What is a VPN ?
If you are an internet user, you should know the answer to this question. In this era of digitization, it is important to know the concept of VPN. The main reason why you should know a VPN is network privacy. Good! Now it’s good to be happy with a free WiFi network! But when your device is connected to a public network, you need to be more careful with your online activities. In such cases, it makes sense to use a VPN. When working with confidential and private information, you also need to know how to protect your network from hackers. The use of a VPN is important here. There are also some limitations that we will discuss in the next part of the article.
What is a VPN?
A Virtual Private Network or VPN, as the name suggests, is a private network that protects online data traffic from outside access. A VPN creates an encrypted data connection to the Internet by masking your IP address and aids in the secure transfer of sensitive data. VPN is widely used in business.
- Types of VPNs
- There are two main types of VPNs:
Intranet-based VPN
Let’s take an example to understand this better: suppose an organization has several branches in different locations and they are connected through a kind of site-to-site virtual private network called an intranet-based VPN.
Extranet-based VPN
An extranet-based VPN is referred to as an extranet-based VPN only when an organization uses a site-to-site virtual private network type to connect to other organizations. When a remote worker wants to access his office network, the type of VPN he uses is called a remote access VPN.
How does a VPN work?
Let’s take an example and try to simplify it to understand how a VPN works. Let’s say you and your partner are in the hallway and you want to trade a piece of paper. But you don’t want to share it with two friends or strangers sitting between you. Now the solution is that you can use some codes or symbols that are known only to you and your partner and not understood by others. In this way, even if someone is given a piece of paper, one cannot read or understand what is written on it. In the case of a VPN, this is done through a secure tunnel. On the Internet, traffic passes through many routers along the way until it reaches its final destination or source. In this way, any government agency, network administrator or hacker can access your information on the Internet.
As explained in the example, encrypting your data makes it incomprehensible to third parties on the Internet and protects your data. Simply put, a VPN consists of two devices that are connected to the Internet and exchange data in such a way that no one in between can read or understand the data. It’s like connecting your device to a network that isn’t where you are right now.
What are the benefits of a VPN?
There are many uses for a VPN in both the private and business sectors. Below are some important reasons why you should use a VPN.
Data Security: VPN encrypts your network traffic and ensures online data security.
