How to Get Portugal VPN with Local Servers

By Advertiser,
in Business ·
12-06-2020 16:12:00 · 0 Comments

Signing on from a home computer in Lisbon, Ohio, and web surfing through an encrypted connection to Lisbon, Portugal, is easy. You do it through a secure virtual private network (VPN) provider.

Using a VPN on a Portugal VPN server is legal and safe. Portugal is a member of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity. Its controlling agency is Portugal’s National Cyber Security Centre, whose mission is “to contribute to the free, reliable and secure use of the cyberspace” in that country.

Portugal has stiff penalties for cybercrime ranging from imprisonment to stiff fines for perpetrators. Portugal also requires its business and infrastructure organizations to “have in place technical and organizational measures to ensure the security of networks and information systems.”

Why Use a VPN?

A browser is a pathway into the wild, with inherent privacy vulnerabilities. Browsing without a VPN—i.e., unprotected and in the open--allows the internet service provider to:

• monitor, record, and sell the user’s browsing activity to marketers
• broadcast the user’s location to anyone tracking or surveilling web activity
• compromise online security through unsecure and poisoned links, viruses, and bots

Worse, when logging into an unprotected public network, the user is vulnerable to surveillance, hackers, and so-called man-in-the-middle attacks. This occurs when a third party gets between the unprotected user and the server.

The attacker can use detection technology and employ subterfuges like employing realistic-looking fake websites and apps with the goal of gaining user credentials and passwords. The interference can be live or through planting malware on the victim’s device for later exploitation.

So, think of VPN as a mobile shield, which hides the user’s IP address and displays another location—in Portugal, for example. It adds encryption to the mix, where, even if intercepted, the hacker sees only indecipherable gibberish.

A VPN is not a Substitute for Other Online Security Measures

VPNs, even with premium services, do not offer absolute protection against cyber-attacks. For example, a user could still be duped into downloading cleverly concealed malware after visiting an insecure website.

VPNs also cannot prevent someone falling for a phishing scam that tricks the user into providing login credentials to a personal financial account, for example. User awareness, deploying self-updating anti-malware/virus programs, and a solid password strategy are the best ways to stay safe online. The VPN is part of the mix and strategy to make the user even more secure online.

What a VPN Does

VPNs provide an encrypted tunnel

A VPN secures web browsing by means of a virtual “tunnel” with encryption. As the user connects through the VPN tunnel, the activity is encrypted and safe from prying eyes.

The term “virtual” in virtual private network denotes the software controls and tunneling that make up the end-to-end connection. Those controls are in lieu of using dedicated lines and hardware. The so-called “tunneling” is the movement of the encrypted data packet within yet another packet.

The VPN shows the user’s IP (internet provider) address as the VPN server the user logged into—Portugal, for example. When the VPN connects the user to a destination site, the data transmitted between the user and the site/network is likewise encrypted. So, when the user logs into the public web, provided the website address begins with “HTTPS,” security and anonymity are guaranteed.

Even if the site is not secure, hackers still have a far greater difficulty tracing the user, because of the aforementioned location and IP masking. Likewise, a VPN does not guarantee tracking immunity from government agencies with the capabilities of the NSA, for example. However, the increased use of VPNs and proliferation of secure web sites have made government surveillance more difficult.

VPNs bypass geo-blocking

Some country copyright restrictions require online entertainment services like Netflix to restrict access to local users only. The best premium VPN providers like can defeat VPN blockers by hopping from location to location to show server addresses not currently blocked.

Likewise, some governments use geo-blocking to censor websites they prefer their citizens not to visit. A VPN is one guarantor of the founding principle of the internet: free and open access.

VPNs thwart unfair pricing practices

Online shopping services often post variations in product prices based on the shopper’s geographic location. Price differentials can be over 150%, especially for shoppers who log in from more affluent areas. Some online services, for example, have been known to detect Mac computer users, who are typically more affluent, and refer them to higher-priced venues.

Other practices supported by geo-blocking include preventing a prospective buyer from completing an online order. Or the vendor might block shipment to a foreign address. Another practice is to divert the buyer to sites where higher prices are based on the user’s login location.

The aforementioned variable pricing practices are also used by airlines, ticketing companies, hotels, and automobile rental agencies. For example, a traveler could see different ticket prices for the same trip, depending on the login portal detected by the ticketing service.

Finally, there is the unfair (but legal) practice of “price steering.” This is where shopping websites look at the shopper’s online search history and personalize their prices accordingly. Then they direct the user to sites displaying higher prices for products available elsewhere at lower prices.

The Advantages of a Premium “No-Logs” VPN

Free VPNs are not the best option

There are many free VPN services. Rather than charging users a subscription fee, free VPN services engage in revenue-raising practices that actually exploit their users—and in some cases make them less secure. For example, free VPNs:

• monitor users’ online activity: The main purpose of a VPN is to avoid detection. However, some free VPN services are essentially a bait-and-switch operation offering security but resulting in user monitoring. The free service pays its way through harvesting that user activity and selling it to marketers.
• slow the user’s internet connection: Users subscribing to a free VPN service often must defer to paying customers when competing for service bandwidth. Also, when VPNs are supported by advertising, ad popups loading in the background interfere with browser performance and speed. They also provide a less than optimum surfing experience as the screen constantly changes position when loading the ads.
• open a secondary target of opportunity for hackers: Surveys have shown that free VPNs are consistently more prone to carry malware than premium offerings. Online ads are especially susceptible vectors for viruses, trojans, and bots.

Premium VPNs like are the best choice

For a monthly low cost, a VPN service like Surfshark, will provide the following benefits and advantages:

• A “no-logs” policy. The user is never tracked online because the premium VPN maintains no activity logs for any user.
• A 256-bit encryption standard, which is the best in its class.
• Protection from data leakage. Surfshark, for example, employs a “kill switch,” which closes the user’s connection if the VPN server goes off line.
• Effectively bypassing geo-blocking. As mentioned previously, users can log on to overseas entertainment streaming services, which routinely block free VPN proxies.

Bitcoin mining and trading need VPN for extra security

A VPN provides an additional level security for cryptocurrency transactions. Blockchain technology is a secure ledger for bitcoin transactions, but its encrypted access keys can be stolen through phishing, fraud or malware intruders.

Once the bitcoin has been moved from a user’s account, it cannot be recovered. A VPN adds the additional layer of anonymity to conceal the owner’s activity and hide the connection.

A VPN-Equipped Router can safeguard the Internet of Things (IoT)

Besides computers and smartphones, there are many other devices and appliances connected and controlled on the internet. IoT connections are filtered through the home router, and that single router can be a gateway for hackers.

You can set up a VPN on a router to protect each device, while requiring no additional device settings. However, the process could require installing a new VPN-compatible router.

Summary and Conclusions

Portugal is an internet-friendly country. Log in to a Portugal VPN with a premium VPN service like Surfshark for the best online privacy and anonymity.

A premium VPN provides a secure, encrypted connection to conceal and mask the user’s ISP address. The “no-logs” policy of a premium VPN means that user activity is never recorded and cannot be detected by the ISP or any other intruder.

Use a premium VPN in public Wi-Fi locations to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. Unblock entertainment streaming sites like overseas Netflix services and defeat government net censorship with a premium VPN.

Free VPN services are not the best choice. They monitor and collect user data and often inject adware. They can also be the source for virus-infected advertising.

Use a premium VPN to get better prices from airlines and other online services. Bypass unfair pricing practices by changing your IP address through a VPN.

A VPN will also provide an additional layer or security for Bitcoin transactions. Set up a VPN on a home router to protect every device fed off the router.

Finally, when choosing a VPN, the best services are the low-cost premium services, which provide the best security, privacy, and data-leakage prevention. Surfshark also provides extra features that block intrusive ads, malware, and phishing attempts.

Comments are closed.