17 September 2026 · 5 min
What it is for
A virtual private network encrypts the path between your device and a server you chose. The hotel network, the airport, the untrusted office guest Wi-Fi cannot easily read the packets. For staff on the road that is worth having. For a public-sector laptop it should be a default, not a perk.
What it is not
It is not anonymity. Once you sign into Google, Microsoft, a bank, or a chatbot, that company knows who you are. A free VPN is often worse than none: you have handed the whole stream to an unknown operator. Prefer a named provider under contract, or a concentrator you run yourselves.
A VPN also does not stop malware, phishing, or a tracker inside the page you opened. Combine it with MFA, a locked-down browser and the boring patching. That is the stack. Not a logo on a landing page.
Related service: Cybersecurity