What is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) primarily used for?

• A. A method to carry private communications network traffic over the public Internet using tunneling or port forwarding in an encapsulated form.
• B. A wireless technology standard for home networks.
• C. A hardware device that connects multiple private networks.
• D. A cloud service that stores encrypted backups.

Answer: (A)

VPNs are used to securely carry private communications over the public Internet by wrapping the traffic in an encrypted tunnel. This encapsulation protects data from eavesdropping and tampering as it moves between your device and the VPN server or between private networks. In telehealth, this means you can access a clinic network or patient records securely from a remote location, preserving confidentiality and privacy on public networks. The other choices describe a home Wi‑Fi standard, a hardware device that connects private networks, or cloud backups, none of which focus on creating that secure, encrypted path for private traffic across the Internet.