A Virtual Private Network (VPN) provides privacy, anonymity and security to users by creating a private network connection across a public network connection.
In general term, we can say that a VPN, or virtual private network, is an application that creates a secure connection between your device and the internet. A good VPN will encrypt your web traffic, hide your IP address, and protect your privacy and security online. Thus a Virtual Private Network (VPN) provides the ideal solution for extending private network services while maintaining security.
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What is a VPN?
A VPN is a privacy tool that secures your internet connection in order to protect your online privacy, anonymity, and security. VPNs mask your internet protocol (IP) address so your online actions are virtually untraceable. Most important, VPN services establish secure and encrypted connections to provide greater privacy than even a secured Wi-Fi hotspot.
True VPNs can be traced back to 1996 when Microsoft created a point-to-point tunneling protocol, also known as peer-to-peer tunneling protocol or PPTN. This was a method of creating a secure network between users by encrypting data and forming a tunnel over a LAN or WAN connection.
VPNs are now used for much more than just remote working. Almost a third of internet users worldwide now use a VPN to secure a range of online activities, such as streaming, gaming, and internet shopping.
What does a VPN work?
A VPN works by routing your device’s internet connection through your chosen VPN’s private server rather than your internet service provider (ISP), so that when your data is transmitted to the internet, it comes from the VPN rather than your computer.
The VPN acts as an intermediary of sorts as you connect to the internet, thereby hiding your IP address and protecting your identity. Furthermore, if your data is somehow intercepted, it will be unreadable until it reaches its final destination.
A VPN creates a private “tunnel” from your device to the internet and hides your vital data through something that is known as encryption.
A VPN performs two main functions:
1. Encrypts the data that travels to and from your device:
VPN services use encryption to generate a secure tunnel between your device and a remote VPN server. Your data travels through this tunnel and is then forwarded onto your requested website or application.
The encrypted tunnel prevents internet service providers (ISPs), governments, and attackers from spying on your online activity.
2. Connects to a VPN server and hides your IP address:
An IP (Internet Protocol) address is the unique identifying number given to every individual internet connection. Your physical location and everything you do online is linked to it.
With a VPN, you can hide your IP address from the websites you visit. Instead of seeing your true IP address, websites see the IP address of the VPN server that your connection is being routed through.
Why to use VPN (Virtual Private Network)?
- Uses the public Internet to create an economical, isolated, and secure private network
- Remote access to internal services increases mobile workforce productivity
- Reduces security risk by preventing unauthorized access to specific network resources
- Encryption ensures privacy on un-trusted Wi-Fi and other public access networks
- Extends centralized unified threat management to remote networks
Why do you need a VPN service?
Surfing the web or transacting on an unsecured Wi-Fi network means you could be exposing your private information and browsing habits. That’s why a virtual private network, better known as a VPN, should be a must for anyone concerned about their online security and privacy.
A VPN allows you to protect your privacy, browse safely on public WiFi, access blocked content, and hide your online activity from onlookers. This graph lists the most common reasons people give for using a VPN:
Here are some of the most important reasons why you need a VPN service:
1. Avoid Surveillance:
With a VPN, your internet traffic is encrypted as it travels from your device to the private server. This makes it much harder for governments, intelligence agencies, and ISPs to spy on your online activity. Unless they know how to decrypt it, the data they collect on you will be very difficult to interpret.
2. Bypass Internet Censorship:
National authorities around the world censor online activity by preventing citizens from accessing certain websites. By encrypting your traffic and masking your IP address, a good VPN for censorship will hide your true identity and true location from systems. You can then bypass website blocks and access content that is censored in your region.
3. Stay Safe on Public WiFi:
Exploiting public WiFi networks to gather data is simple and incredibly cheap. Criminals can take advantage of open and un-encrypted networks to steal important data like your bank details, credit cards, photos, and other personal information.
A VPN can be used to protect yourself from this kind of threat. It will encrypt your internet traffic and make it much harder for hackers to intercept and steal your data. For this reason, a reliable VPN is invaluable if you travel frequently and regularly use open WiFi networks.
Ultimately, why people use a VPN is to have greater anonymity online. In a day and age where revelations of public data being used in shady ways have become a daily occurrence, keeping private information private is more vital than ever.
Key considerations before choosing a VPN:
Hopefully, you now have a better idea of how a VPN works. Here is a checklist of things to look out for before you choose a VPN:
- Is it free or paid? – When it comes to a secure, speedy service, it really is worth it to pay for a VPN. Many free VPNs tend to offer only the PPTP protocol which, isn’t very effective these days. They have fewer server locations and less bandwidth to offer. Very often with these free options your data is tracked and sold to third-party businesses. Paid VPN options more often than not have more powerful security protocols on offer than their free counterparts. A good paid VPN should have more server locations and more bandwidth, providing you with a faster service. They will also have customer support on hand if you run into any issues.
- Are VPNs legal in your jurisdiction?
- Where is the VPN server located?
- Does the company log your activity?
- Does it protect your whole device or is it just an add-on?
- What are the protocols of the VPN’s encryption mechanism?
- The number of servers and amount of bandwidth a VPN service has – if both are low it could make for a very slow web-surfing experience.
Is a VPN Worth It?
Absolutely. A good VPN is as a worthy investment into your security, privacy, and freedom. It prevents costly data loss, opens up your browsing capabilities, and protects your right to privacy.
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