What is a VPN and what is it used for?
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a tool that creates a secure ‘tunnel’ between two points on the network to protect the data flowing through it. It is used to:
- Protect privacy and security when connecting to the internet, especially on public networks.
- Allow remote access to private networks (offices, company intranets) without being physically there.
How do these types of networks work?
An encrypted tunnel is established between two ends, providing an additional layer of security. This tunnel prevents third parties from seeing the information being transmitted.
There are different modalities depending on who the endpoints are: complete networks, individual users, nodes connected to each other.
What are the advantages of using them?
Additional layer of encryption to protect what you send/receive.
What are the most common uses?
- Teleworking: connecting from home or outside the office to corporate resources.
- Privacy when browsing the Internet, especially on unsecured networks (cafés, airports, etc.) so that others cannot ‘listen in’ on what you are doing.
- Accessing geographically restricted content.
- Personal or home VPN to connect to your home network or reduce your dependence on commercial services.
What different types of VPNs are there?
- Site-to-Site (S2S): connects two complete networks, for example, one office network to another office or home.
- Point-to-Site (P2S): a remote user connects to a private network.
- Mesh (or P2P/peer-to-peer): each device/node can connect directly to the others, without the need for a strong central server (except to coordinate interactions and keys).
What do VPN connections mean in terms of security and privacy?
They improve privacy in the sense that they hide your real IP address, encrypt your data in transit, and make it more difficult for third parties (public Wi-Fi, ISPs, snoopers) to track your movements.
They are not a panacea: they do not automatically protect you from malware, phishing, or other attacks if you visit malicious sites or install dubious apps.
It matters a great deal who controls the VPN: provider, privacy policies, legal jurisdiction. They could be logging your activity, selling data, etc.
Are free VPNs risky?
- If it’s free, it’s likely that ‘you are the product’: the provider can monetise in other ways — advertising, data collection and sale.
- ‘No-log’ policies may not be enforced, or may be vague or misleading.
- Risk of relying on untrustworthy third parties: you don’t know who controls the servers, what legislation applies, or even if there are leaks or attacks on VPN providers.
