I’m sure you’ve heard of it benefits and certainty what a VPN can offer you: protect your privacy, anonymize your IP, block dangerous sites, etc. But do you know how a virtual private network works? How is encryption done? How safe is it really?

VPN (virtual private network) market. has been on the rise for several years. In fact, today the industry is valued at $43 billion. Without going further, looking at the numbers we can understand its magnitude: in 2020, 277 million VPN products were downloaded in 85 countries; and that number nearly tripled by 2021, with 785 million VPN software downloads.

Although there are many reasons to use a VPN, today we want to focus on how a virtual private network works offer such high security.

This is how VPN encryption works

A VPN, which is a cyber security tool, can protect our personal data while browsing. When we connect to the Internet using a virtual private networka protected tunnel is created between us and the server through which all the data of the apps or websites we browse is sent and received. This tunnel, in turn, has encryption, i.e. a code that only we (users) and the VPN server can understand.

Every time a user browses, all the data they share is encrypted and they become unreadable for anyone who could get them. We are talking about personal data, IP address, the actual location of that address, identity, etc. This means that even if a hacker could see this data, he would not be able to read it, because it would be in code that only the VPN server can read.

There are many types of encryption, but the best is AES 256-bit, military grade. This is used, for example, by governments, global institutions and international intelligence agencies.

On the other hand, most VPN provider companies They have a no-logging policy.. They do not store personal data of users or information about their activity or browsing history, they do not store data about the IP address they use or the number of hours connected. In this way, they manage to provide complete security to those who choose to navigate using this solution.

Now that you know it’s safe, what should you keep in mind when hiring a VPN?

First, we recommend studying the provider’s reviews. Must be reliable, secure and offer 24-hour customer support because you never know when you will have doubts or need help solving a problem. So take the time to familiarize yourself with all the available options and verify that they offer the service for the devices you want to configure it on (PC, smartphone, tablet, etc.)

Once you guarantee its reliability, check the number of available servers which the company offers. The more you have, the more alternative options you’ll have when connecting. We also recommend checking the encryption type (remember it must be at least 256 bits) and whether it has a no-logging policy.

Finally, you could check if it has a VPN features such as blocking dangerous websites, Invasive advertising restriction and kill switch against data, IP or DNS leaks.

Now you know that VPNs are really safe, provided they are provided by a reliable and reputable company. We recommend always using them for a private, anonymous connection without cyber attacks.