Virtual Private Networks (VPN)
What Is a VPN?
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) creates an encrypted tunnel between a user's device and a remote server, masking the user's IP address and protecting data from being intercepted while traveling over public or untrusted networks.
How a VPN Works
When a VPN is active, data is encrypted before it leaves the device and only decrypted once it reaches the VPN server, meaning anyone intercepting the traffic in between sees only unreadable, encrypted data.
Common VPN Protocols
| Protocol | Notes |
|---|---|
| OpenVPN | Open-source and highly configurable |
| IPSec | Often paired with L2TP for site-to-site VPNs |
| WireGuard | Modern, lightweight, and fast |
Why Organizations Use VPNs
Businesses rely on VPNs to let remote employees securely access internal networks, to protect sensitive data on public Wi-Fi, and to connect multiple office locations over a secure private tunnel.
A VPN secures traffic across an entire network connection, while SSL/TLS focuses on securing individual communication sessions such as web browsing.
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