What Is A VPN?
A VPN or Virtual Private Network is a
method used to add security and privacy to private and public networks, like
WiFi Hotspots and the Internet. VPNs are most often used by corporations to
protect sensitive data. However, using a personal VPN is increasingly becoming
more popular as more interactions that were previously face-to-face transition
to the Internet. Privacy is increased with a VPN because the user's initial IP
address is replaced with one from the VPN provider. This method allows subscribers
to attain an IP address from any gateway city the VPN service provides. For
instance, you may live in San Francisco, but with a VPN, you can appear to live
in Amsterdam, New York, or any number of gateway cities.
VPN Security
Security is the main reason why
corporations have used VPNs for years. There are increasingly simple methods to
intercept data traveling to a network. WiFi spoofing and Firesheep are two easy
ways to hack information. A useful analogy is that a firewall protects your
data while on the computer and a VPN protects your data on the web. VPNs use
advanced encryption protocols and secure tunneling techniques to encapsulate
all online data transfers. Most savvy computer users wouldn't dream of
connecting to the Internet without a firewall and up-to-date antivirus.
Evolving security threats and ever increasing reliance on the Internet make a
VPN an essential part of well-rounded security. Integrity checks ensure that no
data is lost and that the connection has not been hijacked. Since all traffic
is protected, this method is preferred to proxies.
Setting Up a VPN
Setting up a VPN is a straightforward
process. It's often as simple as entering a username and sever address. The
dominant smartphones can configure VPNs using PPTP and L2TP/IPsec protocols.
All major operating systems can configure PPTP VPN connections. OpenVPN and
L2TP/IPsec protocols require a small open source application (OpenVPN) and
certificate download respectively.
Courtesy: https://www.whatismyip.com/what-is-a-vpn/
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