Split tunneling offers several practical advantages for users and organizations:

• Improved speed and efficiency: Offloading non-sensitive traffic onto the regular internet reduces the load on the VPN server. As a result, non-critical activities (like streaming or browsing) run faster while the VPN handles only the traffic that needs protection.

• Bandwidth savings: By not encrypting everything, split tunneling conserves your VPN and corporate bandwidth. This means big downloads or frequent updates don’t clog the secure tunnel, leaving capacity for vital secure connections.

• Access to local and specialized networks: With split tunneling, you can reach local devices (printers, NAS drives, IoT devices) on your home or office LAN without disconnecting the VPN. It also lets you use services that rely on a local IP (e.g. streaming sites or regional content) without breaking the VPN. For example, you can stay connected to a home VPN for sensitive data while using your real IP address to stream geo-restricted video.

• Granular traffic control: Administrators and users can decide exactly which apps or destinations are encrypted. This gives greater flexibility: you can encrypt financial and medical data but let benign apps (like video conferencing or public news sites) use the fastest route.

These perks make split tunneling appealing for remote workers and organizations seeking “flexibility without compromising privacy” – as long as its limitations are carefully managed.

However, split tunneling also opens the door to significant privacy and security pitfalls:

• ISP Visibility: Any packet sent outside the VPN is fully exposed to your ISP (and potentially others). Your ISP can see the websites you visit and services you use on the open internet. In practical terms, only the tunneled traffic remains hidden; all other traffic can be logged or monitored by your provider. This undermines privacy if you assumed the VPN covered all your data.

• Data Interception: Unencrypted traffic can be intercepted by hackers or malicious actors. If you bypass the VPN, that data has no encryption protection. As one security analysis notes, “Internet traffic that is not protected by the VPN can be easily intercepted by hackers and ISPs,” leading to breaches and privacy invasions.

• DNS and Protocol Leaks: Split tunneling configurations can accidentally let sensitive identifiers leak outside the VPN. For example, a misconfigured DNS might send name lookups outside the tunnel, or IPv6 traffic could bypass an IPv4-only VPN. These “DNS leaks” can reveal your browsing habits or even your real IP address, compromising the privacy that the VPN is supposed to provide.

• Malware and Lateral Attacks: By splitting traffic, you may inadvertently weaken corporate defenses. If your device is infected (e.g. on a public Wi-Fi) any outbound connection may avoid the corporate VPN’s security filters. Fortinet explains that if an attacker compromises a local network, split tunneling might allow that threat to reach corporate systems undetected. In other words, split tunneling can give malware a direct path into a secure network because that traffic doesn’t go through the corporate perimeter protections.

• Policy and Compliance Gaps: Split tunneling can conflict with organizational security policies. Certain industries (finance, healthcare, government) require all traffic to be monitored or logged. Sending any data outside the secure VPN could violate compliance rules or company policies. In essence, split tunnels create blind spots in network monitoring.

In summary, any traffic you route outside the VPN is not encrypted and is fully visible on the open internet. It is crucial to recognize that split tunneling shifts risk: you gain speed and convenience, but potentially at the expense of exposing data.

To use split tunneling without unduly compromising security, follow best practices and exercise caution:

• Limit it to non-sensitive traffic: Only allow split tunneling for activities that truly don’t require encryption, such as streaming video, gaming, or accessing non-critical websites. All sensitive apps (banking, corporate systems, password managers) should still go through the secure tunnel.

• Enforce strong endpoint security: Ensure devices running split tunneling have up-to-date antivirus, firewalls, and intrusion protection. Robust endpoint defenses help catch threats on any traffic path. Organizations often require endpoint compliance (patches, security agents) before split tunneling is permitted.

• Monitor and audit traffic: Regularly check VPN and network logs for unexpected patterns. Use tools or policies to detect leaks. For example, run DNS/IP leak tests to confirm no queries escape the VPN. Audit which apps are using split tunnels and verify that sensitive data isn’t slipping through.

• Cover all protocols: Disable or block IPv6 if your VPN only secures IPv4, or use a VPN that fully supports IPv6. Configure DNS to always use the VPN’s servers. These steps prevent the “unintended split tunnels” that can leak data.

• Use granular split rules: When possible, prefer application-based or destination-based rules so only known safe traffic bypasses the VPN. Modern VPN clients often let you select apps or domains for the split tunnel, which is safer than broad exclusions.

• Adopt a Zero-Trust mindset: Even with split tunneling, require authentication and encryption for access to sensitive services. Use multi-factor authentication and identity checks so that even tunneled sessions remain secure.

By balancing these safeguards, you can “have your cake and eat it too” – enjoying the perks of split tunneling while minimizing privacy exposure. The key is judicious configuration and vigilance.

1. What is VPN split tunneling?
   Split tunneling is a VPN feature that lets you send some of your internet traffic through the encrypted VPN tunnel and allows the rest to go directly to the internet. It means you can choose which apps or destinations use the VPN and which use your normal connection.

2. How does split tunneling work?
   When you use split tunneling, the VPN client inspects outgoing packets. Packets matching the split rules are encrypted and sent via the VPN server, while others bypass the tunnel entirely. In practice, your computer uses two network routes: one secure tunnel for certain traffic, and a direct route for everything else.

3. What are the benefits of using split tunneling?
   It improves performance and flexibility. By not encrypting every packet, your connection is faster and your VPN isn’t overloaded. You also retain access to local devices (like printers) and can use bandwidth-heavy apps without slowing the VPN. In short, you get encrypted privacy for critical tasks and normal internet speed for everything else.

4. What are the risks of split tunneling?
   The main risk is privacy loss. Any traffic outside the VPN is unencrypted and visible to your ISP or attackers. That means websites you visit or DNS queries you make on the open internet can be tracked. It also opens potential security gaps (e.g. DNS leaks or malware bypassing corporate controls). In short, split tunneling bypasses the usual VPN protections for part of your traffic, so you lose encryption and monitoring for that data.

5. Can my ISP see my activity if I use split tunneling?
   Yes – any activity that does not go through the VPN is visible to your ISP. In fact, by design split tunneling sends non-VPN traffic “to the open internet” via your regular IP. Your ISP will see those requests just as if you weren’t on a VPN at all. (Your ISP only sees encrypted traffic when all your data is in the VPN.)

6. Will split tunneling protect me from hackers?
   Only for the tunneled portion of your traffic. The data routed through the VPN remains encrypted and safe from local eavesdroppers. But any traffic sent outside the VPN has no encryption, so it’s vulnerable to interception. If you rely on split tunneling for some apps, treat those connections as unsecured (use HTTPS, trust no untrusted Wi‑Fi, etc.).

How can I minimize security risks with split tunneling?
Use split tunneling only for non-sensitive tasks and keep sensitiv