Definition
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
A tool that encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a remote server, hiding it from your network but not from the VPN provider.
A VPN encrypts traffic between your device and the VPN server, shielding it from your local network or internet provider. It does not make you anonymous: the VPN provider can see what your network used to, so its logging policy and audit history matter more than its marketing.
Why it matters: a VPN shifts trust from your network to the provider — useful on untrusted Wi-Fi, but only as trustworthy as the company behind it. Independent audits and a verifiable no-logs record are what count.
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