Connecting to a virtual private network (VPN) is like having your own personal Internet connection no matter where you roam. Since the news has been splattered with stories of hackers getting the upper hand, you can never be too careful. There are lots of VPN options. Only some of those options are worth your time. If you find yourself away from your home connection often, one of these three VPN connections will soon become your best, and most secure, friend.

OkayFreedom (Free)

Aside from the fact that OkayFreedom is free (up to 500 MB per month), this VPN has a bunch of other attractive features. One such feature is the ability to change your IP address. Why is this such a great feature? Well, have you ever encountered a website that blocks content from your geographic location? With OkayFreedom, you can trick any server, so you can see everything you want to see. The other great thing about OkayFreedom is that Chrome and Firefox users don’t need to activate the service manually.

When OkayFreedom detects that a Firefox or Chrome user has accessed a restricted site, the program will automatically change IP addresses. This is a very useful feature, indeed. The basic premise behind OkayFreedom is to provide users with alternate IP addresses. If you travel a lot or want to hide your online activity from prying eyes, OkayFreedom is a great VPN to choose. On the downside, this program can be slightly tricky to install. OkayFreedom also includes two paid options.

ProXPN ($9.99/Month or Free Versions Available)

ProXPN offers one of the most secure VPN options. This program encrypts all data. When using ProXPN, user IP addresses are transferred to one of ProXPN’s IP addresses. The result of this transfer is that servers are confused, and tracking a user’s actual location or Internet activity becomes impossible. While other VPN’s don’t necessarily provide excellent security or data tracking coverage, ProXPN provides an exception to that rule. I recommend going with the Premium version of ProXPN, which will cost you $9.99 per month. There is a free version of this program available, but the Premium version provides much more security and overall allowance (such as choosing various ports).

Hotspot Shield Elite ($4.99/Month)

Hotspot Shield Elite is simple. Never underestimate the power of simple. This VPN comes with two basic settings that include “on” and “off.” Even simpler, you can tell whether the program is on or off just by looking at the Hotspot Shield Elite icon. When in “on” mode, all data is encrypted, no matter what you are doing online. Further, Hotspot warns users when a malicious website has been visited. This simple warning will let you know what sites are dangerous, and that’s nearly a priceless feature. The Hotspot installation procedure is really easy, the program couldn’t be user-friendlier, and this VPN really earns its reputation for being one of the best available. There is a free version of Hotspot Elite, but you will be bombarded by ads if you opt not to pay.

No matter which VPN you choose, all three of these options offer security from anyone who wants to track your online activity. As a bonus, using a VPN also means accessing any website no matter where you are in the world – now, that’s freedom!