A virtual private network, or VPN, provides a safer way to use the Internet because it conceals your online identity. VPN software encrypts your online sessions so they’re private and confidential.

Without a VPN, search engines, Internet service providers (ISPs), and website owners can know where you’re located geographically because of your computer’s unique IP address, and they typically store this information for years. VPNs are great for public hotspots as well as for wired connections and home use.

VPNs were once used mainly by businesses, but now they’re appealing to consumers too. They sometimes require the user to log in with a password for authentication. You can activate a VPN by using free software, such as Hotspot Shield, immediately before you start surfing. Either way, VPNs are designed to keep your Internet use -- Web surfing, online shopping, filling out forms, downloading files -- invisible.

So, is a VPN for you?

If you’d like to surf the Internet in complete anonymity, whether you’re at home or on the go, then you might want to try one of the many VPN solutions available. Just be aware that a VPN won’t encrypt your data before it reaches a wireless access point -- it encrypts only the data that the access point sends. That means that if you’re surfing on public Wi-Fi, be sure you’ve turned on secure sockets layer (SSL) in your email program if possible, and that you’re visiting secure sites via the secure HTTPS, not HTTP, when available.