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The History Of VPN

For as long as the internet has existed, there has been a need for protocols to keep data private and secure. The history of VPN (virtual private network) technology dates back to 1996 when a Microsoft employee developed the peer-to-peer tunneling protocol or PPTP. Effectively the precursor to modern VPNs, PPTP creates a more secure and private connection between a computer and the internet.

As the internet took off, demand for more sophisticated security systems arose. Anti-virus and related software could be effective at preventing damage at the end-user level, but what was really needed was to improve the security of the connection itself. That’s where VPNs came in.

A VPN is a private connection over the internet. It’s a broad term that encompasses several different protocols, which will be explained in detail later. What they all have in common is the ability to connect remotely to a private network over a public connection.

Initially, VPNs were used almost exclusively in a business. However, the rash of high-profile security breaches occurring in the early 2000s was a key moment in the history of VPN technology. With this, everyday internet users became aware of the true risks of working online and began to look for more secure ways of doing so.

Today, VPNs are used to secure internet connections, prevent malware. And hacking, ensure digital privacy, unlock geo-restricted content and hide users’ physical locations. Easier to use and more affordable than ever, a VPN is an essential tool for staying safe and secure online.

How does a VPN work?

A VPN hides your IP address by letting the network redirect it through a specially configured remote server run by a VPN host. This means that if you surf online with a VPN, the VPN server becomes the source of your data.

This means your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and other third parties cannot see which websites you visit or what data you send and receive online. A VPN works like a filter that turns all your data into “gibberish”. Even if someone were to get their hands on your data, it would be useless.

What is the Goal of VPN?

The VPN Aims is to create a private connection between multiple people and devices across the Internet. In effect, it is an Internet within an Internet, secure private, and encrypted from prying eyes, malware, hackers. And anyone else who may wish to know where you surf, or where you are surfing from.

VPN technology has been around for decades. Originally created for big business it was never intended for the many purposes for which it is used today. The need at the time was great. Businesses, organizations, governments, and many others with sensitive information were at risk of hacking or other loss of data when using open Internet connections.

They needed to make connections that were far more secure than the average so that remote users, satellite offices. And field operatives could access and use company files without allowing their secrets to escape. The solution they derived is VPN.

VPN is like having a local network, a network in which devices are directly connected to each other with no need for the internet, except using the internet to make the connections.

Aside from tunneling protocols that set up secure connections hiding the originating source high-level encryption standards ensure that even if data is lost, it will never be used by anyone not intended to have it.

The benefits of VPN for individual internet users became clear right from the start. And that spawned the modern rush to provide the best VPN technology. Over the years VPN advancement has been spurred by the encroachment of censors around the globe, and the never-ending appeal for hackers to break into whatever devices and connections they can.

Wide Usage and fame of VPN

As time went by, virtual private networks reached higher and higher levels of speed, security, and encryption standards.

However, it was not long before costs began to drop and private users started to realize that this type of connection could provide them with great benefits as well. As a consequence, VPNs were very soon embraced by people who used the web for private purposes.

As the internet evolved, it also brought about new challenges such as censorship, geo-blocking, data mining, hacking, ad spamming, and many other unwanted aspects. This helped VPN providers grow the market by offering their services as an effective way for people to enjoy using uncensored and secure internet.

The Future Of VPN

The earliest VPN did the simple job they were first intended to do. Allowing remote access to a home network, but opened up a world of possibilities both good and bad. The earliest versions, while intending to provide safety and security. We’re often vulnerable to attacks that blocked or intercepted the flow of data. They were also very slow to transfer data so not as useful in real-time situations like they are today. Later versions have improved upon the original ideas, merging and advancing technologies along the way. Today’s modern VPNs are a versatile, adaptable, and desirable tool for Internet users at all levels of the spectrum.

Benefits for the individual include a secure connection to the Internet and websites on it. Privacy/anonymity and safety/integrity of your data, personal information, business network, etc. Benefits for business include the seamless secure connection between branch offices, remote users. And web surfing customers with the home network.

The need for VPN is clear. The Internet is not a safe place, it is in many ways a wild west of networks, devices, good users, and bad users.

Connections are at risk of hacking, websites may download malware, personal data is hunted and the flow of information is impeded. Even in places where the Internet is relatively safe, you will encounter restrictive activity which blocks the free flow of information ranging from global news to the most popular US and British TV shows.

Conclusion

Therefore A VPN connection makes a secure connection between you and the internet. Via the VPN, all your data traffic is route through an encrypt virtual tunnel. This disguises your IP address when you use the internet, making its location invisible to everyone. A VPN connection is also secure against external attacks. That’s because only you can access the data in the encrypted tunnel. And nobody else can because they don’t have the key. So we hope by reading this article you’ve learned some information about VPN.