It's time to start protecting data online—and this VPN can help

Internet security is like car insurance: by the time you actually realize you need it, it's usually too late. (Ask our college-aged selves about that time we skipped a few payments and then accidentally rear-ended an ice-cream truck.)

While there are lots of ways to protect yourself online, a good place to start is with a VPN.

A VPN, or virtual private network, routes your internet traffic through a remote, private server. Think of it like driving down a public highway, but in your own private tube. Using a VPN makes your connection more secure, and protects you from hackers, advertisers, and anyone else who might be interested in your data. (It can also let you dodge geo-location restrictions, which means you might be able to watch more of your favorite TV while you're on the road.)

A great VPN to start with is Windscribe. After you've downloaded the Windscribe browser extension, it runs constantly in the background of your device, so you never have to go into the settings menu and fumble with the options. Unlike most VPNs, Windscribe also blocks ad beacons and trackers from your everyday browsing. (In other words, you’ll no longer see the same weirdly specific ad on every website you visit.)

Windscribe works on all of your Macs and PCs simultaneously and doesn’t keep any log of your activity. You can even torrent and share files without worrying that your ISP will find out.

A three-year professional subscription to Windscribe normally costs $324, but you can get it for just $22.49, a savings of 93 percent. Buy it here.

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