VPN Encryption: Everything You Need to Know
Protect your personal data from the prying eyes of your ISP, cybercriminals, and Wi-Fi snoopers with VPN encryption from IPVanish.
What is VPN Encryption?
Before we dive into VPN encryption, we must first determine: what is a VPN? A VPN, or virtual private network, protects your internet connection. It does so via VPN encryption, a method used to secure internet traffic before it leaves a device so that the data is unreadable in the event of unauthorized access.
Encryption is a process that reformats readable data into unreadable code. The readable data is known as plaintext, whereas encrypted data is known as ciphertext. If plaintext data is converted into ciphertext, only authorized parties will be able to decipher it back to plaintext. VPN encryption uses a virtual private network connection to carry out this process.
Encryption requires the use of an encryption algorithm, which generates a private key. This key is used to decrypt data so that authorized parties may view it. Strong encryption is used in many scenarios to hide specific data. Messaging apps use encryption to keep conversations private, while online banking services use encryption to protect sensitive financial information, for example. Most popular websites also use the technology to help secure transactions while shopping online.
VPN encryption is unique, however, because it encrypts all the traffic on your internet-connected device. This includes everything from the websites you visit to the messages you send, videos you watch, and songs you listen to. Importantly, it also adds a layer of protection to internet activity that is not secured by a website or application provider.
How Does It Work?
In simple terms, VPN encryption works by securing your data requests, re-routing them through a private and remote server, before sending an encrypted data response back to you.
VPN encryption prevents outsiders from snooping on your internet activity. This provides privacy protection whenever you’re connecting to the internet, and is especially important on public Wi-Fi.
When you’re using the internet, you enter into a two-way communication with the apps, websites, and services you interact with. If you want to watch a video in your web browser, for example, your device sends a request in the form of a data packet to the website where your video is hosted. Then, the website reads this data packet and processes your request. When this occurs, you’re able to play the video.
The problem, though, is that savvy third parties can intercept these data requests. If these data requests are not encrypted, anyone from your ISP to cybercriminals can read your data requests in plaintext and spy on your internet activity.
By using VPN encryption, however, you can help ensure no one can read your data requests. Here’s how it works in practice:
- You send a request to access a website or app to your VPN service, such as IPVanish. This request takes the form of a data packet
- IPVanish receives your data packet, encrypts it, and places it inside another data packet to hide it from public view in a process known as tunneling.
- Once your data packet is encrypted and tunneled, it’s rerouted through a secure remote VPN server on its way to its final destination.
- The data packet reaches its final destination, where it is unpacked and decrypted so the website or app can send its response back to the VPN server.
- The VPN server receives this response, encrypts it, and sends it back to you.
- When you receive the response back, your VPN service decrypts it, making it legible for you.
This process may sound long and complex, but it happens instantaneously. And since IPVanish remains committed to delivering the fastest VPN service in the world, it won’t slow you down.
Why Is VPN Encryption Important?
VPN encryption is essential for those who value their online privacy; it provides the following benefits:
1. Protect Your Data From Prying Eyes. A VPN protect your personal data from anyone that might be listening in, including cybercriminals, ISP, or even government surveillance. This protection includes your passwords, bank account details, online accounts, and more.
2. Protect Yourself From Cyber Attacks. By encrypting your data, a VPN helps protect you from hackers attempting to eavesdrop on your activity via methods such as Man-in-the-Middle attacks.
3. Protect Your Connection On Any Network. Using public Wi-Fi? These hotspots make it easy for other network users to snoop on your personal traffic. Fortunately, VPN encryption helps prevent this from happening.
What is AES 256-bit Encryption?
A very common question with VPN encryption is “Just how secure is it, exactly?
When it comes to IPVanish, the answer is very secure. IPVanish uses AES 256-bit encryption, the industry standard for data encryption. It makes decrypting your data virtually impossible and is employed by governments, journalists, and privacy advocates around the world to protect their most sensitive data.
AES stands for Advanced Encryption Standard. The 256 bits part of the name refers to the length encryption key, which has 2^256 different combinations a hacker would have to try to successfully pull off a brute force attack.
Even the world’s strongest supercomputer would take millions of years to crack a code this complex.
Don’t Leave Your Data At Risk
Protect yourself online with IPVanish
IPVanish VPN Protocols (And How They Work)
VPN protocols are the “how” of VPN encryption. IPVanish offers several protocols, including:
IKEv2
Internet Key Exchange (version 2), or IKEv2, is a protocol made available exclusively through the legacy connection protocol, IPSec. While IKEv2 is only available in newer devices, it’s more secure than the IPSec protocol because it allows devices to switch between a Wi-Fi and cellular network without disrupting the VPN connection.
OpenVPN
OpenVPN is often the go-to VPN protocol when it comes to balancing encryption and speed. As an open-sourced protocol, it usually requires complex configuration to run on a third-party client. Fortunately, you can get over that technical hurdle by using the IPVanish VPN client.
With this protocol, you also gain access to its obfuscation setting, OpenVPN scramble, which can help you hide the fact that you are using a VPN altogether.
WireGuard®
WireGuard is the latest advancement in VPN protocols, built to be faster and more secure than previous other connection types. WireGuard uses encryption that is strong but lightweight, resulting in faster connections and lower consumption of device power. As an open-source project, WireGuard remains under continued development, but it’s already considered one of the most secure VPN solutions in the industry.
IPSec
IPSec encrypts internet protocol packets for tunneling. It’s available for most mobile devices, and it protects all application traffic over an IP network. But while OpenVPN and other connection types define a particular encryption algorithm or authentication function, IPSec does not. Instead, it simply provides a framework for secure data transport.
How to Get Started with VPN Encryption
- Sign up for IPVanish.
- Download the IPVanish VPN app.
- Install the app on your preferred device, open it, sign in, and select “Connect.”
Can I Use Free VPNs?
You can, but you’d be wise not to. When something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. The same applies to free VPNs, which are unable to provide the same VPN features as IPVanish. And because free VPN providers don’t charge you money to use them, they have to depend on questionable means to make ends meet, including:
Logging and Selling Data.
Ironically, most free VPNs spy on their users and sell their data to advertisers. This completely breaks the point of using a VPN in the first place.
Installing Malware on User Devices.
Some free VPN providers even install malware on their users’ devices to mine their data or use their devices for personal gain.
Capping Speed and Data.
Free VPNs often cap how much data you can use and limit your internet speed. This seriously harms your internet experience if you want to use a VPN in your day-to-day life. IPVanish, however, offers unmetered connections.
Frequently Asked Questions
