VPN technology came out around the same time Windows 95 was launched. While you may just now be hearing about VPNs in the news, as a way to browse the Web privately, the VPN is really considered antiquated technology just like Incognito mode.
VPN ads are everywhere. Some are even offering lifetime subscriptions. The fact of the matter is simply this, the antiquated VPN is on its last leg, and marketers are trying to capture every last dime before the inevitable availability of cost effective better solutions become better known.
Today, VPNs are being promoted to people with some technological knowledge, as a way to surf the Web privately. In all fairness, up until recently there hasn’t been a better way for you to browse without revealing your IP address. Unfortunately, even with VPN protection of your IP, a VPN still allows the sites visited to see your cookies and your devices’s unique IDs. Further VPNs provide no protection against viruses given to you from the sites you visit.
Here’s what you need to know VPN Locked Communications
During the communications round trip to hide your IP in visiting a website, your data is locked and unlocked, along with then being locked and unlocked again. As you can imagine, this makes your browsing slow, frequently VERY slow!
Importantly, ONLY data that you type and send is locked, NOT the data on your device.
With this in mind, your data is only locked when it passes through the Internet provider. It’s then unlocked when it reaches the website, which makes locking partially ineffective.
Useless maybe, because your device still interacts with websites, meaning they can still identify you by the device they are using, and the information on it (true location, cookies, etc…)
“Locked” data does NOT mean the data is safe, it just means it’s concealed or disguised, so the internet provider can’t see it. It does NOT mean it’s necessarily safe to open — no virus protection.
Here’s what you need to know VPN and Personal Information
Your device communicates with a website, the website can see the cookies on your device, which gives them A LOT of information about you.
Not only that, but that website can also place cookies on your device and then track you online. If you’re lucky, the site will only leave cookies on your device. Because the website communicates with your device, you are ALSO vulnerable to viruses.
Your browsing history is left on your device too, giving anyone who has physical access to your device, the ability to see where you browsed.
Here’s what you need to know VPN and Log Policy
VPNs promote their “log policy” as an additional level of privacy. A Log basically a record of what sites each user visited while using the VPN. Some VPN’s say users are private with them, because they have a “we don’t keep a log” policy.
Please don’t put any faith in any “log policy” because any regulatory agency can identify you when:
- your device is in the U.S.
- the website site you visited is in the U.S.
- you accessed the internet using a U.S. Internet provider/telco
VPN BOTTOM LINE
A VPN only hides your IP and secures your data as it travels the internet, it DOES NOT secure or privatize your device and your personal information.
VPNs only protect one of the four points in your browsing loop — the Internet provider. The other three points in your browsing loop are unprotected. These four points of the browsing loop will be discussed soon. Read on!
