VPN's are security intergrations?

[Gaqua77]

VPN i.e. Virtual Private Networks are known to be security measures? How do they work? How it secures our data?

[Elliot-VirtIO]

Using a VPN is a bit like always being on a https:// webpage, this is because all your data is encrypted before leaving your computer, up until it reaches the VPN server.

 

The real benefits of using a VPN are when you're using an untrusted internet connection; perhaps a Coffee Shop or Airport WiFi, where people could watch your internet traffic.

If your data was unencrypted, someone could theoretically see exactly what you're doing, including your username, password and even banking details. Using a VPN would make that impossible as it's fully encrypted.

 

Perhaps that wasn't the best of explanations, but

, In my opinion, explains it very well.

[benjamin utterback]

Hello Gaqua77 and Elliot-VirtlO, Welcome to the PrestaShop Forums. We love to have you with us. We hope to see you around more often!

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-Benjamin

[Gaqua77]

Thanx a alot Elliot-VirtlO for enlightening me about VPN but I m still confused. Now I m confused in between the SSL & VPN. Can you help u on this? As you seems be knowledgeable regarding this.

[Elliot-VirtIO]

Sure! I have a feeling my reply might've confused you a little, but hopefully this will clear stuff up a bit.

 

The fundamental idea behind both SSL and VPN is to encrypt the connection, so you can guarantee that whilst the data is flowing around the public internet you know that the only people who'll be able to read the data are you and the website.

Well... sort of.

 

SSL certificates are implemented by websites to guarantee to viewers that they are who they say they are.

Some certificates (See Extended Validation) are vetted more than others, however the fundamental idea is that the company giving the SSL certificate to the website owner is saying 'I trust that the person who requested this certificate is genuinely running this website, and so when you're encrypting your data and sending it to this website, it's safe.'

 

The 'trust' element is crucial with SSL certificates. Here's a worst-case-scenario case of what would happen if they weren't checked:

Let's say your average internet 'bad guy' (for lack of better word) decided to buy an SSL certificate for... 'mail.google.com', so if your computer had a virus and directed your traffic through your servers, you'd have no idea that the 'secure' connection was compromised.

 

This is where the beauty of SSL comes in.

When you visit a SSL enabled webpage (https://) the website sends you the 'public' part of the SSL certificate. In layman terms, it says 'I'm a secure website, and if you don't believe me, check the issuer, they'll back me up'.

Your computer then does actually check the issuer, gives the website a thumbs up, and continues to let you browse the website.

 

 

Personal VPNs, instead of providing trust and security like SSL, it only provides security.

A person connecting through a VPN can guarantee that the data between you and the VPN server (and no further) is secure and encrypted which saves you from WiFi lurkers, but doesn't protect you from the wilderness of the public internet.

However, to understand the 'point' of a VPN, we need to understand the common usage of them, which is in corporations mainly.

 

Consider this - You have a large company, with an internal intranet. It's great! Your company secrets are kept safe because it's impossible to reach them on the public internet.

However, you have people working from home who need to get onto the internal intranet.

By using a VPN, in this case, it creates a 'tunnel' from your home, securely, into the corporation so you can view the intranet.

How is this more secure? Well, when you're connecting to a VPN, you often have to authenticate yourself with a username and password.

 

 

So, to conclude that ramble. I'll finish off with three statements.

1. SSL provides trust that the website is legitimate and secure through encryption.
   
2. Personal VPNs ensures that your connection up until the VPN server, i.e., past that dodgey WiFi hotspot is safe and secure through encryption.
   
3. Corporate VPNs ensure that you are legitimate and secure through encryption.
   

 

I'll admit, I wrote this out without structuring it. But hopefully you'll get the gist of it