Bitcoin Forum

Somehow using VPN makes me feel safe while working with cryptocurrencies, like transactions, payments and buying bitcoins. I've been using surfshark vpn for almost 3 months now and I guess it's okay. I haven't really tried other VPN's though for I don't want to risk my wallet just to try other VPN. You know, like what's the point if I have my door lock for months and it's not even rusted. The largest risk with cryptocurrency is that online exchanges are vulnerable, as mentioned, to hacking they say. I know some may already experienced this kind of problem, and I wonder how you manage to solve this. As someone who hasn't encountered such, I think it's a good opportunity to ask someone who does and help me point out what other things to do to secure not just my wallet account but also my other personal accounts. 8) 8)

It's pretty simple.

1. Don't leave funds unnecessarily on exchanges; only leave funds that you are actively trading.
2. Use the reputable exchanges for potentially lower probabilities of the exchange getting breached.
3. Use TOTP 2FA.

As for accounts in general?

1. Use a reputable open-source password manager(like KeePass2 or Bitwarden) with a very secure master password.
2. Don't reuse passwords.
3. Keep passwords at max length(and variety of characters).
4. Don't download shady crap.
5. Use TOTP 2FA as much as possible.

Using a VPN isn't really going to help you that much in terms of security though. VPNs are mostly for privacy purposes; though I'm not sure with SurfShark. I'd personally recommend Mullvad.

I recommend you store your wallet on a system that's not connected to internet it would help enhence safety and out of hacks. And if you're to try other VPN it shouldn't be a free one because their security ain't guaranteed.

I looked up surfshark and they claim to have a strict no-log policy, if it's true then it could pass as a good privacy protector. You could check out customer reviews for any other possible risk
VPNs that keep logs of user's activity poses a huge risk as that data could be leaked, or coerced out of them by a government agency. You could try using TOR over it as an added layer of encryption.

Do not save your assets on online exchanges or any custodial wallet; if it's not your private keys, it's not your coins.
It may sound like an overkill, but if you truly want to maintain your anonymity then do not submit your identity to such websites or go through KYC, if they get hacked your data can be stolen, it can equally be coerced out of them by a government agency.
For storage use a good non-custodial wallet like electrum.

• Do not hold sensitive assets on devices you frequently visit the internet through. For extra privacy you can check out a hardware wallet.
• Do not open unverified links
• Keep your contact details, like email address, private.
• Avoid search engines or ISPs that store user information and stick to privacy centered platforms.

I never use a VPN for cryptocurrency activities because there is a big risk, no matter premium or free VPN because both can be a bridge for data theft on your device. Before that happens, avoid the risk of losing your assets.

That's a false feeling of security. VPN does not help you with anything. Your funds on exchanges will be safe as long as those exchanges do their job properly, not because you use a VPN. If anything, it might help you with data encryption when visiting several sites, but certainly not gonna help you if you type your seed carelessly. If you're using a wallet like Electrum, input the seed when your computer is offline and clear the clipboard after that. Don't be trust your VPN provider too much.

Many answers and you can pick one from there
Which VPN to pick? (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5225792.0)
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5203656.msg53196238#msg53196238

Your money resides on the blockchain network, not anywhere on your device. The Internet is just a tool if you want criminal justice to use the TOR Browser. It will provide you with complete anonymity. If you are using centralized exchanges for exchange then a VPN is completely pointless because your assets are managed by the exchange.
To protect your property, always keep your computer's software up to date and make sure they are copyrighted; Cryptocurrencies stored in centralized exchanges need to be protected by multiple layers.

Another option to enhance privacy while using cryptocurrencies would be using Tor. Some Bitcoin wallets have integrated Tor network support, and there's also the Tails Linux distribution that is privacy focused and has an integrated Bitcoin wallet.

I don't usually bother with VPNs because I secure my accounts properly in various ways and store my funds in wallets instead of leaving them vulnerable on exchanges.

I primarily depend on 2FA to secure my accounts and use different passwords for different accounts. Also, I share my account credentials only with people I fully trust. VPN is just an added bonus in terms of security.

The only thing that VPN helps you with is some little bit of privacy improvement, when you make transactions with SPV wallets, your IP my get logged by their servers. Also VPN might help against some main in the middle attacks, like when you use an unsecure WiFi, but for that enforcing HTTPS is already enough.

So, VPN is giving you a false sense of security, it barely protects you against any threats, and it itself likely logging your activity, and that can be later sold or stolen. TOR is a better and free alternative to VPN, but you'll need to learn a lot of other things if you want to master information security.

A VPN is something you use when you don't trust the network you're on, like you're in the Hong Kong airport and you're using their 'free wifi' and you want to xfer some coins.
It can also (sometimes) be used to bypass some kind of country specific firewall but you'd likely just buy fireproxy for that or something.
As for 'hacking', nobody is going to hack your phone or bitcoind daemon or w/e it is you're using unless you've dropped it on a server

The largest risk with cryptocurrency is the exchange gets seized by the regime or the owners disappear with all your money, so choose exchanges where this is not likely to happen

VPN alone doesn't make your crypto assets safe. You need to store into a hardware wallet in which you have full control over your key.
Yes, VPN might hide your IP address use and masking your personal identity in any online transaction but that is all about.

Second thought is using an exchange, before picking an exchange to use make it sure you read the terms and conditions of the exchange because using a VPN might your problem in the future.

Well yes, technically authorities could trace you with your Crypto, if you use exchanges because websites logs your IP and location. A VPN is a best practice to use to secure your identity, if you're concern with privacy.
Also always have a good Antivirus to keep you safe from malicious sites and application, and never trust emails sent to you telling you to send BTC.

It does make you feel safe with the protection that you get from VPN's. I have used a couple of VPN's with some integrated VPN and a dedicated VPN like NordVPN, and it's quite remarkable. It's better to stick with the dedicated one because some integrated VPN's are trash, most of the time. If the exchange got hacked, that's just because of the security of the exchange, not yours. As long as you stick with good passwords, 2FA, etc. you are pretty safe with your account.

Simple ones that you don't really need any assistance with would be using different passwords in different accounts, using different characters with your password (letters, numbers and special characters together), Don't visit pirate torrent sites or anything of the sort, if you REALLY have to, use a new pc or a laptop, BUT don't use any of your accounts on that pc just to make sure that any malware you'd get would stay there. ADditionally, try not to link any personal details EVER into any of your accounts. If someone really wanted to, they can easily trace your personal information if you managed to leak it accidentally.

As for wallets, the simple solution is not to use any type of online wallet. It's a risk that you can't even control after all, so it'd be a complete waste if something ever happened. Also VPN is mostly for privacy as others have said, as well as accessing other sites normally unavailable to your place, so don't place too much trust in it. The best security is still you after all, so it'd probably be better if you used something else.

Yes! The use of VPN can offer you data security and protects you against malicious websites but it doesn't mean that you are already bulletproof. Like on the example you've mentioned, once the exchange you used get hacked you can't do anything about it. It was just a mere misfortune. Securing your connection is a great move but it would be nonsense if you use a scam service in the first place. Thus, only use reputable exchange (e.g. Binance, Coinbase or your local one) to hugely minimize the risk of such errors :).

This one, VPN and security? What VPN is the OP using? VPN just gives you this sense of security but it is not. Did you know that we have "Five Eyes, Nine Eyes and 14-Eyes Countries" for VPN Jurisdiction?

As far as hacking exchanges, "not your keys, not your coins". If you left huge amount of your coins in an exchange then there is that vulnerabilities. Don't be trick on clicking any link, specially those that originated from unknown origin as you might get phish.

The first thing that you need to do is don't store your asset in the exchanges in a big amount because that is the prevention that we can do from the hacking. We don't know if the exchanges can still protect their site because the hacker will search for the bugs, and they will penetrate inside the website.

You can store your asset in a separate wallet, and don't connect it through the internet if you don't want to send the funds to withdraw or trade or else. Make sure you don't browse or visit on the strange website which you don't know if that site is safe or not. I think you need to have a pc or laptop that will only you used for trading, sending the funds, and not used to browsing.

Many things that we can do to prevent hacker, but we still need to be careful while we are online on the internet.

Just so you know, Ive tried so many vpns. It will just changed your network, your ip address temporarily. And this does not actually affect the security of your cryprocurrency wallets. Unless, you downloaded a fake vpns in unlicensed websites which contains malware to hack your coins. Then it's possible.
 
 And there's nothing wrong actually if you use vpn or not for the protection of your coins, as long as you still has the private keys, did not  clicked malwares and phishing sites, then it is all good. You mentioned, too about vulnerability of online exchanges. It's pretty simple. Just choose secured, established and trusted exchange so you dont have to worry and paranoid about those hacking issues. Since, even the most truated exchange can't  escape with the hacks but they are liable and responsible for the returns.

If you want to be safe, I usually use linux to make transactions, etc. because linux is more secure than keyloggers and others
coupled with a linux security system that is better than other OS and uses vpn
this is just my opinion, what do you think?

Using a VPN is about protecting your online privacy,which is little bit different than your online safety.
A VPN by itself can't guarantee your online security.Just watch a few Youtube videos about VPNs(not the ones that are promoting them) and you will see that VPNs aren't that secure.
I've never heard about this surfshark VPN.I guess this is one of the smaller players on the VPN market.
Using really strong passwords,having good browsing habits,anti-virus software and using only trusted crypto exchange platforms and wallets is more important than the VPN you are using.

VPN is one of the options to make yourself anonymous in the internet but it's just a small part of the whole system on how you keep your Cryptocurrencies safe.

Do not download anything from untrusted sites
Do not store your coins in one wallet or in one computer
Do not talk about your portfolio even to your close friends
Keep your private key in a place that you are the only one who knows it

There are still many guides on how to safeguard your coin and educating and awareness on the many risk
and how hackers are working will benefit you a lot.

IMO its fine to use VPN for cryptocurrencies it wont affect your investment at all what you should be aware and worried about is the project and the exchange that you were using. Make sure you use an exchange without a hacking incident before or invest on a project which has a clear whitepaper

Make sure that the VPN uses OpenVPN, accepts Bitcoin and is located in a good jurisdiction. Privacytools.io has a lot of good suggestions for this and many other software suggestions.

I disagree though, VPN won't make you anonymous, specially if you used this so called free VPN. This might be a good guide though, https://thatoneprivacysite.net/#simple-vpn-comparison. And everyone should read their TOS very carefully. Because maybe some of them are collecting your real name and addresses, just saying. The OP can find a lot of guides in the Beginners & Help (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=39.0).

Yes, that's right. I also love Linux and feel more secure when I work on this system.
But we must always understand that neither Linux nor VPN can completely protect you from all kinds of fraud. VPN is just a false sense of your privacy. Using only VPN does not in any way affect the fact that all other trackers will not knock on the right places about your activity. VPN is just a change of IP, that's all. I will say more, there is not a single VPN that does not keep its own logs. The best option is to use your own VPN, which you make yourself.

The operating system you're using is just one of the factors ff the security of your funds. Sure you can use Linux, and theoretically Linux is more secure because malware mostly targets Windows devices anyway, but some of the less-technically knowledgeable people tend to execute random shell scripts they've found on the internet without  knowing for sure what the script does. It's pretty much a double-edged sword.

of course because they are only free and they can only offer basic features such as faking your ip or country  . premium obviously offer better features but i think they can still get your infos if they wanted to  .

  i like the idea suggested by user @lovesmayfamilis of creating our own vpn or by using an operating system that can mask your privacy .

Why do you believe that a VPN will secure your assets from being hacked? I'm not sure about VPNs. If I wanted to secure my assets, I would not keep them in exchange wallets, especially centralized exchanges. Because they will be controlling the assets you hold.

I think there's no need for a VPN for your coins that is sitting on an exchange to be safe, This could also cause some trouble if there is an anomaly on your account, There could be a possibility that the exchange might lock your account due to IP jumping that might cause a larger problem. 2FA itself is sufficient enough for your accounts to keep it safe. I'm using a 2FA level of security for a long time now and I don't use VPN but I really don't have any problem with security.  Avoiding possible risks like using free wifi, downloading random files, accessing fishy websites can increase your own security. Just be cautious about what you are doing on the internet and you will be fine.

So far, I have never used a VPN to support my work and activities on the internet and until now my data is still safe.
VPN is only used only to open sites that are blocked by my country.

What keeps you safe is not just a VPN, but the security of your device must also be considered. Use of antivirus for devices and stay away from things that are at risk of directing you to malware and phishing tools such as advertisements on the internet.

There is nothing wrong with using a VPN, as long as the VPN is safe and paid of course. Don't use a free VPN that is used by many people because it is more risky and we don't know who is using it.

It may increase your perceived level of security, but doesn't help you at all.
Using a VPN makes it not more secure. Not even slightly.

With a VPN, you are simply shifting the trust from your ISP to your VPN provider. That's all. Security-wise there is no difference.




You can try any VPN you want. You are only giving away your privacy. Your wallet is not more or less secure based on which VPN provider (or if any at all) you use.



Definitely not by using a VPN since they don't help you.
Its mostly some simple things like using different passwords, not downloading tons of free software just because it's free, not downloading cracked software, using specific chosen browser addons (and only these few security-related), using 2FA (and actually on a second device!), etc..

You will be fine following these few relatively simple things.

VPN is not going to give any security to your wallet, is just creates a proxy location but the transactions made on blockchain based on address so there is no need of location and no one can trace your address as well.About exchange I won't really suggest using VPNs because your account might get blocked for suspicious activity for changing the locations in short time frame.

Protect against malicious websites? Thats not possible cause VPN have no control over visit site and VPN does is to secure user data information through the use of another internet protocol address but there future obstacles when using VPN for cryptocurrency and I will advise the OP to always check the crypto related site he use if they didn't support VPN before using it.

@OP, if you're scared of exchange site being hacked the option you have is to exchange site that offers SAFU. An example is Binance.

one thing to keep in mind: any one of them could be a honeypot. that's the danger of centralized, opaque services.

i used to swear by PIA because their no-logging policy was tested twice in court, but then they got bought by kape technologies, who is known for collecting and selling user data. https://www.reddit.com/r/PrivateInternetAccess/comments/e0kq68/longtime_pia_user_here_run_dont_walk_away_from/

mullvad and windscribe seem to be the recommended alternatives now.

another option is to route your traffic over tor. wasabi wallet does this by default.

The analogy with a lock is interesting, but there is a small problem with it. Imagine that you have a lock that has been showing its best side for many years, and suddenly at one point it is hacked and you take out everything that is available. Will you continue to use this lock? After all, he failed only once... think about it!

Everyone has their own way of making transactions safe with cryptocurrency. One of them is using a VPN, but in my opinion
it is not enough to use a VPN to make our transactions more secure. We are obliged to do other things, such as use hardware
wallet to store our Bitcoin. Enable 2FA on every exchanges we use, and don't use unpopular exchanges for trading.

Just to add though, if you are using VPN to circumvent the TOS of most exchanges about a certain country that on their ban list, then using it is not a good choice. If they found, chances are your account gets a perma ban and then you forfeit your crypto. So that's one danger, and then as someone has said, VPN could be a honey pot as well as it is not really secure and private. And if you are one of those who are very happy to see used VPN? Think again, because you become the product itself. And there are VPN that are being audited as well: (https://torrentfreak.com/nordvpn-shares-results-of-no-log-audit-181123/) and this: (https://techcrunch.com/2019/10/21/nordvpn-confirms-it-was-hacked/).

Also there is what we call, “Five Eyes“, “Nine Eyes“, and “14 Eyes” especially when discussing VPNs and other privacy tools.


https://restoreprivacy.com/5-eyes-9-eyes-14-eyes/

I don't think it's safe to do that, if you are using a VPN on your exchange to access your account and trade your Crypto you better read their TOP or term of services if they allow the use of VPN, although some exchange has their verification system on the IP you are losing but still do check it in their support if they allow it.
And about your belief that VPN is only needed if Crypto is banned in your country that's not correct, you need to read more about privacy protections and the many benefits of using VPN not only for Cryptocurrency

https://www.lifehack.org/533452/5-significant-benefits-using-virtual-private-network-vpn

yep double check this or you will regret :)

---

and anyway there's lot people discuss about how secure the vpn is and talk that they're actually not secure you can search on youtube

but in my opinion if you want to make your transaction safer and untraceable u can start private coin like monero and other

I just wanna share it with you guys. I tried once to use vpn just to withdraw my coins in a paying campaign like bitcointalk. I did that because that particular campaign banned our country from using their campaign because they accused us as spammers and scammers which is not true.

I agree with both of you. How can you transfer your banned crypto from your wallet if you're not using a VPN right? It is much safer than without a VPN. But when we are talking about exchanges some might have rules that against using VPN so let us assure that we read their Terms before using it.

The VPN service does not relies the safety of your account or wallet of not being hacked because it only hides your location and ip address. The safety should begins with proper precautionary measures like 2FA, strong passwords in your exchanges accounts and check website links all the time before logging in such accounts. Storing large assets on exchanges is not safe as well, even they have high grade securities hackers will always find ways to penetrate it. Rather than be sorry, it's best to store it on personal wallet.

VPN service is hide our location and ip address. Some of country against at Bitcoin forum. They are take some action. So vpn is so much helpful for some crypto related people.

First of all you need to look at what YOU CAN control. Enable 2FA, use strong passwords, keep your private keys safe,  keep as little funds as possible on exchanges and/or trading platforms as they are the most exposed to hackers.

Second of all make a little bit of due diligence on the exchanges. Ask yourself this kind of questions:

Are they a well established exchanged with proven history?

Have they been hacked before? If yes, have they hardened their security and how they managed the previous situation?

Are they keeping the funds in cold wallets and in multiple locations?

Before, I have experience using Mullvad VPN, PureVPN, ProtonVPN. These VPNs are very good.

I was also planning on using VPN if crypto ever gets ban in my country but luckily it didn't and as for OP's concern about exchange accounts being hacked there are so many ways to avoid it.
You could always put up more security like OTP and 2FA so hackers couldn't easily access it and send your funds or you could just simple keep it clean only put up crypto when you are going to trade don't let your crypto sleep on your trading accounts.

Virtual private network(VPN) is usually used to change your location or with use other Interner Service Provider (ISP) also this is a good thing too if you want to visit some restricted website which is banned to your country.

in terms of cryptocurrency, this keeps you to make anonymous but still the account matters if you use a VPN with your wallet the transactions are kept with your account.



Some of the exchanges and platforms today are very restricted in logging in with the other devices or account even you are in the same account but if you will change your location the Exchange will require you again to send a new verification code for the security of your account.


Also I want to share the VPN usually used is Http injector and the Open VPN or VPN but it requires a configurations.

I haven't used any kind of VPN on my cryptocurrency activities and fortunately, I haven't experienced any kind of any scheme like a scam, hack, or something. Perhaps, because I am not that big investors. Anyway, if you feel secured on your VPN you were using then why not continue using it? Besides, the purpose of these VPNs is to let us access the website that is banned in a particular country which I think in favor of our colleagues.


Agreed. If you do not feel secured for your funds then take it away online and store it on the hardware wallets such as Trezor and Ledger.

offline wallet isn't as simple as online ones tho, it's not as user friendly for the crypto newcomers.

Use cold storage too. Unlined from the internet.

However, OP I think just makes it more complicated. OP's concern isn't really about VPN but the risks of storing funds in exchange or something along those lines. No need for this VPN thing if he cares about security and exchanges are freely accessible in their country. In other words, why make an exchange as a wallet if there's another way "more safe and secure".

Set extra layers of security by activating 2FA, storing the password safely, keeping safe the associated email and number to the account, etc.

Using a VPN is useful, no doubt about that but in terms of using it to access exchanges or trading platforms for the "safe" concern, it's not necessary as I mentioned, if we can access it freely in our location using our own ISPs.

VPN does not help you with anything. Your funds on exchanges will be safe as long as those exchanges do their job properly, not because you use a VPN. If anything, it might help you with data encryption when visiting several sites, but certainly not gonna help you if you type your seed carelessly  BTCBTCBTC

I haven't ever used VPN with cryptocurrencies. I don't think that it will be safer than normal. In fact, it could be more insecure compared to not using VPN. VPN can cause some weird problems on making a transaction etc. with cryptocurrencies too.

Using VPN's really takes a toll on your data usage unless you are on unlimited capping. VPN's are necessary if you somehow can't access several websites that are location based or you want to mask your IP address and add additional security but I guess the use of Virtual Private Networks on Blockchain is just making latency higher since Blockchain is already secured.