AI engineering glossary · Computing foundations
What is VPN (virtual private network)?
Virtual private network (also called VPN): A service that creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and another network, so traffic is hidden from the networks in between and appears to come from the far end. Companies use it to give staff safe access to internal systems.
Virtual private network: an example
An employee working from home connects through a VPN to reach the office's internal servers securely.
Related terms
More Computing foundations terms
- Von Neumann architecture
- VRAM
- Wide area network
- x86
- Application programming interface
- ARM architecture
- ASCII
- Asynchronous programming
Where you learn it
Virtual private network is part of the AI Engineering Program, which teaches it with notes, a hands-on lab and an exam. The first lesson is free.