In a world where almost everyone online is trying to pry into the other's business, a VPN is just what you need.

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, which is a secure pathway between two or more devices. It can be used for various reasons, ranging from keeping your online privacy secure, to being a disguise accessory that makes you appear to be in another country, opening up access to some blocked content in your actual location. It also gives you access to creating a secure connection to another network.

Here are 5 common ways you can use a VPN:

1. Access to blocked sites

A VPN gives you a new IP address, allowing you full access into blocked websites. Websites are blocked to you because you're not in a country that has a right to the content on it.

For example, HBO can only be accessed in the USA for now, but with the use of a VPN, you can access it from any location in the world just by connecting to a USA computer, leaving HBO thinking you are in the USA and unblocking the website.

Running into a blocked website can be very frustrating, especially when you have a deadline to meet up with, be it at work or school. With the use of a VPN, blocked websites become a thing of the past.

2. Online privacy and security

People love to be connected to the internet at every point in time. They basically live out their day to day activities on the internet, so every available Wi-Fi connection comes off as a blessing, be it at a coffee shop, airport, hotel lobby, etc.

The con to these free networks is that they may be giving out vital information to external bodies. A VPN however eliminates these risks.

3. Better connectivity

You may sometimes experience a slow connection due to a limitation in your bandwidth or poor internet routes but you can use your VPN to get better connectivity by connecting to a local VPN which further routes your traffic.

This measure furthers your bandwidth to a far destination which is similar to the bandwidth between you and the local VPN, leading to a faster and more stable internet connection.

4. Download files

Lots of people opt for downloading torrents because they are free, but the government and anti-piracy agents (DMCA) are against the file sharing community, and the reason for this isn't far-fetched.

A fine is imposed on whoever is caught in the act of sharing these files, or worst still, imprisonment. To avoid these punishments, people opt for VPN and it hides their IP address, thereby making a different location appear instead of the actual one.

With this, they download as many files as they want without any consequences whatsoever.

Using a VPN is a straightforward process. In fact, you don't need to be a tech guru to handle it. Just choose a suitable VPN, subscribe to the service and download their client.

After installation (procedure for this should be on the provider's website), open up the client to be sure it has been appropriately configured for your usage.

Once that's all done, turn it on and enjoy a safe and secure browsing.