I notice almost daily offers for some VPN services and while I understand that criteria will be different for different users, I have a very basic question. One of today's offers suggests it is suitable for Quote: s perfect for the frequent traveler, the ex-pat, and the coffee shop regular alike. Meaning, if you're constantly on-the-go, it's time you get the Internet protection and freedom you deserve. Turn SlickVPN on when you're using a public hotspot (like at the airport) and you won't have to worry about hackers getting ahold of your social security or credit card number. Turn SlickVPN while traveling outside of the US and you'll still be able to stream the big game from kickoff to the last pass. ok - I may enjoy the protection at a public hotspot and the odd option to get around geo-fencing but how do I know that I can trust this network? My basic understanding is that instead of using an open network at the coffee shop I connect via an encrypted line to some server in one of a number countries and from there get redirected to my destination (my bank). How do I know what happens at the VPN's servers or don't I have to worry about that?
You can't know what happens on VPN server, that's why you still need to use https whenever possible and shouldn't transfer any personal data over http. With logins and other sensitive data, HTTPS is a must.
Yes, I can't also understand the concept of a free VPN. Stay away from them, unless they are of a limited data transfer kind from some respected providers, offered as a tease to buy.
So how is using https on a VPN different from the regular free wifi at the local cafe? I can see that using non https would be open to sniffers but with respect to https sites?
Using VPN you have to "trust" one provider (who promises not to log what you do and can loose it's business if they don't follow their promises), with free WiFi you have to "trust" hundreds of providers who promise you nothing.
They seem OK in Windows, but leak in OSX. You need to trust the VPN in the same way that you'd otherwise need to trust the Internet uplink (ISP, cellular provider, WiFi hotspot, etc).
One can have trust issues with isp/its employeers or with vpn/ its employeers. Like i read from your reply and.have always understood, with vpn we can hide our surfings from the isp. This is also a partial answer to beethoven's question.
In post-snowden world there is very little you can trust. Trust ISP? Not in your life when they can do things like this: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/11/starttls-downgrade-attacks Or this: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/11/verizon-x-uidh Trust your free e-mail provider company like gmail or yahoo? Nope: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/oct/04/yahoo-secret-email-program-nsa-fbi And any so called "no logs" VPN provider is no different Just because you pay for something is no guarentee for anything. Even if the VPN provider really does not keep logs, the datacenter that they rent space from most certainly do: http://www.wipeyourdata.com/other-d...rthvpn-user-arrested-after-police-finds-logs/ If you want 100% no logs VPN, go to lowendtalk forum, ask for cheap VPS (or two, or more, some of those are really cheap) from some distant offshore location and put your own openVPN server(s) there (there are tutorials and even scripts to automate the installation out in the Net). And even then you can't be 100% sure that the VPS provider is not logging you .... *sight* And If you want e-mail that is not spying you (a la yahoo), then any old linux box will do, install postfix into it, get enterprise grade Internet connection (those usually have no port filtering, offer static IP and most importantly, offer to setup glue DNS record for you, so that your e-mail server passes spamchecks). Of course, even with this setup, even if you yourself connect to your home e-mail server securely (either with POP or IMAP throught TLS) from somewhere to check your mail, there is still the possibility of spying by your ISP and all the e-mail servers from you to your destination because not all e-mail servers use encryption.
Thank you guys, can someone please clarify a little more what data actually is at risk? If you are not concerned about logs (I assume that means showing which sites you went to or what server you connected to or at what times you did something) and don't think agencies are interested in you, how is your actual data accessible in either case. Can passwords be seen/sniffed/collected ? If I connect to Gmail via https and check my email or send an email, does it matter whether I use a vpn?
If you use https they can't see a content of your network data traffic transferred through encrypted connection (they would need trusted certificate to pull MITM attack). If you use http they could log everything transferred in plaintext.
Let me throw in another consideration for the "globe hopper". I experienced this alot until I figured out why I was having issues with my Bank and my Email providers. I am not addressing the issues others above have addressed. This is different. My bank gets nervous as hell when I log in from another country. It gets tiring to always go through a three step process to authenticate in those instances. So a VPN, in addition to security, can afford consistency in log in details. This facilitates things for a user. e.g. if I always log into my bank from the same Miami server (example only), then the IP my bank sees never changes. In this example it wouldn't matter if I was downtown Miami or over in China, because the IP remains constant. I use strict controls with my REAL NAME providers of service and this helps me to maintain that control without many hassles. My controls are such that any change in the initiating IP will trigger multiple authentication requisites. Works for me.
So, in that case doing my banking in a free wifi hotspot via https is "as safe" as doing it via VPN ?
Strictly looking at content of traffic both should provide similar protection. But personally I wouldn't use free Wifi to conduct online banking.
I think we should start a new VPN thread dedicated to the Different VPN's setup ect based on the Senate vote yesterday to allow ISP's to sell your internet activity. Even if it is your children's activity. I for one now nothing about VPN's but am seeing more and more the value. What do you guys think? Unless that was fake news.
No, sadly enough, that wasn't fake news There's a lot about VPNs on Wilders. I write a lot about VPNs, here, in /r/VPNs and on IVPN's site. That One Privacy Guy, one of the /r/VPNs mods, has a great website about VPNs and stuff: https://thatoneprivacysite.net/ But yes, maybe we could use this thread to go over basics.
WE could do with a general how to configure a software and router firewall with VPNs as well. Maybe first step for basic security/privacy and so extra stuff when we are up and running. Using AirVPN off a recommendation on here myself.
I use Nord VPM because it has a lot of servers everywhere and it does have some neat features. For banking I stay close to home as it was mentioned banks get nervous when you log in a far.
trott I was looking at AirVPN earlier. Look s good. I know my router firewall has a few settings for a VPN from low to high. Do you agree this is the thread or a new one?
Yes I have heard that too and so far just use normal browser with HTTPS Peter is Nord a high paying one? Sonds like a Norsky VPN. My heritage.
Just started using Windscribe, a Canadian provider. Using the free version, comes with 10gb of free data per month, so far so good.
