A VPN is a Virtual Private Network. A VPN is an alternative to a truly private network, where someone completely owns the infrastructure (i.e., wires) between locations, and no one else can use it. UCSB has its own Campus VPN service, called Ivanti Secure Access (previously Pulse Secure), that you can configure on your device.
To learn more about the Campus VPN client see the Campus VPN details.
To read instructions on how to get connected and configure a Campus VPN client for your device see installation and usage instructions.