What is a VPN?

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What does VPN Mean?

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a technology that allows users to establish a secure and private connection through the internet. When you connect to a VPN server, your device sends all its network traffic through an encrypted tunnel to the server, which then routes it to the internet on your behalf. This means that your online activities are shielded from prying eyes, such as hackers, ISPs, and government agencies. Additionally, by masking your IP address with that of the VPN server's location, you can also bypass geographical restrictions and access content that might otherwise be unavailable in your region. Overall, a VPN is an essential tool for anyone who values privacy and security online.

Why Are VPNs Important?

VPNs used to be important for two key security areas and this limiting factor has lead to their redundancy and the need for Enterprise and Corporate IT teams to replace their legacy VPN network infrastructure. See our list of best VPNs.

What is a VPN Service?

A VPN service, or Virtual Private Network service, acts like a secure tunnel for your internet traffic. Imagine all your data traveling through an encrypted pathway to a remote server managed by the VPN provider. This masks your IP address, safeguarding your online identity, and encrypts your data, making it unreadable to anyone snooping on the network. Think of it as adding an extra layer of security, especially when using public Wi-Fi. VPNs can also bypass geo-restrictions, allowing you to access content unavailable in your region.

What does a VPN do?

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) enables an internet user to work privately without having their session tracked by third-parties or cybercriminals. It ensures online privacy while protecting financial data, such as bank and credit card numbers, social security numbers, medical information, classified government data, and more. VPNs work as a shield to protect user information from being stolen.

Protecting people's privacy

VPNs can encrypt your data and hide your IP address from your internet service provider (ISP), government agencies, hackers, and other third parties who may want to monitor or track your online activities. This way, you can browse the web anonymously and securely without worrying about your personal information being exposed or stolen.

VPNs prevented Users from Accessing blocked or restricted content

VPNs can help you bypass censorship and geo-restrictions that may prevent you from accessing certain websites, apps, or services in your location or in other countries. For example, you can use a VPN to watch Netflix shows that are not available in your region or to access social media platforms that are banned in some countries. This way, you can enjoy more freedom and diversity on the internet and access the content you want.

Enhancing your security

VPNs can protect you from cyberattacks and identity theft when you use public or shared Wi-Fi networks, which may be vulnerable to hacking or snooping. VPNs can also prevent your ISP from throttling your bandwidth or speed based on your online activities. This way, you can improve your online experience and performance and avoid any unwanted interruptions or slowdowns.

How does A VPN work?

A VPN works by re-routing all your web traffic and searches through a secure tunnel to a gateway or server. It hides your actual IP address by using proxy servers so that the owner of any site you’re visiting can’t track you. Rather than seeing your specific IP address, all they can determine is that your visit came from one of several VPN routers, which are untraceable.

Types of VPN

There are four (4) types of Virtual Private Network (VPN):

  • Personal VPN services
  • Remote access VPNs
  • Mobile VPNs
  • Site-to-site VPNs

VPN Hairpinning

VPN hairpinning is a common issue that occurs when traffic from a remote user is routed back through a VPN server or concentrator that is far away from the end application or network for which access is needed. VPN hair pinning has become a bigger problem as organizations use more SaaS applications. It involves routing traffic from the user's device to the corporate network, then back out to the internet, and finally back to the SaaS application. This leads to slower VPN performance and increased network congestion, especially as more users access these applications remotely. As more organizations rely on SaaS apps for their day-to-day operations, it's important to consider alternative security solutions that don't rely on hair pinning traffic through a VPN concentrator or ZTNA PoP.

Hybrid Access-as-a-Service

IT Departments today need to provide remote access to employees that is like an in-office experience, both secure and highly available. CloudBrink delivers this by providing Zero-Trust Access that is highly secure, removes all hairpins, and is faster than direct access. Unlike VPN and ZTNA which slow down application performance and network connections, Cloudbrinks Hybrid Access as a Service accelerates apps and networks. Cloudbrinks service uses preemptive and accelerated packet recovery,  Machine Learning and hundreds of FAST edges to optimize traffic flow, detect and route around potential bottlenecks, providing faster routes, less packet drops and delivering secure, high-performance connectivity to the hybrid workforce.