VPN
Technology & Computing abbreviation · Networking
| Stands for | Virtual private network |
|---|---|
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
VPN stands for Virtual private network, a networking abbreviation.
Creates an encrypted tunnel between a device and a remote network or server, so traffic crosses the internet as if over a private line. Companies use VPNs to give remote staff access to internal systems; consumers use commercial VPN services to hide browsing from local networks and ISPs or to appear to be in another country.
Example: Connect to the company VPN before opening the finance share or the intranet.
Usage notes
Early VPN protocols included the Microsoft-led PPTP of the mid-1990s and IPsec; common choices today are IPsec, OpenVPN and WireGuard. A consumer VPN moves trust from the ISP to the VPN provider, which can see the same traffic, so independent audits of "no-logs" claims matter. VPNs do not make users anonymous and do not stop tracking through cookies or logged-in accounts. Site-to-site VPNs link whole office networks rather than single devices, and some countries restrict or ban VPN use.
Related abbreviations
More networking abbreviations
- TTL – Time to live
- UDP – User Datagram Protocol
- UPnP – Universal Plug and Play
- UTP – Unshielded twisted pair
- VLAN – Virtual LAN
- VNC – Virtual Network Computing
- VXLAN – Virtual Extensible LAN
- WAN – Wide area network
- WAP – Wireless access point
- WEP – Wired Equivalent Privacy
- WLAN – Wireless local area network
- WPA – Wi-Fi Protected Access