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Virtual Private Network (VPN) - Browsing Anonymous

 


Privacy is a major concern when browsing the internet. Your data could be eavesdropped by hackers, companies targeting ads or even rogue state actors. What gets revealed would be personal browsing history, location monitoring, IP addresses to name a few.

Enter the tech...
Virtual Private Network or simply known as VPN is a technology used to prevent unauthorized access of your private data. Even if a hacker penetrates the network and get hold of data packets, all that is revealed is gibberish.  This is because all the information that passes through your device is encrypted and can be only revealed through a personal key. 

Internet Service Provider
Before going further, a knowledge of Internet Service Provider (ISP) is needed. They are the backbone of the World Wide Web. ISP provides each device with a unique IP (Internet Protocol) address, bandwidth allocation and network security. When a website is searched, first it goes from your device to the
  • Router or Modem which breaks the request into small data packets.
  • This is then sent to ISP via any of these mediums - Cable, OFC (Optical Fiber), DSL (Phone), Wireless or LEO (Low Earth Orbit) Satellites.
  • The ISP Server then processes the request and passes the same, to the destination server.
  • The latter looks up the information, returns the requested website back to the user.

Role of VPN
The user initially connects to the internet through an ISP. After this stage, the VPN takes over. Instead of using the ISP Server, the user is directed to a VPN server which encrypts the data packets. A virtual tunnel is formed between the end device and the server. Data encryption is done using protocols such as IPSEC (Internet protocol security) and SSL (Secure Socket Layer). 
Also, the physical location of the device is masked along with the IP address. This provides a powerful protection against eavesdropping.  
Some VPN providers have a no log policy, where records of the browsing history are never maintained. 

Types
There are two major types mainly
  • Remote Access VPN: Here a person working remotely, from a faraway location, can connect to a private network after authentication tests. Mostly used for work from home scenarios where an employee connects a company network.
  • Site to Site VPN: Here a cluster of computers can connect to a main network. Again, from the above, branch offices linking to a corporate office. 

Disadvantages
  • Due to increased encryption, there is a reduction in speed. The latency can increase considerably with distance. 
  • There are free VPN services which may not provide strong encryption protocols. Also, possibility of a data breach is present.


VPN is a technology which though having shortcomings can provide a level of anonymity and security to the user.

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