Is the use of encrypted email and VPN is very useful?

[gagux123]

Hello guys, how are you!!?

So, the reason I created this topic is to know if the use of encrypted email and the use of VPN is really useful these days?

user's safety is one of the most important things these days, I'm thinking about using these services

Someone use NordVPN and ProtonMail? Is it beneficial to use any of these services? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Thank you so much

Regards,
gagux123

ps: by the way, I saw that already had a topic created about VPN, but my question covers a little bit more, I created this topic.
I hope it's not a hindrance, but if necessary I can lock this topic.

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[QuickAccount]

Yes, even if you're not under investigation, hiding your privacy is important. Its not Google's business to know who you're emailing, and the information inside said email. If you are big on privacy, I think its a good idea to use ProtonMail + Nord. 

[Ucy]

Useful in terms of your online privacy and safety? Assuming it's about your privacy/safety,i think it depends on who runs the VPN services, how secure and well protected the VPNs by laws/government.
If VPN users are doing nothing immoral, the secured and licensed ones should be enough in my opinion

[figliar0]

Yes, securing network communication is always a good idea.

Some times ago I was choosing new email provider for home. First I was looking for secure email providers - choosing beetween protonmail and tutanota. (Both looks almost the same, the main difference is that tutanota is cheaper and protonmail servers reside outside of EU.) Then I realize that it is much better to use some standard encrypting tools (client+gpg for example) then these kind of services. So finally I choose just standard email provider.

In the matter of VPN I am planning to use my own home server as VPN. (Mainly to secure mobile broadband, but secure connection from outside to home is also a benefit.) Don't planning to secure connection from home to outside yet, but I'm definitelly considering it as good idea.

[semobo]

Usage of VPN has no usage at all other than hiding your IP address temporarily but using end to end encryption while sending emails give you extreme security to your data and very few services are available now to use it and one of the best is proton mail.

[boyptc]

They're both helpful.

But it still lies on how you use these two. At end of it, if you're hoping to be hiding yourself through the web, VPNs are helpful but choose those that are reliable.

And that you've mentioned is good, but proton, it also has its vpn.

[figliar0]

Usage of VPN has no usage at all other than hiding your IP address temporarily but using end to end encryption while sending emails give you extreme security to your data and very few services are available now to use it and one of the best is proton mail.

Sorry to say, but that is not true at all. VPN gives you encrypted layer, so you don't need to trust to your connection provider - it is almost must have on public wifi for example. But of course, we have HTTPS, so one may be OK just with it.

You can use E2E email encryption on almost every email provider (didn't heard that some of them do not support it), but you have to configure email client.

[semobo]

Usage of VPN has no usage at all other than hiding your IP address temporarily but using end to end encryption while sending emails give you extreme security to your data and very few services are available now to use it and one of the best is proton mail.

Sorry to say, but that is not true at all. VPN gives you encrypted layer, so you don't need to trust to your connection provider - it is almost must have on public wifi for example. But of course, we have HTTPS, so one may be OK just with it.

You can use E2E email encryption on almost every email provider (didn't heard that some of them do not support it), but you have to configure email client.

But your VPN service provider can have all your traces so it will give easy access to them to search for sensitive data compared to searching all their data and cookies.

End to end encryption is also kind of lucrative terms but on most of the cases they are still have your meta data and whatsapp can be the best example for that.

[figliar0]

But your VPN service provider can have all your traces so it will give easy access to them to search for sensitive data compared to searching all their data and cookies.

End to end encryption is also kind of lucrative terms but on most of the cases they are still have your meta data and whatsapp can be the best example for that.

I didn't say that VPN solves all problems. Reliable VPN provider is a must. Or do it on your own - as we say in our cuntry - you don't have what you didn't make.

[semobo]

But your VPN service provider can have all your traces so it will give easy access to them to search for sensitive data compared to searching all their data and cookies.

End to end encryption is also kind of lucrative terms but on most of the cases they are still have your meta data and whatsapp can be the best example for that.

I didn't say that VPN solves all problems. Reliable VPN provider is a must. Or do it on your own - as we say in our cuntry - you don't have what you didn't make.

So if someone wants to have a privacy then they should learn coding and develop an app for their because they don't trust the service provider? Which doesn't sounds reliable and practical as well.

[gagux123]

Thank you so much for this information guys!

I will study more about this topic because I find it interesting and important these days!

By the way, a silly question, for example, if a certain person is committing a crime, (money laundering).
He's already being investigated, can there be a court order and breach of confidentiality in these VPN companies and encrypted email companies?
Can the police act to carry out an investigation and breach of confidentiality in these VPN and encrypted email companies? Is this possible?

[figliar0]

So if someone wants to have a privacy then they should learn coding and develop an app for their because they don't trust the service provider? Which doesn't sounds reliable and practical as well.

Well, there are some opensource implementation of VPN software you can simple deploy on your own server. So you do not need to code your own software but you need to trust to developer of specific software, of course.

Generally speaking, more and more it's becoming philosophical question. IMHO there is nothing surprising about that. If you don't trust to service provider, you cannot trust that service will be private. If you don't trust to developer of a program or even operating system, you cannot consider your working environment as private. If you cannot trust to computer hardware manufacturer, you cannot treat your computer as private. Simple, isn't it?

Probably you are not capable of creating own computer hardware and code your own software so you have to trust to somebody who have done those things for you. Thats how it works. Back to topic - if you live in a country with stupid laws so you cannot trust to connection provider because he is bonded by laws of country he operates in, the VPN provider from other country without specific stupid laws you care about can be considered as private augmentation. It's all about personal priorities.

Thank you so much for this information guys!

I will study more about this topic because I find it interesting and important these days!

By the way, a silly question, for example, if a certain person is committing a crime, (money laundering).
He's already being investigated, can there be a court order and breach of confidentiality in these VPN companies and encrypted email companies?
Can the police act to carry out an investigation and breach of confidentiality in these VPN and encrypted email companies? Is this possible?

This is hard to answer. Ask a specific provider and trust his answer. You have to count with simple fact, that provider have to (and will) cooperate with law enforcement organizations of country he operates in. Some of them declarates that it is impossible (kind of personal key is stored only localy on your computer, do not stores logs at all, etc) - but you have no guarantee that it is truly like that, maybe just because of some bug in software, even in some third-party lib for example.

That's why it is good idea of decentralization (in anything), E2E encryption, using OSS software, do not rely to only single security layer, etc etc... And of course - if you do not understand to technical backend, you cannot decide who to trust at all.