The switch to remote working models has yielded a massive spike in the use of VPNs as reflected in an analysis conducted by AtlastVPN that showed that during the first half of 2021, installs of VPNs in India reached 348.7 million – a growth of 671 per cent over the previous year. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Indian companies into making transformational changes to their work cultures, more specifically via the adoption of work-from-home models. Why the ban could spell trouble for Indian companies Connections to a VPN are highly encrypted, and users can rest assured that the data they send or receive is safe from prying eyes. Essentially, a VPN disguises the IP address of a user, disabling anyone from tracing a user on the internet and spying on his/her internet behaviour. Noting that VPN services enabled “criminals to remain anonymous online,” the committee has suggested roping in India's internet service providers to implement the ban, adding that “a coordination mechanism should also be developed with international agencies to ensure that these VPNs are blocked permanently.” What is a VPN?Ī VPN is an online tool that promises privacy and anonymity by allowing users to connect to a private network with a public internet connection. It is well known that cybercrime has been, and continues to be on the rise, with VPNs becoming an increasingly valuable tool to blackhat hackers and cybercriminalsĬiting the growing threat from the cyber domain, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs has recommended banning Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), according to a report by MediaNama.