A virtual private network, or VPN, is an essential tool for staying safe and secure online. Connecting to a VPN can keep your browsing private and away from prying eyes, making it more difficult to track your online activity. When shopping for a new VPN or researching how to optimize your service you’ll likely run into a head-spinning amount of technical jargon. Encryption this and protocol that. Even reading VPN reviews can seem like a foreign language at times. So to help you make sense of it all, we’ve compiled a list of the top terms and VPN features that everyone should know. Understandin…