VPN Security – How secure is your VPN?
VPN’s or Virtual Private Networks are used for added security across either public or private networks, such as your Wi-Fi hotspot or the internet. While VPN’s cannot make you completely anonymous online, they can increase privacy, encrypt data and generally make your connection more secure. The most common function of a VPN is to mask or change the users IP address. This lets you get around location restricted content, anonymous browsing, etc.If you are new to internet security, making an informed decision about the right VPN for you, or knowing if your VPN is secure, could seem a little daunting. If that is the case, read on and hopefully we can help make things a little clearer. This tutorial will tell you all you need to know regarding the basic fundamentals of VPN security.
What is a VPN and how does it work?
How VPNs work (illustrated) – Click to enlarge
A VPN [1] (Virtual Private Network) allows private network access across a public network like the internet. It is a great tool for internet users who wish to secure there browsing. A VPN is established by a virtual site to site connection through the use of dedicated connections, encryption, or a combination. [2] This is done by establishing a virtual point-to-point connection through the use of dedicated connections,
encryption, or a combination of both.
With the increasing use of VPNs, many have started deploying VPN connectivity on routers for additional security and encryption of data transmission by using various cryptographic techniques. Setting up VPN services on a router will allow any connected device(s) to use the VPN network while it is enabled. This also makes it easy to set up VPNs on devices that do not have native VPN clients such as Smart-TVs, Gaming Consoles etc. Provisioning VPN on the routers will also help in cost savings and network scalability.
Not every router is compatible with open source firmware which depends on the built-in flash memory and processor. Setting up VPN services on a router requires a deeper knowledge of network security and careful installation. Minor misconfiguration of VPN connections can leave the network vulnerable. Performance will vary depending on the ISP and their reliability. [3]
How to test, check and improve the security of your VPN
The most common reason associated with a VPN being used on a single device is to mask the users IP address (for many reasons), so its fair to say that anonymity is the key component here and Due to the popularity and increased usage of virtual private networks, advertisement and marketing experts have been forced to rethink of ways to overcome this obstacle, to better improve their analytical research. A recent leak has shown that huge security flaws within most commonly used VPNs have allowed remote websites and certain servers to bypass the security of a virtual private network through various methods, such as ‘WebRTC’. Another huge flaw not very well known is the DNS leak which reveals the users internet service provider, making their IP address easier to identify and in some cases this method can be automated on a website. [4], [5].
To understand just how secure you are, its important to keep in mind the type of signals and data you are sending while you are using the internet, some of these include things like your IP address, location data, cookies, internet history, software/update information, user certificates, etc. VPNs are a very necessary part of everyday security on the Internet, just don’t be fooled into thinking it provides you anonymity or security from prying eyes. It simply shifts the visibility from your Internet access location and ISP to the VPN provider’s location. Different VPN providers offer different levels of security, featured below are a few tests you can utilize to determine the quality and security of your VPN or proxy.
1. Click here to test your VPN/proxy against IP address and location data tracking.
2. Click here to test your VPN/proxy against DNS and ISP detection.
3. Click here to preform a VPN/proxy speed-quality test.
When using an anonymity or privacy service, it is extremely important that all traffic originating from your computer is routed through the anonymity network. If any traffic leaks outside of the secure connection to the network, any adversary monitoring your traffic will be able to log your activity. Some ISP’s are now using a technology called ‘Transparent DNS proxy’. Using this technology, they will intercept all DNS lookup requests (TCP/UDP port 53) and transparently proxy the results. This effectively forces you to use their DNS service for all DNS lookups. The solution is to ensure that once connected to the anonymity network, you are using ONLY the DNS server/s provided by the anonymity service. [6].
One way of improving your anonymity is by using a VPN as well as doing all your browsing through a proxy (or private browser) – like Tor – at the same time. Depending on what type of provider you are using, this may decrease your download speed but it is certainly one way to further secure your internet browsing. In most instances, when using a VPN, you will be connected to a different network tunnel all together, so all your traffic would run through that new and private network… so a proxy (connected through the browser) would not override your VPN (running outside of browser). in other words, you will be secured behind a VPN and a proxy… (vpn first then proxy, usually).
At the end of the day You need to be aware of other considerations such as trusting your VPN provider with your information. In other words, what do they log? Everything outside of your VPN server is secure from eavesdropping, but those sharing the same provider may have access to your data. Some VPN providers keep logs in case a government requests them, so decide what is acceptable to you when it comes to data logging. A lot of weight and pressure is coming down on VPN providers to share this information, keeping up to date with the laws in your country may also be worth keeping note of. Your ISP may also need to be considered carefully if you take your internet privacy seriously, most providers will give this information away to marketing companies and government agencies freely and sometimes even for a very generous profit.
Other features you may want to consider are:
1.Does your VPN provider offers Anti Malware/Spyware?
2.Do you have the option of securing your phone along with your computer via Mobile Apps?
3.Pricing of the provider.
4.Exit Servers if you want a country specific VPN.
5. Does your VPN hold up against modern anti-VPN detection?
6. Does your VPN and/or ISP offer identity privatization?
Tor?
Tor works by routing Internet traffic through several “onion” servers, obscuring
the originating address. This naturally provides anonymity for other Internet
programs that are configured to connect to it on the system, or even network.
Applications can be directed to the Tor network through a SOCKS proxy at
localhost on port 9050 as well as a HTTP proxy at localhost on port 8118. This
port can be changed via the torrc configuration file in the Tor section of the
program.
Reading the Tor documentation is highly recommended to prevent configuration
mistakes that could compromise the user’s anonymity. PortableTor comes with
the default options as its installation counterpart, and configuration is encouraged
as the user sees fit. [7].
Activist News Australia recommend the following services
1. Cyberghost Elite (Click here)
Price: Cheap
Type: VPN
Speed: Fast
DNS security: Yes
Quality: Great
Logs data: Yes
Rating: 8.5 – 10
2. IPVanish (Click here)
Price: Expensive
Type: VPN
Speed: Fast
DNS security: Yes
Quality: Good
Logs data: No
Rating: 8.5 – 10
3. Tor (Click here)
Price: Free
Type: Proxy & Browser
Speed: Average
DNS security: Mostly yes
Quality: Good
Logs data: No
Rating: 8.0 – 10
A list of free to use public proxies can be found by clicking here!
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