Every time you visit a website, you leave a digital footprint: your IP address, browser used, ISP name, and so forth. This data is a goldmine for data brokers, state authorities, and cybercriminals. The first group sells your information to advertisers; the second regulates access to restricted networks; and the third uses your data in criminal schemes.
To mitigate these risks without sacrificing your online experience, netizens use VPNs. But what are these programs exactly, and how do they protect your privacy? And how does Amnezia VPN fit into this definition?
How a VPN Works
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. These networks are built between devices, between networks, or between a device and a network. In this article, we focus on the third option, as it is the most common use case for our users.
Virtual private networks are overlay networks. Without getting too deep into technical jargon, think of it as a connection built on top of the regular internet, like power lines running above the city streets.
In this metaphor, every house is a server or a computer. The streets represent the backbone network, and the cables are protected tunnels—bridges between devices and servers. You can move between houses on foot using a standard connection, or you can “climb the wires” by using VPN tunnels. The latter makes it much easier to bypass state checkpoints and avoid advertisers.
A VPN is a network on top of a network.
A VPN tunnel is built between two points: the client and the server. The client establishes the private tunnel using encryption and VPN protocols, while the server accepts the encrypted connection.
While setting up a self-hosted server is relatively straightforward — you just need to launch and configure it — developing a client is more complex. This is where VPN services step in, offering custom-built clients and operating on their own server infrastructure.
How a VPN Protects Users
When you load a webpage (e.g., Wikipedia), a VPN creates a private tunnel between your device and the VPN provider's server. Data inside this channel is encrypted, so your Internet Service Provider (ISP) cannot see its content, even though they can see your IP address.
Meanwhile, the websites and services you visit cannot see your real IP; instead, they receive the address of the VPN server. To them, it looks as if you are accessing the web from a different part of the world.
It is important to note: your ISP can still see that you are connected to a VPN, the IP addresses (yours and the server’s), as well as the volume of data and the time of transmission. If a VPN service does not mask DNS requests, the ISP may also see the domains you visit.
Types of VPNs
VPN services are categorized by many technical factors: architecture, implementation, security environments, and more. For the average user, two parameters are usually decisive: the monetization model and the licensing approach.
By Monetization
There are both free and paid VPNs. Free services often collect user data to sell to third parties or display intrusive ads.
Commercial VPN providers make money by charging for access to the overlay network itself, so they have no incentive to track users or sell data. Many paid services offer a trial period for new customers or a "lite" version of the app.
By License Type
VPNs are typically divided into proprietary and open-source.
Proprietary VPNs (Closed Source)
- Users cannot verify how their data is protected exactly due to the nature of closed software.
- Often more user-friendly: you don't need to dive into system settings to install this type of VPN solution; the developer handles all the updates and bug fixes.
- They operate as a black box — even advanced users cannot evaluate the code.
Open-Source VPNs:
- The code is publicly available: anyone can study it, test it, and find vulnerabilities in it.
- Flexible: these solutions allow for customization, though this requires technical expertise.
- Supported by the community: If you encounter a problem, there is a high probability that another user has already solved it.
- The reliability of open-source solutions often depends on their popularity and community engagement.
Remember: on its own, the open-source factor does not guarantee security—it all depends on the quality of implementation and the frequency of updates.
Where Amnezia VPN Fits In
Amnezia VPN is an open-source VPN solution based on a hybrid monetization model. It grants access to blocked content and protects user privacy even from VPS (Virtual Private Server) providers because it does not log data. Hence the name: even the Amnezia VPN team “forgets” its users.
We offer a free version for Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and Linux users based on popular VPN protocols for traffic masking. Our specialists have also developed an original AmneziaWG (AWG) protocol based on WireGuard to make it harder for censors to block your connection.
Which VPN to Choose?
Whether you choose a paid open-source solution or a proprietary one for a limited number of devices depends on your specific needs. Whatever you decide, we promise to keep you updated on the latest trends in internet safety.
Stay connected with Amnezia VPN!
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