What is a VPN and why should you use one?

What is VPN? For anyone who surfs the web, the word is becoming increasingly popular. Those using the Internet want to know that the information they enter or retrieve is safe and secure. The best way for doing this is the use of a Virtual Private Network or VPN for short. Knowing that they should use a VPN service, this raises two questions. The first is, what is VPN and the second is why is using one is a good thing?

What is a VPN service?

To understand why knowing what is VPN is important, it is necessary to consider why people use the Internet? Irrespective of where someone is when surfing the web, the Internet allows people to, for example:

• Find and share information,
• Access other networks and resources remotely,
• Access entertainment on demand, and
• Pay for things online.

The benefits mean that doing any of this need only take seconds. However, in doing all of this, there is no guarantee that any data, especially personal data, will be safe and secure. To make sure that an individual can keep information safe, it will require that they use a VPN service.

Very simply, knowing what is VPN is an important step to making sure that information is safe and secure. It offers an individual using a PC or smartphone, for example, to safely and securely connect to another device somewhere on the Internet. A VPN service creates an encrypted point-to-point connection. The VPN software creates a tunnel between the two devices through which the data passes. The VPN encrypts the data at the sending end and decrypts it when it reaches the receiving end. By creating a connection in this way, unauthorised users cannot access the information that moves through the tunnel.

Why should you use a VPN service?

For those working from home, instead of the office, knowing what is VPN is important. Using a VPN allows them to access software applications and resources located on another network as if they were working in an office. In addition to using a VPN, a person may also need to use some form of additional authentication. This could be a password, security token or biometric data, for example.

The convenience of the Internet and Wi-Fi is that it is possible to access emails or find information while on the move. This is due to the wide use and availability of public Wi-Fi hotspots. The downside is that public Wi-Fi is not secure. If someone connects to the Internet, they run the risk of their information being stolen and used against them. What is VPN is a tried and trusted way of making sure that a person can make a connection to the Internet that is safe and secure. This is even when a person uses an insecure public Wi-Fi hotspot.

To summarise, what is VPN and why someone needs such a service is all about making sure that a person’s information is kept safe and secure.