An important part of our job here at VPN-accounts.com is providing VPN service to expats, those wonderful people who spend a great deal of time living and working in locales outside of their home country. We often field many questions from expats about the necessity and intricacies of using a VPN abroad, so we wanted to present this quick Internet Guide for Expats.

Why expats need a VPN

The first and foremost reason expats should be using a VPN is to preserve Internet access in multiple regions around the world. A reliable, unfiltered Internet connection is very important to expats. It serves as their link to news and information from home, allows them to use their social networks to communicate with friends and family rather than depending on a more expensive means of communication, and even provides the opportunity to share photos and other documents that may be work-related or of a personal nature. Internet access for expats is vital.

Unfortunately, in some areas of the world there are restrictions on what can and cannot be viewed online. In Muslim countries and the Arab region some social networks like Twitter may be blocked. Skype is also often targeted in these countries and blocked such as in Oman, preventing the expat from an inexpensive method of making calls or video chatting with relatives. In China and other eastern countries there may be extensive censorship of stateside news outlets and blogs. The bottom line is that unrestricted Internet access for expats has to be achieved by some alternative method and a VPN is the best of those.

Expats also benefit from the security enhancements that are afforded by a VPN via encryption. Expats spend a lot of time in hotels, airports, and Internet cafes and otherwise using unsecured networks. An expat’s device, whether it be a laptop, tablet, or phone can contain a lot of sensitive information. Personal info such as logins and passwords can be stored as well as contact lists and credit card and banking info. They also tend to retain a lot of business-related info and that may also be sensitive.

All of the information on a device is subject to being monitored when an expat uses an unsecured network. Browsing histories can be logged and retained. Spyware and malware can be delivered to a device. In short, failing to secure an Internet connection by encrypting data transfer is a bad risk that no smart expat will take. This is why you may want to be a cyberghost using a vpn.

How to use a VPN

An Internet Guide for Expats would not be complete without a few basic instructions on how a VPN is used properly. We’ll start at square one: purchasing VPN service.

Finding a reliable VPN provider is the first step for an expat, and it is a step that should be taken prior to departure for the host country. Some countries will block access to a VPN provider websites. It pays to put VPN service on the same checklist as a passport when it comes to things an expat will need overseas. It also bears to mention that many so-called “free” proxies are just a bad idea. They don’t always succeed in removing website blocks, are often blocked themselves, and have an unreliable connection speed. VPN is effective, affordable, and there is virtually no difference in connection speed.

The next thing for expats to know about using a VPN is that there is no software download required. Almost all Internet-ready devices today come with a built-in VPN client that only needs to be configured with the VPN network credentials in order to work properly. Once an expat orders their VPN from VPNaccounts.com we provide them all of the information they need to configure their VPN client and will even offer additional support via email if they need help getting things set up. The process is simple and takes mere minutes.

Once the VPN client has been configured for one or more of the server locations we provide, an expat only needs to establish a regular Internet connection and then connect to the VPN server of their choice. At that point they can take comfort in knowing that they are browsing the Internet securely and have reestablished their access to many blocked or restricted websites.

Summing up an Internet Guide for Expats

Here are some of the important points to take away from this brief expat VPN guide:

• Buy a VPN service before departing your home country
• Using a VPN can preserve your access to Skype, Twitter, news outlets and blogs that help maintain your connection to home. It also encrypts your data transfer to keep data safe.
• You do not need to install software to use our VPNs.
• Avoid proxies and “free” VPNs, especially the web-based ones that can sometimes also be blocked in a specific region and may also download harmful malware to your device.