As you have clicked on this article after looking at the title, you must be wondering to know what a VPN is and how it works.
In this article, I have covered some of the most helpful information about VPNs, including what it is, how it works, and their advantages and disadvantages.
So, let’s dive into the article’s depth to know more about the usefulness of a VPN.
What is a VPN?
When it comes to privacy and security, a VPN has a lot to offer you after its development by Microsoft in 1996 to help its remote employees ensure the safety of the company’s internal network.
The VPN or Virtual Assitant Network provides your internet privacy while browsing. Encrypting your connection, it will help you hide your information while shopping, banking, and surfing online.
And thus, it will keep you stay private online. In addition, it establishes an encrypted, secure connection and lets you disguise yourself online when using a public network.
Thus, it assures you more security by tracking you, and for third parties more difficult to find you. Plus, it helps you use the internet with more protocol by creating a private network from a public internet connection which is astonishing if you want to keep yourself safe from all types of third-party interruption.
Besides, a VPN develops a tunnel that locks up your online activities, including the files you download and links you click, so that business owners, government agencies, cybercriminals, or others do not have access to it.
So, let’s go down to learn more about it;
How does VPN work?
The VPN keeps your IP address secret by redirecting the network with the help of a configured remote server run by a VPN host. Plus, the third parties and the Internet Service Provider (ISP) do not know which websites you are using or what sort of data you are sending or receiving.
That means the VPN server becomes your information source when you browse online using a it. Therefore, the VPN becomes the protector of your data. So, if anybody wants to track your activities online, it will be his useless job for 100% sure.
What does a VPN do, or what is VPN used for?
As you rely on a VPN, you can expect some comprehensive solutions and benefits from a good VPN.
let’s dive into the list below;
Two-factor authentication
A strong VPN makes it difficult for everyone who tries to log in using all the authentication methods.
Encryption of your IP address
One of the primary jobs of a better VPN is to hide your IP address from your ISP and others. Besides, it allows you to send and receive files without considering the risk of any data leakage.
And thus, it assists you in being more anonymous on the internet.
Encryption of protocols
A good VPN assists you in keeping safe your confidential data, like; financial information, personal data, etc., from criminals and hackers. Plus, the government or any other third parties may want to have your data.
But, if you use a VPN, it lets you wear a mask on the internet world and thus keeps you protected from them.
Different types of VPN
Though several VPNs are available online, you should know some of them. But, I want to split them into three main categories: extranet-based site-to-site, remote access, and internet-based site-to-site.
Large companies often use site-to-site VPNs for corporate purposes, but personal users like to use and access them. Below I have given more details about them.
SSL VPN
Most employees cannot access their company’s laptops to work from home. Therefore, the corona pushes the company owners to offer access to the company laptop to work with their laptops, computers, or other devices from home.
In these cases, companies are taking from the SSL VPN solution, which is usually implemented with a corresponding hardware box.
In addition, an HTML-5 cable is a prerequisite for calling up the company’s login page, and the access is protected with a password and username.
Site-to site VPN
It is a private network that allows you to secrete your internet and let you use a secure network to access each other resources. If you have employees from multiple locations, it will work tremendously for your company’s security. Plus, it will help you to send your file to another user.
Site-to-site VPNs are a bit complex to implement that do not let you have flexibility like SSL VPNs. That is why only large companies are interested in using them. But, this type of VPN offers you the most effective method to ensure security within the company.
Client-to-server VPN
You can connect your PC via a VPN client to your company with an extension cord. Plus, you can communicate with others in the company and feel like you are working in the office.
But on the other hand, it will ensure the user does not use his ISP.
Therefore, it is used by many companies worldwide for its universal features. For instance, the company’s customers can not guess whether the employee is in the office or not while he is providing customer service.
Why Should you Use a Good VPN?
As your network traffic is routed via ISP’s servers and can display or log everything you do online, you need to be careful about that. Plus, your ISP can track your activities with the help of an IP address.
You may think that your ISP may be trustworthy, but they may share your data with advertising companies, the government, or other third parties. Plus, ISPs may be victimized by cybercriminals, and your data will be shipped to them if it does.
This mostly happens while using the public internet because you never know who will leak your information. They can steal your data, password, payment information, etc.
Benefits of Using VPN or VPN used for
A VPN can assist you in protecting your data online from external people. So, it can restrict web browsers, software, and people from getting access to your connection if you use a VPN.
So, let’s look at the benefits you can get from it.
Secure encryption
Hackers need to have the encryption key to read your data, and without it, nobody can have access to your data. If anybody tries to get your data without it, he can spend millions of years but will not be successful.
Therefore, you can keep your activities hidden even using a public network.
In addition, if anybody knows your IP address, he can get to know about your searches on the internet.
And it lets you keep secret your search history since VPN does not use your IP address while surfing.
Disguise your location
If you use the VPN, your actual location will be hidden, and it will show another country’s location that is not actual. In addition, most VPN service providers do not collect your data or activities.
Although some companies collect your data, they do not share it with any third parties. So, your potential data remains safe permanently.
Access to your regional content
Some websites and services do not allow us to see them from everywhere in the world. But, if you use a VPN, you can have access to any website worldwide by changing your country’s location.
Thus, you can be more accessible using a VPN. For example, if you live in the USA and want to get information from China, it may be secured by the government of China so that no Americans can log in.
But, if you use a it, you can log in there, changing your IP address. Plus, it helps you protect your computer, tablet, mobile, and other devices from cybercriminals’ attacks.
Secure a data transfer
You may need to get access to some essential files of your company if you are working from home (remote). Most of the time, companies keep their files in a secure internet connection, and this time you can have access using a VPN only.
Moreover, a VPN service lets you connect to a private server using the encrypting method to decrease the risk of data leakage.
Disadvantage of VPN
Though the disadvantages are covered with the advantages of the VPN, we may need to know them a bit. The first disadvantage of a VPN is that it will sometimes narrow your internet browsing.
Plus, it may slow down your internet because your data needs to be sent through a VPN server, which takes time. For this reason, some users do not like to use VPNs.
Conclusion
VPN can only provide a secure connection between you and the internet you use. So, nobody can access the data you search for, send, or receive.
Plus, it keeps you secure from all types of external attacks, and you can reach regionally restricted content.
So, it is better to use a it while browsing the internet to ensure your safety and your company as well.
Many types of VPNs are available, and you can choose according to your need. I hope this will help you!