Is VPN Secure Enough?
VPN encrypts your internet traffic, preventing it from being monitored or manipulated, which could pose serious risks or unwanted exposures.
Internet users may want their privacy; the ability to carry out their internet activities without being tracked by monitoring agencies.
They may also want security, due to the fear of hackers tracking their online information which could be used to steal important data.
To resolve these issues, they turn to VPN services providers who promise a secure connection to whatever server they want. These providers tell them their IP is hidden and no one can ever trace them.
Is that true?
Is your VPN secure or not?
Security means your data is encrypted from your computer to the target network. VPN services claim they offer this encryption feature. But that’s not the whole truth.
For your VPN connection to be fully secure, it has to be directly connected to the destination server. But that’s not the case in the real world.
A request passes through several nodes before getting to its endpoint, but most VPNs do not handle the security on the nodes. It only encrypts from you to the VPN server to the next node.
The encryption offered by any VPN service ends the moment it leaves the VPN network. After that, it’s fair game for whoever wants to listen in.
Technically, they are not cheating you by doing this.
VPN means Virtual Private Network, which means originally, they offer you a ‘virtual private network’ in order to communicate with other computers in that private network.
To the general public, such a connection is impossible, but with a VPN, it can be established.
Accessing a private server through its personal VPN service is a You — VPN — Private Server journey, and is secure, but a public website means your data goes through several ‘network-stops’ before reaching your destination.
So, for a VPN, it encrypts your data and then transfers it to the next server (believing it is the company’s server), but it doesn’t have any control over what happens when your data moves from one server node to another.
And moreover, you don’t need to fear in the first place — the padlock sign on websites’ URL bar means your data is encrypted from the browser to the target server, completely.
Can You Be Tracked, Even with a VPN Service?
Yes, and No.
How you are being tracked online has little to do with your IP address.
The target server can only determine the location of the network infrastructure of your ISP, which in most cases, is the same area where you live in.
As for tracking, most websites use more sophisticated tools such as cookies. They prefer monitoring your activities on various applications or even recognizing your online behavioral pattern.
VPN services do not have any means of control over these things.
Moreover, your VPN service performs what they call logging. When they help route your connection, a log of that request is stored on their server. This basically means they can monitor and record your online activities.
In such a situation, using a VPN service is just a matter of changing who you put your trust in.
So What? Do You Still Need a VPN?
Why, yes! A VPN is a very useful tool if applied rightly. The main function of the VPN was to provide a form of a tunnel connecting two networks. That gives access when there’s a general restriction.
Let’s quickly go over what applications a VPN is best suited for.
Access to private networks — A VPN acts as a connector between your computer and a private network, giving you access which is not enjoyed by the public.
By using a VPN service of a company, you could get access to their servers and acquire the information you need. People without access to the VPN service won’t get the same privilege.
Country-specific access — there is some content on the web which can only be accessed by a country or group of countries. You might want to access the information there.
Using a VPN service with a service in the target country makes the target server think the request is coming from a person in their country, giving you unrestrained access.
Securing access to public networks — When connecting to a public and open-security WiFi, any novice hacker can sniff your network traffic and possibly do a lot of harm.
Routing your connection through a VPN encrypts your data from your device to the WiFi, securing your data from being monitored and tampered with.
Bypassing special restrictions — Based on your ISP/country, some services may be restricted for you to access. It could be a country forbidding its citizens to use a certain web application.
By employing a VPN, you can bypass such restrictions and freely access the application you intend to.
Where to Find a Reliable VPN Software
You can easily check MacUpdate for an organized list of VPN software and read the reviews to know the best one to choose from. CNET.com also has a list here.
Other reliable sources are Reddit and Mac users forums.
VPN setup information can be seen here: Apple
To sum everything up, be careful; a VPN does not give you the security and anonymity you think, but can still be useful in a number of ways.
