Q: What exactly is a VPN, and why would the average person want one?

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Using one is like virtually “locking the doors” before you hit the digital highway.

Think of a VPN as a secure tunnel between your device and the internet. When you’re connected, your data travels through that protected tunnel — encrypted and unreadable to anyone who might be snooping on the same network. That includes hackers lurking on public Wi-Fi, your internet service provider or even an overreaching advertiser trying to build a profile on you.

Your device connects first to a VPN server (which could be anywhere in the cou

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