While you might take a slight network performance hit from running a VPN, there are benefits beyond the security improvements. All the traffic between point A and point B is incomprehensible to any other computers on those network segments, and assuming your VPN client is set up to route all your traffic through the remote server, you're protected from prying eyes at the next Starbucks table. The 'virtual private' part of VPN means that when you launch a VPN client, your computer is setting up an end-to-end encrypted connection with another computer someplace else, so you can access resources on that computer's remote network (printers, servers and such). VPNs protect against Firesheep and other eavesdropping as a side effect of their original intended purpose: creating a secure 'tunnel' between corporate or institutional networks and machines on outside networks like the Internet. Last year, the Firesheep extension for Firefox demonstrated quite convincingly that on 'open' WiFi networks, even a secure web login might not be secure if the site drops the SSL encryption after the login process is done. While many websites guard against snoopers by digitally protecting the login process with SSL encryption (that's the 'S' in indicating that the conversation between you and the remote site is protected), even that may not be enough to cover the bases. Normally, when you connect your computer to an unfamiliar network (wired or wireless), all your traffic back and forth is readily visible to anyone sitting on the same network segment in the case of a public hotspot in a coffee shop, library or hotel, you might be sharing way more than you mean to. The principles of a VPN are pretty straightforward. This week, the company launched an iOS app that streamlines the connection process and adds bandwidth-saving compression on top of that, with a modest $9.99 yearly fee. VPNs have been a mainstay of distributed corporate workforces for years, but recently they've gained traction with everyday folk as well.

If you're a security-conscious web surfer - or an international traveler who likes to maintain access to US-based video streaming or voice services - you may already be one of the millions of users of AnchorFree's Hotspot Shield, one of the leading consumer virtual private network (VPN) services.

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