What is a VPN and How does it work? Your Guide to Best Security Practice 

VPN stands for “Virtual Private Network” and describes the opportunity to establish a protected network connection when using public networks. VPNs encrypt your internet traffic and disguise your online identity.

This makes it more difficult for third parties to track your activities online and steal data. The encryption takes place in real time.

There are about 1.5 billion VPN users worldwide, and the numbers are still growing. This is the right time to know what a VPN is and how it works.

Virtual Private Network(VPN) is a service that secures your connection while you browse the internet. It employs technology to protect your data from cyber attackers, malware, and agencies.

How does a VPN work?

A VPN routes your device’s internet connection through a secure tunnel rather than your daily or regular internet service provider (ISP) servers. In the process, it encrypts your information, such as IP address, location, and other sensitive data, so that it reaches your desired location. 

What are the benefits of a VPN connection?

By using a VPN your online data transmission is protected from outside access and hidden. Unencrypted data can be viewed by anyone with network access who wants to see it. By using VPN, hackers, and cyber criminals cannot access your data.

Here are some benefits:

Secure encryption: An authentication code is needed to unlock the data or information. Without one, millions of machines cannot crack the code. Your browsing is concealed by using a VPN, even on public networks.

Disguising your Location: VPN servers act as your proxies on the internet. It is impossible to pinpoint your exact location by using a VPN because the demographic location data comes from a server in another state.

Access to regional content: This access is not always available everywhere. If you want to access regional content, a VPN can make it easy to access it.

Secure data transfer: You might need to obtain crucial data that is situated on your company’s network when you work remotely. For this kind of information, it needs a secure connection for privacy reasons.

The History of VPNs

VPN history initially came back in 1996, when a Microsoft employee (many sources say Gurdeep Singh Pall) started inventing the Peer to Peer Tunneling Protocol (PPTP). Then in 1999, the specification was published.

The predecessors of the VPN and Early VPNs 

Internet security has existed since the US Department of Defence began looking at techniques to secure Internet communication data in the 1960s. As a result, ARPANET was developed, which helped TCP/IP get off the ground.

The risk of exposure became apparent as more networks and gadgets were connected, though. The first iteration of a contemporary VPN, known as swIPe, was developed in 1993 by a team from Columbia University and AT&T Bell Labs. 

Wei Xu created IPSec the following year, while Gurdeep Singh-Pall from Microsoft created PPTP in 1996. In the early 2000s, enterprises were the primary users of the initial VPNs. 

However, as security breaches escalated in the early 2010s, there was a sharp spike in demand for consumer-friendly VPNs.

Why should you use a VPN connection?

There are many advantages to using VPN. 77% of people use VPNs for personal use and 50% for business use.

We should use VPNs for security purposes, to protect personal information, and to mask internet activity.

You never know who might be watching your online activity or who is stealing from you, such as passwords, sensitive information, financial data, or even your complete identity. VPN would help you to preserve all of these issues.

What should a good VPN do?

The following are the features that a good VPN should have:

Secure Access: The primary job of a VPN is to hide your IP address from your ISP and other third parties. Without any risk, a good VPN will always allow you to transmit data online but you and the VPN provider see it.

Encryption of Protocols: With the use of a VPN, you should be shielded from leaving cookies, internet history, and other types of traces. Because it prevents unauthorised parties from accessing private data, including financial and personal information, and other website content, cookie encryption is particularly crucial.

Kill switch: VPN kill switch automatically disconnects your device from the internet if you have a VPN connection. Whenever your VPN turns off, a kill switch blocks unsecured internet connection until your VPN connection is restored, ensuring that your data and privacy are protected. 

Two-factor authentication: A strong VPN verifies each user who attempts to log in by employing several authentication techniques. For instance, you could be asked for a password before a code is delivered to your mobile device. 

Premium VPNs for the Secure Digital Experience

There are many VPNs which are free of cost. Using free VPNs could be a threat to your online identity. What could you do? Invest in a VPN with a good market value and a technological base to support the VPN protocols efficiently. 

To preserve your privacy, Pay. Here are some VPNs that are considered secure.

ExpressVPN

It is one of the best and safest VPNs, with servers in around 94 countries. The highlighting feature of ExpressVPN is its Trusted Server Technology, which keeps you anonymous on all servers.

Key Features:

• Strong Encryption: It employs AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), often known as AES-256, with 256-bit keys. 
• Hide your IP: It will mask up your IP address and location. 
• Split Tunneling: This feature will let you route some device traffic through a VPN while the rest accesses the internet directly.
• Network Lock (Kill Switch):  Network Lock keeps your data safe if their VPN connection drops, blocking all online traffic until protection is restored.
• Privacy DNS:  ExpressVPN’s private, encrypted DNS ensures your privacy and security.
• 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee: It offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try the service risk-free.

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NordVPN

If we are discussing the best suggestion of VPNS how can we not list NordVPN?

NordVPN is also one of the most reliable and safest VPNs. Appeared in Time’s 2022 Best Inventions list for its amazing features.

Key Features:

• Robust Security: NordVPN offers strong encryption, including AES-256-bit
• encryption, and supports various VPN protocols.
• Private DNS: Enjoy greater internet privacy without being concerned about eavesdropping by outside parties.
• Hide your IP address: Immediately conceal your IP address, safeguard your identity, and protect yourself from infection.
• No Logs Policy: You protect your internet traffic from others and your internet service provider (ISP).
• Specialty Servers: It offers specialty servers for tasks like P2P file sharing and accessing streaming services.

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SurfsharkVPN

Surfshark is very knowable and praised for its amazing security features and navigating interface. Surfshark features made it a highly regarded VPN service trusted by millions of users.

Key Features:

• Strict no-logs policy: Surfshark VPN doesn’t monitor, track, or store what you do online, meaning no connection or activity logs.
• Kill Switch: This feature acts as a safety net if the VPN connection drops, ensuring that your activities and sensitive data are never exposed.
• Private DNS & leak protection: With private DNS on each server and leak protection when using the IPv4 stack, Surfshark VPN takes security to the next level.
• Change your IP: Surfshark VPN protects your privacy by changing your IP address to one that can’t be connected to your digital identity.
• Encryption: Surfshark VPN uses industry-leading AES-256-GCM encryption to guard your data.
• Browse privately: Surfshark VPN encrypts your internet activity, so no one can track or steal your data.

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How to surf securely with a VPN

Only your computer and the VPN know this key and even your ISP cannot recognize where you are surfing. Different VPNs use different encryption processes but generally function in three steps:

1. Once you are online, start your VPN. The VPN plays an important role as the safest tunnel between you and your internet connection. Your ISP and other third parties cannot detect this tunnel.
2. Your device is now on the local network of the VPN, and your IP address can be changed to an IP address provided by the VPN server.
3. You can now freely browse whatever you want, VPN protects all your personal data.

Protect That’s Yours!

Your privacy matters most. Today, people know about the rising cyber threats on all platforms. It has become essential to keep your personal identity and online behavior safe from cyber intruders. 

Choose a VPN that suits you best, but always be vigilant. 

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