A VPN protects your data by encrypting it in addition to disguising your IP address. Encryption, in simple terms, is the conversion of data from plain text that anybody can read to a cipher that can only be read by authorized users.

Encryption does not protect your data from being intercepted by hackers. Instead, it obliterates your data. To encrypt your data, a free vpn services uses protocols – PPTP, L2TP, OpenVPN, SSTP, and IKEv2. While these are quite technical, you should be aware of the following:

– OpenVPN is the current golden standard for all privacy wonks out there.

– Avoid PPTP at all costs.

– L2TP IPSec is not recommended for use on mobile devices.