What is VPN and Why Should You Use It?

A VPN is a private network that encrypts and transmits data from one place to the next on the Internet. It is also a virtual private network. With the help of a VPN, you can browse web pages privately and safely, gain access to blocked websites, and resolve blockages of censorship.

How’s a VPN functioning?

A VPN works by building a private, safe tunnel between your machine and the Internet. This protects your data from and to your device while shielding from someone else your IP address and location. Your traffic is first transferred to the VPN server with a VPN link and then to the website’s remainder.

All of the websites and services you use when you are connected to your VPN will see the IP address of your VPN while your IP address is hidden. And since most VPNs are protected by data encryption for your internet traffic, nobody could spy on you. That’s why VPN means private virtual network — it’s only for your use.

All internet traffic can be revealed without a VPN. You, the government, other users in a social network, and even random foreigners on the Internet will see what they’re up to.

However, with VPN encryption and IP address security, it is unbelievably hard for someone on the Internet who tries to hit you to figure out who you are, where you are, or what you are doing. That’s why VPN links are perfect for improving your confidentiality and online security.

Encryption: What does that mean?

Encryption is the process of collecting and scrambling some information (your data), so it cannot be read. If you use a pia VPN to connect to the Internet, your connection is encrypted, meaning that if cybercriminals intercepted the data stream, it was just gibberish code.

Encryption may be considered as a hidden code. The way your data is chipped is called a chip, and a key (or logic) allows you to chip the message, so it becomes meaningful again.

The highest available cryptography standards are known as 256-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard). The most popular pia VPN providers are used. What does it mean with 256-bit? The cipher used in the encryption is the size (or complexity). The higher, the more chances are, the more difficult the key is to devise. There are more variations than the stars in the universe when it comes to 256-bit encryption. This encryption level is so secure that banks or governments worldwide are using it to ensure data protection.

Software illustration of VPN encrypted data

OpenVPN is the most commonly used pia VPN protocol. Being “available” may not be the best thing to have for privacy, but it is the securest and most clean alternative when using a VPN service. What is the reason? And that’s precisely the following: It’s open-source so that anyone can check its source code. If any safety problems or bugs were discovered, the group of developers who sustain it would be able to recover them quickly. You can also be sure that the code is not used for funny work because it’s open for anyone to see.

The PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) is another widely used protocol. It is mainly used on free VPN services and is much less stable. It’s been around for much longer (about 1995), and while it’s simpler to set up, it’s packed with common safety deficiencies, and it should be prevented if you want anything like a secure link.

What is relevant about IP addresses?

Your IP address is a unique collection of numbers, which identifies your user when logging in to the Internet. Each device has a device, and the address you entered to access it will translate into the web server’s IP address when you are connected to a website.