Reach a company network from elsewhere
An employee working from home can use a company VPN to reach private office tools over an encrypted connection.
A consumer VPN typically sends your internet traffic through its provider. Websites then see the provider’s network address rather than yours.
Understand the limits
A VPN protects traffic on its way to the VPN server. It cannot make unsafe sites safe or make you anonymous: websites can still recognise you when you sign in. The provider may see some of your online activity, so its privacy practices matter.