What is a VPN

A VPN (virtual private network) is a network that can use the internet to provide secure connections between one or more devices for data exchange. A VPN can open a secure interconnection or "tunnel" between different devices and the data that passes through the tunnel can be encrypted as a method of security so that the data passing through the tunnel cannot be read. Most often, VPNs are used to connect a company's main office with its satellite offices or its field agents. In some cases, people choose to connect their personal devices to a VPN service provider to secure their own connections (with the same kind of tunneling and encryption) to the general internet, keeping their banking details, credit card numbers, passwords, and other sensitive data from being intercepted, monitored, or recorded. This kind of VPN setup also affords the user an anonymous IP (internet protocol) address.