“What VPN software is the best?” was my first question of the day. The customer’s virus software has been advertising VPN service which got him thinking. He started Googling VPN services looking for ratings, but all he could turn up was advertising. Each of the products suggests they’re better than the next and more private than the rest.
He wanted some insight to help him demystify all the advertising and help him make a decision about the best product. He does mostly casual surfing and a couple times a month logs into his bank accounts to pay bills. As far as my customer base, he represents the majority of users.
So here goes. I’m going to talk a bit about VPN software and hopefully answer questions others may have. VPN stands for virtual private network. Back in the day, VPNs were used to interconnect offices for the purposes of securely transferring data over the internet. Information is highly encrypted so it can make its journey securely from point to point.
A typical VPN tunnel might connect a doctor’s office to a hospital. The same doctor’s office might also connect to the insurance provider using a separate VPN. The host (the insurance provider or hospital) issues a code that is installed on the doctor’s office router that creates the secure connection. No additional hardware or software is needed for this type of connection. Provided the routers support VPN tunneling there are no other expenses.
Modern VPN software works similarly; however, instead of using existing hardware it uses software. When an internet query is made, the software communicates with a separate server and reroutes the encrypted data to its endpoint through the VPN provider’s server. Ultimately the VPN server creates its own address tricking downstream communications about the user’s whereabouts.
VPN software can be used for privacy and anonymity such as nefarious reasons. The same software can also be used to access websites that aren’t available in a certain country. Or they could be used to bypass certain firewalls with a little tweaking.
When VPN software first started to emerge most websites started with the preamble http and not https. That s at the end is important because it means the site is secure. Even four to five years ago that s was nonexistent on most sites unless it was a bank or place of business that took online orders. Most sites are now secure whether they take payments online or not.
The little letter s is an important part of the mix because it tells the computer or more specifically, the browser, how its going to work. When you connect to your bank (which is hopefully very secure), the bank’s server sends a little packet of information to your browser. The browser handshakes and sends a similar code back. If the bank is happy it allows and creates an encrypted connection between the bank and server. If the bank isn’t satisfied it will most likely refuse the connection.
Banks and other highly secure servers look for a few things when making the decision to allow you to connect. First, it makes sure your software is up-to-date and is able to establish the connection it requires. Second, more sophisticated systems may take a look at the hardware you’re using and compare it to what’s been used in the past. This is typically what initiates a two factor authentication text. Finally, it looks at your specific location.
If you try and connect to a bank or other highly secure server from behind a VPN you will most likely be denied access. The bank can’t verify your true identity. Rather than the bank rolling the dice on you being who you say you are they outright refuse the connection. Ultimately the bank is protecting themselves and your money from a scam.
VPNs do serve a purpose but not for protecting your data. I personally use VPNs for watching videos and reading news that aren’t allowed in the US. For example, sometimes I’ll set my VPN to Moscow and watch Russian propaganda. Even though it’s in Russian I can use Google to translate it to English in real time. VPN software tricks the Russian TV stations into believing I’m just down the road from them.
My bottom line opinion is to save your money and rely on the security already built into the modern internet and your computer’s browser. Make sure your computer has an up-to-date and supported operating system as well as current browsers. Check the address bar of the browser and make sure there’s a closed padlock and https before entering any personal information. Think twice about entering information into the website if it’s not one that’s familiar to you.
Jeromy is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located in Gardner and Greenfield MA. Please feel free to visit https://www.localcomputerwiz.com for more information.
And yes, there is an s before my domain 🙂