Anonymity How to choose the right VPN.

[Fixxx]

VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a technology that allows you to create a secure connection between your device and a remote server on the Internet. A VPN encrypts all your traffic and hides your real IP address, making you anonymous and inaccessible to surveillance and censorship. However, not all VPN services are equally reliable and secure. Some may log your activity, sell your data to third parties, use outdated or weak encryption algorithms, be susceptible to DNS or IP leaks or even contain malware. In this article, we will discuss the risks associated with using public VPN services, provide examples of studies, leaks, user surveillance, etc. and give practical recommendations on how to choose a public VPN service correctly and how to set up your own VPN.

Risks of Public VPN Services​

Public VPN services are those provided by companies or organizations for a fee or for free. They differ from private VPNs that you can set up yourself on your server or device. Public VPN services may have various advantages, such as:

• Ease of installation and use
• A large number of servers in different countries
• Additional features like ad blocking, anti-phishing, bypassing geo-blocking, etc.

However, they also carry potential risks to your security and privacy, such as:

• Logging: Some VPN services may record and store information about your online activity, such as connection time, used server, visited websites, downloaded files, etc. This data may be handed over to law enforcement upon request or stolen by hackers in the event of a security breach.
• Data Selling: Some VPN services may collect and analyze your data for marketing or advertising purposes. They may sell your data to third parties, such as advertising networks, analytics companies or government agencies.
• Weak Encryption: Some VPN services may use outdated or weak encryption algorithms that can be cracked using specialized tools or computational power. This can lead to the exposure of your data or the identification of your IP address.
• DNS or IP Leaks: Some VPN services may have flaws in their software that can lead to DNS or IP leaks. This means that your real IP address or domain name requests may be visible to your Internet Service Provider, the websites you visit or malicious actors.
• Malware: Some VPN services may contain malware that can infect your device, steal your data, spy on you, show you unwanted adsor even use your device to attack other targets.

Research on VPN Service Issues​

In recent years, several studies have revealed various security and privacy issues with public VPN services. Here are some of them:

• Researchers from the Internet Security and Networks Center at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Internet Security Center at the University of New South Wales analyzed 283 free VPN applications for Android. They found that 38% contained malware, 18% didn't encrypt traffic, 84% didn't protect against DNS leaks and 75% used third-party tracking libraries.
• Researchers from the Internet Security Center at the University of New South Wales and Data61 analyzed 283 free VPN applications for Android in terms of privacy. They found that 82% requested access to sensitive user data, such as contacts, messages, location, etc. and 16% redirected traffic through other user's devices.
• The journal The Best VPN tested 74 VPN services for IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks. They found that 16 had IP leaks, 15 had DNS leaks and 3 had WebRTC leaks.
• The journal VPNMentor discovered a data leak affecting over 20 million users of three free VPN services - UFO VPN, FAST VPN and Free VPN. The leak contained personal information such as IP addresses, passwords, activity logs, etc.
• The research group CSIRO analyzed 283 free VPN applications for Android and found that 38% contained malware, 84% were vulnerable to IPv6 leaks, 75% used third-party tracking libraries, and 18% didn't encrypt traffic at all.
• The research company Top10VPN tested 150 free VPN services and found that 27% had IP or DNS request leaks, 85% had low connection speeds and 25% had certificate security issues.
• The research company TheBestVPN audited 74 popular VPN services and found that 16 had IP or DNS request leaks, as well as other security and privacy issues. Among the offenders were well-known brands like PureVPN, Zenmate, Hola VPN and Betternet.
• The research company vpnMentor analyzed data from seven free VPN applications for Android and found that they leaked personal data of over 20 million users. Leaked data included email addresses, passwords, IP addresses, locations and other sensitive information.
• The research company Comparitech tested 21 free VPN services for Windows and found that 10 had IP or DNS request leaks, as well as other security and privacy issues. Among the offenders were well-known brands like TunnelBear, Windscribe and Proton VPN.
• The research company RestorePrivacy tested 78 popular VPN services and found that 17 had IP or DNS request leaks, as well as other security and privacy issues. Among the offenders were well-known brands like ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Surfshark.

Additionally, there have been instances where public VPN services have been accused of surveilling users or collaborating with governments. Some examples:

• Facebook admitted to using its free VPN service, Onavo Protect, to surveil users and collect data about their interests, behaviors and competitors. After the scandal, Facebook removed Onavo Protect from the App Store and Google Play.
• Trend Micro discovered that the free VPN service SuperVPN contained malware that could intercept user traffic, inject ads and install other applications without their consent. SuperVPN was downloaded over 100 million times from Google Play.
• NordVPN accused its competitor Hola VPN of collaborating with the Belarusian government. According to NordVPN, Hola VPN provided access to its servers to Belarusian security services, which used them to block internet freedom in the country. Hola VPN denied these allegations and stated that it had no connection to the situation in Belarus.
• AnchorFree, the owner of the popular free VPN service Hotspot Shield, was accused of collecting and selling user data to advertising companies and third parties. According to a study conducted by the Berkeley Center for Human Rights and Technology, Hotspot Shield redirected user traffic to its partner's websites and injected advertising cookies.
• Proton Technologies AG, which develops secure services like ProtonMail and ProtonVPN, was accused of collaborating with the U.S. government. According to Telegram founder Pavel Durov, Proton Technologies AG received funding from U.S. intelligence agencies through Charles River Ventures and agreed to provide them access to user data. Proton Technologies AG denied these allegations and stated that it had no ties to the U.S. government or other states.

How to Choose a Public VPN Service​

If you want to use a public VPN service to protect your security and privacy online, you need to be careful and thorough in your selection. Not all VPN services are equally good and reliable. Here are some tips on how to choose a public VPN service:

• Check Reputation and Reviews: Before subscribing to a VPN service, read reviews from other users and experts. Find out how long the service has been around, who owns it, and where it's located. Avoid services with a bad reputation or suspicious origins.
• Compare Prices and Terms: Compare the prices and terms of different VPN services. Find out how many servers and countries they offer, what features and protocols they support, and what traffic or speed limitations they have. Avoid services that are too cheap or free, as they may be unreliable or dangerous.
• Read the Privacy Policy: Read the privacy policy of the VPN service and ensure that it doesn't log your activity, doesn't sell your data to third parties and doesn't collaborate with governments. Look for services with a strict "no-logs" policy and a verified auditing company.
• Check Encryption and Security Level: Check the encryption and security level of the VPN service. Ensure that it uses modern and reliable encryption algorithms, such as AES-256 or ChaCha20-Poly1305. Also, check that it supports secure protocols like OpenVPN or WireGuard. Avoid services with outdated or weak encryption algorithms, such as PPTP or L2TP/IPsec.
• Check for DNS or IP Leaks: Check for DNS or IP leaks in the VPN service. You can use specialized online services like ipleak.net or dnsleaktest.com for this purpose. If you find DNS or IP leaks, it means that your real IP address or domain name requests may be visible to your Internet Service Provider, the websites you visit or malicious actors. Avoid services with DNS or IP leaks.
• Check for Additional Features: Check for additional features in the VPN service. Some of them may be useful for enhancing your security and privacy, such as:
  • Kill Switch: This feature automatically disconnects your Internet connection if your VPN drops. This prevents your data from leaking or your IP address from being identified.
  • Split Tunneling: This feature allows you to choose which traffic will go through the VPN and which will go directly. This can be useful for improving speed or accessing local resources.
  • Bypassing Geo-blocking: This feature allows you to access content that is restricted in your country or region. For example, you can watch Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, etc. from anywhere in the world.
  • Ad/Malware Blocking: This feature helps you get rid of annoying ads and protects you from malicious websites that can infect your device or steal your data.

How to Set Up Your Own VPN​

If you want to have full control over your VPN and don't trust public VPN services, you can set up your own VPN on your server or device. To do this, you will need:

• A server or device with a static IP address and internet access
• A client application to connect to the VPN
• Software to set up and manage the VPN

Depending on your level of knowledge and experience, you can choose different methods to set up your own VPN. Here are some options:

• Use Ready-Made Solutions: Programs like OpenVPN, WireGuard or SoftEther allow you to easily set up and run a VPN server on your computer or cloud service. They also provide client applications for connecting to the VPN from various devices. These solutions are free, secure and support different protocols and features.
• Use Specialized Services: Services like Algo VPN, Outline or Streisand allow you to automatically deploy and configure a VPN server on a cloud service such as DigitalOcean, Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud Platform. They also provide instructions for connecting to the VPN from different devices. These services are either free or low-cost, secure and support various protocols and features.
• Manual Configuration: Methods like IKEv2/IPsec or L2TP/IPsec require you to manually set up the VPN server on your computer or cloud service. You will also need to manually configure the client application to connect to the VPN from different devices. This method is more complex and time-consuming but also more flexible and customizable.

Conclusion​

VPNs are a useful technology for protecting your security and privacy online. However, not all VPN services are equally reliable and secure. Some may log your activity, sell your data, use weak encryption, be susceptible to leaks or contain malware. Therefore, you need to be careful and thorough when choosing a public VPN service. You should check the reputation and reviews, compare prices and terms, read the privacy policy, check the level of encryption and security, look for leaks and consider additional features. If you want to have full control over your VPN connection and don't trust public VPN services, you can set up your own VPN on your server or device. For this, you will need a server or device with a static IP address and internet access, software to set up and manage the VPN and a client application to connect to the VPN. You can choose different methods to set up your own VPN, depending on your level of knowledge and experience. You can use ready-made solutions like OpenVPN, WireGuard or SoftEther, use specialized services or use manual configuration methods like IKEv2/IPsec or L2TP/IPsec.