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

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is primarily designed to provide a secure tunnel for data transmission over the internet. Its main purpose is to encrypt the data sent and received, ensuring that sensitive information remains confidential. By doing this, VPNs protect data from potential eavesdroppers and hackers, especially when using unsecured public networks.

The encryption methods employed by VPNs safeguard the information while it travels across the internet, making it difficult for unauthorized parties to access or comprehend the data. This is essential for individuals and organizations that handle sensitive information, as it ensures privacy and security.

In contrast, monitoring TCP session handshakes involves analyzing the establishment of network connections, which is not the primary function of a VPN. Filtering application-specific commands pertains to controlling data flow at the application level, which may be part of a firewall or proxy service, but it is not the core purpose of a VPN. Network traffic logging refers to the process of recording data packets sent over a network, which is more aligned with network management and troubleshooting rather than the secure transmission of information.