Definition
VPN stands for “Virtual Private Network,” which is a method used to create a secure network connection when using public networks. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and disguises your online identity. This makes it more difficult for third parties to track your online activities and steal your data. The encryption provided by a VPN occurs in real-time.
Ever since humans began using the internet, there has been a movement to protect and encrypt internet browsing data. Early efforts led to the creation of ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), a packet-switching network, which ultimately resulted in the development of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).
TCP/IP consists of four layers: link, internet, transport, and application. At the internet layer, local networks and devices can connect to a universal network, and this is exactly where the security risks become apparent. In 1993, a team from Columbia University and AT&T Bell Labs successfully created what was essentially the first version of the modern VPN, known as swIPe: Software IP encryption protocol.
The following year, Wei Xu developed IPSec, an internet security protocol that authenticates and encrypts packets of information shared online. In 1996, a Microsoft employee named Gurdeep Singh-Pall created the Peer-to-Peer Tunneling Protocol (PPTP). As Singh-Pall was developing PPTP, the internet was growing rapidly in popularity, and the need for a sophisticated security system tailored to consumer needs began to emerge. At the time, anti-virus programs were already effective at preventing malware and spyware from infecting computer systems. However, many individuals and companies also began demanding encrypted software capable of hiding their internet browsing history.
As a result, the first VPNs launched in the early 2000s, but they were almost exclusively used by corporations. However, following numerous security breaches, particularly in the early 2010s, the consumer market for VPNs began to grow. According to GlobalWebIndex, the number of VPN users worldwide more than quadrupled between 2016 and 2018. In countries like Thailand, Indonesia, and China, where internet usage is restricted and censored, one in five internet users utilizes a VPN. In the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, the proportion of VPN users is lower at around 5%, but it is steadily increasing.
One of the biggest drivers of VPN usage in recent years has been the increasing demand for geo-restricted content. For example, video streaming services like Netflix or YouTube make certain videos available only in specific countries. With a modern VPN, you can encrypt your IP address so that it appears as if you are accessing the internet from another country.
Benefits of Using a VPN
A VPN connection will disguise your online data traffic and protect it from external access. Unencrypted data can be viewed by anyone who has network access and wants to see it. With a VPN, hackers and cybercriminals cannot decipher this data. Here are the advantages of using a VPN:
- Secure encryption: To read data, you need an encryption key. Without an encryption key, it would take a computer millions of years to decipher the code in the event of a brute-force attack. With the help of a VPN, your online activities are hidden even on public networks.
- Disguising your whereabouts: A VPN server essentially acts as your proxy on the internet. Because the demographic location data comes from a server in another country, your actual location cannot be determined. Furthermore, most VPN services do not keep logs of your activities. While some service providers do log your behavior, they do not pass this information on to third parties. This means that any potential record of your user behavior remains permanently hidden.
- Access to regional content: Regional web content is not always accessible from everywhere. Services and websites often contain content that can only be accessed from specific regions of the world. Standard connections use local servers in your country to determine your location. This means you cannot access home content while traveling, and you cannot access international content from home. With VPN location spoofing, you can switch to a server in another country and effectively “change” your location.
- Secure data transfer: If you work remotely, you may need to access important files on your company’s network. For security reasons, this kind of information requires a secure connection. To gain access to the network, a VPN connection is often necessary. VPN services connect to private servers and use encryption methods to reduce the risk of data leaks.
Source: What is a VPN? – Kaspersky