A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, is a useful tool for protecting your online activity. But figuring out which credible, secure VPN to use can be a challenge. This guide will show you what to look for when shopping for a VPN.

Why you may need a VPN

A Virtual Private Network (#VPN) is no cure-all for newsroom #security or personal #privacy, but it offers key security benefits to your workflow as a #journalist, especially if any part of your day involves using #Wi-Fi, visiting #websites or sending #emails.

Much like how every phone needs a unique phone number for the phone system to know where to send calls, every device that is connected to the internet has a unique internet protocol address. An IP address in your home or office is likely leased from an internet service provider, or #ISP, which bills you or your boss for internet access every month. An IP address has no built-in correlation to specific geography but, over time, IP addresses can be mapped to physical locations with varying degrees of accuracy. In many cases, the mapping correspondence is accurate to a city block. Anyone who can see your IP address can use that to find out — approximately — where you are physically located. This presents a variety of risks, ranging from exposing yourself to the website you are investigating, exposing your location to people you’re sending emails to or having your ISP record and sell your internet traffic.

https://freedom.press/training/choosing-a-vpn/

An in-depth guide to choosing a VPN

^{Freedom of the Press}