Virtual Private Networks

A VPN or Virtual Private Network is a virtual extension of a private network that creates a secure network connection over public networks such as the internet. They are most frequently used by corporations to protect sensitive data, but personal VPNs have become increasingly more popular with the decrease of internet privacy. [2]

A VPN increases privacy by exchanging the user’s IP address with the IP address of the VPN provider. In this way a user can attain an IP from any given gateway city that the VPN provides, allowing a user to appear to live in a different city than they actually do.

VPN Security
Because there are increasingly easy ways to hack into networks and intercept data being transmitted across the internet, security has become a chief priority for large organizations. This is why corporations, universities and government agencies around the world rely on VPNs to encrypt and secure their networks. Through a VPN users can connect to the network from multiple sites over a large distance similar to a Wide Area Network(WAN). Because of this VPNs are often used to create a secured internet worldwide.

Setting Up a VPN
Setting up and/or connecting to a VPN is usually as easy as entering a user-specific username and password, though some require an additional personal identification number or PIN. This PIN is a unique authentication code that will be reset every so often, usually every 30 seconds.

VPN Protocols
There are several different VPN protocols that protect data being transmitted over the network and each varies in how the data is secured.
 * IPsec
 * PPTP
 * SSL and TLS
 * L2TP

Related Topics: Data Tracking | Privacy | History | Personal Experiences

Resources
[1] "What is a VPN?". WhatIsMyIPAddress.com. Retrieved 2017-03-31.

[2] "Privacy 101: Why You Need a VPN". PCMAG. Retrieved 2017-03-31.