What Does VPN Mean?

By Staff WriterLast Updated April 14, 2020

VPN is an acronym for virtual private network. A virtual private network is a private network that uses encryption and other security measures to send data privately and securely through a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet.

Virtual private networks are commonly used by businesses with several office locations. When a company office in one city needs to send data to a company office in another city, the encrypted connection that the virtual private network provides can be used to securely send the data. Virtual private networks are also useful in situations where employees work from home and must securely access data on computers in the office.