Some individuals would not go online until they have a VPN, but others believe that just seeing the web in Incognito mode is sufficient to keep them secure. If you fall into the latter category, you may be at risk of online security dangers such as tracking and hacking. However, there may be a solution to prevent this right in front of you.
When it comes to concealing your online activity, a VPN may surpass Incognito mode. It can hide your location and change your IP address. Is your IP address hidden? Continue reading to learn how a VPN works.
Does Using a VPN Hide Your IP Address?
Let’s start by defining some key terms. You may use a VPN to protect your internet traffic and keep your online activities secret and secure. Encrypting your device’s data and transmitting it to one of the provider’s multiple servers is essentially what they do.
What’s the Purpose of Hiding Your IP?
Your computer’s IP (internet provider) address, like a ZIP code, acts as a unique identification on the internet for your device. This means that any information you send over the internet might be tracked back to your computer’s IP address. As a result, your exact location might be revealed.
Furthermore, organizations frequently use this information to analyze your surfing patterns and interests to provide you with more relevant advertising. Hiding your IP address will help you prevent this. Another reason for hiding your IP address is if you connect to a secure network.
Many people now prefer to work from home rather than in an office because of remote workplaces. IP masking is a great way for hiding your web activities, especially while obtaining private information.
In regions where internet access is restricted, masking an IP address might help you avoid censorship. Although VPNs do not change censorship regulations, they do provide access to content that might be unavailable in countries with tight control.
Furthermore, depending on the user’s location, streaming services such as Netflix provide different content in different languages. Using a VPN gives you access to content that isn’t available in your location.
How Does VPN Hide Your IP Address?
VPN services, such as ExpressVPN, change the way of data from your computer to the internet. Before any information is delivered from your computer or mobile device, encryption is utilized. It is routed through one of the VPN network’s servers before reaching its final destination online.
Your computer’s IP address is no longer your source IP address while utilizing a VPN. Instead, the IP address of the VPN server, which might be anywhere in the world, becomes your real address.
However, things aren’t as simple as they look. VPNs are vulnerable to data breaches such as IP and DNS leaks. This may be avoided by installing a VPN with its own DNS servers and DNS leak prevention techniques.
A VPN connection, like an unstable internet connection, might break down at any time. In this situation, a “kill switch” can be used to stop data flow until the VPN is operational again, preventing your IP address from being viewed.
Instead of displaying your real IP address, the VPN shows a fake one. In other words, your ISP and any website you visit will be able to see the replacement. An Internet service provider (ISP) is a company that provides personal and commercial users with Internet access. Even if you can hide your device’s secret IP address, the replacement will remain online.
Although proxy services allow you to hide your IP address, they lack many of the benefits of a good VPN and may be less secure. ExpressVPN has 160 servers in 94 countries and uses 256-bit AES encryption to hide your IP address. The bundle also includes a “kill switch” and a 24-hour customer support service.
How to Use a VPN
A VPN connection is simple to set up. What you do might differ according to the service you choose. The basic idea remains the same. Here’s how to use ExpressVPN:
- Go to the ExpressVPN website.
- Create a user profile.
- Download the application and follow the on-screen directions to install it.
- Log in to the VPN client.
- Choose from any region’s servers.
Does a VPN Hide My Identity?
Yes! Web trackers are unable to follow you across the internet if you use a VPN. However, your traffic will appear to come from a different place and maybe from a different device. It secures your identity by avoiding hacker attempts such as attacks on public networks.