The VPN, which stands for Virtual Private Network , is a secure network that uses secure encryption protocols to ensure users surf the web in full privacy. So we try to understand what it is and why to use a VPN.
Computers connected to the VPN can communicate with each other just as if they were using the same router: this possibility makes VPNs perfect for companies and public institutions because communication between the terminals is secure.
The big difference between the LAN, Local Area Network, and VPN, Virtual Private Network, is that in the LAN the devices are physically connected to each other, while in the VPN this physical connection is absent: the VPN exploits the so-called VPN tunnel, the which ensures the protection of data exchanged via the remote connection.
To make the comparison simpler, we can say that the VPN is a LAN extending over a much larger geographical territory, which is possible because the restriction of the physical connection between the devices is eliminated.
Many think that VPNs are useful in the corporate environment, for example for employees who need access to the company's network but are away from home. This is certainly true, but a VPN can also be used for private use.
An excellent use of the VPN is the protection of your privacy when you connect to public WiFi networks, but you can also create a VPN to be used in your home, to browse the network, download and share files in complete safety.
Usually, a VPN consists of two distinct parts: the inner part, with maximum security, and the external part, slightly less secure than the first. The external network is used to connect the nodes of the network with each other.
Secure VPN: encryption and tunneling
The purpose of this article is to understand what it is and why to use a VPN. After defining the VPN, let's focus on security, the main element that drives us to choose a Virtual Private Network.
All data exchanged while using a VPN is subjected to the defined tunneling process, which consists of encrypting and encapsulating data packets before sending them. The receiver, using specific software, has the possibility to receive the packets and to decrypt the information received.
The data inside the tunnel is inaccessible to those who are not part of the VPN and even if the attacker was able to access the tunnel, however, could only extract encrypted data.
There are several tunneling protocols, each of which exploits different rules and algorithms for data encryption. This means that for the exchange of information between devices connected to the VPN to happen smoothly, it is important that all terminals use the same protocol.Otherwise, the received data could not be decrypted.
The different tunneling protocols also offer different levels of protection. The most common protocols are Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol ( PPTP), Layer Two Tunneling Protocol ( L2TP), Layer Two Forwarding ( L2F ) and IPSec. Among these, the best levels of protection are those offered by IPSec and PPTP.
The former guarantees security, reliability, and integrity of shared data, thanks to three protection modules (Encapsulating Security Payload, Authentication Header, and Security Association).
The PPTP protocol, on the other hand, uses point-to-point connections and encapsulates packets from data that you want to share within the VPN network into an IP datagram. This protocol offers double protection because the local network data is encapsulated in the PPP protocol, which is, in turn, encapsulated, this time in the IP protocol.
One more reason to use a VPN
In addition to privacy protection, the VPN network offers another great advantage to users who choose to use it: with a VPN it is possible to access all obscured sites, both those blocked at the company or institutional level, and those obscured at a national level.