The fight for net neutrality has been an arduous one ever since the FCC voted to repeal a set of Obama-era regulations that protected against data throttling and blocking by ISPs back in December of last year. The fight's heating up, especially now that the Internet Association (which represents significant web players including Google, Facebook, and Amazon), filed to intervene in an ongoing lawsuit against the FCC challenging this repeal.
While this signals some degree of hope for the future of net neutrality, nothing is certain, which is why as web-faring users, we should take it upon ourselves to ensure our browsing movements stay unhindered and private. To this end, VPNs have surged in popularity as they allow users to encrypt their browsing activity and surf the web hassle-free.
For the unaware, a VPN, or virtual private network, is a tool that produces a secure channel for you to browse the Internet safely. Picture it like a private room that you can do everything you'd typically do, like pay bills, answer emails, and shop, but you and everything you touch is invisible while you're doing it. In this way, VPNs allow you to sidestep the prying eyes of your ISP while still staying connected to the Web.
VPNs are particularly useful for those who often travel or find themselves commonly connecting to public hotspots. While convenient, these unsecured networks are prime hunting grounds for hackers, and if you find yourself sharing the same digital space as them, your personal information, like banking info and passwords, can become compromised.
Of course, with net neutrality being a hot topic and hackers launching more sophisticated attacks, VPN solutions have flooded the market, and they're not all created equal. NordVPN, however, is a solution worth highlighting, and its trove of features may very well make it the last VPN you'll ever need.
Top-tier encryption
Rated 5/5 by PC Mag, TrustPilot, CNET, and PCWorld, NordVPN has made a name for itself in the industry as one of the most comprehensive VPNs out there. With NordVPN, all of your browsing information is funneled through the software's double encrypted tunnels, boasting double data SSL-based 2048-bit encryption. You can get online access across the globe with more than 3,500 worldwide server locations in 61 different countries, and you can tap into them on up to six devices simultaneously, handy for those with extensive collections of devices.
High-speed connections
One major complaint of most VPNs is that they hinder browsing speed in exchange for keeping your movements under wraps. NordVPN, however, grants you unbridled access to high-speed connections that are ideal for streaming video content and can even let you do so in locations that impose geo-restrictions on streaming services, like Netflix and Hulu.
No trace left behind
Nord VPN also lets you use secret notes that auto-destroy as well as an encrypted chat function, so you can communicate without worrying about leaving a trail. What's more, in the event you lose connection to NordVPN, the software automatically shuts down your browsing, closing any windows of opportunity hackers might have to steal your information.
The fight for net neutrality is far from over, but with NordVPN's comprehensive protection and liberating features, you can still experience the Web unhindered and free from the meddling of your ISP and the government. A two-year subscription to NordVPN would generally run you $286, but you can sign up today at a 75 percent discount, lowering the final price to $69.