Virtual Private Network

A **virtual private network (VPN)** is a
private network that can be accessed remotely by the user. Users can connect to
any public network and use the VPN for an extra layer of privacy. Most VPNs are
giving to users as a service, which they pay for yearly or monthly. They are
also used in the business setting to allow employees to access corporate
networks from any location. VPNs have increased in consumers following privacy concerns with
common websites. As the desire for anonymity increases, so does the demand for virtual private
networks.

## How A VPN Works

There are many different types of **virtual private networks** and they all work differently. Some types of VPNs include IP security (IPSec), Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP)/IPsec, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS), Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) and Secure Shell (SSH). Below are descriptions of what each one does.

* **IP security (IPSec)**

IPsec is used to protect internet communications and it can operate in two different modes. These two modes are called Transportation, and Tunneling. Transportation mode uses encryption to secure only the message that is in the data packet, while Tunneling encrypts the whole packet.

* **Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP)**

L2TP does not do any encryption, instead it works together with IPsec. The L2TP check to make sure that the packet makes it through the tunnel and the IPsec encrypts the packet.

* **Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS)**

SSL and TLS are widely used by online retailers on protect themselves and their customers. Both of these protocols operate using the "handshake" method.

* **Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP)**

PPTP has been used ever since the mid 1990s and can be installed on basically any operating system. Similarly to L2TP, PPTP does use encryption at all, and require a separate protocol to carry out that task. PPTP has been criticized lately for not being the most secure, but it is still widely used to this day.

## When to Use a VPN

There are many activities online that can benefits the user through the use of a VPN. Online banking is a huge one that many people use VPNs for. Banking websites and apps seem like they are very sercuse, but they are actually hacked very often. A VPN won't be much help if the banks database gets hacked, but it will protect the user from packet sniffing software that could comprise the user's security.

Another use for VPNs is on the dark web. If a user has a VPN, they can make illegal purchases from online vendors that sell anything from drugs, to firearms. A very popular website for black market transactions, was the silk road. The creator of the website Ross Ulbricht was arrested in 2013 and was sentenced to multiple life sentences in prison.

## References

1. Tarantola, Andrew. “VPNs: What They Do, How They Work, and Why You're Dumb for Not Using One.” *Gizmodo*, Gizmodo.com, 26 Mar. 2013, gizmodo.com/5990192/vpns-what-they-do-how-they-work-and-why-youre-dumb-for-not-using-one.
2. Hume, Tim. “How the FBI Caught Ross Ulbricht, Alleged Creator of Silk Road.” *CNN*, Cable News Network, 5 Oct. 2013, www.cnn.com/2013/10/04/world/americas/silk-road-ross-ulbricht/index.html.
3. Archiveddocs. “Virtual Private Networking: An Overview.” *Microsoft Docs*, docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2000/bb742566(v=technet.10).