In 1996 virtual private network(VPN) was first introduced by Microsoft for their remote workers to access the company network securely. After that, it becomes a necessity for every major company. VPN is one of the best ways to protect your internet activities. Your online data is always at risk of theft by cybercriminals.
VPN provides a secure path to your online activities by masking them from hackers. Want to know more about VPN? Then read this whole article as we will cover many aspects of VPN.
Table of Contents
What is Virtual Private network?
VPN is the connection between an individual and network or between one network to another, which is safe and encrypted. It is like a tunnel. When you send information, emails or internet surfing, no other person can see your activity as data is sent through the tunnel. In this way, your identity and IP address are hidden, and no one can trace you. It encrypts your data, so it is hard for anyone to intercept it. If you are not a tech geek, keep in mind that it provides online privacy so no one can target you based on your location.
Working on VPN?
Here is how it works.
1:First you connect your device internet with a virtual private network service. It authenticates you with a VPN server.
2:An encryption protocol is applied by the server to the whole data that is sent and received by you. Encryption is a way to change normal text into unreadable code. A key decodes the code, and only your device and VPN server has access to this key. Encryption is further divided into three types.
a)hashing
b)asymmetric cryptography
c)Symmetric cryptography
These types are used according to the situation
3:VPN server creates an encrypted tunnel throughout the destination.
4:To ensure whole data packets traveled securely on the internet VPN server covers all these packets by an outer packet that is encrypted. Your IP address is your VPN server IP address.
5: When they arrive at their destination, these outer packets are take-off by the decryption method.
Types of Virtual Private Network
There are two main types of VPN
1:Remote access VPN
2:Site to site VPN
1:Remote access VPN
Currently, this is the most well-known type of VPN. Here VPN allows the users to connect to a private network and access all its resources and services remotely. The connection between the private network and the user is done by the internet.
Two components are required for remote access VPN.
a)network access server
b)VPN client-server
Their biggest advantage is they secure companies’ data, are easy to use, and has a hassle-free setup.
Best for personal use but can be used by both home users and business users. Even a novice can easily access it.
2: Site to Site VPN
Its second name is a router-to-router VPN and is used by big companies. They use site-to-site VPN to connect their offices located in different places.
It has further two types
a) Intranet based site -to- site
When different companies’ offices are connected through the site-to-site VPN, they are called intranet-based site-to-site VPN.
b) Extranet based site- to -site
When a company wants to connect to the office of some other company using site-to-site VPN, it is known as extranet-based site-to-site VPN.
Their setup is complex and used mainly by big companies.
How to set up a VPN
VPN setup depends upon VPN service and your device. But here is a general method to set up a VPN.
First, select a reliable VPN service and subscribe to their services. Download their software to the device you choose for VPN. After installing a VPN client to your device, log in to their service and connect to the VPN server. It is how you will enjoy unlimited privacy and security of VPN.
Advantages of VPN
There are many advantages of using a Virtual Private Network.
- The biggest benefits of using a VPN are privacy and security. Many websites and apps track users’ activities. But VPN makes sure that users’ connections and activities remain anonymous for all these websites and apps.
- Most users’ data are at high risk while using public wifi like airports, restaurants, etc. But if the user is using a VPN, they are on the safer side as the VPN takes charge of privacy and security.
- Best for remote businesses as their employees can easily access data with a secure setup.
- Most websites are restricted to some specific areas.VPN helps you to unlock these websites as VPN hides your IP location.
- While traveling, you can take advantage of VPN as many countries do not allow other countries’ websites or apps, so you can easily use your country websites while traveling in other countries.
- VPN protects you from price discrimination. In online shopping, some businesses set prices differently for different areas. People in California have a high standard of living, so online shops charge them high than the rest of the cities. Or sometimes, if you regularly purchase from a specific brand, they keep your data and sell you products costly as VPN keeps your identity anonymous, so it keeps you safe from price discrimination.
Disadvantage of VPN
There are a few disadvantages of using a VPN.
- Your internet speed becomes slightly slow as your web data goes through many processes. It is the major drawback of VPN, and VPN companies are taking crucial steps to resolve it. In case you need to speed up your internet browser, here are a few tricks.
- Still, VPN providers cannot secure users from bad cookies, and these cookies can identify users.
- They still do not have standards to measure their performance quality. Unfortunately, users have to rely on reviews for their quality.
Criteria to select Virtual Private Network
It depends upon users’ needs.
There are two types of VPN network providers.
a)Free VPN provider
b)Paid VPN provider
Free VPN providers
Free VPN providers have low security as they use PPTP protocols.
They have few servers, so users will face slow speed issues as bandwidth is limited for users.
Some time-free VPN providers use annoying ads to generate extra revenue.
But you can use it if you have a limited budget.
Paid VPN providers
Some paid VPN providers give one month free trial period so users can experience their service.
But users must keep in mind these factors before selecting paid VPN providers.
- They provide the best speed.
- Read real reviews about providers as there are a lot of fake reviews.
- They provide the best customer support.
- Have a lot of servers.
- Providing OpenVPN protocol and advanced encryption standards.
Is it good to leave the VPN ON?
Yes, it is good to leave the VPN on if you are using public wifi frequently. Or in case you are sharing personal information like banking information and using less secure websites.
Conclusion
Both online traffic and cyber attacks are growing day by day. It is advisable to protect your online activities from hackers.VPN is a good way to secure your data. In this article, we have discussed its working, setup, advantages, disadvantages, and selection criteria of VPN. We are hopeful now that after reading this article, you know everything about virtual private networks.