What is the definition of VPN tunneling?

VPN tunneling refers to the process of creating a secure connection over the internet, allowing data to be transmitted in a private manner. This is accomplished by encapsulating data packets within a secure "tunnel," which protects them from interception or tampering while in transit. The primary purpose of this tunneling is to ensure that sensitive information is safeguarded against potential threats, enabling secure communications between remote users or sites and the corporate network.

Given the nature of VPN services, they often use encryption protocols to securely transmit data, making it unreadable to unauthorized users. This aspect of VPN tunneling is critical in maintaining data confidentiality and integrity, especially in environments where users are accessing networks over unsecured public channels.

The other options do not accurately capture the essence of VPN tunneling. Data compression pertains to reducing the size of data for transmission efficiency, firewall protection focuses on controlling network traffic to prevent unauthorized access, and network segmentation involves dividing a network into smaller parts for performance and security management. None of these concepts directly address the specific process and purpose of creating a secure tunnel for data transmission, which is central to the definition of VPN tunneling.