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What doesn't a VPN? Learn about all the common misconceptions.

RedX

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Nov 26, 2020
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VPN is a wonderful tool. A banal Google search will tell you about a lot of its features - encrypting traffic, opening access to blocked content, and the ability to keep your privacy by hiding your IP address.

However, there are quite a few articles on the web about what a VPN can't do. Of course, it does not have any fundamental shortcomings, but when it comes to privacy and security on the Internet, you need a comprehensive understanding.

Let's face it: the last thing you want to do is pay for a certain VPN service, download and install it on your device, and find that it doesn't work at all as you expected.

Well, we've posted a few short articles here to tell you in detail what a VPN can't do.

Protect you from malware
Some people believe that a VPN does just that. In any case, given how a VPN works and what malware is, it becomes obvious that this is simply not possible. And here's why:

  • Malware is virus software that is used by cybercriminals to infect various devices with it. Ultimately, it is designed to interact with your device's software, hardware components, or files (legacy applications, the processor, or important documents), not with your Internet connection.
  • A VPN encrypts your network connection and hides your IP address. In General, when a VPN client connects to a VPN server, all traffic passing through them will be encrypted (so no one can intercept it).
See what the problem is?

A VPN is simply not designed to keep your device secure.

What you need is antivirus software. It scans the device for anything that might pose a threat, scans all running programs and all program code that interacts with the device's processor for anything that looks like viruses. If something like this is found, it is isolated or deleted.

What about VPN services with malware protection?
Some services claim that they can provide this. CASVPN, for example, says on ITS website that it can provide protection against malware. They even claim that they can protect your device from viruses.

At first glance, this may seem unreliable. And some of these services are really not trustworthy. CASVPN is also one of them. They do not provide an understanding of how exactly they implement such functionality, but simply declare that it exists.

In any case, the reality is a little different. Taking into account user reviews about VPN services that provide "malware protection", it consists in compiling a blacklist of malicious sites that is initially built into the firewall and blocks access to them. Some advanced services can even block the virus scripts and extensions in the web sites.

Here are the services that officially include this functionality:

Of course, each service works differently, but the main way to protect against malware is to block hidden sources of viruses.

It sounds good enough, but a VPN with this malware protection method won't save you from it. Of course, it can prevent malware infection while online, but if your device is already infected, it can't help you.

Ensure 100% anonymity on the web
"Anonymity on the web", "Become anonymous on the web", "Browse websites anonymously". You can see such statements about VPNs on the advertising pages of many VPN services.

Well, we are sorry to disappoint you, but such statements are not true.

Sure, a VPN can provide you with privacy, but complete anonymity? This is quite a big exaggeration. When you use a tool like this, you don't become completely anonymous like a wave of a magic wand. And here's why:

Your Internet service provider still knows who you are
Your Internet service provider sees that you are using a VPN. They also know your real IP address (they assigned it to you), and they still have your personal and billing information as long as you remain their client.

The government can intercept VPN traffic
We are referring to extraordinary situations, such as Kazakhstan, where government agencies intercept and decrypt user traffic, or China, where only certain state-approved VPN services are legalized (also known as VPN services that transmit user data to government agencies).

Social media doesn't help
Of course, a VPN will encrypt the traffic you send and receive from social networks. This will also prevent them from associating network usage with your real IP address.

In any case, a VPN will not encrypt your photos and other information that you post on social networks. People will still see it if you don't make your profile private.

Digital fingerprint
Everyone knows that websites store IP addresses. And a VPN is a great way to hide such information. But beyond that, websites use browser identification to get even more valuable data.:

  • Which browser you are using and its version
  • Your operating system and its version
  • Screen resolution
  • Time zone, installed language, and activated plugins on your device
All this data may sound quite impersonal, but according to the EFF, the chance that another person's browser information will match is extremely small. In fact, only one of the 286,777 browsers will have the same ID.

And a VPN can't hide this information.

VPN doesn't make online payments anonymous
True, a VPN protects your traffic when you make online payments, but it doesn't keep your purchases secret.

Let's assume that you use a VPN when buying something on Amazon through your Bank card. But it won't stop Amazon from linking your Bank card to your user profile. This will only allow you to be sure that your Bank card data that you exchange between the device and the VPN server is encrypted.

And the data of your purchases via a Bank card is not private. This data ends up in the hands of marketers, hedge funds, and media/tech giants.

Mobile operators can track your location
Even using a VPN that hides your location by masking your IP address will not prevent mobile operators from detecting it.

Like your Internet service provider, they still know your real IP address, and they can also use additional surveillance techniques (like monitoring your cellular network signal).

Let's summarize
The only anonymity that you can expect using a VPN is the anonymity of the data that you exchange between the VPN client on your device and the VPN server, since it is encrypted. This is end-to-end encryption, after which no one can intercept it. Provided that you are using a VPN with zero logs. This is also useful when using cryptocurrency payments, ad blockers, and DLP leak prevention technology.

Some other thingsthat increase your privacy when using a VPN include:

  • Using a VM to hide information about your device
  • Use privacy extensions such as uMatrix, uBlock Origin, NoScript, and/or Disconnect.
  • Running a VPN together with the incognito Tab
  • Using the TOR browserto make your ID similar to that of all other TOR users
  • Mandatory use of antivirus software
Here are some more useful tips if you want to achieve a certain level of anonymity.

Some will say that if you want to achieve complete anonymity on the web, then these days it is better not to be online at all. But even this does not guarantee that no one will upload your personal information to the network (for example, create a fake page with your name on social networks).

Protect from Cookies
Since cookies are small text files that are stored on your device, a VPN can't really do anything with Them.

Of course, a VPN acts as an intermediary between you and the network, because it intercepts your requests, encrypts them, and redirects them to its server, and then sends the requested data back to you.

But what a VPN doesn't do is intercept and store cookies on its servers instead of your device. It's not built for this.

In fact, cookies can sometimes interfere with your VPN because they allow websites to see your real geo position even though you use different IP addresses.

To maintain your privacy, the best thing you can do is clear cookies before and after the VPN session, or use your browser in incognito mode when using a VPN.

Or just use a secure browser. Brave, for example, will block cookies from third parties in the standard mode.

To bypass the blocking of the Internet
A VPN can help you bypass government censorship on your network. It will allow you to access blocked sites and hide your traffic.

Therefore, many people think that a VPN is a good solution in the event of an Internet outage. Such blackouts occur frequently enough in authoritarian countries to stifle any possible opposition.

And here's why it's not quite true - a VPN requires an Internet connection to work. When you connect to a VPN server, you don't bypass your Internet service provider. On the contrary, you can use it to connect to the VPN server. Therefore, regardless of the situation, you need your provider first of all.

To make this more clear, just imagine that a VPN is a machine. And using a VPN when the Internet is disconnected will be the same as trying to drive a car without wheels.

To increase the speed of your network
For some reason, many people think that using a VPN automatically increases the speed of the network.

Well, that's just not true.

A VPN can only hide your IP address and encrypt your traffic. When it redirects your connection through its server, it doesn't do anything hidden or supernatural to increase the connection speed.

In fact, a VPN can only slow down your speed. If you use a server that is too far away (on another continent), the VPN Protocol is very resource-intensive (like OpenVPN), and instead of a wired one, you use a WiFi connection - you will probably experience a drop in speed.

And if your Internet service provider has a low speed, then a VPN can't do anything to improve this. The only way to fix the situation is to change the tariff plan or change the provider.

However, there are two exceptions:

When your Internet service provider limits your bandwidth
This happens when your ISP intentionally restricts the bandwidth of your connection to prevent network congestion. This is significantly cheaper than buying new servers with more bandwidth, or so it "encourages" people to choose a data plan that is more expensive.

So, a VPN encrypts your traffic, making it very problematic for your ISP to spy on you. Also, the provider will only see the IP address of the VPN server that you are using. It won't be able to see the addresses of the sites you visit.

When your Internet service provider doesn't route your traffic well
Maybe your provider has a bad infrastructure or bad intermediaries and they redirect your traffic through their project management roadmap. This is the reason why your data may be redirected through different countries, losing speed along the way.

So, if you use a VPN, there is a chance (very small, but keep this in mind) that your traffic will follow a more optimal path and the speed will be higher.

To work around firewalls
Usually, a VPN can bypass firewalls of companies. It can provide you with a new IP address that is not related to firewall restrictions and will encrypt your traffic, preventing administrators from spying on you.

But (and this is a big BUT), your work environment may not include using a VPN if the company employs experienced it specialists and if appropriate measures are taken. How exactly:

  • For starters, if they monitor all connections completely, they can tell you if you're using a VPN client. They will see your connection to the IP address without the DNS extension. It's easy enough to know that this is a VPN server - especially if you're using port 443.
  • If you have remote administration software installed on your device, the it team can connect to your computer and look at your screen without your knowledge, catch you in the hot seat when visiting blocked websites.
  • If they provide employees with standard devices with pre-installed protection against installing third-party programs or extensions (such as a VPN client or other extensions).
In such situations, a VPN will not help you bypass the firewall.

Can you use a VPN for online banking or torrent downloads?
The short answer is Yes, without a doubt. A lot of people use VPNs for this very purpose.

But here's why you might have heard some people say that a VPN isn't the right fit for this:

Online banking
Sometimes VPN traffic, as such, can be blocked by banks. For example, Bank of America does not allow the use of VPN traffic. And some other banks may block your traffic, considering it suspicious, because you connect with a hidden IP address.

This does not mean that a VPN is not suitable for online banking. It is necessary because it encrypts your traffic. And most banks don't have a problem with that.

If it happens that your Bank does not allow you to use a VPN, then talk to the Bank's managers about it. If they don't do anything, then try to choose a different Bank. This is troublesome, but as safe as possible. In addition, your Bank may reconsider its policy regarding this, realizing that it is losing its customer.

Torrent downloads
Some VPN clients do not allow the use of P2P traffic
on their servers. Maybe they don't want to deal with DMCA notices and threatening emails from lawyers, or maybe torrent downloads are illegal in the country where their servers are located.

But many VPN clients provide separate P2P servers, so they are great for torrent downloads. And they don't keep logs to make sure they're not afraid of such laws.

Is it worth continuing to use a VPN while understanding what it doesn't do?
Of course, Yes.

Anything that a VPN doesn't do is considered a disadvantage based on misinformation or in light of specific scenarios (such as blocking the Internet or specific corporate policies). Take them out of the equation and you'll get a very decent service.

Just offhand, a VPN will prevent bandwidth throttling, prevent potential DDoS attacks, encrypt your data (even on unsecured websites), bypass geo-locks and firewalls, make torrent downloads safer, and hide your digital footprint (by hiding your IP address).

Use it together with other security Solutions (antivirus programs, script blockers, password managers), and you will get an excellent level of security for your data on the Internet.

Let's summarize
A VPN is a wonderful tool, but many people have high expectations for it. Despite the huge number of advantages that it has, there are still some things that a VPN can't do. It's just not built for this.
 
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