VPN service

Last updated
This article contains dynamic lists that may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

A virtual private network (VPN) service provides a proxy server to help users bypass Internet censorship such as geo-blocking and users who want to protect their communications against data profiling or MitM attacks on hostile networks.

Contents

A wide variety of entities provide VPN services for several purposes. But depending on the provider and the application, they do not always create a true private network. Instead, many providers simply provide an Internet proxy that uses VPN technologies such as OpenVPN or WireGuard. Commercial VPN services are often used by those wishing to disguise or obfuscate their physical location or IP address, typically as a means to evade Internet censorship or geo-blocking.

Providers often market VPN services as privacy-enhancing, citing security features, such as encryption, from the underlying VPN technology. However, users must consider that when the transmitted content is not encrypted before entering the proxy, that content is visible at the receiving endpoint (usually the VPN service provider's site) regardless of whether the VPN tunnel itself is encrypted for the inter-node transport. The only secure VPN is where the participants have oversight at both ends of the entire data path or when the content is encrypted before it enters the tunnel.

On the client side, configurations intended to use VPN services as proxies are not conventional VPN configurations. However, they do typically utilize the operating system's VPN interfaces to capture the user's data to send to the proxy. This includes virtual network adapters on computer OSes and specialized "VPN" interfaces on mobile operating systems. A less common alternative is to provide a SOCKS proxy interface.

In computer magazines, VPN services are typically judged on connection speeds, privacy protection including privacy at signup and grade of encryption, server count and locations, interface usability, and cost. [1] [2] [3] [4] In order to determine the degree of privacy and anonymity, various computer magazines, such as PC World and PC Magazine , also take the provider's own guarantees and its reputation among news items into consideration. [1] [2] Recommendation websites for VPNs tend to be affiliated with or even owned by VPN service providers. [5]

VPN Use Cases

Criticism and limitations

Users are commonly exposed to misinformation on the VPN services market, which makes it difficult for them to discern fact from false claims in advertisements. [11] According to Consumer Reports, VPN service providers have poor privacy and security practices and also make hyperbolic claims. [12] The New York Times has advised users to reconsider whether a VPN service is worth their money. [13] VPN services are not sufficient for protection against browser fingerprinting. [14]

Common misconceptions

Legality

In March 2018, the use of unapproved VPN services was banned in China, as they can be used to circumvent the Great Firewall. [18] Operators received prison sentences and were penalized with fines. [19] [20] [21] [22] Russia banned various VPN service providers in 2021. [23]

Privacy

PC Magazine recommends that users consider choosing a provider based in a country with no data retention laws because that makes it easier for the service to keep a promise of no logging. [24] PC Magazine and TechRadar also suggest that users read the provider's logging policy before signing up for the service, [24] [3] because some providers collect information about their customers' VPN usage. [25] [26] PC World recommends that users avoid free services as a rule of thumb and said free services either sell their users' browsing data in aggregated form to researchers and marketers, or only offer a minimal amount of data transfer per month. [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proxy server</span> Computer server that makes and receives requests on behalf of a user

In computer networking, a proxy server is a server application that acts as an intermediary between a client requesting a resource and the server providing that resource. It improves privacy, security, and possibly performance in the process.

Virtual private network (VPN) is a network architecture for virtually extending a private network across one or multiple other networks which are either untrusted or need to be isolated.

Hushmail is an encrypted proprietary web-based email service offering PGP-encrypted e-mail and vanity domain service. Hushmail uses OpenPGP standards. If public encryption keys are available to both recipient and sender, Hushmail can convey authenticated, encrypted messages in both directions. For recipients for whom no public key is available, Hushmail will allow a message to be encrypted by a password and stored for pickup by the recipient, or the message can be sent in cleartext. In July 2016, the company launched an iOS app that offers end-to-end encryption and full integration with the webmail settings. The company is located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The Great Firewall is the combination of legislative actions and technologies enforced by the People's Republic of China to regulate the Internet domestically. Its role in internet censorship in China is to block access to selected foreign websites and to slow down cross-border internet traffic. The Great Firewall operates by checking transmission control protocol (TCP) packets for keywords or sensitive words. If the keywords or sensitive words appear in the TCP packets, access will be closed. If one link is closed, more links from the same machine will be blocked by the Great Firewall. The effect includes: limiting access to foreign information sources, blocking foreign internet tools and mobile apps, and requiring foreign companies to adapt to domestic regulations.

In computer networks, a tunneling protocol is a communication protocol which allows for the movement of data from one network to another. They can, for example, allow private network communications to be sent across a public network, or for one network protocol to be carried over an incompatible network, through a process called encapsulation.

Email encryption is encryption of email messages to protect the content from being read by entities other than the intended recipients. Email encryption may also include authentication.

Anonymizer, Inc. is an Internet privacy company, founded in 1995 by Lance Cottrell, author of the Mixmaster anonymous remailer. Anonymizer was originally named Infonex Internet. The name was changed to Anonymizer in 1997 when the company acquired a web based privacy proxy of the same name developed by Justin Boyan at Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science. Boyan licensed the software to C2Net for public beta testing before selling it to Infonex. One of the first web privacy companies founded, Anonymizer creates a VPN link between its servers and its users computer, creating a random IP address, rather than the one actually being used. This can be used to anonymously report a crime, avoid spam, avoid Internet censorship, keep the users identity safe and track competitors, among other uses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultrasurf</span> Freeware Internet censorship circumvention product

UltraSurf is a closed-source freeware Internet censorship circumvention product created by UltraReach Internet Corporation. The software bypasses Internet censorship and firewalls using an HTTP proxy server, and employs encryption protocols for privacy.

Internet censorship circumvention is the use of various methods and tools to bypass internet censorship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VPN blocking</span>

VPN blocking is a technique used to block the encrypted protocol tunneling communications methods used by virtual private network (VPN) systems. Often used by large organizations such as national governments or corporations, it can act as a tool for computer security or Internet censorship by preventing the use of VPNs to bypass network firewall systems.

Hotspot Shield is a public VPN service operated by AnchorFree, Inc. Hotspot Shield was used to bypass government censorship during the Arab Spring protests in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TunnelBear</span> Virtual private network provider

TunnelBear is a public VPN service based in Toronto, Canada. It was created by Daniel Kaldor and Ryan Dochuk in 2011. In March 2018, TunnelBear was acquired by McAfee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mullvad</span> Virtual private network provider

Mullvad is a commercial VPN service based in Sweden. Launched in March 2009, Mullvad operates using the WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols. It also supports Shadowsocks as a bridge protocol for censorship circumvention. Mullvad's VPN client software is released under the GPLv3, a free and open-source software license.

ExpressVPN is a company providing online privacy and security solutions, including a virtual private network (VPN) service and a password manager. Since September 2021, ExpressVPN has been a subsidiary of Kape Technologies, a company wholly owned by Israeli billionaire Teddy Sagi.

NordVPN is a Lithuanian VPN service with applications for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, and tvOS. Manual setup is available for wireless routers, NAS devices, and other platforms.

DNS over HTTPS (DoH) is a protocol for performing remote Domain Name System (DNS) resolution via the HTTPS protocol. A goal of the method is to increase user privacy and security by preventing eavesdropping and manipulation of DNS data by man-in-the-middle attacks by using the HTTPS protocol to encrypt the data between the DoH client and the DoH-based DNS resolver. By March 2018, Google and the Mozilla Foundation had started testing versions of DNS over HTTPS. In February 2020, Firefox switched to DNS over HTTPS by default for users in the United States. In May 2020, Chrome switched to DNS over HTTPS by default.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IPVanish</span> Virtual private network provider

IPVanish VPN is a US-based VPN service owned by Ziff Davis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HMA (VPN)</span> Virtual private network service founded in 2005

HMA is a VPN service founded in 2005 in the United Kingdom. It has been a subsidiary of the Czech cybersecurity company Avast since 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PureVPN</span> Virtual private network provider

PureVPN is a commercial VPN service owned by GZ Systems Ltd. Founded in 2007, the company is based in the British Virgin Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windscribe</span> Virtual private network provider

Windscribe is a commercial, cross-platform virtual private network (VPN) service provider based in Canada.

References

  1. 1 2 Paul, Ian (2018-01-02). "Best VPN services of 2018: Reviews and buying advice". PC World. How we tested. Archived from the original on 2018-01-04.
  2. 1 2 Eddy, Max (2018-01-15). "The Best VPN Services of 2018". PC Magazine. Archived from the original on 2018-01-18. It's important to keep a few things in mind when evaluating which VPN service is right for you: reputation, performance, type of encryption used, transparency, ease of use, support, and extra features.
  3. 1 2 Athow, Desire (2018-01-13). "The best VPN services for 2018". TechRadar. How to test a VPN. Archived from the original on 2018-01-17. We were looking for features, value, and clear and honest pricing. Free ways to learn more about a service - free plans, trial periods, refund periods - were important, and we also looked for companies which maintained your privacy when you signed up (no email address required, trials available without credit cards, Bitcoin available as a payment option).
  4. ↑ Athow, Desire (2018-01-13). "The best VPN services for 2018". TechRadar. How to choose a VPN: Here are 6 tips. Archived from the original on 2018-01-17.
  5. ↑ "Investigating the VPN Recommendation Ecosystem" (PDF). IEEE Security.
  6. ↑ Smith (2023). "Unlocking Streaming Libraries: How VPNs Bypass Geo-Restrictions". TechPrivacy Journal.
  7. ↑ "What Is Geo-Blocking and How to Bypass It in 2024?". 01net. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  8. ↑ updated, Krishi Chowdhary last (2021-02-13). "Why you need to use a VPN on public Wi-Fi". Tom's Guide. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  9. ↑ Overville2 (2024-08-30). "What is a VPN and why it's important". r/VPN. Retrieved 2024-11-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ Chiara Castro (2024-01-26). "Data privacy: top VPN helps journalists and activists to stay safe online". TechRadar. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  11. ↑ Perta, Vasile C.; Barbera, Marco V.; Tyson, Gareth; Haddadi, Hamed; Mei, Alessandro (2015-04-01). "A Glance through the VPN Looking Glass: IPv6 Leakage and DNS Hijacking in Commercial VPN clients". Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies. 2015 (1): 77–91. doi:10.1515/popets-2015-0006. hdl: 10044/1/56834 . ISSN   2299-0984. S2CID   3468680.
  12. ↑ Grauer, Yael (30 September 2022). "VPN Testing Reveals Poor Privacy and Security Practices, Hyperbolic Claims". Consumer Reports . Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  13. ↑ Chen, Brian X. (2021-10-06). "It's Time to Stop Paying for a VPN". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  14. ↑ "You Tossed Your Cookies But They're Still Tracking You; Here's How to Hide Your Browser Fingerprint". PCMAG. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  15. 1 2 3 O'sullivan, Fergus (27 September 2021). "VPN Myths Debunked: What VPNs Can and Cannot Do". How-To Geek. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  16. ↑ "Understanding and Circumventing Network Censorship". 25 April 2020. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  17. ↑ "Techsplanations: Part 5, Virtual Private Networks". 16 October 2018. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  18. ↑ "Businesses, consumers uncertain ahead of China VPN ban". Reuters. Retrieved 2018-04-03.
  19. ↑ "Man jailed for 5½ years, fined US$76,000 for selling VPN in China". South China Morning Post. 2017-12-21. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  20. ↑ Cimpanu, Catalin. "Chinese man arrested after making $1.6 million from selling VPN services". ZDNet. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  21. ↑ "Using a VPN to watch porn gets a man punished in China". South China Morning Post. 2020-07-30. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  22. ↑ ""翻墙"网民受罚 中国进一步强化网络管控" [Internet User Fined for Scaling Great Firewall - China strengthens Internet Control]. BBC News 中文 (in Simplified Chinese). 2019-01-11. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  23. ↑ "Russians' demand for VPNs skyrockets after Meta block". Reuters. 2022-03-14. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  24. 1 2 Eddy, Max (2018-01-15). "The Best VPN Services of 2018". PC Magazine. Can You Trust Your VPN Service?. Archived from the original on 2018-01-18.
  25. 1 2 Paul, Ian (2018-01-02). "Best VPN services of 2018: Reviews and buying advice". What to look for in a VPN. PC World. Archived from the original on 2018-01-04.
  26. ↑ Krebs, Brian (2017-03-17). "Post-FCC Privacy Rules, Should You VPN?". Krebs on Security. Archived from the original on 2018-01-18.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.