When was the last time you downloaded files over a peer-to-peer (P2P) network and felt safe? Regardless of the type of the content, you may have felt a sense of apprehension when you fired up your torrent client and downloaded those files into your system, knowing that your internet service provider (ISP) is monitoring your online activity. Or worse, the law enforcement.
While we all know that there is no limit in the type of content you can find and download from the internet today, it is wise to be safe than sorry when it comes to torrenting. And that involves safeguarding and preventing you as well as your internet connection from falling into the dark pits of cybercrime. You may have downloaded just a video for personal entertainment, but the law can sometimes categorically define it in a way like you had robbed a bank.
Such complex nature of copyright laws and the activities that they are imposed on makes it all the more important for internet users to get an extra layer of online security. And that extra layer is the humble virtual private network (VPN), the reliable and effective cousin of the beloved proxy servers.
A VPN is a system that encrypts your data (request for a video file) and routes it from a different server (London, for example) before decrypting and sending it to the destination (the P2P network). This way not only is your data safe but also is your location hidden.
Let’s get more clarity on how a VPN can help you with safe torrenting in this digital age.
Safe Torrenting with a VPN
Although it is more than four years since South Africa’s mighty but now-defunct anti-piracy watchdog, the Southern African Federation Against Copyright Theft (SAFACT), succeeding in catching and prosecuting its first prey, the fears surrounding torrenting in the country are still fresh. While the act in question was much more serious than the example that we gave above, it certainly highlights the need for a VPN in peer-to-peer networking.
Other than the susceptibility of virus and malware attacks, ‘raw’ and unsafe torrenting can also mean other things like accidental copyright theft, unlawful and public distribution of content, loss of personal data, and even identity theft.
But how exactly will a virtual private network help? Let’s find out.
The Benefits of Using a VPN for P2P
A virtual private network can have multiple applications depending upon the user’s requirements. For a user from China or Saudi Arabia, a VPN could mean bypassing location-based restrictions on certain websites. On the other hand, some people use it to go anonymous while browsing sites like Reddit and *.onion domains to avoid disclosure of IP addresses and the like.
A VPN facilitates various online activities, all of which depend on its prime features that provide a higher level of privacy and online security. Here are some of the most important of its features when it comes to torrenting:
- Server Routing – You can route your internet traffic through another server (another country, continent) while visiting P2P sites like The Pirate Bay. This will allow you to effectively hide your IP address and geolocation details
- Bypass Restrictions – You can access all active torrent sites by bypassing location-based restrictions that your ISP or government may have implemented
- Privacy – You can hide your original identity while interacting with fellow users
- Anonymity – Your ISP will never find out which websites you are visiting. However, it will know that you are using a VPN.
A virtual private network has enough bells that will convince any pragmatic user to take it up the next time they get on a P2P network to get their entertainment rush. In 2017, popular VPN provider NordVPN reported a worldwide VPN user growth of nearly 400%, which it attributed to increasing government regulations and news stories about them.
Add to that, we strongly believe that the ease of setting up a VPN, its plug-and-play nature, and high affordability have further made it a crowd favorite. Most users nowadays prefer to keep their VPN perennially connected so that all their browsing and torrenting activities always have that extra layer of security.
But how do you set it up? We could even say that it’s easier than torrenting itself.
Setting Up a VPN
In case you are new to the VPN setup, here is a basic rundown how it works with torrenting:
- Download and install the VPN application of your choice
- Switch ON the VPN before opening any torrent applications like BitTorrent or Deluge. Select the server of your choice (closest from your home location for better speed)
- Once the VPN is actively running, run your P2P client and proceed with the downloading.
You may consider premium versions of VPN to get more features like multihop technology, router support, and better speed. Although the final parameter is often a cause for concern for internet users who prefer high-speed internet, the trade-off still makes it a wise option.
Conclusion
As we move ahead in the 21st century in an online world that is getting hostile by the day, it makes sense to opt for additional feathers to cover our vulnerabilities. VPN is such a feather made possible by the same technology that necessitated it.
Moreover, SAFACT may now be inactive but it is always better to hide your information as much as possible when you are dealing with strangers and their files in a network that needs both seeders and leechers to stay active.
Read more about VPNs: https://vpnpro.com/
