Virtual Private Networks

The commonly used initials “VPN” stand for the term Virtual Private Network. In its most basic definition a VPN is a network of computers which is kept private and secure despite being spread across unsecured public networks, such as the internet. They can be thought of in contrast to ring-fenced networks of computers behind a single firewall, situated in a single location, using dedicated on-site connections (i.e., LANs – Local Area Networks) or private networks of computers in disparate locations, connected using privately leased lines. VPNs therefore allow businesses and individuals to share sensitive information across computers, or other devices, in varying locations without the need to deploy distinct physical connections, and without compromising the security of those devices or their LANs.

There are two broad classifications of VPN. The first, remote-access, describes a scenario in which an individual computing device establishes a connection with another or with an existing LAN. The second, site-to-site, involves two distinct LANs forming a connection across public networks to create a virtualised LAN.