The term VPN keeps appearing - but what is it and what can it be used for? We explain the possibilities and the advantages and disadvantages of the technology.
What does VPN mean?
The keyword “ VPN ” now appears regularly on the Internet. Either when it comes to surfing the Internet anonymously or to establish a secure connection between computers and networks. VPN means “ Virtual Private Network ”, and that is exactly what it is: An encrypted network connection in the form of so-called tunnels that enables a secure connection between computers via the Internet. However, not all VPNs are the same: although the underlying technology is always the same, a distinction is usually made between the application areas “ virtual network ” and “ anonymization ”.
VPN: The original idea
VPN was originally developed to securely network computers over the Internet. Anyone who works in a larger company should be familiar with the principle: the computer, smartphone or tablet can establish a connection via VPN from the home office or while on the move and in this way connect to the employer's network. You can then access network data within the company network or use services such as Outlook as if you were on site at your workplace. To do this, a VPN server application must be running on the company's servers, while users also need access data and, if necessary, VPN client software . macOS can do this "without". The computer connects to the server; the connection between the computers runs over the Internet, but is encrypted so well that any attackers have nothing to do with it. Anyone who surfs via the VPN connection is visible to the outside world as if they were surfing the Internet in the company - i.e. they receive the company's IP address and are no longer recognizable as an individual at first glance..
VPN service provider for anonymous surfing
It is precisely this principle that so-called VPN services such as NordVPN or CyberGhost make use of: For a small monthly fee, they basically offer the same thing that users know from the VPN connection with their company. With the difference that the providers distribute numerous servers worldwide and enable their use according to the user's wishes. It then receives the IP address of the starting point of the VPN provider and surfs with its IP address. In this way, surfing activity can only be traced back to the VPN service. In addition, most VPN providers usually work with a so-called zero knowledge strategy : Internally, further redirects ensure that the provider himself can no longer trace which user has accessed which website. The connection itself is also encrypted. As a result, the individual user of a VPN service is initially no longer recognizable. If you use a VPN connection in the network, your activities are concealed and cannot be traced. This protects you from cyber attacks. Since the VPN servers are located abroad, no information on the actual whereabouts of the VPN user can be called up. The use of VPN service providers is basically legal in Germany. In other countries, however, the regulations are much stricter: in China and Iran, a special license to use a VPN is required, in Russia,in Turkey and Belarus, VPNs are even completely banned.
The limits of anonymity of VPN services
However, VPN services only anonymize the user's IP address. If other technologies are used, such as social networks such as Facebook or Google, which are permanently logged in, anonymization is only partially possible . The VPN user does not reveal anything about his location - he can, for example, choose a US starting point from Germany and the IP address makes it appear to websites as if he were in the USA on the Internet. But Facebook and Co. can personalize this connection again, provided the browser is logged in. The number of permanently registered services in the browser is growing every day, but services that have share buttons on websites, such as Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, are really problematic. The only way to do this is to log out consistently..
Don't forget the browser cache
On the browser side, too, of course, all pages accessed are stored in the cache. It therefore makes sense to regularly empty your browser's cache when surfing with VPN services. Initially, nobody who cannot access the computer can access it. But if the worst comes to the worst, data can accumulate here that can cause difficulties. In addition, when choosing a VPN service, it should be checked whether it is pursuing a zero-knowledge strategy and where the company is operating from. Services headquartered in the United States - keyword: NSA scandal - must always be treated with caution. There are therefore narrow limits to the anonymity of the VPN services. If you use a VPN service, you can geo-locks,Bypass censorship measures and disguise his IP address - but he is only completely anonymous if he takes additional measures.
Practical: Your own free VPN with a German IP address while on vacation
By the way, VPN can also make sense the other way around. Many service providers on the Internet use the IP address to determine the country in which the user is located - and deliver other content. Websites like YouTube, for example, cannot deliver some content in some countries due to different copyright laws, and many governments block certain content for domestic users. Dictatorships in particular use internet censorship to withhold services, websites and, above all, certain social networks from their citizens. Anyone traveling as a tourist in such a country will quickly notice, which is precisely why it can make sense to set up a VPN at home with the help of the FRITZ! Box. This is then comparable to the corporate solution, so it is not anonymous. However, this VPN has the advantage ofthat there is one hand is free and, on the other hand, will most likely not be blocked , as can be the case with VPN providers. This allows you to bypass possible censorship measures and access websites that are actually blocked abroad. We have put together the best VPN providers for you here.