# How a VPN hides what you do online > A process map exported from forks.world (https://forks.world). Author: Brian. Source: https://forks.world/p/cmv21nqe7001bl2062w2cwt94 > It describes who does what, in what order, and with which technology. Read the plain-language sections first; the JSON at the end is the exact, complete data. ## Summary - 12 steps across 1 layer - Persona: Your internet provider - Technology / systems: You, VPN server, The website ## How to read this file - A process is made of **layers**. The main layer is the top level; any step of kind `subprocess` opens a detail layer with its own lanes and steps. - **Lanes** are either persona (people/roles) or technology (systems). Each step belongs to one lane; `using` lists tools a person uses for that step. - Step kinds: `start`, `task`, `decision` (its arrows carry the answer as a label), `subprocess`, `end`. ## How a VPN hides what you do online Lanes: - You: technology / system (id `you`) - VPN server: technology / system (id `vpn`) - The website: technology / system (id `site`) - Your internet provider: person / role (id `isp`) Steps, in the order they run: 1. **You turn on the VPN app** [start; You; id `n1`] - then Your device sets up an encrypted tunnel to the VPN server 2. **Your device sets up an encrypted tunnel to the VPN server** [task; You; id `n2`] - then You visit a website 3. **You visit a website** [task; You; id `n3`] - then Your provider sees only scrambled traffic going to the VPN server 4. **Your provider sees only scrambled traffic going to the VPN server** [task; Your internet provider; id `n4`] - then The VPN server decrypts it and asks the website for the page 5. **The VPN server decrypts it and asks the website for the page** [task; VPN server; id `n5`] - then The website sees the VPN server's address, not yours 6. **The website sees the VPN server's address, not yours** [task; The website; id `n6`] - then It sends the page back to the VPN server 7. **It sends the page back to the VPN server** [task; The website; id `n7`] - then The VPN encrypts it and sends it through the tunnel 8. **The VPN encrypts it and sends it through the tunnel** [task; VPN server; id `n8`] - then The page appears and your provider never saw what it was 9. **The page appears and your provider never saw what it was** [task; You; id `n9`] - then Does the VPN keep logs? 10. **Does the VPN keep logs?** [decision; VPN server; id `n10`] - if "Yes" go to The VPN company can see everything your provider could; if "No" go to Nobody in the middle has a record 11. **The VPN company can see everything your provider could** [end; VPN server; id `n11`] 12. **Nobody in the middle has a record** [end; VPN server; id `n12`] ```mermaid flowchart LR subgraph l_you["You"] n_n1(["You turn on the VPN app"]) n_n2["Your device sets up an encrypted tunnel to the VPN server"] n_n3["You visit a website"] n_n9["The page appears and your provider never saw what it was"] end subgraph l_vpn["VPN server"] n_n5["The VPN server decrypts it and asks the website for the page"] n_n8["The VPN encrypts it and sends it through the tunnel"] n_n10{"Does the VPN keep logs?"} n_n11(["The VPN company can see everything your provider could"]) n_n12(["Nobody in the middle has a record"]) end subgraph l_site["The website"] n_n6["The website sees the VPN server's address, not yours"] n_n7["It sends the page back to the VPN server"] end subgraph l_isp["Your internet provider"] n_n4["Your provider sees only scrambled traffic going to the VPN server"] end n_n1 --> n_n2 n_n2 --> n_n3 n_n3 --> n_n4 n_n4 --> n_n5 n_n5 --> n_n6 n_n6 --> n_n7 n_n7 --> n_n8 n_n8 --> n_n9 n_n9 --> n_n10 n_n10 -->|"Yes"| n_n11 n_n10 -->|"No"| n_n12 ``` ## Full data (JSON) ```json { "title": "How a VPN hides what you do online", "maps": { "m_root": { "id": "m_root", "lanes": [ { "id": "you", "name": "You", "type": "system" }, { "id": "vpn", "name": "VPN server", "type": "system" }, { "id": "site", "name": "The website", "type": "system" }, { "id": "isp", "name": "Your internet provider", "type": "person" } ], "steps": [ { "id": "n1", "kind": "start", "lane": "you", "next": [ { "to": "n2" } ], "uses": [], "label": "You turn on the VPN app" }, { "id": "n2", "kind": "task", "lane": "you", "next": [ { "to": "n3" } ], "uses": [], "label": "Your device sets up an encrypted tunnel to the VPN server" }, { "id": "n3", "kind": "task", "lane": "you", "next": [ { "to": "n4" } ], "uses": [], "label": "You visit a website" }, { "id": "n4", "kind": "task", "lane": "isp", "next": [ { "to": "n5" } ], "uses": [], "label": "Your provider sees only scrambled traffic going to the VPN server" }, { "id": "n5", "kind": "task", "lane": "vpn", "next": [ { "to": "n6" } ], "uses": [], "label": "The VPN server decrypts it and asks the website for the page" }, { "id": "n6", "kind": "task", "lane": "site", "next": [ { "to": "n7" } ], "uses": [], "label": "The website sees the VPN server's address, not yours" }, { "id": "n7", "kind": "task", "lane": "site", "next": [ { "to": "n8" } ], "uses": [], "label": "It sends the page back to the VPN server" }, { "id": "n8", "kind": "task", "lane": "vpn", "next": [ { "to": "n9" } ], "uses": [], "label": "The VPN encrypts it and sends it through the tunnel" }, { "id": "n9", "kind": "task", "lane": "you", "next": [ { "to": "n10" } ], "uses": [], "label": "The page appears and your provider never saw what it was" }, { "id": "n10", "kind": "decision", "lane": "vpn", "next": [ { "to": "n11", "label": "Yes" }, { "to": "n12", "label": "No" } ], "uses": [], "label": "Does the VPN keep logs?" }, { "id": "n11", "kind": "end", "lane": "vpn", "next": [], "uses": [], "label": "The VPN company can see everything your provider could" }, { "id": "n12", "kind": "end", "lane": "vpn", "next": [], "uses": [], "label": "Nobody in the middle has a record" } ], "title": "How a VPN hides what you do online", "parent": null } } } ```