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Who owns Express VPN, Nord, Surfshark? VPN relationships explained (2024)

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Re: Who owns Express VPN, Nord, Surfshark? VPN relationships explained (2024)

#131

Post by lmm »

gruez wrote: post #56
octo888 wrote: post #19

Are we allowed to discuss (edit: if it's not too political?) if Kape Technologies has any connections to Israeli security services, given the nature of VPNs and given the amount of data that can be trivially collected, and: "Being from Israel, Teddy Sagi had connections with the Israeli military intelligence sphere and was able to procure himself a real-life cyber spy [his co-founder] from the famed Unit 8200 (kinda…

>Teddy Sagi had connections with the Israeli military intelligence sphere Does this mean much given that israel has mandatory military service? Unlike in the US where you have to make a conscious choice (eg. patriotism or desperation) to join the CIA/NSA/military, that's not really the case in israel. "has ties to unit 8200" might as well mean "has ties to stanford/MIT/caltech" or "has ties to big tech".

> Does this mean much given that israel has mandatory military service?

Yes. Mandatory military service is still military service. It's still following government orders at an impressionable age in a culture that deliberately inculcates a mentality of following orders even when they go against your every human instinct. It still means working for an organisation that knows its job is killing people, even if you're not the one pulling the trigger yourself. And Israeli military intelligence specifically has a long history of keeping supposedly retired civilians on as sleeper agents who infiltrate supposedly neutral companies.

(Does that mean this guy specifically is definitely one of them? Of course not. But to anyone with reason to be using a VPN at all it's probably too much of a risk)

Re: Who owns Express VPN, Nord, Surfshark? VPN relationships explained (2024)

#132

Post by mrmuagi »

VonGuard wrote: post #6

Been saying it for YEARS: 95% of VPNs sell your data. It's where they make their money. It's absolutely insane the push-back I get when I say this online. I get downvoted to hell and back. Source: I bought this data from VPN companies... Hell, you can inject ads and surveys if you want!

what VPN companies?

Re: Who owns Express VPN, Nord, Surfshark? VPN relationships explained (2024)

#133

Post by mrmuagi »

throwawayq3423 wrote: post #127
andrecarini wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, VPNs add encryption only between you and the VPN servers.

How were they able to convince anyone that that matters?

People seem to use VPNs to avoid IP based issues, like Netflix or ip bans/associations, not sure anyone would use it for actual privacy -- at best its obsfucation.

Re: Who owns Express VPN, Nord, Surfshark? VPN relationships explained (2024)

#134

Post by rasengan »

getcrunk wrote: post #126
rasengan wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Back when I was running PIA, they threatened me a significant amount just for pointing these facts out. Now that I launched a verifiable VPN, they are once again sending legal threats [1]. [1] https://vp.net/l/en-US/blog/Verified-Privacy-vs-Trust

So did you sell pia? Why won’t you sell your next venture ?

I did not sell PIA. I entered into a merger agreement to create a publicly owned privacy company. Without getting into detail, I left the company on principle receiving only 1/3rd of the value for the shares.

Re: Who owns Express VPN, Nord, Surfshark? VPN relationships explained (2024)

#135

Post by getcrunk »

rasengan wrote: post #134
getcrunk wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So did you sell pia? Why won’t you sell your next venture ?

I did not sell PIA. I entered into a merger agreement to create a publicly owned privacy company. Without getting into detail, I left the company on principle receiving only 1/3rd of the value for the shares.

Btw I used to love pia, I think I’ll check your new one out!

Re: Who owns Express VPN, Nord, Surfshark? VPN relationships explained (2024)

#137

Post by BLKNSLVR »

justapassenger wrote: post #8

Is there any other real world usecases for VPN nowadays other than: 1. Getting access to geolocked data 2. Torrenting "Linux ISOs" ?

Australian ISPs are legally required to retain metadata for two years.

That's one of the best reasons to use a VPN if you're in Australia. Give up as little as possible.

I have found, however, lots of sites block or Captcha-restrict IP addresses that are (somehow determined as) non-residential, and Netflix restricts its content as well.

Re: Who owns Express VPN, Nord, Surfshark? VPN relationships explained (2024)

#138

Post by miki123211 »

justapassenger wrote: post #8

Is there any other real world usecases for VPN nowadays other than: 1. Getting access to geolocked data 2. Torrenting "Linux ISOs" ?

3. When you know/suspect your ISP is more shady than the VPN you're using. This applies particularly when you're doing something your government doesn't like.

VPNs don't increase privacy, they just change who has the opportunity to spy on your traffic. Sometimes, it's much better if it's some foreign random ISP instead of your local government, who can send law enforcement agents where you live.

Re: Who owns Express VPN, Nord, Surfshark? VPN relationships explained (2024)

#139

Post by wraptile »

nerdsniper wrote: post #91

Note that all of these companies are also under the umbrella of Tesonet, a Lithuanian VC firm also headed by Tomas Okmanas (Tom Okman in TFA). Their flagship investments are Nord Security, Hostinger, Oxylabs, Surfshark, Decodo, Mediatech, and nexos.ai - all closely related business models around proxying. They don't seem to have Russian ties: "In 2022, CyberCare opened an office in Lviv, Ukraine. Although planning fo…

I used to work at Tesonet (as software engineer) and I'm not familiar with corporate politics / ownerships but they're lovely people that would 100% walk out if there were some real Russian ties involved.

Lithuania is a really small country and IT has been a huge economic strategy since early 00s as a way to become economically independent specifically because of Russia and it worked out really well.

Re: Who owns Express VPN, Nord, Surfshark? VPN relationships explained (2024)

#140

Post by Theodores »

codazoda wrote: post #124

If you’re worried about your VPN provider but you can trust your VPS provider, try an SSH Tunnel. https://joeldare.com/ssh-tunnels-my-vpn-alternative-for-priv...

Thanks for the link. How does this work on the server side? It gets packets on 8080 and then what? The article needs to explain the server config, even if it is just how to install ssh-server.

I have tried setting up OpenVPN on my own VPS and I didn't get very far with it. I have also had to use OpenVPN in the day job and I much prefer just using ssh without some extravagant OpenVPN layer.

My experience of failing to configure a VPN of my own (primarily for testing GeoIP) led me to try a few VPNs and the amount of junk adverts and whatnot made me wonder if it was time to fdisk my computer and start over due to the virus-vibes I was getting from a VPN. This was in the days before VPN adverts on lame YouTube channels, so I presume the product has improved since then.

In theory, someone smarter than me can rent a VPS and get OpenVPN on there, or, better still, a remote desktop so that only the screen image goes over the internet from the VPS to the PC, X-Window style but better. This could be further obfuscated by using 443 and one's own special ROT13 'encryption'.

Presumably a skilled person that knows what they are doing could get it all setup in an hour, to write concise instructions that 'civilians' can work through in pretty much the same time.

If you were highly invested in porn, watching Netflix in foreign countries and with even worse stuff to hide, you would think that some investment in getting a proper VPN with your own VPS would be the way to go, but no. Cost isn't the problem if you are deeply into something worth hiding, so why do so few people roll their own VPN?

The reality is that the typical product is marketed with FUD and the goal is to turn you into a 'sleeping giant'. A 'sleeping giant' is a customer that has a standing order or other payment arrangement that is for a service that is not used, and for that to not be noticed on bank statements. Everyone wants you to be a 'sleeping giant', including some 'worthy' charities, dating websites and every software subscription service. They aren't using FUD marketing though.

The commercial VPNs have mastered the art of selling a product that deserves technical knowledge to understand to the masses, so you have got to respect the hustle.

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