Our guide to... VPNs (Virtual Private Networks)

We all know that online activity needs to be private and secure. If you suspected that the business-critical information you're about to share with a colleague is at risk of being seen much more widely, you would hesitate to send it. 

- David Phelan

This is where VPNs - short for Virtual Private Networks - come into play. While it once seemed that they were used for suspect practices and dodgy dealings, today's rise in remote working, whether at home or on the road, has changed this perception. VPNs offer convenience, security and access to the internet wherever you are. A VPN can help to ensure that online activity remains confidential. It may even allow you to continue to do business freely when travelling in a country with online censorship.

Without a VPN, your internet service provider (ISP) and the websites you visit can pick up a lot of data from your online activity. Packets of data sent when you're on the internet reveal your exact location (from your IP address), which websites you visit and for how long. This data collection is often benign Netflix, for instance, wants to know your location because its library of movies and shows varies in different territories.

However, it's better to be safe than sorry. If you happen across an unsecured network, any information you enter when you're on it is also collected hence the importance of a VPN when using a public wifi network, such as at an airport (take note business travellers!).

With a VPN, your actions, website visits and keystrokes are kept hidden. The data is encrypted before it leaves your device so that nobody can read it. The encrypted data goes to your VPN company where it's decrypted so that the websites you're visiting can understand it, but your identity, IP address and physical address are safely hidden. The same process happens in the other direction.