In this era of internet privacy (or lack thereof), much ado has been made about a little something called a virtual private network, or VPN. But what is it, exactly?

In a nutshell, a VPN is a service that creates a private, secure internet connection between your computer and a server, which reroutes (and thus conceals) your online activities. It works sort of like "an anonymous middleman that does your browsing for you," as Mashable's Monica Chin put it last year.

SEE ALSO: Best VPNs to help keep you anonymous on the internet

VPNs are gaining traction among individual internet-goers for a few really good reasons: Not only can they hide your browsing behavior on public networks, protecting your data from the prying eyes of hackers, but they tweak your IP address so that you can access restricted and censored content, no matter where you are. (This can come in *very* handy if you travel a lot or work remotely.) Read more...

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