It looks like we're all starting to take online security seriously—you yourself probably have a password manager set up, 2FA enabled, and maybe even an antimalware app running. But if you're looking for that one crucial layer of defense, there's a tool you absolutely need: a virtual private network (VPN).
Simply put, a VPN is a service that creates a secure, encrypted tunnel for everything you do online. This article will break down exactly what a VPN is, how it works, and why using it is the best way to reclaim your corner of the internet.
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How does a VPN work?
When you go online without a VPN, your connection is transparent and exposed. You connect directly to your internet service provider (ISP), and they get to see your entire online journey: what sites you visit, what you click on, and how much time you spend there. Think of it less like a postal service and more like walking down a public street: everyone, including your ISP, can clearly observe where you're going and what you're carrying. They can legally collect, analyze, and sell this data to advertisers, which is why you constantly see targeted ads for things you only looked up once.
A VPN can change this situation by making your connection invisible. It essentially gives you a private tunnel to navigate the internet. Instead of your data going directly from your device to your ISP and then to the website, the VPN reroutes and shields everything.
When you connect, the VPN first authenticates your device, then takes your data, wraps it in a protective, encrypted shell, and sends it through a hidden connection—the VPN tunnel—to a remote VPN server. This ensures that anyone monitoring the regular "street," like your ISP, government agencies, or a hacker, can only see gibberish coming from the VPN server, and nothing from you.
So, how does the virtual private network perform this digital disappearing act? When you connect to a VPN service, the process involves several critical, behind-the-scenes steps before your data reaches the public internet:
Authentication: First, your device needs to prove it's authorized to use the service. When you launch your VPN app, it authenticates your credentials with the VPN provider. This starts the process of securing your connection.
Tunneling and encapsulation: Once you're authenticated, the VPN establishes a VPN tunnel. This is essentially a protected pathway for your data. Your data is then wrapped in another layer of data (in a process called encapsulation) so it can be sent securely through the public internet to the VPN server.
Encryption: Before the data leaves your device, the VPN uses complex algorithms to encrypt your data. This scrambles the information, making it completely unreadable—it looks gibberish to anyone who intercepts it. Your ISP, government agencies, or a hacker are unable to see what information your device is sending or downloading.
Redirection and IP address change: The encrypted data travels through the VPN tunnel to one of the provider’s VPN servers (often a remote VPN server). When the data exits the server to go to its final destination (the website or service), it uses the server's IP address, not your real one. Your real IP address stays hidden as long as you are using a VPN, effectively hiding your virtual location.
Decryption: Once the website responds, the data goes back through the secure VPN tunnel to the server, and then back to your device, where it's finally decrypted by your VPN app, making it readable for you again.
Your data is at risk
You might think you have nothing to hide, but it's far from the truth. You may not care about advertisers getting your data or the possibility that the government will demand to see logs of your online activity. However, you can't be sure that your sensitive information won't end up in criminals' hands.
If a hacker intercepts your connection, they can see everything you do online, as well as your usernames and passwords, Social Security number, banking information, personal and work emails, and much more.
Do you have a lot of smart devices in your house? Cybercriminals can also use most of them to attack you. Think about your baby monitor, smart TV, Alexa, or smart locks. These devices have microphones and cameras that malicious actors can employ to harass you or gather valuable information that can be used to blackmail you. If you don't have a secure home network, smart devices are a threat that should be taken seriously.
Why you should get a VPN
Online privacy
Getting a VPN comes with multiple benefits, but one of the main reasons people decide to use it is security — both at home and while traveling.
A VPN allows you to bypass government censorship and surveillance. Depending on where you live, this could make a world of difference. Many countries have certain internet regulations — some block particular services and websites; some don't want you to connect to the world wide web altogether. A VPN makes these restrictions go away by changing your IP and virtual location. This way, your ISP doesn't know where you go online, so they can't block your access or track your actions.
Traveling
Even if you don't leave your country while you're on a business trip and censorship is not an issue, you still need to think about cybersecurity. Airports, hotels, conference centers, coffee shops — these are the usual places that business travelers look for a Wi-Fi connection.
Open Wi-Fi hotspots are notoriously dangerous and very easy for a cybercriminal to fake. Would you stop to consider before connecting to a Wi-Fi called “BurgerKing_Airport_WiFi”? It could be a fake hotspot created by a hacker to trick people into disclosing sensitive data that can be later used for social engineering attacks.
Genuine public Wi-Fi hotspots are not safe to use since they are most often unencrypted. It makes it very easy for someone else on that same network to intercept your connection or even inject your device with malware. By using a VPN, you encrypt everything you send out and receive. Your information stays unreadable, even if someone manages to get their hands on it.
Streaming
If you use streaming services frequently, you might have noticed that they do not offer the same content in different countries. But if you bought a subscription, it's reasonable you would want to be able to watch your favorite series while traveling. A VPN allows you to stream TV programs, sporting events, and movies seamlessly. It grants you access without compromising your security.
A VPN is also very useful during popular events, like the Superbowl. When a lot of users are streaming at the same time, some ISPs start to throttle their customers' bandwidth, which results in buffering and other connection issues. By using a VPN, you reroute and hide your connection. Therefore, your ISP is unable to see what you do online and interfere with your activities.
Gaming
A VPN is, without a doubt, a gamer's best friend. It guarantees a stable and fast connection, protects you from distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, and allows you to bypass geo-blocking. Often new games are released at different times in different regions of the world. With a VPN, you are guaranteed to get that new shooter game the moment it hits the virtual shelves. No more waiting for weeks and even months for it to come out where you live.
Remote work
If you're one of the many remote workers, a VPN is an absolute necessity, especially when dealing with sensitive company information. A remote access VPN allows you to connect securely to your company’s internal network, whether you’re working from your home or a coffee shop.
Using a VPN server ensures proper network security by protecting company data in transit. This is especially important if you’re using public Wi-Fi networks, which are notoriously unsafe. The VPN protection ensures that even if you’re on a compromised network, your work data remains encrypted and safe from corporate espionage or cyberattacks.
Stay safe, use a VPN
A VPN gives you an additional layer of security and anonymity — and peace of mind. With a VPN, you can rest assured that you're the only one who knows what you do online. No more ISP or government surveillance and restrictions means you get to enjoy the internet the way it was supposed to be — open and free to everyone.
VPNs work on all popular devices — Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, Linux, and more. You can set it up on your gaming console or even the Wi-Fi router if you want to protect your whole network all at once.
VPNs no longer require you to have a lot of technical know-how. User-friendly interfaces mean that everyone can use them to protect themselves from online threats, bypass censorship, avoid surveillance, and enjoy quality entertainment no matter where they live.
FAQ
For almost everyone in the world, using a virtual private network is completely legal. In fact, many businesses rely on them daily for secure remote access for their remote workers. A business VPN is primarily a tool for security and privacy, which are generally protected rights. Just remember: while the VPN tool itself is legal, illegal online activities are still illegal, even when you use VPN protection. A VPN is not a free pass to break the law.
No, a VPN doesn't make you fully anonymous, but it does provide a massive boost to your privacy. When you connect to a VPN server, it hides your real IP address and encrypts your activity inside a VPN tunnel. This makes it extremely difficult for your ISP, government, or hackers to track your browsing. However, if you log in to personal accounts (like Google or Facebook) while using the VPN, those services still know who you are because you willingly provided your login credentials. For true anonymity, a VPN must be combined with smart browsing habits.