Are VPNs Secure?

Not all VPNs are secure, meaning that before you determine which VPN is for you and your circumstances, you should compare VPNs and determine which is right for you and your requirements. Many individuals and organisations use VPNs as they believe that they offer increased security, which is true in some cases.

There are both advantages and disadvantages to using VPNs, and it is crucial to know how exactly they work before deciding if they will be beneficial.

Are VPNs Safe?

VPNs are designed to protect the location of the user and thus, the connections made through any reputable VPN will be made through very secure protocols and will be encrypted and often, cloaked, making it very tough, if not impossible for nefarious actors to identify the user’s location. Many organisations that handle personal and sensitive information use specific VPNs. this includes police forces, medical institutions and even legal companies and financial institutions.

A VPN in essence, creates a highly secure channel between a user’s browser or device and the VPN server, to disguise the location of the user. Therefore, for example, if you are using public WiFi networks, which will often be that extra bit susceptible to hacking and snooping, using a VPN can help hide your location and protect your information.

What Is a VPN?

VPN stands for virtual private network. VPNs allow their users to both send and receive data through shared or public networks. It would appear to the user that they are directly connected to the private network as there will be little difference in the speed at which data can be accessed or downloaded.

VPNs are established through tunnelling protocols or dedicated circuits which operate through point-to-point connections. This allows users to access them remotely.

How Do VPNs Provide Security?

VPNs provide security through encrypting all data which travels through them. This means that third parties shouldn’t be able to access sensitive data such as an IP address when an individual has visited a specific site. Attackers will only be able to access specific data which would not be particularly useful to them if they were looking to hack a device.

Sender authentication should also be in place so that unauthorised users will be unable to access the VPN. If a business or large organisation wants all of it’s employees to be able to access a VPN, each individual should be assigned a login which should provide them with the VPN regardless of where they are. There should always be an option in place to create additional logins if it is necessary.

VPNs also offer message integrity. This means that they should be able to detect any unusual activity regarding the VPN user and any tampering of transmitted messages. In addition to this, most VPNs operate with a kill switch. A kill switch is in place in case the VPN ever has connectivity issues and stops working.

This would usually leave the user vulnerable, under the belief that the VPN was in place. The kill switch will cut the connection to the internet at this stage, to ensure that the user is not at risk of having sensitive information accessed online. The kill switch works automatically as soon as the VPN stops protecting the user, and will be automatically unactivated when required. This means that users should not be disconnected from the internet for any longer than necessary, so they may not ever notice that the kill switch was activated.

In order to check if the problem is with the VPN, a user should be able to check their internet connection to ensure that the problem is not on their end. If the problem seems to be taking a long time to resolve, a user can contact their VPN provider for any potential updates.

Are All VPNs Secure?

Not all VPNs are as secure as they first may seem. It is a common belief that all VPNs provide full security online, and that it doesn’t matter which is used as long as there is one in place. This information is not entirely accurate, as some VPN providers will sell data to third parties. Data should never be stored by a VPN provider, and any details which the provider does retain, such as domains which have been visited, should be outlined at the beginning of the agreement.

VPN providers will offer different contracts, so it is crucial to check which VPN offers the best service before taking out an agreement. In order to assess the protection which a VPN offers, knowledge of cryptography will probably be required. Larger organisations and companies can hire a professional to make this assessment, however it will also be possible to read reviews online to take into account which provider offers the best service.

VPNs will offer protection through encrypting data and making individuals appear anonymous when they access specific domains. In spite of this, some providers will not have the same levels of protection as others, and there will be attackers online who can still access certain information even if a VPN has been used.

VPNs which are more expensive, referred to as Premium VPNs, should offer the most security. In spite of this, it is still important to check the features offered by each individual provider when deciding which provider will be the most appropriate for an individual or organisation.

Large organisations will require individual logins for each user to access their content and shared files remotely. Each user should keep their login details secure no matter which device they use to login through, as otherwise attackers may be able to impersonate a user.

It is crucial to not click on links which appear suspicious or use sites which have unusual domains in order to reduce the risk of being hacked online.