Synchronice (OP)
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November 19, 2021, 11:01:37 AM Last edit: March 02, 2024, 05:29:02 PM by Synchronice Merited by Symmetrick (30), NotATether (25), LoyceV (12), dbshck (8), hugeblack (6), ABCbits (3), Pmalek (3), Mitchell (1), stompix (1), Quickseller (1), hosseinimr93 (1), Mahdirakib (1), Rikafip (1), icalical (1) |
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Since you are on this forum like me and read this, I believe that you value privacy. One first, a basic but very good step that you can take to protect your privacy is to use good and affordable VPN services. VPN, a short term of Virtual Private Network, works by redirecting your network through a specially configured remote server (VPN Host). This means that your connection is secured and it's not possible to track your movement on the internet. To make things as easy as ABC, I would say: When you are connected with a VPN, everything that you do, looks like it's been done by the VPN service provider. You exist in shadows. VPN Advantages: | | 1. Safety and Security | | | | 2. Anonymity | | | | 3. Access any content from any place | | | | 4. Save money on digital services (yeah, really) | | | | 5. Avoid Data/Bandwidth throttling | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Types of VPN | | | Types of VPN protocols | | | | | Remote Access VPN | | | Internet Protocol Security or IPSec | | | | | Site–to–Site VPN | | | Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) | | | | | | | | Point–to–Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) | | | | | | | | Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) | | | | | | | | Open Source VPN | | | | | | | | Secure Shell (SSH) | | | | | | | | P2P VPN | | |
Thanks Mitchell - I took his code and matched to my thread, hope it's accepted on this forum, I mentioned the source. If there are any problems regarding this, I'll rebuild the table myself from scratch
List of VPN service providers
Privacy focused cheap monthly VPNs | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | VPN Provider | | | Pricing Model | | | Lowest monthly price | | | Lowest price (subscription) | | | Locations (countries) | | | Dedicated/Statistic IPs | | | | | Mullvad | | | Pay any $, get exact duration | | | €5 | | | $5 | | | 38 | | | NO | | | | | iVPN | | | Weekly/Monthly/Yearly | | | $6 | | | $140 / 3 Years | | | 32 | | | NO | | |
Privacy Focused Mainstream VPNs | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | VPN Provider | | | Pricing Model | | | Lowest monthly price | | | Lowest price (subscription) | | | Locations (countries) | | | Dedicated/Statistic IPs | | | | | ProtonVPN | | | Yearly | | | Free | | | €120 / 2 years | | | 40-61 | | | NO | | |
Non-Privacy Focused Mainstream VPNs | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | VPN Provider | | | Pricing Model | | | Lowest monthly price | | | Lowest price (subscription) | | | Locations (countries) | | | Dedicated/Statistic IPs | | | | | Windscribe | | | Monthly/Yearly | | | Free/$3 | | | $69 / Year | | | 63 | | | YES | | | | | CyberGhost | | | Monthly/Yearly | | | $12.99 | | | $56.97 / 2 Years | | | 91 | | | YES | | | | | ExpressVPN | | | Monthly/Yearly | | | $12.95 | | | $100 / 1 Year | | | 94 | | | NO | | | | | NordVPN | | | Monthly/Yearly | | | $12.99 | | | $88.83 / 2 Years | | | 60 | | | YES | | | | | Surfshark | | | Monthly/Yearly | | | €12.95 | | | €59.76 / 2 Years | | | 63 | | | YES | | |
How to be sure that your VPN is really protecting you?
While I try to bring you the list of best VPN service providers, you still need to ensure that everything works as planned and promised. Actually, there are three major tests that you can do yourself to be sure that your VPN doesn't leak: 1. IP Leak TestThe purpose of using a VPN is to hide your real IP address. There are moments when connection lost and then gets restored, this is the moment when some VPN providers fail. To avoid this issue, definitely, you should enable the kill switch feature on any VPN. Simply google: Show my real IP address and run test on any website. If the test shows your VPN address & location instead of the real one, then your IP isn't leaking. 2. DNS Leak TestDNS is responsible for translating the domain name into an IP address. Your ISP assigns you with a DNS server which they control, so they can log and record your internet usage. When the time comes, they know what you did and what you do. Usually, users only check IP Leak Test and don't pay attention to the DNS leak test, sometimes this gives them a false sense of security. You should run DNS Leak Test to eliminate DNS leakage. Visit the website for test and further information: DNS leak test3. WebRTC Leak TestWebRTC stands for Web Real-Time Communication. This technology gives you the possibility to have fast & smooth voice/video calls in your browser. If you come positive in this step, keep calm, there is nothing to worry about with your VPN service provider because the problem lies in your browser. No, you don't need to uninstall your browser because every top browser uses WebRTC technology but you should disable it. (click for the guide)Click for WebRTC Leak Test
I'll update this thread with more VPNs for privacy and non-privacy usage but would love to hear an opinion from you guys. From my experience, the current list is a very good one but my personal favourites for privacy are Mullvad and ProtonVPN.
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LeGaulois
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Top Crypto Casino
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November 19, 2021, 03:39:04 PM Last edit: November 19, 2021, 04:49:33 PM by LeGaulois |
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ProtonVPN doesn't accept Bitcoin as payment it seems. I see only Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, and Amex. I wasted my time? ![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F4SX1kPU.png&t=665&c=4vbPr7oVEq6TvQ) Since we're on a cryptocurrency board, I don't see why such providers should be listed. Otherwise, we could start a list of everything to list every shop, even if they have nothing related to crypto. What about making a list of vibrator shops. edit Man, you are impolite!
I see nothing impolite in my post. Not my problem if you are mentally fragile. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen
OK, so they could at least show it with the other logos I showed in my image thanks anyway
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Synchronice (OP)
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![](https://bitcointalk.org/Themes/custom1/images/post/xx.gif) |
November 19, 2021, 04:00:21 PM |
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ProtonVPN doesn't accept Bitcoin as payment it seems. I see only Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, and Amex. I wasted my time? ![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F4SX1kPU.png&t=665&c=4vbPr7oVEq6TvQ) Since we're on a cryptocurrency board, I don't see why such providers should be listed. Otherwise, we could start a list of everything to list every shop, even if they have nothing related to crypto. What about making a list of vibrator shops. Man, you are impolite! If you have any question when you visit a VPN service provider, you can always check their Support page. In this case, if you weren't rude, you would discover that ProtonVPN has Four Payment Options. These are: - Credit card
- PayPal
- Bitcoin
- Cash
You have to sign up at first under the Free plan and then upgrade your plan from Dashboard to pay with Bitcoin.
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Xal0lex
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ProtonVPN doesn't accept Bitcoin as payment it seems. I see only Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, and Amex. I wasted my time?
Accepts. I personally pay for my subscription in bitcoin. ![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FGFz6U8K.png&t=665&c=4KHWAfOoqx30Pg)
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Quickseller
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November 19, 2021, 04:10:03 PM |
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I'll update this thread with more VPNs for privacy, torrenting & streaming but would love to hear an opinion from you guys. From my experience, the current list is a very good one but my personal favourites for privacy are Mullvad and ProtonVPN.
I think it is important to remember that some VPNs offer "privacy", but you will need to trust them to give you said privacy. For example, if a VPN claims to not keep logs, you need to trust they actually don't keep logs. Also, regarding using a VPN for streaming, many streaming services will block IPs associated with data centers, especially services that offer content based on geo-location. If this is why someone is going to buy a VPN service, it would probably be best to purchase a one-month plan (or the shortest plan available) to make sure they can actually access the streaming service via that VPN.
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sovie
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November 19, 2021, 08:57:03 PM |
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Nord VPN https://nordvpn.com/ also offers cryptocurrency payments. There are three to choose from: Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple. In my opinion, it is one of the best VPNs and I will rather not change it, but I would like to know how it looks compared to other services in 2021.
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dubst4r
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November 20, 2021, 06:15:04 AM |
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I use Mullvad and I love it, no complaints here! Connection is always fast and secure
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LoyceV
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November 20, 2021, 10:28:34 AM |
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Small correction: the price model isn't really monthly. You can literally pay any amount and get the exact duration you paid for. Until they accept LN, I use BCH for Mullvad. It's accepted with zero confirmations (Bitcoin needs one confirmation).
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LTU_btc
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November 21, 2021, 10:13:02 PM |
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Great idea to make list of VPN providers. But your list is incomplete. There is some popular providers which accept BTC for payment is missing. I can suggest to add few: ExpressVPN https://www.expressvpn.com/PureVPN https://www.purevpn.com/orderNord VPN https://nordvpn.com/ also offers cryptocurrency payments. There are three to choose from: Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple. In my opinion, it is one of the best VPNs and I will rather not change it, but I would like to know how it looks compared to other services in 2021. Agree about NordVPN. I was surprised that it wasn't listed in OP. Also, regarding using a VPN for streaming, many streaming services will block IPs associated with data centers, especially services that offer content based on geo-location. If this is why someone is going to buy a VPN service, it would probably be best to purchase a one-month plan (or the shortest plan available) to make sure they can actually access the streaming service via that VPN.
Good point, streaming services like Netflix don't like VPN's at all, and they're activelly blocking it. Unfortunately, monthly plans cost very expensive compared with yearly ones.
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RickDeckard
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November 21, 2021, 10:43:28 PM |
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I think that any VPN service provider found here[1] can be added to the list (most were already mentioned). What is specially good about these providers is that not only they accept BTC/crypto as a payment but also they don't use BitPay a.k.a "anti-Bitcoin service"[2] as their payment processor (which is awesome). As a vouch I can only recommend either IVPN and Mullvad since those were the only ones that I've used. Mullvad has a higher advantage regarding privacy because they simply assign you a random number to be your account instead of asking you for your e-mail ... Note: This post shares similar information with this[3] post of mine, but I think that the information shouldn't be missed even though the threads approach the same nature of discussion.
[1] https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5367983.msg58370560#msg58370560[2] https://debitpay.directory/anti-bitcoin/[3] https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5367983.msg58370560#msg58370560
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Synchronice (OP)
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November 24, 2021, 10:24:10 AM |
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Man, you are impolite!
I see nothing impolite in my post. Not my problem if you are mentally fragile. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen What about making a list of vibrator shops. Was that an expression of politeness? If yes, then what about making a list of dildo shops? LeGaulois Approved ✔I think it is important to remember that some VPNs offer "privacy", but you will need to trust them to give you said privacy. For example, if a VPN claims to not keep logs, you need to trust they actually don't keep logs.
You are right, companies have to earn trust in this business because promises mean nothing if they aren't backed by the facts. The nature of trust in this business is pretty similar to bitcoin mixers. Small correction: the price model isn't really monthly. You can literally pay any amount and get the exact duration you paid for. Until they accept LN, I use BCH for Mullvad. It's accepted with zero confirmations (Bitcoin needs one confirmation). Thanks for correction ![Smiley](https://bitcointalk.org/Smileys/default/smiley.gif) I'll update that column with: Monthly and Custom. Yeah, that list is incomplete and I really want to make community based list of VPN service providers. At the moment, this list is created from personal experience with dozens of VPN providers. I didn't include the Express VPN purposely. They have gone down in quality and I am not a fan of Kape Technologies. If anyone thinks that they are trustworthy, then I am open for discussion, it's very important for us to have a list of privacy-oriented VPNs.
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LTU_btc
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November 25, 2021, 11:21:43 PM |
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I didn't include the Express VPN purposely. They have gone down in quality and I am not a fan of Kape Technologies. If anyone thinks that they are trustworthy, then I am open for discussion, it's very important for us to have a list of privacy-oriented VPNs.
I don't use ExpressVPN, so I had no idea that they went down in quality and they're not privacy-oriented provider. How about CyberghostVPN or PrivateInternetAccess?
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pooya87
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November 26, 2021, 05:06:10 AM |
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ProtonVPN doesn't accept Bitcoin as payment it seems. I see only Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, and Amex. I wasted my time?
As it was mentioned they do accept bitcoin but I wanted to add that the bitcoin payment is different, it won't show up if you aren't logged in. They basically need you to already have an account with Proton team like the proton email and then you have to log into that account to see the bitcoin payment option in your account. Here is the details: https://protonvpn.com/support/vpn-bitcoin-payments/
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joniboini
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November 26, 2021, 08:10:05 AM |
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I use Windscribe since a few months ago. It's quite ok. Keep in mind that the lowest price is not exactly $1, but $2, with an extra dollar for unlimited data. Sometimes the speed is terrible (I bought the Singapore IP) but it doesn't last that long, it is also possible that my network is the issue so this will need more test. Not the most privacy focused one but good enough if you just need something cheap.
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ABCbits
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November 26, 2021, 09:29:28 AM Merited by RickDeckard (1) |
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I didn't include the Express VPN purposely. They have gone down in quality and I am not a fan of Kape Technologies. If anyone thinks that they are trustworthy, then I am open for discussion, it's very important for us to have a list of privacy-oriented VPNs.
I don't use ExpressVPN, so I had no idea that they went down in quality and they're not privacy-oriented provider. How about CyberghostVPN or PrivateInternetAccess? According to this article ( https://restoreprivacy.com/kape-technologies-owns-expressvpn-cyberghost-pia-zenmate-vpn-review-sites/), Kape now owns all of them. I would recommend you to choose different VPN.
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RickDeckard
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November 26, 2021, 07:03:48 PM |
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I didn't include the Express VPN purposely. They have gone down in quality and I am not a fan of Kape Technologies. If anyone thinks that they are trustworthy, then I am open for discussion, it's very important for us to have a list of privacy-oriented VPNs.
I don't use ExpressVPN, so I had no idea that they went down in quality and they're not privacy-oriented provider. How about CyberghostVPN or PrivateInternetAccess? According to this article ( https://restoreprivacy.com/kape-technologies-owns-expressvpn-cyberghost-pia-zenmate-vpn-review-sites/), Kape now owns all of them. I would recommend you to choose different VPN. I'm unsure what to think of Kape Technologies. They were, in the past, known as Crossrider[1] and a simple google search regarding their previous name leads you to numerous malware reports related to Crossrider - MalwareBytes even mentioned that in 2018[2]. A very recent report that I've just found - responsible to shift my perspective of the company - was this one[3] where there was an investigation regarding the claims made by other security labs and, if the report is correct, it turns out that Crossrider wasn't involved in the malware distribution, bad agents only took advantage of the platform that Crossride developed to spread malware (I do recommend users reading that article since it goes more in detail regarding this issue). Still, by the recent purchase that the company made it seems quite eager to grab a hold on numerous VPN services, I wonder why that particular focus? Let's all remember that they are a public traded company[4] and those are driven by profits... I wouldn't be comfortable knowing that at the end of the day my VPN provider is under the grasp of some company like that. Regarding ExpressVPN - I never liked them. Here's an article[...] of which I'll highlight a relevant sentence: ExpressVPN CIO Daniel Gericke, as first reported Tuesday by Reuters, is among the three former US intelligence operatives and military members involved in Project Raven who worked as mercenary hackers for the United Arab Emirates, helping it spy on its enemies. ExpressVPN said its trust in Gericke "remains strong."
[1] https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-crossrider-renamed-kape-after-switching-to-cybersecurity-1001227178[2] https://blog.malwarebytes.com/threat-analysis/2018/04/new-crossrider-variant-installs-configuration-profiles-on-macs/[3] https://restoreprivacy.com/kape-technologies-crossrider-malware/[4] https://www.londonstockexchange.com/stock/KAPE/kape-technologies-plc/company-page[5] https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/expressvpn-cio-among-three-facing-1-6-million-doj-fine-project-raven/
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o_e_l_e_o
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November 27, 2021, 02:23:33 PM |
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Avoid Kape and avoid every company they own. Whether or not they were personally responsible for infecting their users with malware and invading their privacy with ad injectors and trackers, or whether they only provided the tools to do so to other individuals, is more or less irrelevant. They were in the business of spying on users, collecting their data, and monetizing it, the exact opposite of what you want from a VPN company. Their CEO even admitted the name change was to distance themselves from their prior activities. They bought VPN review sites and then changed the rankings to promote their own services. Go and look at the Privacy Policies of some of their other VPNs. They are absolutely atrocious. CyberGhost - https://www.cyberghostvpn.com/en_US/privacypolicyWhen registering they want your name, address, and email address, and will store your IP address alongside that. They then go on to collect all kinds of information, including "data relating to the browser you are using, mobile/desktop device, general properties and metadata, OS version, preferred language, the date and time of your visit, battery charge, screen resolution, Google Advertising ID, Gyro-sensor data, screen size, Connectivity (WLAN), Mobile service provider". Tell me exactly why my VPN provider needs to know how much battery I have left or who my mobile service provider is? And then of course, "we may communicate your Personal Data to a member of our group of companies (this means our subsidiaries, our ultimate holding company, KAPE TECHNOLOGIES PLC, and all its subsidiaries)" and "with 3rd part suppliers for the purposes of optimization of our Website and Services as well customer analytics and fraud prevention (e.g.VWO, Appsflyer, Google etc)." Because you definitely want your VPN provider sharing your information with Google of all companies for the sake of "customer analysis". ZenMate's looks pretty much the same, except they also use tracking pixels, with the data again being handed over to Google for "customer analysis". PIA is the same. "We may disclose collected Personal Data to necessary members in our group of companies (across our ultimate holding company and all its subsidiaries)". Remember that Kape's subsidiaries include companies like https://www.webselenese.com, which is designed to "Connect consumers with brands". In other words, a marketing agency. Who has access to all your VPN data, if they want it. We are not exactly starved for choice when it comes to VPN providers. When there are dozens of better ones out there, why would anyone ever settle for one of the worst? Avoid Kape.
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uchegod-21
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January 15, 2022, 01:26:15 PM |
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My first attempt to use a VPN I had an ugly experience with NordVPNIt was not Nord's fault but mine. I was very amateur in cybersecurity issues. I downloaded the NordVPN from a shared link on social media instead of their website or playstore. They altered the domain name with hyphen(-). I didn't know, I completed the registration. Immediately some popups begin to display in my phone. I knew I was being spyed. I searched for the file source to uninstall but I couldn't find it. I was swift to reset my phone even when my backup was not upto date. I lost data but I was safe from attack. After the loss, I re-examined the url and notice it has a security encryption https: but it was still malicious. But I am using the NordVPN now but not always. I wish someone would create a topic on how to beat the cyber criminals, they are upgrading everyday.
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o_e_l_e_o
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January 15, 2022, 01:58:54 PM |
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After the loss, I re-examined the url and notice it has a security encryption https: but it was still malicious. Https says nothing about the authenticity of the person, website, or software you are dealing with. You should use https everywhere as it encrypts your data and protects against man in the middle attacks and protects against your communications being spied upon. Be aware, though, that that is all it does. It doesn't matter if your communication channel with a scam website is encrypted with https - you are still connecting to a scam website, and you can still download malicious software over the https connection. I wish someone would create a topic on how to beat the cyber criminals, they are upgrading everyday. Making sure you only download software from the official website or github repository is pretty basic stuff. When possible, you should also verify your download against the PGP keys of the developers or against provided hashes. Unfortunately this is not possible with NordVPN as it is with some other VPNs.
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Synchronice (OP)
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March 20, 2022, 07:18:52 PM |
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Tip 1 During the VPN session, don't use Russian servers if anonymity is your priority because Roskomnadzor has high control on them.
Tip 2 Russia's firewall doesn't work well and compared to the Chinese firewall, it's very weak. Websites are blocked by ISPs and you can still access blocked websites by using the VPN that has servers in other countries. The list of VPNs on this thread will help Russian people to get out of the information vacuum and check blocked news websites.
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