What is a VPN?

What is a VPN?

The term VPN simply means Virtual Private Network. It is a means by which we can establish a protected network connection when using public networks such as open public wifi. It is possible to hide the details of your personal data and internet traffic in real-time. A VPN prevents hackers from tracking or stealing your personal data online. Today, VPN connections are also available for smartphones and mobile devices. But, the protection provided is mainly for your data traffic on the internet because the VPN connection does not protect you from computer viruses, worms, ransomware, trojans etc. It is therefore advisable to use trusted anti-virus software for maximum security.

Usually, your internet service provider (ISP) sets up your connection when you connect to the internet and tracks your activities through your IP address and can log and display your online activities.?Some ISPs are not trustworthy and may share your browsing activities with third parties such as the police, government, and advertisers. Moreso, if your ISP gets hacked, all your personal data can be compromised. Security breaches are common when people connect to public Wi-Fi networks because hackers are on the lookout to steal passwords, payment information, personal data or even personal identity.

How does a VPN work?

A VPN encrypts data and establishes a secure connection between you and the public internet. This is done by passing all your data traffic through an encrypted virtual tunnel. When this happens,?your IP address is masked whenever you surf the internet. This also hides your location from the public. A VPN connection is secure against external attacks because only you can access the data in the encrypted tunnel. Some countries have restricted content, but a VPN allows you to access from anywhere in the world. A VPN functions just like a filter that changes all your data into gibberish. Even if a hacker were to access your data, it would be worthless. VPN can be installed on a computer by several methods:

1. Browser extensions - These days, it is possible to add VPN extensions to most web browsers such as Opera, Firefox and Google Chrome. These VPN extensions make it easier for users to quickly switch and configure their VPN while browsing the internet. VPN connections in browser extensions are only valid for information shared in the browser. Data cannot be encrypted by the VPN extensions for outside the browser and other (non-VPN extension) browsers.

2. Router VPN - A router VPN prevents your network from being compromised, provides security and privacy, and is usually easy to install. It is commonly used when multiple devices are connected to the same internet connection. In certain conditions, it may be easier to install a VPN directly on the router than separately on each device. It may be more difficult to manage if such a router does not have its own user interface because it can actually block incoming connections.

3. VPN client - This VPN software is usually installed for standalone VPN clients and configured to meet the requirements of the endpoint. The endpoint creates the VPN link and connects to the other endpoint, creating the encryption tunnel. In corporate entities, this usually requires the installation of an appropriate certificate or a password issued by the company. By using a certificate or a password, the firewall will establish that this is an authorized connection. The employee will then be able to identify him/herself by means of credentials only known to him/her.

4. Company VPN - This is a solution that is usually created for you by the company's IT team and requires technical support and a personalized setup. The users' browsing history and data transfers are logged by the company and users usually do not have administrative privileges over the VPN itself. Company VPN provides a secure connection to the company's server and intranet, for anyone including employees who work outside the company.

Why would you use it?

1. Access to regional content - Some regions do not allow access to web content. For example, countries like China or Pakistan block certain types of video content. Standard internet connections use local servers in the country to determine your location. Therefore, your access to such services can be blocked because of your location. But, with VPN location spoofing, you can switch to a server in a different country and effectively “change” your location.

2. Secure data transfer - These days, it is common for people to work from home. This is usually possible because they can access their company’s network from home. To gain secure access to the business network, a VPN connection is often involved. VPN services connect to private servers and use a variety of encryption methods to reduce the risk of data leakage.

3. For secure connections - A VPN connection hides your data traffic online and protects it from external access. Cybercriminals and hackers cannot decipher encrypted data without an encryption key. A secure VPN connection can ensure that your online activities are hidden even on public networks.

4. Disguising your location - You can disguise your actual location because VPN servers act as your proxies on the internet and the demographic location data comes from a server in a different country. VPN services usually do not store logs of your online activities.?

What should a good VPN do?

1. Two-factor authentication: A good VPN should be able to use a variety of authentication methods to check anyone who attempts to log in. Such authentication makes it difficult for uninvited third parties to access a secure connection.

2. IP address encryption: The main function of a VPN is to hide your IP address from your ISP and?third parties. This makes it possible to send and receive information without the risk of exposure to intruders.

3. Kill switch: A good VPN should be able to reduce the possibility of data breaches by detecting any sudden downtime and terminate preselected programs.

4. The encryption of protocols: A good VPN should prevent users from leaving traces such as cookies, search history and?internet history. Cookies on websites prevent third parties from gaining access to confidential information such as financial information, and personal data.

What kind of VPNs are there?

There are three main types of VPNs:

1. Site-to-site VPN - A site-to-site VPN is basically a private network that is designed to hide private intranets and simultaneously allow users of the same private intranets to access each other's resources securely. It is commonly used in large companies. Site-to-site VPNs are useful for companies with multiple locations. Each location has its own local area network (LAN) connected to the WAN (Wide Area Network). They are also useful where there are two separate intranets between which you want to send files without users from one intranet explicitly accessing the other. They are complex and do not offer the same flexibility as SSL VPNs. But, they are the most effective way to ensure communication within and between large departments.

2. SSL VPN - Many businesses were forced to adopt cloud technology during the 2020 global lockdown. Employees had to work from home. It was common to perform office work on mobile devices such as laptops, tablets, mobile phones or PCs. SSL-VPN technology made it possible for this to happen by using a HTML-5-capable browser to call up the company's secure login page. Secure access to the company's network is protected by using a valid corporate username and password.

3. Client-to-Server VPN - This type of VPN enables employees connect to their company network from their home office via a secure connection and work as though if they were right in the office. But first, a VPN client must?be installed and configured on the work device (laptop/smartphone). It establishes a direct connection through the employee's VPN provider which shortens the tunnel phase of the VPN journey. Instead of using the VPN to create an encryption tunnel to hide the existing internet connection, the VPN can automatically encrypt the data before it is made available to the user. It provides greater efficiency and universal access to a company's network and resources. It prevents third parties from accessing and/or breaching the network connection and encrypts data all the way to the provider. It also prevents ISPs from accessing any unencrypted data and bypasses any country restrictions on the user's internet access.