Use of personal VPN connections is becoming more common.
With the inception of portable devices like smart phones, tablets and laptops,
security concerns have risen considerably. Wireless Internet capability is
available at public places like hotels and coffee shops. This has made it
easier for users to access Internet on the go. Unfortunately, it has also
provided hackers with more opportunity to engage in illegal activities.
Protection through the use of a VPN Connection
When a device is connected to an unsecure public network,
hackers can easily intercept data. This can include email messages as well as
any personal information that a user may be sending from the device. This can
facilitate identity theft. A personal VPN connection prevents such situations
from occurring. It does so by providing a device with a layer of security that
is extremely hard to breach. A personal
VPN connection establishes a secure tunnel between a device and the Internet.
Different Types of VPN Connections
There are 3 types of protocols used in personal VPN
connections. Users can opt for PPTP, L2TP with IPsec or OpenVPN.
PPTP - The most
commonly used protocol is PPTP, or Point to Point Tunneling Protocol. PPTP is
built into most desktop, tablet and mobile devices. It provides basic
encryption at 128-bits.It is popular because it provides users with decent
security while not burdening processor resources. Because it is built into most
operating systems, PPTP is easy to set up.
Its main advantages are speed and stability. It is an excellent choice
in Wi-Fi hotspots.
L2TP with IPsec –
L2TP with IPsec stands for “Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol with Internet Protocol
Security”. Like PPTP, this protocol is native to most desktop, tablet and
mobile devices. It provides the highest encryption at 256-bits. It further
protects data by encapsulating it twice. As custom configuration is necessary,
it is not as easy to set up as is PPTP. It requires more processing power than
PPTP, and thus can offer slower speeds. Its main advantage is data security.
OpenVPN - OpenVPN
is supported by most desktop computer operating systems with easy-to-configure
software. It provides 160-bit or 256-bit encryption. It ensures data integrity
through the use of digital certificates. OpenVPN‘s main advantage is that it is
the most stable and reliable of the three protocols. It works well even with
wireless routers, unsecured networks and Wi-Fi hotspots. It delivers the best
performance and security.
About Author:
Christina Maria lives in Miami and enjoys writing about technology, including
online security, personal VPN connection for iPhone and more.
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