VPN for cryptocurrencies?

[akiraminai]

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.

[mk4]

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.

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.

[Collier1]

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.

[Upgrade00]

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 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.

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.

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.

other things to do to secure not just my wallet account but also my other personal accounts.

• 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.

[Dewi89]

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.

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.

[joniboini]

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.

[SquirrelJulietGarden]

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

[noorammak]

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.

[NVZNtoken]

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.

[Haunebu]

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.

[hatshepsut93]

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.

[moni3z]

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.

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

[sheenshane]

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.

[Sadlife]

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.

[crwth]

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.

[Wexnident]

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.

[NavI_027]

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 .

[TravelMug]

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.

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.

[maydna]

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.

[maxreish]

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.