What is a Virtual Private Network?

Why in News?

Multiple schools in Delhi received bomb threat emails, leading to evacuations and intensive security checks by fire and bomb disposal teams. The incident has raised fresh concerns over student safety and the misuse of hoax threats, with authorities launching an investigation to trace the source of the emails.

About Virtual Private Network

• A VPN, stands for virtual private network, establishes a digital connection between your computer and a remote server owned by a VPN provider.
• It creates a point-to-point tunnel that encrypts personal data, masks your IP address, and lets you sidestep website blocks and firewalls on the internet.
• This ensures online experiences are private, protected, and more secure.
• It is
  • Virtual because no physical cables are involved in the connection process.
  • Private because through this connection, no one else can see your data or browsing activity.
  • Networked because multiple devices, your computer and the VPN server, work together to maintain an established link.

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Advantages of VPN

• • Secure your data: A VPN connection scrambles your data into code and renders it unreadable to anyone without an encryption key. It hides your browsing activity so that no one else can see it.
  • Bypass censorship and surveillance: Some regions may not have access to certain sites or services due to government restrictions, censorship, or surveillance. Location spoofing gives these users the ability to circumvent firewalls, view blocked websites, and move freely online.
  • Prevent ISP and third-party tracking: Internet service providers (ISPs) log and track your browsing history through your device’s unique IP address. By routing to a remote VPN server instead of your ISP’s servers, a VPN masks your IP address, prevents ISP tracking, and keeps your personal data private.

Source: IE