Free Russian VPN – main pros and cons
Access to the Internet gives everyone plenty of possibilities. However, it's important to remember that the Internet remembers everything that you do online. Using the Russian Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps to take under control privacy and browse more anonymously and securely. Let’s dive in and find out how Russian VPN works and what you should know to choose the best option for you.
How does VPN in Russia protect user privacy and anonymity?
When you connect to the web without a VPN, your Internet service provider (ISP) gives you an IP address, provides a connection, and also can track all your online activity. But using a VPN changes everything. VPN creates an encrypted channel between your device and a VPN server, redirects all your data through the VPN server, and helps you to avoid surveillance by your ISP. Encryption protects your data and makes it hard to steal it. VPN servers hide your IP address and allow you to browse anonymously and securely.
Why might I want to hide my Russian IP address?
Internet Protocol or shortly IP is assigned to every single device while connecting to the Internet. An IP address is like a unique indicator that can be easily tracked. You see the results of this tracking when getting personalized ads, but it is not the worst thing that can happen. Here are some reasons why you might want to hide your Russian IP address:
To stop ISP's surveillance. Your ISP and websites might track and log your online activity. When you turn on a VPN, your ISP can’t see what you are doing online, what sites visit, and what information you search for. In this case, the websites also see the IP address of your VPN server. It makes it difficult for them to identify you, and build your user’s profile.
To hide information about your physical address. IP addresses reveal information not only about your country but can show more detailed data. The best way to mask this information is to hide your IP address behind another IP.
To protect your data from tracking by prying third party. Advertisers, marketers, and different third-party companies track and analyze Internet users’ data to know more about their browsing habits. If you don’t want to be an object of such studies, you need to hide your IP address.
How can I secure the Russian IP address?
Masking your IP address helps to protect yourself from surveillance. To reach this goal, you can choose from several options:
VPN. Probably the easiest and most effective way to hide your IP address. When you turn on the VPN your connection goes through the VPN server and your device is automatically assigned the IP address of this VPN server. Premium Russian VPN users can choose any server from a list of servers located all over the world. Also, they automatically get strong encryption and can be sure that their data is protected.
Proxy server. With a proxy, you can also hide your Russian IP address behind the IP address of a proxy server you use. But unlike a VPN, a proxy does not use encryption and all your online activity stays transparent and easy to monitor. Therefore proxy servers can be a reasonable solution to bypass geographical limitations and get access to blocked content, but they don’t provide trustworthy security and anonymity online.
Tor Browser. If you use this browser all requests from your device go through random servers placed worldwide. The path isn't the same every time. This guarantees strong IP protection but leads to two major disadvantages. First, it significantly slows down connection speed due to the longer path your data takes. Second, you need to deeply understand how Tor works and correctly set the settings to reach the desired configuration. Also, due to governmental restrictions, some ISPs in Russia are blocking the Tor main site. The company launched a website mirror, but no one can guarantee that it won't be blocked either.
How can I get a Russian IP address?
No matter why you want to have a Russian IP, the easiest way to get it is to turn on a VPN and connect to the Internet via a VPN server in Russia. It’s not a problem for premium VPN users, who can choose a VPN server from an extensive list of servers in different countries. After you connect to a Russian VPN server, your device is automatically assigned a Russian IP address in several seconds.
Are free VPNs in Russia really free?
Free Russian VPN service providers might promise trustworthy data protection, anonymity, and Internet freedom without any payment. But is it really free? It costs a lot of money to develop a VPN service, add advanced security features, open new and maintain old VPN server locations. And subscription is the main way to cover costs. If a company doesn’t charge users, it looks for other ways to make a profit. Selling the users’ data is one of the most popular methods for it. That’s why it’s more reasonable to stay away from free VPNs. A monthly subscription to your premium VPN guarantees strong encryption with modern VPN protocols, a complete no-logging policy, and a fast connection speed. All that you want to get from a VPN.
Does VPN protect my device from malware?
VPNs are developed to protect you from online tracking, spying, and logging. VPN in Russia is a must-have for everyone who wants to browse anonymously and securely. But VPNs don’t protect your device from viruses, trojans, or spyware. For this purpose, you have to use antivirus software.
Is it legal to use VPN in Russia?
Using VPN in Russia is legal, but the government successfully blocks some VPN services and restricts Internet freedom. Also, many premium VPN services stopped working in Russia due to problems with payment methods.
