With digital privacy becoming an increasingly large concern, it is important to have a secure way to use public networks. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a form of encryption technology used to more securely send and receive data through public networks. 

When a device is connected to a VPN it encrypts any data sent from that device. This ensures that it is unreadable for anybody who may intercept it. Next, the encrypted data is sent through a secure tunnel to a private sever located in a different geographic location from the original device, further protecting from unwanted access. This also allows for IP Masking, a technique that changes the IP address (unique network identifier) related to the sent data to that of the private server.

Why use a VPN?

Overall, the processes that a VPN uses helps to enhance the privacy and anonymity of your online activity. As a result, this leads to a more secure digital footprint. For example, they are commonly administered by companies to establish secure connections to corporate networks from remote workstations. They can also be used to access geo-restricted content that may not be available in one region, but available in another.