What is a VPN?

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a communication tunnel between a server and a device.

There are two main types of VPN: enterprise VPN and public VPN. Corporate VPN is where a company provides access to its internal servers via a secure VPN, so that it can share information with specific people outside its local network. The public VPN offered by elmVPN, on the other hand, is designed to provide a secure tunnel for users to encrypt their Internet communications.

But what does a VPN actually do? It encrypts any information that leaves your device over the Internet. To make an analogy, let’s take the postal service. We could say that there are three main types of correspondence: the postcard, the letter in an envelope and the coded letter. The same goes for your Internet browsing and communications. The postcard is unprotected: from the moment it leaves your hand, anyone can see its contents until it reaches the addressee. Although not totally extinct, this type of computerized communication doesn’t really exist today. Then there’s the letter in an envelope. Here, the contents are concealed, so that no-one can see them. On the other hand, protection remains weak. In fact, you only need to open the envelope to find out what’s inside. It’s essentially a question of “trust” security. We take it for granted that, for example, the letter carrier will not open our envelope. It could be your Internet provider, for example, or the local café that offers you a free Internet connection (although in the latter case, it’s quite possible that this connection could be compromised without the café’s knowledge). And finally, the coded letter. This is the strongest form of security: only the sender and recipient have the secret key to decrypt the letter. The same applies to VPN: only you and the VPN server have the key needed to decrypt the content of the communication. No matter who reads the content, all they’ll see is a meaningless string of characters.

What doesn’t VPN do?

While VPN allows you to ensure that your Internet communications are protected from outside interference, it doesn’t protect you from yourself!

What this means is that if, for example, you were to click on a dubious link in an e-mail or on a fraudulent site, the VPN won’t prevent your equipment from being infected. For this type of attack, you need to protect yourself in other ways.

For example, it’s still advisable to secure your router properly, keep your antivirus software up to date, change your DNS addresses and be vigilant about what you’re surfing.

Do I need a VPN?

In an ideal world, all hardware connected to the Internet would be protected by a VPN.

That said, if your router is properly secured and you accept that your ISP can link your identity to your Internet browsing, a VPN is not a necessity for hardware that remains connected to your router at all times. A common practice, however, is to purchase a VPN router, so that with a single subscription you can enjoy the benefits of VPN for all devices connected to that router.

When it comes to the hardware you use outside your home, it’s best to secure your connection with a VPN. Whether it’s a cell phone or a computer using the mobile data network, a connection to public Wi-Fi or even a connection provided by your employer, these are all connections over which you have no control and which are reputed to be less secure and/or have no guarantee of confidentiality.

Do you have multiple servers in multiple countries?

No!

Our servers are all located in Canada, and our installed base consists of the servers we need to satisfy our customers.

Can I change my geographical location to subscribe to streaming services from other countries?

No!

Our servers are all located in Canada, so changing location is not possible. We choose the server to which you are connected to ensure the most efficient service.

So, why should I subscribe to your service?

Excellent question!

elmVPN goes back to the roots of what a VPN should be: encrypting your communications and internet browsing, as transparently as possible to you. That’s why all our efforts are focused on a single objective: to ensure the security of your communications without you even noticing in your day-to-day tasks.

To do this, and unlike all other VPN services, with elmVPN, a Canadian company, your data won’t be passing through a multitude of third-party server providers incorporated in foreign countries over which you have no control, no agreement and no rights. The reality is that other VPN services are dependent on these foreign providers.

What’s more, almost all VPN services are located in foreign countries, the vast majority of them even in tax havens, not to guarantee you greater confidentiality as some claim – the risk is actually higher in this respect – but rather for financial reasons and to avoid any recourse against them.

In fact, and this must be the reason why our type of offer does not really exist, is that it is much more complex and expensive to own and maintain your own infrastructure as we offer you. In summary, with elmVPN, you will benefit from these advantages that we will not find elsewhere:

A VPN founded and domiciled in Canada.

A secure VPN that owns and maintains its entire infrastructure and does not pass through unknown foreign third-party providers.

A VPN based on ultra-light open source applications that will not constantly be a source of distraction with unexpected and frequent disconnections.