What is a VPN?
A VPN, which stands for "virtual private network,” is an app or service that encrypts the connection between your device and the internet, routing the data you send and receive through a secure VPN server.
Imagine the internet as a kind of highway that you explore on a motorcycle. You visit your favorite locations (websites), make purchases in shops, check out financial accounts, read the news, and play games. Sitting on a motorcycle, you’re completely visible. Anyone can peek into your private life along these digital highways. It’s easy to see your identity, view your online activity, and even follow you home.
With a virtual private network, instead of having your online activity exposed on the wide-open internet highway, all your traffic is routed through an encrypted, private tunnel that blocks others from seeing where you’re going or what you’re doing.
What does a VPN do?
A VPN creates a secure, encrypted tunnel through which data travels to and from your device and the internet, masking your IP address, changing your virtual location, anonymizing your online activity, and protecting sensitive data from hackers and snoops.
Here’s a closer look at what VPNs can do:
Encrypt all your internet data
Bypass censorship and surveillance
Allow access to blocked websites
Allow access to geo-blocked content
Sidestep location-based dynamic pricing
Change the location on your iPhone or other devices
Avoid bandwidth throttling
Help you stay safe on public Wi-Fi
What does a VPN hide?
VPNs operate at the system level, encrypting and routing all online traffic through proxy servers. This masks your physical location and connection source, making it difficult for websites, hackers, or other third parties to identify or track you online.
When using a VPN, the following information is hidden:
Location and IP address
Recent searches (hidden from ISP)
Websites you’ve visited (hidden from ISP)
Data you send and receive
Files you download
But VPNs don’t hide or anonymize everything relating to your online activity. Some things that you do online can still be visible to to the websites you visit, including:
Activity on sites you’re logged into
Activity tracked by cookies
Device browser history
Browser fingerprinting and ad-tracking data
The simple fact you’re using a VPN
To boost your online privacy further, use a VPN along with a private browser, be selective about what sites you log into, and use a secure messaging app that’s end-to-end encrypted for sensitive communications.
Is a virtual private network safe to use?
A VPN is safe to use — as long it’s from a reputable VPN provider and used correctly. Trustworthy VPN providers are privacy-forward, with transparent security policies. An unsafe VPN provider may secretly track and log your online activity, have security vulnerabilities that lead to data leaks, or even sell your data to advertisers.
But although a VPN protects the privacy, security, and anonymity of your internet connection, you’re still at risk of malware and phishing attacks. So while it can reduce your exposure to hacking and online trackers, even the best VPNs are no substitute for top-rated antivirus.
For maximum safety, use other online security tools alongside an enhanced VPN like Avast SecureLine VPN, which boasts bank-grade encryption, a range of advanced security protocols, and a kill switch that acts as an ultimate fail-safe to help ensure unencrypted data isn’t exposed.
How does a VPN work?
VPNs work by routing a device’s internet connection via a specially configured remote server network administered by the VPN service. This means that all data shared across a VPN connection is not only encrypted but also masked behind a virtual IP address, allowing you to hide your identity and location.
Here’s how VPNs work in more detail:
A VPN connection is established: The user selects a server location and VPN protocol, and starts the connection through the VPN app on their device.
Outgoing data encryption: All outgoing internet data is scrambled, making it practically impossible to decode without the proper decryption keys.
Data encapsulation: The encrypted data is then wrapped inside additional data packets, further concealing its original purpose and making it harder to analyze or trace.
Secure tunneling: The data is transmitted through a protected tunnel to the VPN server, shielding it from surveillance or interception by hackers.
Decryption at the VPN server: Once the data reaches the VPN server, it’s decrypted, assigned a new virtual IP address, and forwarded to its intended destination.
Return path: For inbound data, the VPN repeats this process in reverse — encrypting, encapsulating, and securely tunneling it back to the user device, where it’s decrypted for the recipient to access.How do encryption tunnels work?
VPN tunnels use cryptography to create secure pathways for data transmission, converting information into unreadable code and protecting it from unauthorized interception. This method shields both the content and metadata of your data, ensuring doubly enhanced privacy and security.
Different VPN providers offer varying degrees of encryption strength, but the best encryption software uses various methods to protect your privacy. Avast SecureLine VPN uses a combination of hashing, symmetric cryptography, and asymmetric cryptography for 256-bit AES encryption — the same standard that banks and the military rely on.
Avast also offers an extra layer of protection with our own DNS resolution system. The DNS (domain name system) is what translates numerical IP addresses into their more memorable text-based URLs. The DNS is what allows you to type in a simple site name rather than a long string of numbers.
Is a VPN worth it?
It’s always worth using a VPN to enhance online privacy, protect sensitive data, and help access the content you love. While potential drawbacks include slightly lower download speeds and increased data usage, the overwhelming benefits provided by robust data encryption and content access make VPNs invaluable digital safety tools.
Benefits of using a VPN
Our guide to the benefits of a VPN will give you a detailed explanation, but here’s a quick rundown of the pros of VPN usage:
Stream from anywhere: By altering your virtual location, you may be able to access your favorite streaming content on the go.
Access blocked websites: The encrypted connection provided by your VPN will tunnel right through certain restrictions and help you bypass content blocks.
Avoid censorship: Help sidestep certain government restrictions by hiding your real location and encrypting your traffic.
Beat price discrimination: By masking your location, a VPN can allow you to access region-specific pricing and avoid inflated costs based on your real location.
Avoid tracking: Help prevent some tracking by hackers, cybercriminals, corporations, the government, and even your own ISP.
Network privacy: Keep your online activity hidden from other people connected to your local network.
Prevent bandwidth throttling: Encrypting your internet traffic helps prevent your ISP from detecting specific activities like streaming or gaming and deliberately slowing them down.
Avast SecureLine VPN will secure your connection, no matter if you’re at home or on public Wi-Fi. Use our VPN on all your devices to get real digital privacy. Access your favorite content, avoid price discrimination, and keep your private matters private.
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