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Old 11-05-2018, 11:58 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paulk View Post
You don't really need to worry about man in the middle attacks if you are using an https connection. Your browser has a list of certificates that it trusts from certificate authorities which prevents normal attackers from inserting themselves in between you and your chosen website.

For http, it's a valid concern. I don't worry too much about this myself as I would only use https for anything important. I could see recommending a VPN though for non-technical people who aren't careful about using https, even though it isn't perfect protection.
I agree for the most part, but often when a site throws a certificate error, the user connects anyway. Then there's the issue of some sites not being security minded and not even having https capability. With a VPN, that's of no concern.
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Old 11-06-2018, 12:31 AM   #22
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I have no banking apps on my iPhone. I do log in to my account, at home, on my password protected wifi. I've not, but if I did have to log into my account from another location, I would use my iPhone as a hot spot.

Does that protect me?
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Old 11-06-2018, 01:05 AM   #23
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I have no banking apps on my iPhone. I do log in to my account, at home, on my password protected wifi. I've not, but if I did have to log into my account from another location, I would use my iPhone as a hot spot.

Does that protect me?
Short answer: yes, you are protected.

Assuming that your bank is using https (a safe assumption for a bank), and assuming your device is not compromised, you should be protected no matter how you connect, whether it is through iPhone tethering, private WiFi, or even public WiFi.

I should stress that you need to see https in the browser URL! One particularly nasty example that is possible would be if a malicious access point used DNS poisoning to redirect http://yourbank.com to their own website. That kind of thing is possible if you don't see https.
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Old 11-06-2018, 01:45 AM   #24
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Thanks. All my bills are paid on the "help yourself" plan, so I've never had to access my account while on the road.
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Old 11-06-2018, 12:09 PM   #25
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as an aside, I note my Pixel phone, google transparently implements their OWN VPN if you're on a public wifi access point they deem insecure. this is noted with a G+padlock icon on the status bar next to the wifi signal strength icon.
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Old 11-07-2018, 12:38 PM   #26
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as an aside, I note my Pixel phone, google transparently implements their OWN VPN if you're on a public wifi access point they deem insecure. this is noted with a G+padlock icon on the status bar next to the wifi signal strength icon.
Yes, and it's an excellent feature. Public wifi is notoriously unsecure and rife with issues.
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Old 11-25-2018, 10:05 PM   #27
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Here is a recent article in Wired magazine on this issue. It's worth reading:


https://www.wired.com/story/hotel-airport-wifi-safe/

(Note the "HTTPS" in the URL)
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Old 12-12-2018, 09:58 AM   #28
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I have a dumb question: Why are VPNs necessary? The reason I'm asking: if I need a secure connection to, for instance, my bank, this connection is made via HTTPS, so it should be secure anyway, even if I make the connection while on a public wifi network. What am I missing?
they're not. next question please. if you're using it only for a transaction, https can secure your transaction. you might need it if you're trying to shop something through public wifi or something or if you're trying to unblock a website or an app but a proxy can do that too. i guess one of the best reasons for a vpn like ivacy or express that actually offer encryption is anonymity because that's one thing that's hard to get around without a vpn.
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Old 01-02-2019, 11:47 AM   #29
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There's a bit more to it than that. Most likely the site is blocking PPTP connections. Using an Open VPN for du instead of a PPTP VPN means you can use any port as well as a TCP or UDP connection. This is much harder for the site to detect. Additionally, many sites don't even go that far, and are simply blocking connections from well known VPN Server IP spaces. There are numerous ways around this, too many to list here.

One alternative that hasn't been mentioned is to roll your own. It's not that hard to create your own VPN server using open source tools.

It's easy to say. But own VPN setup process for those who are tech savvy. Not for all...
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Old 03-25-2019, 09:36 AM   #30
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VPN with cell hotspot

If you are using a cell service hot spot such as a Verizon Jetpack, is a VPN needed? I understand that a cell signal is much harder to intercept than a public wifi signal. I looked this question up on line, and found conflicting answers.
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Old 03-25-2019, 02:40 PM   #31
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VPN service would always add a security layer regardless of the setup, and it also makes one's location not visible which has some advantages. I installed the Ubiquity router/access point setup in my trailer in the fall and all devices now connect through the router which is attached to Verizon hot spot or available wifi.
The Ubiquity router setup and access point allow for security layers that aren't present when directly connecting devices to a wifi hotspot. We'll probably add a VPN service when we go FT just for addl layer, but not really a necessity with the above setup.
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Old 03-11-2020, 02:37 PM   #32
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Here are a couple of recent resources for people with questions about VPNs and VPN providers that I found helpful.

What is a VPN?
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/what-is-a-vpn/

The Best VPN Service
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-vpn-service/
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Old 05-02-2020, 11:59 AM   #33
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I have been using SurfShark for several months with few problems. Once in a while a site will not connect, so I just log out of the VPN and go back in when I am done at that site.



It allows you to use one of many VPN sites in a lot of countries. I used it from a Norway site to arrange a cruise (before Covid) because they had different pricing for Norwegian reservations.
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