Hello Fellow Technophiles,
I am writing this week’s Tech Tails from the great state of Ohio (Go Buckeyes!). For better or for worse, it is easier than ever to stay connected wherever you go. I read and answered a number of emails from my iPhone today and I am composing this on my MacBook Pro. Thanks to VPN (Virtual Private Network) all of the resources that are available to me when I am in the office are available anywhere I have an internet connection.
While connecting to a corporate network is probably the most familiar use of VPN, it has other uses as well. Because your computer looks like it is in the location where the VPN service originates, it can be used to mask your actual location. This can be used for good (such as political activists circumventing national firewalls), for less noble reasons (such as streaming media that is restricted from your country) or even outright illegal activity (I will not give you any ideas here!).
Every Mac and iOS device has a built-in VPN client which allows you to connect to VPN services. With the Apple Server app you can turn any Mac into a VPN server and connect back to your own network securely from anywhere. As an Apple Certified Technical Coordinator, I can assist you with setting this up; just send me an email at the address below for more information and a quote.
Happy Thanksgiving!