Answer Description

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) provides an encrypted tunnel to connect to networks. It can be used to securely connect from a home office to a corporate network or as an additional layer of security when using public wireless networks (e.g. the free WiFi at a coffee shop).

Wikipedia

A virtual private network (VPN) is a mechanism for creating a secure connection between a computing device and a computer network, or between two networks, using an insecure communication medium such as the public Internet.A VPN can extend access to a private network (one that disallows or restricts public access) to users who do not have direct access to it, such as an office network allowing secure access from off-site over the Internet. The benefits of a VPN include security, reduced costs for dedicated communication lines, and greater flexibility for remote workers. VPNs are also used to bypass internet censorship. Encryption is common, although not an inherent part of a VPN connection.A VPN is created by establishing a virtual point-to-point connection through the use of tunneling protocols over existing networks. A VPN available from the public Internet can provide some of the benefits of a private wide area network (WAN). From a user perspective, the resources available within the private network can be accessed remotely.