What is a VPN? How does a Virtual Private Network Work? | Fortinet (2024)

A VPN, meaning a virtual private network masks your Internet protocol (IP) address, creating a private connection from a public wi-fi connection. A VPN is one of the best tools for privacy and anonymity for a user connected to any public internet service because it establishes secure and encrypted connections.

Using a Wi-Fi network, especially one that is unsecured, means potential exposure of personal information to third parties, some of which may have malicious intentions. What is a VPN capable of? A VPN hides a lot of information, including your browsing history, your IP address, your location, your endpoint devices (whether you're on a Windows computer or an an Android smartphone), and your overall web activity. Cyber criminals often use unsecured connections to gain access to information that enables identity theft and other malicious activities. A VPN solution helps to protect against these activities by creating an encrypted tunnel for all data you send and receive, unobserved by others.

In the context of this VPN meaning, a VPN solution helps to protect against nefariousactivities by creating an encrypted tunnel for all data you send and receive, unobserved by others.Data security can also be enhanced throughVPN split tunneling, which enables users to route some traffic through their VPN and enable other traffic to retain direct access to the internet.

But in some cases, organizations may choose to install a VPN blocker to prevent employees from accessing sites that may hinder their productivity, such as social networking or shopping sites.

VPNs use virtual connections to create a private network, keeping any device you connect to a public wi-fi safe from hackers and malware, and protecting sensitive information from unauthorized viewing or interception. A VPN routes your device’s connection through a private server rather than the ISP, so that when your data reaches the Internet, it’s not viewable as coming from your device.

A virtual network keeps your data private using encryption, which turns your information into unreadable gibberish only decipherable using a key, which is known to your device. Different VPNs use somewhat different encryption processes, but the general process includes tunneling and your data is encoded as it travels between your device and the server, which then decrypts the data and sends it on to your destination, such as a website. The encryption process prevents anyone who may intercept the data between you and the server, such as a government agency or hacker, from being able to decipher its contents.

Now that you know the answer to "What is VPN protection?" you might be curious about where it is most frequently used. Two of the best-known and most popular secure network protocols used in VPN technology are Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) and secure sockets layer (SSL). IPSec connections use pre-shared keys on clients and servers in order to encrypt and send traffic back and forth. SSL VPNs use public key cryptography to securely exchange encryption keys.

A virtual network keeps your data private using encryption, which turns your information into unreadable gibberish only decipherable using a key, which is known to your device. Different VPNs use somewhat different encryption processes, but the general process includes tunneling and your data is encoded as it travels between your device and the server, which then decrypts the data and sends it on to your destination, such as a website. The encryption process prevents anyone who may intercept the data between you and the server, such as a government agency or hacker, from being able to decipher its contents.

Now that you know the answer to "What is VPN protection?" you might be curious about where it is most frequently used. Two of the best-known and most popular secure network protocols used in VPN technology are Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) and secure sockets layer (SSL). IPSec connections use pre-shared keys on clients and servers in order to encrypt and send traffic back and forth. SSL VPNs use public key cryptography to securely exchange encryption keys.

Learn more on how a VPN works here.

Use of the Internet is now essential to global business, from shopping to banking to medicine to entertainment. Using Internet services involves transmitting very important information online, including credit card and social security numbers, and personal information, such as medical histories or home addresses. VPNs keep your Internet use safe from prying eyes, and, when used in a corporate setting, help keep business information from getting into the wrong hands.

For businesses who wonder "what is a VPN going to do for my company?" these provide improved security overall, improved remote access, independence from countries with strict Internet access laws, and a better total-cost-of-ownership when it comes to the aggregate costs of security and networking technologies used by corporate teams. VPNs can also provide safe and secure data sharing between employees and with individuals and groups outside of the business when necessary.

It is important to note that these do not make users completely anonymous on the Internet. Internet services requiring a login, such as Google or Facebook, know when you sign in, and websites can still leave cookies on your machine that identify your visits from particular Internet browsers. Anyone with direct access to the devices you use might also be able to view your activity. And law enforcement officials, depending on local legal authority, may be able to monitor your devices directly or require your virtual network service to give up records of your actions.

A remote access VPN enables the user to connect their device to a network from outside their organization’s office. This device-to-network approach typically involves a user connecting their laptop, smartphone, or tablet to a network through their VPN.

Increasingly, advances in VPN technology enable security checks to be carried out to ensure the device is secure before it is granted permission to connect. Remote access VPNs includecloud VPNs, which enable users to securely access applications and data via their web browser.

Business VPNs are intended for use by businesses in protecting their users and devices. Robust business networks deliver secure web connections to company devices, regardless of where employees connect to the Internet.Remote access business VPN creates a temporary VPN connection that encrypts data transmissions. After the data transmission stops, the business VPN disbands.

The limitations of remote access business VPN connections include increased lag time depending on the user's distance from the central network. A user may experience severe latency issues causing signal-quality degradation and disruptions for intensive data transmissions, such as video conference calls.

Business use cases often include site-to-site Virtual networks, which provide multiple users in various locations with the ability to securely access each other’s resources. Secure communication among business departments, including those in different countries, is critical for corporate security, business continuity, and employee productivity.

Site-to-site enterprise VPN may improve transmission speeds and reduce latency with higher bandwidth connection speeds and faster encryption.

The greater use of cloud services and applications increases the cybersecurity risk of relying solely on perimeter-based security protections. When using cloud services, enterprises using a corporate VPN also rely on cloud network security. Any unencrypted transmission or storage may cause a data breach.

Corporate VPN security came under more scrutiny with the increased use by remote workers because cybercriminals take advantage of remote access vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to many corporate networks.

Here are some futureinsights into enterprise VPNs.

Enterprises need to know that VPN use continues to grow. The global VPN marketplace will reach $76.6 billion by 2030 with a 15.4% CAGR. A research study by Statista found that 41% of American and UK users use a VPN at least once per week. Another study found that 24% of VPN users use business VPNs. An additional 14% use business VPNs and personal VPNs.

GoodVPNs provide secure connectionsto corporate networks and are easy for people to use, all while maintaining fast, reliable browsing sessions. Thekey benefits of a good VPNinclude:

Relying on a VPN alone may not be enough to protect user data as it may still be vulnerable tophishing attacks. It is best to usetwo-factor authentication (2FA)to validate user identities whenever they log in to applications and networks. When a user logs in to an online service, they are requested to authenticate their identity through various options, such as confirming a one-time password (OTP), entering a code from an authentication app, or using their fingerprint.

2FA andmulti-factor authentication (MFA)are critical to preventing unauthorized access. They add an extra layer of security and ensure that a hacker cannot access accounts even if they manage to obtain users’ login credentials.

The use of VPNs is particularly important as people continue to work remotely across distributed workforces. The encryption features that VPNs offer are vital to maintaining the confidentiality of data and keeping browsing activity private, no matter where users access corporate networks from.Remote workers can connect to office networks and access sensitive materials from their own devices.

Home-based workers can also enhance their security by using aVPN router, which manages connections to the VPN from various devices.

The following considerations should help guide selection of a VPN service.

Free vs paid: Free services are readily available, but often come with significantly limited functionality or a “catch” that makes up for the revenue the VPN provider isn’t making from you directly—such as tracking you online and selling your personal or browsing data to advertisers.

Secure communications protocols: The robustness of security in VPN tunnels depends on which security protocols are used. Be sure to review these protocols with your provider to ensure appropriate levels of security.

Data privacy protection: Provider privacy agreements can vary widely. Does your VPN provider keep traffic logs? Do its servers operate in countries with strict Internet governance laws and/or oppressive governments?

Capacity and scale: Some providers significantly throttle data, or impose limits on servers and other connecting devices. Consult your provider’s terms of service to ensure the right capacity for your business and that your VPN won’t be unduly limited.

Kill switch availability: A kill switch monitors your connection to the VPN’s server, so if the connection drops or fails, your device is automatically blocked from accidental exposure. Consider kill switch functionality a “last line of defense” that keeps your Internet connection blocked until the tunnel can be restored.

In today’s rapidly evolving cybersecurity environment, VPN alone may not be enough to secure sensitive data and keep your organization’s network safe. Whether users are in the office, at home, or on the road, they need consistent and secure access to applications in the cloud, data center, and SaaS platforms.

Fortinet helps organizations to secure and connect their work-from-anywhere employees and devices to critical applications and resources. Fortinet Universal ZTNA is a robust security solution that offers businesses flexibility, granular access control, and ongoing verification. It enables policies to be enforced for users regardless of location. With granular access control, access is granted to specific applications only for that session, providing better security. With the client-initiated model, the IT team has more visibility and control of the endpoint while providing users with a faster, easier experience. Universal ZTNA requires no additional licenses and is a free feature in FortiOS and FortiClient, allowing customers to shift from VPN to ZTNA at their own pace. With Fortinet’s added flexibility, you don’t need to choose exclusively between VPN or ZTNA; you can adapt to the solution that’s right for you.

Because of continual movement between on-premises, home network, and public network environments, zero trust, endpoint, and network security must be connected through a centralized security and management framework. Solutions unified by a common set of APIs and integration points ensure users can seamlessly shift from one location to another, enjoying a consistent user experience that is appropriately protected with contextual security. Fortinet is the only vendor capable of delivering this unified approach, enabling proactive, integrated, and context-aware security that automatically adapts to where users are, what device they are using, and what resources they are accessing.

Using a broad portfolio of zero trust, endpoint, and network security solutions within the Fortinet Security Fabric, Fortinet can deliver security, services, and threat intelligence that can automatically follow users across distributed networks. The Security Fabric can also adjust enforcement to the perceived risk of every interaction—whether on the road, at home, or in the office to enable consistent enterprise-grade protection and enhance productivity end-to-end.

Learn moreabout how Fortinet ZTNA improves secure access to applications anywhere, for remote users.