Inge Coates | Chair , Communications Committee

Like many ARTA members , I am delightedly making plans to travel again . However , I wonder if I have just been lucky in the past when I logged on to a public internet in an airport , hotel , or restaurant to check my email . I apparently have not picked up any malware nor have I been hacked . As I said , I ’ ve been lucky .

I will not leave things to chance in the future . I recently researched virtual private networks ( VPNs ) to find out how they work , what they can and cannot do , and what to look for before purchasing this service .

Although VPNs come in several formats — for businesses , families , gamers , travellers and so on — I will focus on family and travel use .

How Does a VPN Work ?

When you use public Wi-Fi , whatever messages you are sending or receiving are exposed to outside access . Hackers and other bad actors can locate you via your IP address , and they can access these messages . They can then bombard you with advertising you do not want , or they can target you in other ways , including publishing your private information ( doxxing ), and they can use your identity to spread malware to your contacts . By using a VPN , your message is sent through a virtual tunnel , your IP address is not disclosed , and your message is encrypted creating a point-to-point secure connection .

If you have a secure internet connection at home , one that you have to sign onto , or use your own personal data plan , you may not need a VPN . But even that might change as hackers become more sophisticated .

Some devices have features that resemble those a VPN offers , but these are usually not as robust as an actual VPN .

What Does a VPN Not Do ?

A VPN does not disable tracking cookies when you search the net , which means that you still need to handle cookies through your device settings . If you visit a phishing site , or open and download files you have not scanned for viruses , your device and your personal information is at risk .

A VPN does not make you immune to hackers . If you offer personal information on any site on the internet , that information is now in control of that organization , and it is only as secure as that organization keeps it .

The only security a VPN gives you is the encryption of your messages and the secure pathway between your device and the destination of your message .

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