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Why You Should Start Using a VPN

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Re: Why You Should Start Using a VPN

#21

Post by gizzlon »

Just me, or is this very misleading:

[..] all of your internet communication is encrypted and secured from eavesdropping.

The most important thing you need to know about a VPN: It secures your computer's internet connection to guarantee that all of the data you're sending and receiving is encrypted and secured from prying eyes.

Eh.. No? It secures the data from you to the VPN provider. After that, it's just as open and unencrypted as it would otherwise be.

Sure, it probably helps protect your data from the local network & your ISP, and gives you extra anonymity. But after leaving the provider, the traffic would be in the clear, and if you use the same connection to log-in to your facebook, the anonymity will go out the window.

Re: Why You Should Start Using a VPN

#22

Post by XERQ »

I run SSD Nodes (http://www.ssdnodes.com), which you can use to set up an OpenVPN/PPTP/SSH-Tunnel server for secure, private access. I've seen users in other countries using our cloud servers for VPN purposes because they got better, lower latency routes to most other providers (due to the optimized transit/peering connections at SoftLayer Infomart in Dallas, TX). [/plug]

Re: Why You Should Start Using a VPN

#23

Post by lucb1e »

Anyone else missed the "why" part and only read about "what" and "how"? I read most of the article, but the only thing it says on the matter is that it encrypts your internet connection. This might be true, but what use is that? Why would I want to do that? That question is not answered. Or whynot use Tor instead?

Re: Why You Should Start Using a VPN

#24

Post by furyg3 »

I posted this on another thread (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3913985), but I think it's relevant here...

I feel pretty double about VPN as a solution for masking my online activities. My reasons for using a VPN break down into these (related) categories:

1. Security. I don't trust this network at all, such as unsecured wifi in coffeeshop.

2. Access. This network has draconian restrictions I need to get around, such as corporate proxy servers or country firewalls.

3. Privacy. It's none of this network's business what I'm doing.

4. Legal. I don't want to get in trouble here. Especially when traveling where I don't know the laws, but increasingly in my own country. Hell, the courts in NL haven't figured out if TPB is legal, how should I know?

VPN can solve many of these problems most of the time... but always using a VPN means that I have a single point of failure for all four of these.

If my VPN provider is compromised, shady, or coerced to turn over my data, I'm sunk. In that way using various internet connections at home/work/coffeeshop/mobile may be better.

Re: Why You Should Start Using a VPN

#25

Post by icebraining »

pilif wrote: post #10

> "VPNs are the only way to stay safe when using something like BitTorrent" very wrong. It's not really much. It's probably just limiting your possible bandwidth. If somebody wants to catch you, it's just one additional step to get to you (via the VPN provider).

It certainly doesn't make you safe, but if the threat is a fishing expedition trying to get a few hundred or thousand Torrenters, the fact that they'd need a court order from a different country/jurisdiction might be enough to get them to leave you alone.

Re: Why You Should Start Using a VPN

#26

Post by [deleted] »

pilif wrote: post #10

> "VPNs are the only way to stay safe when using something like BitTorrent" very wrong. It's not really much. It's probably just limiting your possible bandwidth. If somebody wants to catch you, it's just one additional step to get to you (via the VPN provider).

[deleted]

Re: Why You Should Start Using a VPN

#29

Post by ibotty »

eckyptang wrote: post #12
robotmay wrote: post #2

I'm starting to consider this pretty seriously due to a flurry of incoming snooping laws in the UK. I normally do a bit of SSH tunneling out to a VPS if I need a proxy; is SSH my best option/most secure option? What do others recommend?

Likewise. General options: 1. Don't do anything the state considers naughty. I suggest you kill yourslf now if you consider this viable. 2. Steal someone else's WiFi and deal with the moral consequences. You can do this by finding a "VendorA7E4B4" lookalike SSID (default configuration) and using the password calculator here: http://www.nickkusters.com/Services/SpeedTouch/Lookup - I only know of this as I had to lock…

7. use tor (and the tor browser bundle)

Re: Why You Should Start Using a VPN

#30

Post by joethompson »

olalonde wrote: post #16

Shameless plug: I've just spent the last few days figuring out how to correctly configure OpenVPN and pptpd on my Ubuntu servers + Android & OS X clients (it's a real pain in the ass). I'd be happy to install and configure those on your own server(s) for 5 BTC per install (I'm kind of short on money right now :(). If you want to give it a try by yourself, I recommend the following articles (doesn't seem that complica…

It should be noted that PPTP does have some serious vulnerabilities (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point-to-Point_Tunneling_Protoc...) and should probably be avoided if security is your primary concern.
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