VPN Glossary is an A–Z reference for the language of private networking: protocols, encryption, privacy law, leaks and the features VPN apps advertise. Each entry follows the same shape (a one-sentence definition, how it works, why it matters, related entries) so you can compare terms quickly.
Who writes it
Entries are written and maintained by the VPNGlossary Editorial Team. Every page shows when it was last reviewed.
How entries are researched
Definitions are research-based. Where a term has a primary source, such as an RFC, a NIST standard, an EU regulation on EUR-Lex, a court ruling or the project's own documentation, we cite it in a Sources list at the end of the entry. General concepts that have no single authoritative source are written from that wider body of documentation and carry no source list rather than a padded one.
When a provider-specific claim changes (for example a feature being withdrawn or a new audit), we update the entry and its review date.
What we don't do
We don't sell VPNs, and the glossary has no affiliate links. A small number of entries link to a related guide on a sister site run by the same publisher; those links are marked nofollow. See the disclosure.
Corrections
Spotted an error or an outdated claim? Please use our contact page and tell us which entry it is.