Previous Year Question
What is a ‘Virtual Private Network’?
It is a private computer network of an organisation where the remote users can transmit encrypted information through the server of the organisation.
It is a computer network across a public Internet that provides users access to their organisation’s network while maintaining the security of the information transmitted.
It is a computer network in which users can access a shared pool of computing resources through a service provider.
None of the statements (a), (b) and (c) given above is a correct description of ‘Virtual Private Network’.
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
Option (b) is correct. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) creates a secure logical connection or an encrypted tunnel over a public network—generally the Internet. It enables a remote user to access the internal network and authorised resources of an organisation while maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of transmitted data.
When a VPN connection is established, the user or device is authenticated. The data packets are then secured with the help of encryption and tunnelling protocols. Even if a person intercepts the traffic over the public network, it is difficult to read the original information without the appropriate encryption keys.
A VPN can mainly be of two types. A remote-access VPN connects an individual user to an organisation’s network, whereas a site-to-site VPN establishes a secure connection between separate offices or networks. IPsec and TLS-based technologies are commonly used to create VPNs.
Option (a) is not the correct definition. It describes the private network and server of an organisation but does not make it clear that a VPN creates a secure virtual connection over the public Internet. This is the principal feature of a VPN.
Option (c) describes cloud computing. In cloud computing, a service provider makes available a shared pool of computing resources such as servers, storage, applications and processing power. It is not the definition of a VPN.
A VPN does not automatically provide complete anonymity to a user, nor does it offer complete protection against a compromised device, malware or phishing. It primarily secures data in transit and provides authorised network access.