Prelims Bits » Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Why in the news?

 VPN services such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN and SurfShark have announced shutting down India servers. 

Key Points:

About 

Virtual Private Network (VPN) 

  • The first VPN was developed in 1996 by Microsoft employees, am­ong whom was India-born Gurdeep Singh Pall.
  • Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a service that helps internet users to stay private online by hiding their (Internet Protocol) IP addresses. 
  • VPN establishes an encrypted connection between the user’s computer and the internet, providing a private tunnel for their data, making them anonymous and blocking anyone from tracking their movements like where they are going or what they are doing.
  • It is the IP address – a special number unique to the user’s internet network–  that helps websites, law enforcement agencies, cybercriminals or anyone else looking into an individual’s internet activities and track down their accurate location. 
  • Without a VPN, the user’s IP address is visible to the web. VPNs obscure the user’s internet usage by jumping the signal off multiple servers.
  • VPN extends through encrypted connections over the Internet. 
    • Since the line is encrypted between the network and the device connected to it, the traffic remains private.