It is very easy to ensure that our web surfing activity is secured from outside eyes and safe from hackers and viruses when we are in the comfort of our homes and offices. A private internet connection is by definition protected from outside parties because it includes passwords and protocols that prevent anyone without permission to access it. The same is not true for a traveler who wants to access the internet, because the only internet service available in a hotel, airport or other travel destination will be public.
Why Do Travelers Need Protections From Hackers?
An unsecured public connection is prime territory for a hacker, thief or other cyber criminal to access your data because there are no protective walls between you and them. When you are on a private connection, a hacker needs to break through the password protection to be able to join you. On a public connection, they are already your virtual neighbor and in the perfect position to be able to use data sniffers or key loggers or other technology to capture your every activity. If this includes banking, online shopping or logging on to private accounts, you are making your personal information easily available to them without a VPN.
Why Do Travelers Need Protection From Censorship?
Censorship is increasingly common across the world because many countries deem certain websites, new sites and social media hubs to be unacceptable for their citizens or inappropriate for various political reasons. When you travel abroad, you must access the internet in the same way as the citizens of the country you are visiting because the restrictions are achieved through firewalls and cannot be relieved just because you are a visitor.
Why Do Travelers Need Protection From Data Theft?
If you are traveling for work or you have commitments that will still need to be fulfilled, the chances are that you were planning to send and receive documents to colleagues or friends back home. If you do this through a public connection, you are again subject to the attentions of hackers and thieves who can intercept what you are sending if it is not encrypted.
How Does A VPN Protect Me While I Travel?
A VPN protects you from all these potential hazards and much more. It encrypts everything you send back and forth and all the activity you perform on the internet such that a thief can no longer gain access to it. A VPN also includes anonymity in the form of a new IP address and has encryption protocols strong enough to break through firewalls and other censorship. We asked our experts for their opinion on VPNs to protect travelers and they compiled their top five providers in terms of security and online safety while traveling:
| Rank | Provider Name | Starting Price | Money Back Guarantee |
Visit Provider Site |
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ExpressVPN | $6.67/month | 30 Days |  |
| 2 | IPVanish | $10.00/month | 7 Days | |
| 3 | Hidemyass | $11.52/month | 30 Days | |
| 4 | VyprVPN | $10.00/month | 7 Days | |
| 5 | StrongVPN | $21/ 3 months | 7 Days | |
