What Is VPN? Internet Services Home Ministry Is Looking To Ban & Has India Inc Worried

Ministry of Home Affairs would coordinate with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to identify and block VPNs with the help of internet service providers.

VPN | Representative Image

New Delhi: In a recent proposal, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs urged the government to block VPNs in India citing cyber threats. This report has raised concerns among companies who are worried that a ban on VPN usage will hamper their safe conduct of business.

What are VPNs?

Known as virtual private networks (VPNs) are commonly used by companies to secure their digital assets, especially in lockdown, the network facilitated seamless work-from-home situations. One can easily download a VPN since several websites offer such facilities besides advertising their benefits as well.

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VPN services manage to encrypt data thereby hiding the IP address and another reason is that blocked sites can be assessed using VPN. VPN services enable hiding the online identity even on public Wi-Fi networks.

What are the uses of  VPNs?

Around 30 percent of Internet users end up using VPNs at least once a month, as per the Forbes report. The tool is effective in securing networks and data from hackers, especially by corporates. This also ensures that data remains safe at a time of using a public connection in places like cafes and restaurants.

In India, VPNs were majorly used when the popular mobile game PUBG was banned last year.

Why VPNs banned is proposed?

The proposal has been mooted because VPNs aid criminals to remain anonymous online and the committee said India needs to develop a coordination mechanism to block VPNs permanently, as per the Hindustan Times report.

The committee cited that technological challenges posed by VPN services and Dark Web can bypass cyber security walls thereby allowing criminals to remain anonymous online.

The committee recommended that the Ministry of Home Affairs should coordinate with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to identify and permanently block such VPNs with the help of internet service providers. The action is aimed at blocking VPNs shielding criminals.

It stressed on strengthening the tracking and surveillance mechanisms by further improving and developing the state-of-the-art technology, to control the use of VPN and the dark web, the report said.

Why are companies worried?

Companies allow employees to work remotely and log in to the company network from any location and keep company data secure through the encrypted network. The ban on VPNs can affect the remote working of employees because then employees may have to work on a secured Internet connection that is given by the office. Experts believe that privacy concerns and data protection will also be impacted.