Definition:
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a technology that connects devices or networks through shared infrastructure, such as the internet, using a private connection. In remote-access and browsing VPNs, this connection uses an encrypted tunnel to protect traffic between its endpoints.
It can provide access to an organisation’s internal resources, connect its offices or route browsing traffic through an intermediary server. Its function depends on the configuration: not every VPN is used to change the IP address visible on the internet.
Table of contents
How a VPN works
When establishing the connection, the device or network gateway authenticates with the other VPN endpoint. Selected traffic is encapsulated and, in an encrypted VPN, travels through a protected tunnel to that destination.
From there, it can access a private network or continue to the internet. With a browsing VPN, websites usually receive the connection from the exit server and see its IP address rather than that of the user’s original connection.
The tunnel can carry all intended traffic or only part of it. With split tunnelling, some applications or destinations use the VPN while others retain a direct connection. Activating a VPN therefore does not, by itself, demonstrate that every communication from the device passes through it.
Types of VPN and their uses
VPNs can be distinguished by the components they connect and their purpose. Common uses include the following:
- Remote access: connects a device to a private network. It allows an authorised person to use their organisation’s applications or files from outside its premises.
- Site-to-site connections: link entire networks through gateways. Computers in different offices can communicate without each user having to start an individual VPN connection.
- Browsing or consumer VPNs: route traffic to the internet through a provider. They allow a different exit IP address to be used and limit the browsing information exposed to the local network.
A commercial VPN does not grant access to a company’s internal systems. That requires the connection and permissions established by the organisation.
What it protects and where encryption ends
VPN encryption protects traffic within the tunnel. Someone observing the connection from the local network can detect communication with a VPN server, but cannot directly read the encrypted content travelling through it.
The tunnel’s protection ends at its exit endpoint. If traffic continues to a website, the security of that segment also depends on the protocol used. HTTPS encrypts communication between the browser and the web server; a VPN does not replace it.
The VPN provider can know information about the connection and its destinations. However, using its service does not automatically allow it to read content protected by HTTPS, such as passwords or messages sent to a website over a valid connection.
Privacy and the limits of a VPN
Changing the visible IP address does not mean being anonymous. A website can recognise someone through their account, cookies or other identifiers even when they use a VPN. Nor does a VPN necessarily change the location obtained through the device’s GPS.
A VPN shifts part of the trust from the access network to whoever operates the tunnel. Its logging policy, security practices and terms of service therefore matter. A no-logs promise should be evaluated by its scope, not just its advertising message.
A VPN can also affect speed and latency, depending on the distance to the server, its load and the connection’s route. It does not, by itself, prevent phishing, malicious files or account theft.
Differences between a VPN, a proxy and a private search engine
A proxy acts as an intermediary for communications sent to it, often from a particular application. It does not, by itself, imply creating an encrypted tunnel for the device’s traffic. A VPN operates over a network connection and can cover different applications, depending on its routes and settings.
A private search engine, such as Gibiru, focuses on how searches are performed and handled. It does not automatically route all browsing through a VPN or hide the IP address from every page opened from its results.
These are different tools that can be combined: the search engine handles the query, the VPN carries selected traffic and HTTPS protects communication with the destination website.