VPNs are a good idea, we had to use one to connect to work from home when I worked at the university. If you get one, make it paid. You don't know what you're getting if it's free. I'm going to review them one of these days, since Mozilla updates Firefox and sends me hints that I should use a VPN (and they offer a modestly priced one). I usually start by looking at CNet and ZDnet for reviews.

The trouble I have had in the past with VPN is that when I was travelling and used it to log onto my email, the email software blocked me because it didn't recognize the different IP address (VPN uses various addresses, and none of them are your home address). It was more bother than it was worth, it seemed. But I think we tempt fate the longer we don't put in something like that in this day and age. Rural or urban.