Please forgive my basic ignorance regarding a VPN connection. As I understand it
ID: 656247 • Letter: P
Question
Please forgive my basic ignorance regarding a VPN connection.
As I understand it, a VPN connection encrypts all the data between my computer and the VPN provider. Thus preventing my ISP from seeing my data.
But on the VPN providers side of the connection, surely the VPN provider uses an ISP of some sort. So they send out requests I have made over their ISP, just as if I were sitting there using the ISP they pay for. And they send the data back to me, encrypted.
So on the ISP side they use, the data they send is unencrypted, so it can be understood by other sites/services.
If this is the case, am I not just pushing my data further along. Its still unencrypted but at a different end (VPNs Webside). Its only the data back to me, which is encrypted.
Thanks.
Explanation / Answer
Correct. A VPN is designed to give you a secure connection to the VPN provider; it essentially simulates your being physically on their network. For instance, a corporate VPN simulates being in the office physically connected to the corporate network. This is great when there's some reason to trust the VPN network more than the network you're on for the things you're doing; however, all it amounts to is substituting the VPN provider's network for the network you're on.