A Virtual Private Network or VPN provides a way of connecting to a network such as an internet without your network activities or objectives being visible or monitored. When on the internet, it facilitates a private connection. An active internet connection is defined by internet traffic. Without a VPN for Linux, these individual internet traffics are visible to a network administrator or anyone with the expertise of monitoring them.
A VPN routes the internet traffic through another machine or computer that shields it from the public’s eye. With a VPN in place, your target online websites’ or services’ information is free from interception or manipulation during your privatized online session.
In short, a VPN service takes an individual’s internet traffic, pipes it through a VPN-enabled machine or server, which grants this user internet anonymity.
Linux users and VPN (Virtual Private Network)
The transition from other OS environments to the Linux Operating System environment demands a change in one’s OS lifestyle. For instance, you will find yourself needing more and more internet presence. Whether you are a hobbyist, developer, or a learner in the Linux world, anonymity is of great importance. The information you interact with or pass along while on the internet should not be easily monitored.
Also, you will not always be using a single network provider for all your internet connections. If you are traveling, you might find yourself needing access to private or public WiFi or other internet connection access points. There is no guarantee that these access points are secure. It is for these reasons that you do not want your online activities traced or tracked.
The need for VPN in Cybersecurity is leveling at the same height with antivirus and malware protection. To further stress VPN’s value to a Linux lifestyle, take a look at the following benefits that you, as a Linux user, might be missing out on.
Why VPN on your Linux System?
1. VPN improves your internet speed
Most ISPs or Internet Service Providers are not straightforward with their service delivery manual. They might not be transparent with the internet services their users are supposed to receive. For this reason, your internet speed might not be what you signed up for due to a prioritized marketing plan. The ISP might intentionally throttle the user bandwidth to make their subscribers acknowledge the need for a faster service upgrade. Another reason for slow internet speed is shared internet connections. Granting other users access to your internet tends to slow its speed.
With a VPN, you have direct communication with the remote server facilitating the needed VPN services. This direct VPN communication is not affected by the ISP bandwidths limit law. You will value the need for fast internet speed, especially when you download large files, stream HD content, or game online.
2. VPN protects a user’s sensitive data and privacy
All Linux users on a network want to be guaranteed the safety of accessing, sending, and receiving sensitive information over the internet. VPN prioritizes this user attribute. Accessing, sending, and receiving sensitive information over the internet is propelled by different regional laws. Not all regions have laws to protect the privacy of this data. VPN will grant you the needed protection of data being processed, stored, or transmitted over the internet. Your online data transmission routines are masked with anonymity free from prying eyes, law agencies, and government bodies.
3. VPN guarantees unrestricted internet access
It is no news that countries like China have strict laws in place that restrict user internet activities. These restrictions apply to specific online services and websites. As a Linux user, you might be after information on a development forum that is yet to be cleared from blacklisted websites or services lists. You might also be in a foreign region for expositions or developers’ retreat, and you can’t access your files back at home.
With a VPN, you do not have to co-exist with this challenge but bypass it. There are hundreds to thousands of remote VPN server connections that will get you out of this restricted internet access maze.
4. VPN is ideal for public WiFi access
You will not always be restricted to the comfort of your home when engaging with your daily Linux lifestyle and routine. You might be out at your favorite restaurant and feel the urge to sip some dark coffee as you work on your Linux projects. Internet access at this point is mostly viable through public WiFi. These public WiFi networks have varying security standards that are out of our control, making it impossible to predict the safety standards of data we interact with while inside this network. You might be at risk of exposing your passwords and credit card information while under this network.
With a VPN in place, the configurations of a public WiFi cannot compromise your sensitive data integrity. VPN bridges data transmission on public WiFi directly with a VPN server. A public WiFi configuration will see this data communication coming directly from a VPN server and not a user device. It makes it difficult for unwanted data interceptions from malicious users.
5. VPN guarantees secure remote collaboration
This VPN attribute is ideal for Linux users who are developers and marketers addicted to the teleconferencing world. Remote collaboration is a priceless gift for such individuals as they tend to transfer a lot of data which risks being intercepted by malicious users. You will not want to have your Zoom meeting hacked when discussing a revolutionary startup. Your virtual face-to-face meetings, chat groups, emails, and even cloud data will be under the encryption power of VPN.
Final note
VPN is a necessity for a Linux user with a busy internet lifestyle. Whether you are dealing with data storage, transmission, or access, you cannot dismiss the prowess of a VPN. It is a safety net from information breaches and data corruption. It gives you the needed internet flexibility regardless of your region or locality. Also, the devices you connect with to internet websites and services will be free from malware that might auto-install and phishing out data to malicious destinations.
1 comment
One thing to note: VPNs do not increase security one bit whatsoever. The TLS protocol securing the internet was designed to prevent all forms of attack even over an insecure network. The worst an adversary could do is block your access to specific services and see what websites you are visiting. There’s only one adversary able to MitM (Main in the Middle) attack you, and that’s the NSA who has used underhanded coercion to gain copies of all private CAs certificates. You should very much fear the NSA and their power, but a VPN isn’t going to do you diddly. Only TOR could help, and that’s not going to be worth biting the bullet of NSA agents showing up at your house to investigate your TOR activity (they don’t know what you’ve been doing on TOR, but they actively detect TOR traffic and investigate people using TOR).