if you worry about your security and privacy, obtain a VPN service and always use it in networks you think about unsecured (like airport or coffee shops public networks).