What is a VPN and what is it for
FortiSafe team ·
A VPN (virtual private network) is an encrypted connection between your device and a server. While it's on, what you send travels protected to that server, and websites see its IP instead of yours. It's mainly for protecting your connection on networks you don't control and for using an IP from somewhere else. It doesn't make you anonymous, it isn't antivirus and it doesn't stop scams.
How it works
- The VPN app creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and a server.
- Usually, everything your device's apps send goes through that tunnel. Whoever runs the network you're on only sees a connection to the VPN server.
- The server forwards the traffic to the internet. To websites and apps, the connection comes from the server's IP address.
- NIST, the US standards body, defines a VPN as a virtual network built on top of existing physical networks that can provide a secure way to transmit data between them.
What it's for — and what it doesn't fix
| Use | What a VPN fixes | What it doesn't fix |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel, airport or café Wi-Fi | What you send stays encrypted up to the server, and whoever runs the network only sees the VPN connection. | Fake sites, scam links and malicious apps are still dangerous. |
| An IP from another country | Services that block access based on IP location, such as some Brazilian banks and sites when you're outside Brazil. | SMS codes, unregistered phones and each service's own rules. Streaming isn't guaranteed. |
| Privacy from the network | Your internet provider and the local network no longer see the addresses you visit. | The VPN company sees them instead, which is why what it logs matters. And wherever you sign in, the service knows who you are. |
Most websites are already encrypted
From 30 August to 12 September 2026, about 84% of pages opened in desktop Firefox used HTTPS, worldwide and in Brazil alike, according to the telemetry data published by Let's Encrypt.
On most sites, the content is already encrypted without a VPN. On an open network, what a VPN adds is hiding where you're going from the network and protecting whatever doesn't use HTTPS.
VPN, proxy and browser extensions
A proxy or a browser extension changes where the browser's traffic goes out. Chrome's documentation describes the interface these extensions use as the one that manages Chrome's own proxy settings.
A VPN installed on the device covers apps too: your bank app, gov.br and everything else go through the tunnel.
VPNs on your phone
- On Android, the VPN is under Settings, Network & internet, VPN. If you can't find it, search for "VPN" in Settings. To disconnect, tap Settings next to the VPN and turn it off.
- Android has an "Always-on VPN" option and, alongside it, Block connections without VPN. For a VPN set up through an app, these options only appear if the app supports them, and the names may differ by manufacturer. The step-by-step is in our kill switch guide.
- A kill switch is the feature that blocks the internet if the VPN drops, so nothing leaves outside the tunnel without you noticing. In the FortiSafe apps, it's in development.
What is WireGuard
WireGuard is the protocol that creates the tunnel. Its official site describes it as a simple, fast and modern VPN using state-of-the-art cryptography, available for Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.
It's the protocol FortiSafe uses.
What about FortiSafe?
FortiSafe uses WireGuard, with 82 servers in 45 countries, 2 of them in São Paulo.
What we keep, for how long and what we don't log is on our What we log page.
There's no free tier and no free trial: if you buy on our website, you have 7 days from the charge to ask for your money back.
Sales and apps coming soon.
How to choose a VPN
- Find out who the company is and how it makes money.
- Read what the privacy policy says is kept and for how long.
- Download from the official store or the company's website.
- Prefer current protocols, such as WireGuard.
- Check whether there's a refund. The details are in the free vs paid VPN guide.
Sources
Pages checked on 13 September 2026.
- NIST — glossary: virtual private network — Definition of a VPN (NIST SP 800-77 Rev. 1).
- Let's Encrypt — statistics — Firefox telemetry on pages loaded over HTTPS; 14-day weighted average calculated by the FortiSafe team from the published data.
- Chrome — proxy API for extensions — The extension interface manages Chrome's proxy settings.
- Android Help — connect to a VPN — Where the VPN is and how to disconnect.
- Android Developers — VPN — Always-on VPN and blocking connections without VPN for app-based VPNs, unless the app opts out.
- WireGuard — site oficial — What WireGuard is and which systems it runs on.