As a website owner, I've learned quite a lot recently about hiding my IP address. Before, as your average Joe Internet browser, I never really put too much thought into it.  I just connected to the Internet whenever, wherever, and whatever security program came with the operating system my computer was running was good enough. It just so happened that I started a few websites a couple years ago, and doing a lot of monetary transactions online. It's only then that I started learning about changing my IP address with a VPN.

Most people don't know you can change your IP with various programs, and even fewer know how to change your IP address with a virtual private network (VPN). The actually IP changing part is easy - VPNs are not complicated. But understanding why is a bit of a mental jump.

You see, your IP address is attached to your computer, and there's a lot that you can tell about YOU by analyzing your IP address. Stuff like browsing history, which operating system you're using, email content, location, and more.  I can't tell you exactly how it's done, but the scary thing is that there are people that do - and you don't know to be a computer genius to find out. FREE and readily available software is available to help you trace other users on the same network as you.  By monitoring and filtering traffic over s shared network, you can steal passwords, login credentials, and other sensitive information. Heck, there's even a Firefox addon to help you do this!  Changing your IP address by using a VPN prevents this.

When you change your IP with a VPN you protect yourself on a couple levels.  For one, you borrow an IP address from another computer. This means that the activity of your computer is not traceable to you. This also means that you're nonexistent on your network.  This isn't much of an advantage if you're the only user on then network - ie, at home. But, if you're on a shared network at work or school, and especially in public places like airports or cafes, it can mean the difference between being an unsuspecting victim to identity theft, and a super ninja stealth master.  Using tunneling and encryption protocols of the VPN, you're also protecting yourself from head on attacks.  Most VPNs use 128 or more bit encryption, which means there's a 128 piece letter/number code that hackers have got to figure out to be able to hack in - that is, if they could access that encryption data though your VPN tunnel.  These virtual private network encryption protocols can protect you with over 2096 bits.

So this is why I change IP address with a VPN when I use the Internet. When I'm bored at home and need to get out to surf the net, sometimes I do banking or send emails over a public network.  Sometimes I need to log into my sites or even just my Facebook account.  Virtual private networks keep my data anonymous and protected.