The history of VPNs
For as long as the Internet has existed, there has been a need for protocols to keep data private and secure. The history of VPN (Virtual Private Network) technology dates back to 1996, when a Microsoft employee developed the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol, or PPTP. Effectively the forerunner of modern VPNs, PPTP creates a more secure and private connection between a computer and the Internet.
With the rise of the Internet came the demand for more sophisticated security systems. Antivirus and related software could be effective in preventing harm at the end user level, but what was really needed was to improve the security of the connection itself. That’s where VPNs came in.
A VPN is a private connection over the Internet. It is a broad term that encompasses several different protocols, which will be explained in detail later. What they all have in common is the ability to remotely connect to a private network over a public connection.
Initially, VPNs were used almost exclusively for business. However, the wave of high-profile security breaches that occurred in the early 2000s was a key moment in the history of VPN technology. With this, everyday Internet users realized the real risks of working online and started looking for safer ways to do it.
Today, VPNs are used to protect Internet connections, prevent malware and hacking, ensure digital privacy, unblock geo-restricted content, and hide users’ physical locations. Easier to use and more affordable than ever, a VPN is an essential tool for staying safe online.
What is the purpose of VPN?
The purpose of VPN is to create a private connection between various people and devices over the Internet. In effect, it is an Internet within an Internet, secure, private, and encrypted against prying eyes, malware, hackers, and anyone else who wants to know where you are browsing or browsing from.
VPN technology has been around for decades. Originally created for large companies, it was never intended to serve the multiple purposes for which it is used today. The need at that time was great. Businesses, organizations, governments, and many others with sensitive information were at risk of hacking or other data loss when using open Internet connections. They needed to make connections that were much more secure than average so that remote users, satellite offices, and field operatives could access and use company files without letting their secrets leak. The solution they derived is VPN.
VPN is like having a local network, a network where devices are directly connected to each other without the need for the Internet, except using the Internet to make the connections. In addition to tunneling protocols that establish secure connections that hide the source of origin, high-level encryption standards ensure that even if data is lost, it will never be used by anyone who does not claim to have it. The benefits of VPN for individual internet users were made clear from the start and that has spawned the modern rush to provide the best VPN technology. Over the years, the advancement of VPNs has been fueled by the invasion of censors around the world and the never-ending lure of hackers to access any device and connection they can.
Censorship and geo-restriction is one of several issues plaguing the Internet and driving innovation in VPN technology. The history of censorship varies from case to case, but includes things like social media blocking, incomplete access to online media catalogs (consider Netflix US’s catalog versus what’s available to the rest of the world), user activity tracking, email monitoring, or outright denial of Internet access. The history of VPN has progressed hand in hand, overcoming each problem as it arises and generating demand from the web surfing public.