What is a VPN?

A VPN, or virtual private network, is a technology that establishes a secure tunnel between two or more devices.

An Internet VPN, such as Mullvad (that’s us!), offers a tunnel between you and the Internet, allowing you to browse the web securely and privately, even when using a public WiFi network at a cafe or hotel.

Surfing the web is no private matter

Online privacy is hard to come by these days. Nearly everything we do on the Internet is logged, making it quite easy for others to trace specific online activities right back to you.

How is that even possible?

Well, your internet service provider (ISP) has the ability to track which websites you visit. Those websites, in turn, can see who your ISP is. Some even keep records of your activity. And that’s just the beginning.

Based on your country’s laws, your ISP may even be required by the government to log the websites you visit.

How a VPN protects your privacy

If you use a trustworthy VPN service – one that doesn’t log any user information – the traceable chain between you and your online activity is broken.

All of your traffic first travels from your computer, through an encrypted tunnel, to the VPN’s servers and then onward to the website you are visiting. In this way, websites will only see the VPN service’s identity instead of yours. And any information that your ISP saves cannot be tied specifically to you.

Using a VPN is a great first step toward protecting your privacy, but it’s not the ultimate solution (we wish it was!). However, it’s easy to improve your privacy ninja skills.