Public VPN

What Does Public VPN Mean?

Public VPN is a type of VPN connection that can be accessed publicly or openly by end users.

It differs from standard or private VPN, which is generally reserved for specific users, organizations or subscribers. It is normally accessed using a standard Internet connection.

Techopedia Explains Public VPN

Public VPN provides the same level of VPN services, including a secure and reliable network path, but on a public network or the Internet. Typically, public VPN is provided by VPN service providers, having a back-end VPN infrastructure. End users authorize themselves at the VPN gateway before they are granted access to the VPN. Upon authentication a secure tunnel is created between the end users device and the VPN gateway.

Public VPN is popularly utilized for accessing restricted websites and/or content in specific regions. Cloud or hosted VPN is a type of public VPN that is accessible by any user.

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Margaret Rouse

Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.

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