TECH TIP: TO HIDE YOUR INTERNET ACTIVITY OR YOUR IP ADDRESS, USE A VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK

On the move and looking for an internet connection to check email or post a video to TikTok?

It's tempting to jump onto the free WiFi at the coffee shop or the shopping mall. But don't do it unless you've got protection.

Using unsecured internet access can be risky. Hackers can secretly put themselves between you and the internet and view everything you do online, slip malware onto your device or even set up a rogue hotspot that looks authentic. It's one of those times when it's best to use a virtual private network, or VPN.

VPNs should be a part of most people’s internet security toolbox. For rookie users, they can initially seem technically bewildering.

WHAT’S A VPN?

A virtual private network is a service that hides your online activity from anyone else on the internet. A VPN encrypts your traffic data, which prevents anyone else from being able to read it, and routes it through private tunnels to secure servers around the world.

If normal internet use is like a passing city bus, then using a VPN is like riding in a limo with tinted windows. Anyone can see the bus’s passengers and its destination sign. The limo, meanwhile, reveals little to people on the street about what it’s carrying or where it’s going.

WHY DO I NEED TO USE A VPN?

Privacy is one of the main reasons. If you connect to a free public Wi-Fi network, like at a hotel lobby or coffee shop, using a VPN will prevent anyone from electronically eavesdropping on you.

You can also use it at home if you don’t want your internet service provider to know what you’re doing. But if that’s not a concern, then you probably don’t need to as long as your network is password protected.