What does your Internet service provider know about you?

[Teacher]

Hello! What does this Chinese box of 5g traffic know about you? Will she turn you in if you get a case filed? Today's article will be in Q&A format.

• — If I use the OpenVPN program, then all programs will work through it, including window update?
• — Can the provider find out the real IP address of a certain site if I accessed it through a VPN?
• — So if the VPN glitched, the provider will see which site I'm sitting on?
• — Can the TOP ensure anonymity?
• — What does the provider see when I receive packets constantly from different IP addresses?
• — Does the provider see the site address via Tor or VPN?
• — Can the provider see the full name of the address when using the https protocol?
• — So if I use connection encryption, then I can already be on the list of suspects?
• — Does the provider see the fact of using the i2p network?
• — How do I know if I'm under SORM [?]?
• — How do I see all traffic on my PC as seen by providers? Is there any way to understand that you are being followed?
• — And then what to do, is it possible to somehow complicate the surveillance?

In general, providers are not so simple, they are legally required to listen to user traffic — whether they are violating the law, what they are doing there, etc. Of course, they cannot check all the data completely, but they still record the main data. At the same time, only what the filtration system reacted to is checked manually.

All traffic and data are recorded automatically, screened and filtered, and only after the system notices something suspicious-at this point, people are already connected.

VPN still yes, the provider sees the mess — that is, encrypted data and analyze them, and even more so it will not decrypt, because it is almost impossible. But it can find out from the IP servers that this is a VPN specifically for encrypting traffic. This means that the user has something to hide, so make your own conclusions.

— If I use the OpenVPN program, then all programs will work through it, including window update?​

- In theory, yes, and in general it should be so. But in practice, it all depends on the settings.

— Can the provider find out the real IP address of a certain site if I accessed it through a VPN?​

"Not really, but there's another point. If the VPN suddenly stops working, or if there is some error, then windows will just start working normally, that is, without using a VPN — just directly. To fix this, first you need to configure the OpenVPN client itself, and secondly, use an additional firewall (I recommend Outpost Firewall), where you can create global traffic rules.

— So if the VPN glitched, the provider will see which site I'm sitting on?​

- Unfortunately, yes, this will automatically record everything.

— Can the TOP ensure anonymity?​

— It can, but it is advisable to configure it a little to use it from foreign IP addresses, and also so that the addresses change more often, for example, every three minutes. Also, for the best effect, I recommend using repeaters (bridges).

— What does the provider see when I receive packets constantly from different IP addresses?​

- Providers have a system for detecting the use of TOR, but there is no certainty that this system works in the presence of repeaters. The fact of using the TOR is also recorded and also tells the provider that this user may be hiding something. Therefore, before you open the TOR, enable the VPN.

— Does the provider see the site address via Tor or VPN?​

— No, only the VPN IP address or Tor network exit node.

— Can the provider see the full name of the address when using the https protocol?​

— No, only the domain address is visible (that is, only site.com), connection time, and transmitted Volume. But this data is not particularly useful for the provider in terms of information. If you use the http protocol, you can see that everything is transmitted — both the full address and everything that you wrote/sent in a message by mail, for example, but again, this does not apply to Gmail — traffic is encrypted there.

— So if I use connection encryption, then I can already be on the list of suspects?​

— No, not exactly. On the one hand, yes, but on the other hand, data encryption, or even global encryption of the entire network, can be used not only by some hackers or users — but also by ordinary people and organizations that are concerned about secure data transmission, which is logical, and especially in the banking sector.

— Does the provider see the fact of using the i2p network?​

— It does, but so far this type of network is little known to providers, such as Tor, which, due to its popularity, attracts more and more attention from the special services. The provider sees traffic in i2p as encrypted connections to different IP addresses, which indicates that the client is working with a P2P network.

— How do I know if I'm under SORM?​

— If you are connected to the Internet in the Russian Federation, then you are already under surveillance by default. At the same time, the system is completely official and traffic must pass through it, otherwise Internet service providers and telecom operators will simply cancel the license.

— How do I see all traffic on my PC as seen by providers? Is there any way to understand that you are being followed?​

— Today it is almost impossible. Only with an active attack (man in the middle) can you suspect anything. If passive surveillance is used, it is technically impossible to detect it.

— And then what to do, is it possible to somehow complicate the surveillance?​

— You can divide the Internet, i.e. your connection to it, into two parts. Sit in social networks, on dating sites, watch entertainment sites, movies. Do all this using a normal connection. And use the encrypted connection separately and in parallel — for example, install a virtual machine for this purpose. Thus, you will have a more or less natural environment, so to speak, because many sites encrypt traffic, and Google in its services, and other large companies. But on the other hand, almost all entertainment sites DO NOT encrypt traffic.

That's it! I hope that helped. All right, bye, I'm going to bed.