Virtual private networks (VPNs) have many uses. When connected to a VPN service, the websites you access think you’re at the location where the VPN server is located. This can help anonymize your Internet traffic so it’s much harder for websites to track your personal browsing history, or for attackers to sniff your data on public Wi-Fi hotspots. This also allows you to access content that’s restricted where you are currently located, such as Netflix or Hulu when traveling overseas.
We evaluated seven third-party VPN services.
