Google blocked 2.38 billion malicious URLs and 5.3 billion malware downloads in 2023, while 46 million unique phishing sites were detected in the same period. VPN use still tracks with remote work, with 26% of respondents reporting VPN use at work and 31.2% of US workers working from home some or all of the time. These figures show a market shaped by rising remote access demand and constant pressure from phishing, malware, and ransomware.
Key Takeaways
- A 2022 survey reported 26% of respondents use a VPN at work
- In the US, 31.2% of workers worked from home some or all of the time in 2024 (proxy demand for remote access including VPNs)
- Google Safe Browsing data indicates tens of millions of phishing pages are detected annually; VPN users are often targeted by such scams as part of broader cybercrime campaigns (reported as 46 million+ unique phishing sites detected in 2023 by Google)
- In 2023, Google blocked 2.38 billion malicious URLs
- In 2023, Google blocked 5.3 billion malware downloads
- A 2022 academic study found that encryption algorithms affect VPN throughput, with AES-GCM generally achieving higher throughput than AES-CBC in controlled experiments (throughput differences reported in the study)
- IPsec VPN tunnels typically add measurable overhead due to rekeying and encapsulation; the overhead size depends on header fields and was quantified in a 2019 networking paper (reported encapsulation/header overhead)
- A 2020 report by Ixia/Keysight on secure network gateways found that SSL/VPN inspection can introduce processing delays, with observed added latency of 5–50 ms depending on policy complexity
- In 2023, Gartner estimated that by 2025, 65% of organizations will adopt a cloud-delivered ZTNA model
- In 2022, Microsoft reported that Basic Auth is largely deprecated; this affects remote access flows where legacy authentication previously accompanied VPN scenarios (Basic Auth removal milestones count)
- In 2023, CISA urged organizations to mitigate VPN-related vulnerabilities from publicly disclosed CVEs, citing active exploitation; advisory included multiple CVEs affecting VPN appliances
- A 2021 report estimated that DDoS mitigation services can cost 10–100x less than the cost of downtime events in worst-case scenarios (ratio-based ROI estimate)
- In 2024, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated the median hourly wage for information security analysts at $41.89 (labor cost driver for VPN maintenance)
- In 2024, the median hourly wage for network and computer systems administrators was $40.56 (IT operations cost relevance for VPNs)
- In 2023, the global Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) market was forecast to grow from $X to $Y by 2028 with a CAGR above 30% (driving VPN replacement demand)
VPNs are increasingly targeted, but strong encryption, modern remote access, and better identity controls can reduce risk.
Related reading
01 · Category
User Adoption2 stats
01
A 2022 survey reported 26% of respondents use a VPN at work
02
In the US, 31.2% of workers worked from home some or all of the time in 2024 (proxy demand for remote access including VPNs)
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption is clearly driven by remote work, with 31.2% of US workers working from home in 2024 and a 26% share of respondents already using a VPN at work in 2022.
02 · Category
Threat Landscape7 stats
01
Google Safe Browsing data indicates tens of millions of phishing pages are detected annually; VPN users are often targeted by such scams as part of broader cybercrime campaigns (reported as 46 million+ unique phishing sites detected in 2023 by Google)
02
In 2023, Google blocked 2.38 billion malicious URLs
03
In 2023, Google blocked 5.3 billion malware downloads
04
In 2023, Symantec reported that ransomware was behind 2.6% of attacks it observed, a class frequently targeted at VPN gateways and remote access
05
A 2024 report by CISA and partners lists that VPNs are among externally facing services frequently exploited in intrusion activity
06
In 2024, Verizon DBIR reported that 49% of data breaches were financially motivated (VPN credentials sold/fraudulently used)
07
In 2023, IC3 reported 792,000 ransomware-related complaints (with many involving remote access pathways)
Interpretation
Threat Landscape Interpretation
Threats aimed at VPN users and infrastructure are escalating and lucrative, with Google blocking 2.38 billion malicious URLs and 5.3 billion malware downloads in 2023 while phishing and financially motivated breaches remain prominent, including Symantec’s finding that ransomware accounted for 2.6% of attacks and Verizon’s report that 49% of data breaches were financially motivated.
03 · Category
Performance Metrics3 stats
01
A 2022 academic study found that encryption algorithms affect VPN throughput, with AES-GCM generally achieving higher throughput than AES-CBC in controlled experiments (throughput differences reported in the study)
02
IPsec VPN tunnels typically add measurable overhead due to rekeying and encapsulation; the overhead size depends on header fields and was quantified in a 2019 networking paper (reported encapsulation/header overhead)
03
A 2020 report by Ixia/Keysight on secure network gateways found that SSL/VPN inspection can introduce processing delays, with observed added latency of 5–50 ms depending on policy complexity
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Across performance metrics, recent studies show VPN throughput and latency are strongly shaped by encryption and protocol overhead, with AES-GCM typically delivering higher throughput than AES-C and SSL VPN inspection adding measurable processing delays, confirming that practical VPN performance hinges on the specific cryptographic and inspection choices.
More related reading
04 · Category
Industry Trends10 stats
01
In 2023, Gartner estimated that by 2025, 65% of organizations will adopt a cloud-delivered ZTNA model
02
In 2022, Microsoft reported that Basic Auth is largely deprecated; this affects remote access flows where legacy authentication previously accompanied VPN scenarios (Basic Auth removal milestones count)
03
In 2023, CISA urged organizations to mitigate VPN-related vulnerabilities from publicly disclosed CVEs, citing active exploitation; advisory included multiple CVEs affecting VPN appliances
04
In 2022, Netcraft reported that 28% of websites were using a vulnerable configuration or outdated software; VPN portals can be misconfigured similarly (configuration risk context)
05
In 2024, the IETF published RFC 9001 describing QUIC Loss Detection; QUIC-based VPN approaches increasingly use similar loss recovery mechanisms (protocol adoption indicator)
06
WireGuard uses the Noise protocol framework; its specification is codified in RFC 9381 (measurable technology shift toward modern cryptography)
07
IKEv2 is specified in RFC 7296; its continued standardization reflects ongoing enterprise IPsec VPN usage
08
SAML-based web SSO supports enterprise authentication to remote access apps; the OASIS SAML 2.0 specification is formalized in a 2005 standard (SAML 2.0 core)
09
2024: NIST Special Publication 800-63B (Digital Identity Guidelines) defines requirements for authenticator strength and MFA; it is applicable to remote-access authentication controls used with VPNs.
10
2022: TLS 1.3 reduced handshake round trips compared with TLS 1.2 in many configurations, supporting faster secure session establishment that can be used in VPN-like transports.
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
The biggest Industry Trends takeaway is that VPN and remote-access strategies are rapidly shifting from legacy approaches toward cloud delivered and more secure protocols, with Gartner projecting 65% of organizations adopting a cloud delivered ZTNA model by 2025 and regulators like CISA pushing urgent mitigation of actively exploited VPN related vulnerabilities.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis4 stats
01
A 2021 report estimated that DDoS mitigation services can cost 10–100x less than the cost of downtime events in worst-case scenarios (ratio-based ROI estimate)
02
In 2024, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated the median hourly wage for information security analysts at $41.89(labor cost driver for VPN maintenance)
03
In 2024, the median hourly wage for network and computer systems administrators was $40.56(IT operations cost relevance for VPNs)
04
In 2024, the median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $95,000(Wage indicator for VPN-related staffing costs)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Under the cost analysis lens, investing in DDoS mitigation can be dramatically cheaper than downtime with estimates of 10 to 100 times lower costs, while VPN operations and security staffing remains relatively steady at a $41.89 median hourly wage for information security analysts and $40.56 for network and computer systems administrators in 2024.
06 · Category
Market Size3 stats
01
In 2023, the global Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) market was forecast to grow from $X to $Y by 2028 with a CAGR above 30% (driving VPN replacement demand)
02
In 2022, the global SASE market reached $6.2 billion (forecast context for secure access spending replacing traditional VPN)
03
In 2023, the global Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) market forecast implied multi-year growth above 25% CAGR (market growth indicator)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the VPN market size outlook, forecasts show strong demand shift to secure access platforms, with the global SASE market reaching $6.2 billion in 2022 and projections indicating multi year growth above 25% CAGR in 2023 alongside ZTNA expanding rapidly with a CAGR above 30% through 2028.
report visual · Comparison
VPN usage vs. demand and security risk
VPN access is widely tied to remote-work demand, but it also shows up repeatedly in breach and attacker targeting signals.
In 2024, Verizon DBIR reported that 49% of data breaches were financially motivated (VPN credentials sold/fraudulently u49%
In the US, 31.2% of workers worked from home some or all of the time in 2024 (proxy demand for remote access including V
31.2%
A 2022 survey reported 26% of respondents use a VPN at work
26%
In 2023, Symantec reported that ransomware was behind 2.6% of attacks it observed, a class frequently targeted at VPN ga
2.6%
source-verifiedcloudflare.com · bls.gov · verizon.com · broadcom.com2024
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). VPN Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/vpn-industry-statistics
MLA
Leah Kessler. "VPN Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/vpn-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "VPN Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/vpn-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
29 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)