October 25, 2021
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0Do Private Internet Access Alternatives Exist?
It happens that any activity on the internet does not go unnoticed. All that you do leaves traces, whether it’s a banal search for information, sending messages, surfing websites, or online shopping. So, it is easy to find out most of the confidential data about you, which intruders can use for criminal purposes.
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to hide your presence on the internet entirely. To do this, you need to abandon it completely.
For such crazy people, we have a special guide on how to disappear from the internet forever.
Therefore, people are starting to think seriously about protecting personal data online. Private Internet Access is one of the most popular VPNs (virtual private networks) that they can use for that. This provider is proud of its industry-leading information security system and claims to hold a leading position in the field of encryption and anonymity.
But is it true, and can we use it to protect our privacy?
What is a VPN?
A VPN allows you to pass all traffic through an intermediary computer located on a virtual server, say, somewhere in the Bahamas. So, all information is not tied to your IP in any way. In addition, VPNs encode (sometimes several times) the transmitted data, so even supercomputers cannot solve the 256-bit code.
When you use a VPN, your device does not immediately connect to sites. Initially, it connects to a private virtual network via an encrypted communication channel. This network connects to the site you need and transmits information to you.
So, the sites do not see information about you but about some random IP address from a private virtual network. And you can visit the sites as usual except perhaps the sites will take a fraction of a second longer to load.
There are three common reasons for using a VPN.
1. The technology does not allow other sites to collect information about you. Today, almost every other site tracks and collects information about you. When you go to a particular page, your location is immediately recorded there – both your network and geographic location (at least your country and locality). Using this information, sites will try to sell you selected things. This is especially true for online stores.
In addition, when you open a website your gender and approximate age can be determined. And in some cases, even a name and some personal information.
2. A VPN is needed to bypass locks. The technology allows you to bypass most of the locks in most countries of the world. People want to be able to use their favorite services.
There is nothing criminal about texting with friends on social networks. A VPN allows you to do this, bypassing regional locks on any particular network. Therefore, various VPN services have gained mass popularity, especially in recent years.
3. Thanks to VPNs, your personal information will be protected when using Wi-Fi in public places. The fact is that we become vulnerable by connecting to the network through open Wi-Fi somewhere in the park or a café. Here they can learn everything about us, literally up to bank passwords and personal messages.
The list of VPNs with a free trial period is here.
What is Private Internet Access?
Private Internet Access (PIA) is a VPN that encrypts all data passing between the user’s IP address and the server to which it is connected. The protection it provides to all its clients is very good and well-trusted.
Private Internet Access is superior to other similar VPNs in price, and it provides better than average performance. Also, it is available in several languages.
One of the features of this VPN that you might like (or worry about) is that it is based in the United States. This means that it is under the jurisdiction of various authorities in the country.
Even so, the VPN has a policy of no registration in users’ individual sessions and allows registration and payments to be made anonymously. It has over 3,000 servers in at least 40 different countries and cities.
Privacy and the main features of Private Internet Access
This VPN service offers customers several levels of information and personal data protection:
- IP masking
It is a standard feature that replaces the real IP address with one of the provider’s anonymous addresses. In other words, it will simply be impossible to track you online, as well as determine your real location.
- Data encryption
There are different ways to encrypt information. Many providers use standard and ineffective methods of hiding the valuable data of internet users. Private Internet Access installed encryption based on the most complex cryptographic algorithm, Blowfish CBC. Together with the OpenVPN protocol, it guarantees the most complex degree of data encoding today. In addition, well-known technologies are also used to increase privacy on the network: SOCKS5 and IPsec/L2TP, PPTP.
- Anonymous internet surfing
The VPN service provides anonymous visits to websites by hiding the user’s personal and publicly available information.
- Firewall
The service’s capabilities include blocking unwanted connections to your computer or mobile gadget. A server program is used that performs the functions of a firewall, which allows you to ensure maximum performance and optimal protection.
- Uncensored access to websites
The VPN service Private Internet Access provides unlimited access to blocked sites and content on the network. If, for example, a censorship ban is imposed on a resource in your country, then the connection is made through servers in other countries. The huge geographical coverage allows you to guarantee access to the desired network resources with 100% confidence.
The provider does not keep any traffic logs, supports P2P and VoIP protocols, provides a secure VPN account, and offers the possibility of simultaneous use on 5 devices.
Is there a working alternative to Private Internet Access?
Even though PIA is a good, private, and secure VPN, it still cannot provide 100% protection for users.
We’ve talked in more detail about the pros and cons of the VPN service here.
Therefore, many are looking for an alternative that would fully protect users from the threat of being compromised. For example, Utopia P2P is a decentralized ecosystem of a new generation, which belongs to the alt-tech movement. It provides private access to the internet.
It is a closed, anonymous platform where you do not need to enter personal data for registration. All users are anonymous. It does not monitor internet activity or store all data on a single server; instead, each user has a separate crypto container.
In addition, Utopia has all the necessary built-in tools for full-fledged online work: messaging, data transfer, browsing, gaming, mining, online payments, and much more.
The choice is indeed yours. Test the VPN and Utopia P2P and decide what is best for you!
