VPN

A virtual private network (VPN) is a computer network that uses a public telecommunication infrastructure such as the Internet to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organization's network. It aims to avoid an expensive system of owned or leased lines that can be used by only one organization.

It encapsulates data transfers using a secure cryptographic method between two or more networked devices which are not on the same private network so as to keep the transferred data private from other devices on one or more intervening local or wide area networks. There are many different classifications, implementations, and uses for VPNs.

¹ Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VPN on Mar. 8, 2011. Partially adapted. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License.