With the use of a VPN, anonymous browsing is achieved thanks to IP hiding.
VPN is an acronym that can refer to different issues depending on the context. One of its most frequent uses is in technology , where VPN refers to the English expression Virtual Private Network , which can be translated as Virtual Private Network .
A VPN, in this sense, is a secure extension of a Local Area Network (LAN) over the Internet or another type of public network. Thanks to VPN, a computer can receive and send data over public or shared networks with the same guarantees of online security and functionality as a private network.
VPN technology allows a person who is on vacation on the beach to have the possibility of accessing their home computer, located 1,000 kilometers away, through the infrastructure provided by the Internet . The VPN also makes it possible for all the establishments of a hotel chain to be securely interconnected, to mention another possibility.
Advantages of VPN
In recent years, the aforementioned VPN networks have begun to become popular and have also become increasingly used due to the different advantages they bring. Specifically, among the most significant we can highlight the following:
- They offer the same service as a traditional local network, but without the need for each and every one of your devices to remain physically connected .
- It is considered that they have greater flexibility than other types of existing networks.
- The connection of one device to another through a VPN can be done even if one is on one side of the planet and the second on the opposite side of the planet.
- They provide maximum security , since access is protected and the connection itself is completely encrypted. In this way, unnecessary risks are avoided. What's more, they usually include what is known as an extra layer of security.
A VPN can help evade online censorship, making it possible to access social networks such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter in countries whose governments prevent it.
Security protection
Security protection is one of the keys to VPN. With this premise, various procedures are carried out that aim to provide guarantees for authentication .
Through the algorithms of so-called hash functions , data integrity is ensured. Privacy and anonymity , meanwhile, are achieved with encryption .
Data protection , in this framework, is achieved with access controls that prevent intrusion by those without authorization. At the same time, a record of the activities is developed that makes eventual recovery possible.
VPN architectures
VPN architectures are various. The most common is the remote access VPN , through which the user connects via the Internet.
Point-to-point VPN , on the other hand, is implemented through VPN servers that support connections made over the Internet and develop what is known as a VPN tunnel . The tunneling technique is based on the encapsulation of a network protocol over another protocol, which results in the formation of a tunnel inside the network. This way a secure connection can be created using broadband, with good connection speed.
The internal VPN , also called VPN over LAN , does not use the Internet for the connection, but uses a LAN network. What this resource makes possible is the isolation of certain areas of the internal network, improving Wi-Fi security, for example.
There are paid VPNs and free VPNs.
Teleworking, downloads and streaming
In addition to all of the above, we can highlight another series of important data about VPN connections, among which the following take special importance:
- They have become a fundamental pillar to be able to develop what is known as teleworking . And it allows the worker who is outside the office to access all its contents and data from any other place to carry out their tasks, for example, from home. That's why VPNs for businesses are becoming more and more important.
- In the same way, it must be emphasized that there are those who use the connections in question to make legal downloads from different platforms.
- VPNs for streaming are usually used to unblock content whose access is restricted based on geographic origin ( geoblocking ). This is how they are used as an access route to platforms such as Netflix , Hulu , Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ .
VPN in medicine
In the field of statistics applied to medicine , NPV is an acronym that corresponds to a Negative Predictive Value .
This idea is linked to how likely it is to develop a certain disease according to the results of a diagnostic test. The NPV refers to the probability of not contracting the disease when the test result is negative.
The acronym in finance
In finance , finally, NPV is the Net Present Value (also known as NPV : Net Present Value ).
It is a process that is developed to estimate the current value of a certain amount of future cash flows generated through an investment .