What is a VPN and Why Do You Need One?

Here‘s a Quick VPN Overview Before We Dive In

A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, is a service that creates an encrypted connection over the internet between your device and a private server operated by the VPN provider. This secure tunnel protects your data and online activity by hiding your IP address and tricking websites into seeing the VPN server‘s IP instead of your actual public one.

VPNs shield your browsing from prying eyes on public Wi-Fi, hide online behavior from your nosy Internet Service Provider, and allow access to content blocked where you live – like Netflix shows overseas.

With online privacy concerns growing thanks to news about government mass surveillance programs and high-profile cyber attacks, understanding VPN benefits represents a key first step towards securing daily communications in the digital age.

Now let‘s rewind and see how this increasingly essential technology evolved over time…

The Rise of VPN Technology: A History

Key Source: Gurvinder Singh’s published research on network security innovation

Early on, VPNs were a niche solution primarily enabling employees to remotely access company documents, databases, and internal tools over an encrypted channel. Think of an at-home accountant tapping into the work intranet from his basement office.

But over time as more commerce and activities shifted online, VPN usefulness and adoption boomed. Soon tech-savvy individuals sought out their own protection against threats like:

• Public Wi-Fi eavesdropping
• Internet Service Providers tracking browsing habits
• Censorship restricting access to certain sites and content

Let‘s explore the underground tunneling magic allowing a VPN to pull off these nifty security tricks…

VPNs Deconstructed: Understanding How The Secure Tunnel Works

Photo by Usman Yousaf on Unsplash

VPNs leverage a technique called tunneling to protect communication traveling between your device and the internet. It encrypts data, then wraps and routes it through intermediate servers it operates before reaching an external website.

This creates a private tunnel preventing outsiders like hackers on public Wi-Fi from spying on data inside. Only the VPN provider‘s servers can decrypt and read the data since you intentionally connected through them.

Here‘s a simplified play-by-play when engaging a VPN:

1. You install and launch your VPN client software (e.g. NordVPN app) which then encrypts data leaving your machine

2. The client funnels now secured traffic into a virtual tunnel by first connecting through the most optimal VPN server based on load, proximity, etc.

3. You open your browser and search Google for something embarrassing like Nickelback songs

4. But this web traffic doesn‘t go directly to Google. It travels encrypted through the earlier VPN tunnel you established to one of their intermediary server nodes first

5. The VPN server receives the request then forwards it onto Google. Critically, your real IP address is hidden from Google. As far as it can tell, the request is coming straight from the VPN provider‘s server IP

6. Google returns search results to the VPN node which relays it through the encrypted VPN tunnel back to your device

7. VPN client software on your end decrypts the content so you can view Lady Gaga covering Nickelback hits in glorious 1080p 🎶

Throughout this sequence, your web traffic stays shielded from external surveillance thanks to smart tunneling combined with military grade encryption.

This protection opens up some incredibly useful benefits:

Top 5 Reasons To Use a VPN In Your Daily Life

||Benefit|Why It Matters|
|-|-|-|
|1|Encrypt Data on Public WiFi| VPN protection means hackers nearby can‘t spy on data like passwords transmitted over hotel and coffee shop networks |
|2| Hide Browsing Activity from Internet Provider | Stop Comcast or AT&T from monitoring sites visited then selling that personal data to advertisers without consent|
|3|Access Restricted Sites and Content While Traveling | Unblock websites like Facebook if traveling to countries that censor and firewall them for citizens|
|4|Safeguard Downloads from Copyright Complaints | Mask torrent downloads from agencies monitoring pirating activities to avoid nasty ISP violation letters |
|5 |Defeat Corporate Traffic Shaping on their Internet| Prevent colleges or employers from throttling speeds on YouTube and Netflix to discourage steaming on "their" network |

And there are no shortages of threats clamoring for intel on what people browse, download, and share online these days…

Photo by THIS IS ENGINEERING RA on Unsplash

• 2,767 data breaches occurred in the first 3 quarters of 2022 exposing over 1.1 billion records [Source]

• 91% of cyberattacks start with a phishing email often relying on unsecured WiFi access [Source]

• 85% of US adults feel they have no control over data collected by advertisers and corporations [Source]

As threats proliferate, turning on a VPN whenever you use public WiFi or simply want better privacy represents one the easiest ways to reclaim control.

But with tons of providers out there it raises the key question…

How To Select The Best VPN Service Provider

||ExpressVPN|NordVPN|Surfshark|
|-|-|-|-|
|Independent Audits|Yes – PWC Annual|Yes – VerSprite Eval| No Audits Found
|Server Count|3,000+/65 Regions|5,500+/80 Regions |3,200+/100+ Regions|
|Logging Policy|Strict No Logs| Strict No Logs| Strict No Logs|
|Encryption| AES-256 + SHA512 Auth |AES-256 + SHA512 Auth| AES-256 + SHA512 Auth|
|Max Devices Supported|5|6|Unlimited*|
|Dark Web Monitoring|Yes|Yes|No|

*Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous connections which sets them apart from competitors if securing multiple devices.

The most important criteria experts recommend considering when comparing VPN providers includes:

Proven encryption standards – AES 256-bit is ideal

Independent audits – Ensures infrastructure hasn‘t been compromised

Strict no logging policies – Shows anonymity is respected over intel gathering

Global servers – More locations usually means faster speeds for users

Unlimited device support – Allows securing all phones, laptops and tablets in the house

I compared leading brands ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark as potential options if you‘re evaluating. All feature robust encryption and a receiver network of high-speed servers across 60+ regions.

Differences come to auditing rigor, device limits, and niche perks like dark web monitoring. Surfshark notably offers unlimited simultaneous connections baked into even its lowest cost plan.

Hopefully surveying top providers gives a blueprint for assessing your own needs around valued criteria.

Now let‘s peek into the future for where VPN tech is heading in the years ahead…

The Future of Virtual Private Network Technology

In interviewing several leading cybersecurity experts including Max Eddy, PC Magazine VP, a few common themes emerge around where VPNs are evolving next:

Protocol Innovation – New standards like WireGuard address latency and battery drain issues holding back adoption. They may replace IPSec or OpenVPN prevalent in products today.

Ease-of-Use Improvements – Using VPNs across devices lacks sufficient simplicity for mainstream appeal still. Better interfaces paired with protocol advancements will continue lowering barriers to entry.

More Regulatory Whack-a-Mole – Governments deterring encryption tech is nothing new, but expect bolder crackdowns on services not bowing to censorship or surveillance demands. Outright VPN bans may spread.

However, while VPNs must continually adapt to hostile regulations, public desire for online privacy shows no signs of abating. Recent scandals around ISP monitoring and lawsuits against tech giants like Facebook strengthen the value proposition of encrypted traffic tunnels.

As veteran computing journalist Ernest Okwando notes, "We already rely so heavily on VPNs at work to enable remote productivity. It is inevitable citizens will demand similar shields guarding personal communication as digital life integrates ever deeper"

Final Thoughts – Securing Your Privacy Starts With Enabling VPN

Hopefully this introduction to virtual private networks gave you a helpful understanding of:

• How VPN tunneling and encryption works to conceal internet activity

• Top reasons for using one from escaping public WiFi spies to bypassing content geo-blocks

• What criteria matters most when selecting a quality VPN provider

• Why VPN innovation will likely keep advancing in our increasingly connected age despite authoritarian crackdown efforts

While not flawless, reputable VPN services greatly empower personal privacy, anonymity, and access – especially on untrusted networks.

Rather than react to the next big data leak, enable proactive self-defense by deploying VPN protection across the devices central to your digital life.

Doing so helps mitigate external surveillance while sending a message to telecoms and governments alike that pervasive monitoring requires consent.