A VPN, or virtual private network, is a service that provides a secure internet connection by using private servers in remote locations. VPN software lives on your devices, including smartphones, and it sends your data in a scrambled format (encryption) that’s unreadable to anyone who may want to intercept it. A VPN conceals your home IP address and encrypts your data through a secure tunnel, ensuring that your online activities remain private and inaccessible to third parties.
Using a VPN on your phone is important because any time you use the internet, you are exposing yourself to all sorts of malicious cyber threats. Public Wi-Fi hotspots are not secure, and any knowledgeable hacker can access any data being sent over that connection, including yours. A VPN connection secures your online traffic and data against eavesdropping, constant ad-tracking, Wi-Fi spoofing, and cybercriminals, whenever you’re connected to public Wi-Fi networks.
To use a VPN on your phone, you need to download a VPN app and follow the instructions to set it up. Once you have a VPN app on your phone, you can connect to a private network, like your school or companys network, when you're not physically there.
