VPN for normal people

A VPN encrypts traffic between you and one server, which matters on hostile networks (hotel and airport Wi-Fi) and for reaching region-locked services. It does not make you anonymous, does not replace antivirus, and does not fix phishing — the tunnel happily carries your password to the attacker too.

Practical setup: one reputable paid provider, WireGuard protocol, kill-switch on, auto-connect on untrusted networks. Free VPNs sell the browsing data you wanted to protect — if you are not paying, you are the product.

Work VPN vs privacy VPN

Do not mix them. The work VPN exists so your laptop is virtually in the office: it routes everything through the company, which can and does log it. Use a separate browser profile (or the privacy VPN disconnected) for personal stuff during work hours rather than tunneling your private life through the employer.

Leaks that bypass the tunnel

Test for DNS and WebRTC leaks after setup — a VPN that leaks DNS queries protects nothing. Reconnect and retest after every client update, because updates love resetting the kill-switch to off. If video calls stutter only on VPN, try split tunneling for the conferencing app before blaming the provider.