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Is a VPN worth it?
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<blockquote data-quote="Randy B. Singer" data-source="post: 1949501" data-attributes="member: 190607"><p>It's shorthand for something that is fairly simple. When you are using a VPN, your data doesn't go directly to the site that you are interacting with. Instead it goes to your VPN service's server. Once your data is in your VPN's server, your data is entirely secure. Your VPN's server then sends your data directly to the site that you are interacting with. If anyone hacks into your communications, all that they can see is that you have interacted with your VPN service's server. They can't see anything beyond that. So they have no way of knowing where the information was sent or where it is coming from, other than your VPN's server. Your communications between your VPN's server and your computer are encrypted. </p><p>So, the analogy is that you have sent your data through a secure tunnel between your computer and your recipient. Your VPN is the metaphorical tunnel. At best, the only thing that anyone might be able to see is things going into the tunnel and things coming out of the tunnel. They can't read your data, or figure out where it is going or where the data you receive originated from.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>It's irrelevant. They could have all the hackers in the world. Since all of your sensitive data is automatically encrypted these days without even having a VPN (and, by the way, supposedly even the FBI shouldn't be able to decrypt it), they can try to hack you all that they want. They will be wasting their time. They can't decrypt your data.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Is IS a waste. Not only are you not buying yourself any more security, you are slowing down your Internet communications (I've yet to see a VPN that does not extract some sort of performance penalty; sometimes a very noticable one), and you may be subjecting yourself to LESS security because many VPN services have been bought up by untrustworthy actors, and they make money by selling your data:</p><p></p><p>"Many of the most popular VPN services are now also less trustworthy than in the past because they have been bought by larger companies with shady track records."</p><p> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/06/technology/personaltech/are-vpns-worth-it.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/06/technology/personaltech/are-vpns-worth-it.html</a></p><p></p><p>I'm trying to keep you from being unnecessarily paranoid and buying snake oil. If the only reason that you want a VPN is because you are concerned about security in a first world country, you are being conned if you pay for a VPN. Sensitive Web communications are all already encrypted these days. There is even less need for a VPN for security purposes than there is for having anti-virus software on a Macintosh.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Randy B. Singer, post: 1949501, member: 190607"] It's shorthand for something that is fairly simple. When you are using a VPN, your data doesn't go directly to the site that you are interacting with. Instead it goes to your VPN service's server. Once your data is in your VPN's server, your data is entirely secure. Your VPN's server then sends your data directly to the site that you are interacting with. If anyone hacks into your communications, all that they can see is that you have interacted with your VPN service's server. They can't see anything beyond that. So they have no way of knowing where the information was sent or where it is coming from, other than your VPN's server. Your communications between your VPN's server and your computer are encrypted. So, the analogy is that you have sent your data through a secure tunnel between your computer and your recipient. Your VPN is the metaphorical tunnel. At best, the only thing that anyone might be able to see is things going into the tunnel and things coming out of the tunnel. They can't read your data, or figure out where it is going or where the data you receive originated from. It's irrelevant. They could have all the hackers in the world. Since all of your sensitive data is automatically encrypted these days without even having a VPN (and, by the way, supposedly even the FBI shouldn't be able to decrypt it), they can try to hack you all that they want. They will be wasting their time. They can't decrypt your data. Is IS a waste. Not only are you not buying yourself any more security, you are slowing down your Internet communications (I've yet to see a VPN that does not extract some sort of performance penalty; sometimes a very noticable one), and you may be subjecting yourself to LESS security because many VPN services have been bought up by untrustworthy actors, and they make money by selling your data: "Many of the most popular VPN services are now also less trustworthy than in the past because they have been bought by larger companies with shady track records." [URL code="true"]https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/06/technology/personaltech/are-vpns-worth-it.html[/URL] I'm trying to keep you from being unnecessarily paranoid and buying snake oil. If the only reason that you want a VPN is because you are concerned about security in a first world country, you are being conned if you pay for a VPN. Sensitive Web communications are all already encrypted these days. There is even less need for a VPN for security purposes than there is for having anti-virus software on a Macintosh. [/QUOTE]
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