Using a VPN for Encrypted Browsing

With the number of people accessing the Internet growing by leaps and bounds, the threat from hackers is also increasing. In addition to this there is the threat of identity theft, malware, and virus attacks. Unencrypted access to sites over the Internet is the key reason for such harmful cyber-attacks. Wi-fi hot spots and open connections from hotels and airports also aggravate the threat.


Restrictions imposed by the government also add to an unpleasant experience of restricted Internet access.


Users can overcome this by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A Chinese VPN uses a tunneling technology to provide unrestricted encrypted browsing to users who subscribe to the service. Chinese VPNs are implemented on desktops, laptops, mobile devices, and tablets.


What is encryption?


When a user does not use a VPN for iPad for iPhone, information is unencrypted. Internet service providers can trace the IP address being used to access the sites. If the IP address is blocked for use from outside of China, the user is unable to access a Chinese website.


With a VPN for your iPad, iPhone or Android, the data is encrypted. The IP address that is used is a Chinese IP address. The user can then access Chinese websites as if from within China. In addition, for sensitive data, VPN technology with the appropriate protocol scrambles information and encrypts it, making it indecipherable for hackers to read and use for malicious intent.


A user can select from different protocols when choosing a Chinese VPN:


• PPTP – (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) - PPTP provides 128-bit encryption, which is not the most secure, but can be used for data that is not sensitive. As encryption is less, it is a faster protocol as compared to some other available VPN protocols. Most operating systems and devices support PPTP.


• L2TP/IPsec (Layer 2 Tunneling protocol/IP Security) – This is also a tunneling protocol that uses IP security to provide confidentiality. It encrypts data twice over, thus providing 256-bit encryption, but reduces the transfer speed in the process.


• OpenVPN provides 256-bit encryption of data - OpenVPN uses SSL/TSL encryption protocols. It is the fastest currently available protocol, but is not built into operating systems and needs to be specifically installed on the user’s machine.


A VPN for China thus provides a user with the following:


1. The ability to bypass restrictions implemented by the Chinese government
2. Unrestrained Internet surfing
3. Encryption of data for secure browsing and data transfer


Choosing a China VPN provider


A user needs to consider the following when choosing a VPN for China:


1. The protocols available with the provider and those supported by the user’s machine, as compatibility of the two are important for seamless data transfer - This also defines the security provided by data encryption
2. How easy it is to setup the VPN service
3. Bandwidth and speeds provided by the Provider
4. The number and location of servers used by the VPN provider - The provider must give the user a choice of servers. In addition, if there are more servers, user and data traffic is monitored and catered to, resulting in increased speeds of data exchange
5. Different options available to the user


By using a Chinese VPN, the user experiences complete privacy and security while browsing the Internet. This is possible due to the encryption of data provided by VPN for China