3 ways to protect your privacy with a VPN

[Carder]

Greetings friends. Today we will talk about a very old and hackneyed topic, namely, VPN. About the role of this tool in building Your personal security. I will try to be brief and to the point, without any unnecessary words. What is a VPN, what does it do (or what doesn't) You probably already know. If for some reason not, then go to https://duckduckgo.com and we're looking for it. There's plenty of information.

When we prepare our PC for safe operation and it comes to VPN, we usually have 3 ways:

• Raise a VPN yourself on a rented VPS purchased with cryptocurrency
• Use the services of a commercial provider
• Use the services of a free provider

Before we start, it will be good if you understand the obvious points:

• Absolutely all providers store logs. Some people store more information for a longer period of time, while others, on the contrary, collect less data and store it for a shorter period of time. But this is done by everyone without exception, there is no provider that does not store logs at all. Every last one of them! If they try to convince You otherwise, then this is, of course, cunning.
• No merchant (this applies not only to VPN providers) will put Your interests above the interests of their own business. More precisely — if the refusal to issue your data at the request of the competent authorities will mean any inconvenience or, God forbid, losses for business, Then you will be handed over. No one will think long.
• Despite the 2 points above, you should make allowances for geography (not only for faster connection), but also for the political climate. A rough example : If Your activity is connected, for example, with the Russian Federation, then you should exclude the use of services from Germany, since there is a bilateral agreement on cooperation and mutual extradition of suspects in the field of cybercrime. Perhaps, if we are talking about the Russian Federation, then we should look in the direction of countries that do not have the most rosy relations with the Russian Federation. In General, the vast majority of European providers are very reluctant to respond to any requests from the CIS authorities at all. The most win — win option is the Netherlands, Switzerland, Gibraltar, Czech Republic, Greece and others. It is also worth mentioning inter-European treaties and cooperation within their framework, such as the Alliance of five, nine and 14 eyes, if your activities affect EU and US countries.

The first option is your own VPN on a VPS​

In fact, to raise your personal VPN config, you do not need to have any deep knowledge in the field of system administration. Of course, ideally, raise it yourself, but on Github there is a script that will raise OpenVPN on your VPS with a minimum of effort on your part. But first we need to rent this server. Where is the best place to do this?

• https://lowendbox.com/ - Aggregator of low-cost VPS providers. Huge selection
• https://www.comparevps.com/ - Aggregator of VPS providers, comparison in the table
• https://www.PoiskVPS.ru -Russian VPS aggregator. Selection of the parameters.

Please provide plausible data when registering, otherwise the anti-fraud system may not miss you. Alternatively, use it to create a fake identity https://datafakegenerator.com/generador.php

For our purposes, a VPS with 512mb RAM, 10gb SSD and very preferably unlimited bandwidth is suitable. For OpenVPN, we will need our VPS to support TUN/TAP. Usually, this feature is present everywhere, but somewhere it is enabled by default, and somewhere you will need to enable it yourself (control panel on the site). As for payment, we are interested in Bitcoin, but now this is not a problem, since many providers accept It without any problems. Ideally, of course, Monero, since BTC is actually very far from anonymous. What swings the OS that will spin on your server, then both Debian and Ubuntu or CentOS 64bit of the latest versions will work. After a successful lease, your email address will receive login details for your server (you should immediately change the root password using passwd). The script for raising OpenVPN is publicly available and is as easy to install as possible. https://github.com/angristan/openvpn-install

As for Wireguard - I don't recommend it. Although this technology is already several years old, but, as for me, it has not yet been tested, unlike OpenVPN. Moreover, it was noticed that Wireguard leaves very strange settings in resolv. conf. Therefore, it is better to use OpenVPN.

Next, you will only need to specify the port for connecting to OpenVPN, then select the Protocol and DNS servers. Next, you just need to enter the name of Your config file, after which it will be saved to the user's home folder.

The following steps are very briefly listed if you want to upgrade your OpenVPN To a VPS. The caveat is that the server you have rented still needs to be properly configured. Protect against brute-force attacks, install a firewall, and ban unnecessary traffic. Disable ipv6 and that's not all.

It will also be much more difficult for a novice user to deal with traffic obfuscation and implement it for their own config. You will also need to write your own killswitch, which will cut down traffic outside of your VPN connection, thereby protecting You from leaks. As a result, after all the manipulations, You have only one location. And this is a problem for those who need diversity.

It may seem that I am dissuading you from raising your own VPN at all.

No. If you are an experienced user and you have a clear understanding of what needs to be done, then the ideal option is to do everything yourself. With obfuscation and so on, make the necessary number of configs if necessary. My point is that just renting a server, running a script there and dragging the config to the PC is not difficult, but it's definitely not enough. Here it is worth remembering one rule - to do either well, or not to do at all. Unfortunately, this option is ideal, but due to time and complexity, it is not suitable for many users. What should I do?

The second option is a commercial provider​

And now for the fun part:

My unpopular point of view is that you can't rely on just one VPN. A VPN should only play a partial, limited role in ensuring your security. VPN is best combined with TOR and other technologies, but never use it alone!

What should you pay attention to when choosing a provider?

You can use an interesting resource that we have already mentioned earlier on the channel. But the most important features to pay attention to are:

• Ability to obfuscate traffic
• Jurisdiction (with possible reference to 5/9/14 eyes, or depending on your situation)
• The presence of the client for Linux and OpenVPN support
• Ability to pay with cryptocurrency (BTC, or ideally Monero)
• Having a killswitch

A commercial provider will perform its task efficiently if combined with Tor (both before and after, there are statements that VPN is undesirable to use in this duet. For example, if it is used AFTER Tor, then claims are made about the last "static" Tor node. The author is of the opinion that a VPN can and should be used just because of hiding the final Tor node due to the fact that it can be tapped/artificially created by ill-wishers + the vast majority of resources in the clearnet are now swearing at Tor, which is a problem for many).

The VPN provider doesn't know what happens to the traffic at all if You connect to a VPN before Tor. Just like it doesn't know about Your existence if you connect to a VPN after Tor. The only caveat that may arise is the price.

However, you can purchase brute VPN accounts (with a guarantee).) with us. This will significantly reduce possible expenses on Your part.

What is the conclusion?

A commercial VPN can only be used as a part, a small cog in Your security system that performs only the role assigned to it.

Option three - a free provider​

If for some reason there is no possibility, or there is simply no need for extra spending (for Example, you need to banally hide your IP), or there are financial problems, then there is a list of free VPN providers. Keep in mind that the speed of the function and data quality of providers is noticeably inferior to commercial ones for obvious reasons. But it is quite suitable if you just need to hide your IP address.

Russians:

1. http://free-vpn.org/
2. http://shadeyouvpn.com/ru/
3. https://www.securitykiss.com/index.php
4. http://wafers.cc/channelloading/ru/

Foreign companies:

5. https://www.vpnreactor.com/
6. http://gpass1.com/gpass/
7. http://www.vpnbook.com/
8. http://justfreevpn.com/
9. http://vpnip.net/europe-vpn
10. http://www.vpngate.net/en/
11. http://linkideo.com/
12. http://www.vpntool.com/services.php
13. http://itshidden.com/
14. http://www.anchorfree.com/
15. http://www.usaip.eu/en/free_vpn.php
16. http://thefreevpn.com/
17. http://proxpn.com/
18. https://www.proxpn.com/index.php
19. http://www.usaip.eu/en/index.php
20. https://openvpn.net/
21. http://itshidden.eu/
22. https://www.torvpn.com/en/vpn

 

[Carding 4 Carders]

Can my Internet service provider see my VPN?
VPN services allow you to browse the Internet anonymously.
However, your Internet service provider knows when you are connected to the VPN.
Virtual private networks are designed to mask your location and preserve your privacy while accessing the Internet.
Your Internet service provider will know that you are connected to a VPN.
However, they don't know exactly what you're doing, as the VPN encrypts your data.

Does my Internet service provider know that I'm connected to a VPN?
Your Internet service provider usually knows when you are connected to the VPN, and in most cases, the exact VPN you are using.
When you use a VPN to access the Internet, your Internet service provider sees that you are connected to a specific service.
They can also view the amount of traffic being transferred from and to you.
Internet service providers notice that data coming from and to your device is encrypted, and they see the VPN's IP address.
By viewing the VPN's IP address, your ISP can also find out the VPN service provider you are using.
Although your Internet service provider knows that you're using a VPN, and in most cases, it can't see the websites you've visited or what you've done there.
A VPN ensures that your traffic remains encrypted, making it impossible for your ISP and other snoopers to view your online activity.
Please note that it is better to use paid VPN services, as free ones may not offer strong encryption or sell your Internet data.

Your provider also uses your online data
On April 3, 2017, US President Donald Trump signed a law that reversed the rules adopted by former President Obama against Internet service providers regarding how they collect and transmit user data.
Under the new law, Internet service providers can collect and sell information about users, such as their location, the apps they use, and the websites they visit.
Similar to what social networks do, Internet service providers collect user data and sell it to third-party marketers and advertisers who use this information for targeted advertising.
In addition, your Internet service provider is not required to tell you how they process your information, and they can sell it without your permission.
When you go online, your device first connects to a router, which then connects to your Internet service provider.
The Internet service provider creates a connection to the website or online service that you want to access.
Any data that you upload or download when you are connected to the Internet passes through your Internet service provider.
This way, they can easily intercept, view, and make copies of your online data and sell it to third-party marketers or pass it on to law enforcement and government agencies.

A VPN will protect you from your ISP
The main idea behind using a VPN is to protect your privacy and ensure that no one spies on you while you surf the web.
This includes your Internet service provider.
When you use a quality VPN, you will still use your Internet service provider to connect to the Internet, because a VPN is not a substitute for an Internet service provider.
However, instead of communicating directly with the web page you want to access, your ISP communicates with the VPN you are using.
The VPN server acts as an intermediary between you and your Internet service provider.
The connection between your device and the VPN is encrypted.
So while your uploads and downloads still pass through your Internet service provider, the data becomes useless to them when they intercept it, because it's encrypted.
In encrypted form, your data cannot be viewed by your provider.
So your Internet service provider knows that you are sending and receiving information, but it doesn't know what it is.
A VPN is sure to protect your data from being viewed by your Internet service provider and other intruders, as long as you use a strong VPN that encrypts your data transfers.
You can also protect yourself by using the Tor network and blocking trackers in your browser.

Conclusion
Your Internet service providers know when you are using a VPN.
However, they don't know the websites you are accessing or what you are doing on the network, as the VPN encrypts your data.
Using a VPN is a great way to prevent your Internet service provider from intercepting and viewing your online activity.

 

[Carding 4 Carders]

How secure is my VPN?​

The importance of VPNs
As people become increasingly aware of the importance of protecting their personal data online, privacy and anonymity considerations have become Central to any effective security setup.
In most cases, this means installing a virtual private network (VPN) along with a firewall and antivirus software.
A VPN service can be used to encrypt data that you send and receive online.
When you start your connection through servers located internationally, your IP address will not only be hidden from third parties, but your location will also be masked.
This means that you can log in from anywhere in the world, which has the added benefit of allowing you to bypass geographical location checks and enjoy iPlayer or Netflix while traveling.
VPN services also provide end-to-end encryption, so even if unauthorized attackers get your data, it can't be used.
Despite the fact that a VPN has many advantages, it is not a solution for anonymity on the network.
There are many ways to leak your IP address, even if you are connected to a VPN.
For this reason, it is very important that you know how to track potential leaks and what tools to use.

DNS leak
One of the fundamental elements of the Internet is the domain name system (DNS).
DNS is essentially the equivalent of a phone book.
While people browse the Internet using domain names, devices themselves communicate using IP addresses.
DNS transforms the connection between them so that traffic is routed to the correct location.
However, this can cause problems for VPN users.
Sometimes devices can automatically route a DNS query through your real IP address, rather than the one assigned to you when you signed in to the VPN.
This means that your location and activities may be disclosed without your knowledge.
This is often the result of default settings that can be changed, but many people may not realize that there is such a problem.
The first step is to use a tool such as the DNS leak checker HMA!
It will show the IP address that you use to connect to the Internet.
If this address is not the one provided by your VPN, it may mean that you have a leak.
A simple step you can take to prevent DNS leaks is to select OpenDNS in your network adapter settings.
This will mean that your ISP's DNS will not be used, meaning your real IP address will not be revealed in the unlikely event of a VPN failure.
Similarly, setting up a firewall to block non-VPN traffic also ensures that you can't connect through your ISP's DNS servers.

WebRTC leak
As with the DNS leak, the real-time data exchange (WebRTC) security issue is not related to your VPN, but to the activity that bypasses it.
WebRTC software is commonly used in web browsers and applications.
This feature allows you to play audio and video faster and faster, without additional plugins.
This improves performance when making video calls and is an integral part of popular communication apps like Google Hangouts.
As useful as it is, it brings with it a new security challenge.
In most cases, browsers ignore VPNs and send DNS queries using your actual IP address.
Even though your VPN is still running and your activities are secure, anything sent through apps that use WebRTC can compromise your IP address and put your privacy at risk.
Although browsers often have settings to disable WebRTC, they are usually hidden in the settings menu, as disabling It can mean losing functionality.
Other options include switching to a different browser that doesn't use WebRTC, or installing an extension or plugin like "ScriptSafe" in Chrome or "Disable WebRTC" in Firefox.
For users who don't need to use features that depend on WebRTC, this is an easy solution, but people who regularly use Google Hangouts and other browser-based services will find that these features don't work until the plugin is deactivated.
In these cases, plugins are a short-term solution until you can update your alternative DNS provider settings.
Once this is done, use the webrtc leak checker tool to make sure that the leaks don't affect your web browsing experience.
VPN services have many advantages and are becoming more important for protecting personal data than antivirus software.
But like antivirus software, a VPN is not a universal solution.
This is a useful add-on for a broader and more comprehensive security setup.
This means that the user must remain vigilant and aware of potential weaknesses in their security, as well as take the initiative to minimize the risk that DNS leaks and webrtc leaks can cause.