What is VPN technology? Why VPN then? How a VPN connection works

VPN (Virtual Private Networks) - virtual private networks. VPN is one of those technologies that is unknown where it came from. However, when such technologies take root in a company's infrastructure, everyone wonders how they ever managed without them. Virtual private networks allow you to use the Internet as your own private network. Thus, the proliferation of VPNs is related to the development of the Internet. The technology itself uses the TCP/IP protocol stack as the basis for its work.

In order to understand what a VPN is, you need to understand two concepts: encryption and virtuality.

Encryption is the reversible transformation of a message to hide it from unauthorized persons.

Virtuality is an object or state that does not really exist, but can arise under certain conditions.

Encryption converts a message from one form, such as "Hello!" into another form “*&878hJf7*&8723”. On the other hand, there is also a reverse transformation, which is called decryption, i.e. converting the message "*&878hJf7*&8723" into a "Hello!" message. The security approach in VPNs assumes that no one other than the intended recipient will be able to perform decryption.

The concept of “virtuality” refers to the “as if” situation. For example, a situation where you access a remote computer using a tablet. In this case, the tablet simulates the operation of a remote computer.

The term VPN has a precise definition:

A VPN is an encrypted or encapsulated communication process that securely transfers data from one point to another; The security of this data is ensured by strong encryption technology and the transmitted data passes through an open, unsecured, routed network.

Since the VPN is encrypted, when communicating between nodes, data is transmitted securely and its integrity is guaranteed. Data flows through an open, unsecured, routed network, so when transmitted over a shared link, it can take many paths to its final destination. Thus, VPN can be thought of as the process of sending encrypted data from one point to another over the Internet.

Encapsulation is the process of placing a data packet inside an IP packet. Encapsulation allows you to add an additional layer of protection. Encapsulation allows you to create VPN tunnels and transfer data over a network with other protocols. The most common way to create VPN tunnels is to encapsulate network protocols (IP, IPX, AppleTalk, etc.) in PPP and then encapsulate the resulting packets into tunneling protocols. The latter most often is the IP protocol, although, in rare cases, ATM and Frame Relay protocols can also be used. This approach is called second-layer tunneling, since the passenger here is the second layer protocol (PPP).

An alternative approach is to encapsulate network protocol packets directly into a tunneling protocol (such as VTP), called Layer 3 tunneling.

VPNs are divided into three types based on their purpose:

1. Intranet is used to unite several distributed branches of one organization into a single secure network, exchanging data via open communication channels.
2. Extranet - Used for networks to which external users (for example, customers or clients) connect. Due to the fact that the level of trust in such users is lower than in company employees, special protection is required to prevent external users from accessing particularly valuable information.
3. Remote access - created between central corporate offices and remote mobile users. With encryption software loaded onto a remote laptop, the remote user establishes an encrypted tunnel with a VPN device at central corporate offices.

There are many options for implementing a VPN. When choosing how to implement a VPN, you need to consider the performance factors of VPN systems. For example, if a router is running at the limit of its processor power, then adding additional VPN tunnels and applying encryption/decryption could bring the entire network to a halt as the router cannot handle normal traffic.

VPN implementation options:

1. VPN based on firewalls. A firewall (firewall) is a software or hardware-software element of a computer network that controls and filters network traffic passing through it in accordance with specified rules. Today, most firewall vendors support tunneling and data encryption. All such products are based on the fact that traffic passing through the firewall is encrypted.
2. Router-based VPN. Since all information emanating from the local network first arrives at the router, it is advisable to assign encryption functions to it. Cisco routers, for example, support L2TP and IPSec encryption protocols. Besides simple encryption, they also support other VPN features such as authentication at connection establishment and key exchange.
3. VPN based on a network operating system. In Linux, technologies such as OpenVPN, OpenConnect or NetworkManager are usually used to connect a VPN. Creating a VPN in Windows uses the PPTP protocol, which is integrated into the Windows system.

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Hello friends! Many people use the Internet with the principle “I have nothing to hide,” but this is the same as saying “I don’t care about my rights.” This article is for those who care about their rights, as well as for those who think about Internet safety. I will tell you in simple words what a VPN is, why you need it, and how to use it.

What is VPN

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. Translated into Russian – virtual private network. A VPN is a technology that provides an encrypted connection over your Internet connection.

Thanks to VPN, you will be protected from interception of logins/passwords in unsecured or public WI-FI points, the history of your website visits will not be available to anyone, and you will forget website blocking like a bad dream. This applies to torrents and any other supposedly prohibited sites.

The hands of “blockers” have also reached out to the project industry. Recently, a popular bitcoin exchange, a large investment forum, and who knows how many websites were blocked. Access to the website of any payment system, for example, can also be blocked. Luckily, VPN users are not affected by ridiculous blocking :)

What does a VPN do?

1. VPN replaces your real IP with a fake one, for example, Italian or Dutch. If you use a VPN, then you are practically invisible on the network. You go to the site, but they see that you, for example, are not from Russia, but from Germany. Due to this, you are not afraid of any site blocking.

2. Encrypts the connection - neither your ISP nor the system administrator at work will know where you went.
- What does the system administrator/provider even see when you are without a VPN? The entire history of your surfing, without exception, all the sites you visit.
- What does it see when you work through a VPN? That you connected via VPN and... that’s it, he doesn’t know anything else :)
Also, when attackers intercept data, they will not be able to recognize it due to encryption.

3. Combined with IP spoofing and traffic encryption, you become completely anonymous.

Why do you need a VPN?

• If you like to visit cafes and surf the Internet there via Wi-Fi or often travel and connect to open Wi-Fi points, no arrogant hacker sitting at the next table will intercept your plastic card data with a CVV code or steal the password from your payment card. systems along with your money. And it doesn’t matter whether you work from a laptop or from a mobile device - without a VPN, they are not equally protected.
• You value anonymity and you are uncomfortable with the fact that any system administrator of the provider has access to the sites you visit or from which EPS you deposit/withdraw large amounts. The ISP will no longer know which sites you visit, and the sites will no longer know who visited them.
• At work, you like to surf YouTube/VKontakte/Skype, but you don’t want your boss or system administrator to find out about it. I know that you are a successful investor and have not gone to work for a long time, this is just me, just in case :)
• Do you want to see the Internet the way it should be - visit sites without the restrictions of a service that simply blocks sites in batches. At the time of writing, more than 2 million sites are blocked (statistics are being kept). It is also not uncommon when they demand blocking of a certain page or section, and the provider, without understanding, blocks the entire site.
• Does your favorite service restrict access from your country or provide privileges/bonuses/discounts to specific countries? With the help of a VPN, become a resident of any country and get all the benefits of services.

How to use a VPN (using NordVPN as an example)

I myself surf the Internet only through a VPN and can recommend an excellent service called NordVPN. I’ll say right away that the service is paid, the cost is $12 per month, when paying for half a year the cost per month is $9, when paying for a year – $7.

Yes, the Internet is full of free VPN services, but maintaining servers costs money, so if the service does not charge you, it makes money from you in some other way, and this “otherwise” can cost much more than paying for a reliable VPN. Security is not an issue to skimp on.

NordVPN review, its features

• Virtually no effect on connection speed, personally verified :)
• Support Windows, MacOS X, Linux, Android, iOS;
• Ability to use one account on 6 devices simultaneously;
• There are more than 50 countries and over 500 servers to choose from;
• Connect to NordVPN in one click;
• If your VPN connection is lost, the programs that you specified in the settings will automatically close. You don't have to worry about data leakage;
• Protection against recognition via DNS and WebRTC (these are the guys through which your real IP is visible even when the VPN is turned on);
• DoubleVPN support (a chain of two VPN servers);
• No restrictions: torrents, Skype calls, HD videos, online games - everything works without problems;
• Support for bitcoins and payments via plastic cards. But we love anonymity, so if you haven’t gotten yourself a Bitcoin wallet yet, follow the instructions;
• Any requests are ignored because the service is under the jurisdiction of Panama and is not subject to the laws of other countries.

Create an account with NordVPN

1) Follow the link, click “Get VPN” and select a tariff.
2) We are redirected to the account registration form. Select a tariff, fill in your email and password, select a convenient payment option and click “Register”.
3) Confirm the payment and log into your personal account using your login and password.

Download the client and enable VPN (using Windows as an example)

1) In your personal account on the website, go to the “Download Area” tab, find your operating system and download the client. If you have Windows, then select the line next to which there is “recommended”. If you need a VPN on your mobile device, search for NordVPN in your app store and download.

2) Install the program and run it. The screenshot below shows what the program looks like (click to enlarge the screen). In the “ Servers” you can choose any country to connect.

Setting up NordVPN

If you want maximum protection and customize everything, then click on “Settings”:

In the 21st century, information technologies occupy an integral place in the life of almost any person. Even an 80-year-old grandmother from a village who does not know how to turn on a computer is indirectly connected with them. Databases, bank accounts, messenger accounts - all this requires a high level of security. The Internet, which has grown to a global scale, like any other mechanism, becomes more vulnerable as its design becomes more complex. To protect confidential information, VPN technology was invented.

VPN connection (from the English Virtual Private Network - virtual private network) is a technology that allows you to artificially form a local network of Internet participants who are not physically connected by a direct connection. This is an add-on to the global network that provides communication between nodes that appears direct from the client side.

How a VPN connection works

A VPN virtual network works on the principle of establishing a fixed connection. Communication can be established directly, between two nodes of the same level (on a network-to-network or client-client basis), or (more commonly) between a network and a client. One of the elements (the connection initiating server) must have a static (permanent) IP address at which other network nodes will find it. An access point is created on the server in the form of a gateway with Internet access. Other network participants join it, the connection is made in the form of an isolated tunnel.

For all switching nodes through which data packets pass, the information is encrypted. It is transmitted in the form of an unintelligible stream, the interception of which will give hackers nothing. Encoding-decoding keys for many protocols (for example, OpenVPN) are stored only on end devices. And without them, attackers cannot do anything with the intercepted data. For maximum security, an archive with certificates and keys (without which it will not be possible to install a secure VPN) can be sent in encrypted form, or manually transferred to a flash drive. In this case, the likelihood of unauthorized access to network computers is reduced to zero.

Why do you need a VPN?

Direct connection

On the Internet, the physical distance between participants and the complexity of the route along which they exchange data do not matter. Thanks to IP addressing and DNS nodes, you can access another computer on the World Wide Web from anywhere in the world. The level of security of the connection is much more important, especially when exchanging confidential information. The more switching points (routers, gateways, bridges, nodes) data passes through, the higher the likelihood of it being intercepted by attackers. Having the physical parameters of a PC or server (for example, its IP address) - through vulnerable connection methods, hackers can penetrate it by breaking password protection. It is precisely from such attacks that the VPN protocol is designed to protect.

Unblocking access to resources

The second function of VPN networks is to open access to blocked resources. If there is Internet censorship in one form or another on the territory of a country (as in China), its citizens may be limited in access to certain resources. Accessing the network through foreign VPN servers allows you to avoid the threat of reprisals to representatives of opposition forces in totalitarian countries. State authorities that interfere with freedom of speech (as in China or the DPRK) will not be able to bring charges of viewing “ideologically harmful” resources, even if providers provide them with a backup of all intercepted data.

Some online services may block access to customers from countries and regions where they are not officially present. This is sometimes done by online games, international payment systems, trading platforms, online stores, online distribution systems for digital content (music, films, games). A VPN server based in a country where access is open removes such restrictions and allows you to make purchases.

Protection against hacking of private resources

Another reason why private clients need a VPN connection is remote administration. If you want to protect your server as much as possible from outside interference, you can create a “white list” of IP addresses that have access to it. When one of them (addresses) belongs to a private VPN server, you can safely connect to the administered server from anywhere in the world using encrypted communication. The administration object will consider that it was connected to from an authorized terminal, and the administrator does not have to worry about the risk of hacking.

Protection of trade secrets

VPN protocols are in demand in commercial structures that work with money and economic secrets. The virtual secure network prevents hackers from hacking accounts or finding out industrial secrets and technologies. Employees who, due to their duties, need to gain access to the company’s network resources from home or on a business trip, can organize a connection via VPN without exposing the corporate network to the threat of hacking.

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VPN is a network connection technology in which a virtual subnet can be organized on an existing network.

To understand what a VPN is, let's look at an example. For example, you need to send a parcel to another city and do it anonymously. At regular mail, you will be asked to provide an identification document, which means you won’t be able to send the parcel anonymously. And there is no absolute guarantee that the contents of the parcel will remain secret and will not be opened. But you can use the services of special companies that will transfer the parcel without asking who the sender is, and they also guarantee complete confidentiality of the contents, its integrity and safety. VPN performs the function of similar companies.

Why do you need a VPN?

VPN allows you to reliably transfer data without distortion.

You need to use this type of connection for:

1. Work with applications and download them when the IP address belongs to another zone.
2. Convenient and simple connection to the global network.
3. Creating a secure channel protected from hacker attacks.
4. Opportunities for anonymous work.
5. High connection speed without interruptions.
6. Ensuring a level of security when working in corporate networks.

How a VPN connection works

If you connect via VPN, information about the remote route and the server IP used is sent in the message. This information that passes through the network is in an encapsulated state; the data is encrypted, so it cannot be intercepted. The encryption stage via VPN is carried out when sending, and decryption is already performed using the message header on the recipient's side (the encryption key must be shared). If decryption was performed correctly, the required connection type is established.

If we talk about the level of security, today the Internet cannot boast of a high level of protection. But if you use VPN together with protocols, you can achieve security and information security.

How to use

The connection needs to be configured. Let's look at the steps using the most common OS - Windows as an example: open the control panel and select the "Network and Internet" section. Next: “Network and Sharing Center” - “Set up a new connection” - “Connect to a workplace.” Click next to “No, create a connection” and click “Use my connection.”

When logging in via the Internet, enter the IP of the router or Internet center (provided by the provider during initial setup), and when logging in via VPN, enter the local IP.

Then we set up the account parameters (given when registering the Internet center/Wi-Fi router, located on the back of the device), which are necessary to connect to the PPTP server, these are the username, password and domain (domain is not required). We have created a VPN and now for subsequent logins we can optimize the entire process to reduce connection time:

• Open the “Network and Sharing Center”.
• Click “Change adapter settings.”
• We look for the connection we made and look at its characteristics (security, properties and VPN type).
• Install “Point-to-Point Tunnel Protocol (PPTP)”.

If you do not do this, each time you access the global network, Windows will take turns searching through the available options until it finds the PPTP protocol.

This completes the setup, feel free to connect.

How to connect a VPN using a browser

The connection settings are different for each browser. Let's look at each of them:

1. Opera. This browser has a built-in unlimited VPN, which you can use for free. To enable it, you need to open the “Menu”, then go to “Settings”, select “Security” and “Enable VPN”.
2. Chrome. Here you cannot do without the help of special extensions. Open “Menu”, then “Additional tools”, then “Extensions” and “More extensions”. Enter “VPN”, view the results and click on one of them. In the tab that opens, click “Install”. After this, the extension will be automatically installed and its icon will be displayed in the Menu panel. When you need to use a VPN, click on the icon and enable the extension. Best extensions: Hotspot Shield, Touch VPN. All of them are free.
3. Yandex browser. Install the add-on - VPN service. Open the “Menu”, then “Add-ons”, then select “Extension Directory”. In the search, enter “VPN” and select any of the proposed options. Next, the mechanism of action is the same: install the extension, its icon appears in the “Menu” line. Before each use of a VPN connection, enable the extension. The following extensions have proven themselves well: “TunnelBear”, “Hola Better Internet”, “Zen Mate”.
4. Mozilla. According to the above scheme, we install the extension. Best add-ons: “Hotspot Shield Free VPN Proxy”, “Hoxx VPN Proxy”, “Zenmate Security”.

Imagine a scene from an action-packed movie in which the villain escapes the crime scene along the highway in a sports car. He is being pursued by a police helicopter. The car enters a tunnel that has several exits. The helicopter pilot does not know which exit the car will appear from, and the villain escapes the chase.

VPN is a tunnel connecting many roads. No one from the outside knows where the cars entering it will end up. No one from the outside knows what is happening in the tunnel.

You've probably heard about VPN more than once. Lifehacker also talks about this thing. Most often, a VPN is recommended because using the network you can access geo-blocked content and generally increase security when using the Internet. The truth is that accessing the Internet through a VPN can be no less dangerous than directly.

How does a VPN work?

Most likely, you have a Wi-Fi router at home. Devices connected to it can exchange data even without the Internet. It turns out that you have your own private network, but in order to connect to it, you need to be physically within reach of the router’s signal.

VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a virtual private network. It runs on top of the Internet, so you can connect to it from anywhere.

For example, the company you work for may use a virtual private network for remote workers. Using a VPN, they connect to their work network. At the same time, their computers, smartphones or tablets are virtually transferred to the office and connected to the network from the inside. To log into a virtual private network, you need to know the VPN server address, login and password.

Using a VPN is quite simple. Typically, a company installs a VPN server somewhere on a local computer, server, or data center, and connects to it using a VPN client on the user’s device.

Nowadays, built-in VPN clients are available in all current operating systems, including Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Linux.

The VPN connection between the client and the server is usually encrypted.

So VPN is good?

Yes, if you are a business owner and want to secure corporate data and services. By allowing employees into the work environment only through a VPN and using accounts, you will always know who did and is doing what.

Moreover, the VPN owner can monitor and control all traffic that goes between the server and the user.

Do your employees spend a lot of time on VKontakte? You can block access to this service. Does Gennady Andreevich spend half his working day on sites with memes? All his activity is automatically recorded in logs and will become an ironclad argument for dismissal.

Why VPN then?

VPN allows you to bypass geographic and legal restrictions.

For example, you are in Russia and want. We regret to learn that this service is not available from the Russian Federation. You can use it only by accessing the Internet through a VPN server in the country in which Spotify operates.

In some countries, there is Internet censorship that restricts access to certain sites. You want to access some resource, but it is blocked in Russia. You can open the site only by accessing the Internet through a VPN server of a country in which it is not blocked, that is, from almost any country except the Russian Federation.

VPN is a useful and necessary technology that copes well with a certain range of tasks. But the security of personal data still depends on the integrity of the VPN service provider, your common sense, attentiveness and Internet literacy.