A VPN — virtual private network — encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a server somewhere else, hiding what you are doing from your network and making you appear to be browsing from that server’s location. It is used for privacy on public Wi-Fi, remote work access, and reaching content restricted by country.
What is VPN?
A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and a server run by the VPN provider. Everything you send goes through that tunnel.
Two things change as a result:
Your traffic becomes unreadable to anyone watching the network. Your internet provider, the coffee shop Wi-Fi, or anyone else on that network sees only encrypted data going to a VPN server — not which sites you visit or what you send.
Websites see the VPN server’s location, not yours. Your real IP address is replaced by the server’s, so a site in another country treats you as though you were there.
What a VPN does not do is worth being equally clear about, because it is oversold:
- It does not make you anonymous. The provider can see your traffic — you are transferring trust, not eliminating it.
- It does not stop websites tracking you. Logged-in accounts, cookies and browser fingerprinting identify you regardless of IP address.
- It does not protect you from malware, phishing or scams.
- HTTPS already encrypts most traffic. A VPN adds cover for which sites you visit and hides your location — useful, but a smaller gap than the advertising implies.
“VPN 360” and similar names are individual consumer apps rather than a distinct kind of VPN. The same considerations apply, and free VPN apps deserve particular scepticism — running servers costs money, and if you are not paying, the business model is usually your data.
What is VPN used for?
- Security on public Wi-Fi — airports, hotels, cafés, conference centres. The clearest genuine use.
- Remote access to a work network. Corporate VPNs let staff reach internal systems, file shares and databases from outside the office. This is what VPNs were invented for.
- Reaching content restricted by country — streaming catalogues, sports coverage, news sites unavailable locally.
- Hiding browsing from your internet provider, which can otherwise log the sites you visit.
- Avoiding price discrimination, where flights and subscriptions are priced by location.
- Bypassing network blocks on a school, workplace or hotel network, and circumventing censorship.
- Accessing home services — a media server, cameras, files — while travelling.
Common tasks you can do with VPN
Connecting on public Wi-Fi. Install the app, open it, tap connect. Banking, email and browsing on an untrusted network are then encrypted.
Working remotely. Your employer supplies a client and credentials; connecting places you logically inside the office network. This is usually mandatory rather than optional.
Changing your apparent country. Pick a server there and connect. Streaming services actively detect and block VPN traffic, so this works inconsistently and may breach their terms.
Splitting traffic. Split tunnelling routes some apps through the VPN and others directly — useful when banking apps object to a foreign IP.
Using a kill switch. This blocks traffic if the VPN drops, preventing accidental unprotected browsing. Worth turning on.
Who VPN is useful for
People who use public Wi-Fi regularly — travellers, students, anyone working from cafés — and remote workers, for whom it is usually required rather than chosen.
People in South Africa wanting overseas content, a common motivation given how much streaming and sport is region-locked.
Privacy-conscious users who would rather their internet provider not log every site they visit, and people on restrictive networks.
Journalists, activists and researchers on sensitive topics, where the stakes are real — though they need more than a VPN alone.
Who probably does not need one: someone browsing at home on their own connection, doing ordinary things, with HTTPS already protecting the content. The security benefit there is modest, and a paid subscription may not be worth it.
When to choose VPN instead of a related tool
| Tool | Better when |
|---|---|
| VPN | You want all traffic encrypted, a different apparent location, or access to a work network |
| HTTPS alone | Ordinary browsing on a trusted connection — already encrypts content |
| Tor Browser | You need strong anonymity rather than just privacy; much slower |
| Proxy server | You only need to change apparent location for one app; no encryption |
| Password manager | Account security — a far bigger real-world risk than network snooping |
| DNS filtering | Blocking ads, trackers and malicious sites |
| Zero-trust access | Modern corporate alternative, replacing traditional VPNs |
Honestly assessed, for most people a password manager and two-factor authentication improve security far more than a VPN does. Accounts get compromised through reused passwords and phishing, not through someone intercepting café Wi-Fi.
Choosing a provider, if you decide you want one: prefer a paid service, a clear no-logging policy that has been independently audited, jurisdiction you are comfortable with, WireGuard or OpenVPN support, a kill switch, and servers where you need them. Avoid free VPN apps — several have been caught logging and selling user data, and one was found injecting advertising into traffic.
See the software tools hub and the guide to OTT vouchers.
Related software and productivity guides
Frequently asked questions
What is a VPN used for? Encrypting your internet traffic, hiding your browsing from your network and internet provider, reaching a work network remotely, and appearing to browse from another country.
What is VPN 360 used for? It is one of many consumer VPN apps. The general points apply — and free VPN apps warrant particular caution, since running servers costs money and your data is often the payment.
Does a VPN make me anonymous? No. The provider can see your traffic, and websites still identify you through logins, cookies and browser fingerprinting. It shifts trust rather than removing it.
Is a VPN legal in South Africa? Yes. Using a VPN is legal. What you do through it is still subject to the law, and using one to bypass a streaming service’s region restrictions may breach that service’s terms.
Will it slow my internet? Usually somewhat — traffic travels further and is encrypted. A good provider on a nearby server costs little; a distant server costs more.
Do I need one at home? Often not. HTTPS already encrypts the content of most browsing. A VPN mainly adds location privacy and hides which sites you visit from your provider.
Are free VPNs safe? Treat them sceptically. Several have been found logging and selling user data or injecting advertising.
Will it let me watch overseas streaming? Sometimes. Streaming services actively detect and block VPN traffic, so it works inconsistently.
What is a kill switch? A setting that blocks internet traffic if the VPN connection drops, preventing accidental unprotected browsing. Worth enabling.