Post: #26

(04-14-2011 02:10 AM)babelfish669 Wrote:  Of course if you hit a compromised site within the VPN your still going to be screwed. Just use firefox with noscript + adware along with not downloading stupid pirated stuff or clicking on every link in every email you get. This will do more for you than any anti virus software can.

I do all this and I have never ever used a public wi-fi but when you are traveling you don't really have an option but to use one. Looks like it will be a better investment do get one of those mobile USB internet modems to connect to the internet over buying a VPN connection.

(04-14-2011 02:10 AM)babelfish669 Wrote:  I don't care where I am, if I'm on a wifi I don't own I'm only running through an encrypted connection.

How do you create this encrypted connection?

UPDATE:

Found a method:

http://lifehacker.com/#!5763170/how-to-s...nd-privoxy

Any good?

Post: #27

(04-13-2011 10:15 AM)Arobin Wrote:  The quote above is pretty much sales bs, though. Attacks are not "often directed directly at your known IP address."

I'll second that.

Post: #28

(04-14-2011 02:10 AM)babelfish669 Wrote:  Everything Arobin said, except instead of happening on a compromised site, anyone on the same network as you can send that zero-day exploit, which no AV will pick up, to you via packet insertion, say when you go to google.com. A few free tools off the internet and anyone with near zero tech knowledge can do this. Once that exploit is on your machine they can do whatever the fuck they want. From a little more advanced standpoint, the compromised machines infect other machines on their own. You don't even need a hacker sitting in the starbucks with you, just someone else who has a compromised machine.

Ah, crap. That's a good point. I hadn't considered the threat of compromised machines carrying out automated packet injection attacks. You might have just convinced me to switch to encrypted VPN.

Post: #29

People with StrongVPN: does it slow down the connection noticeably? Would I be able to do stuff like watch streaming videos on Hulu? (something I'm currently restricted from because of non-US IP)

Post: #30

(04-14-2011 10:25 AM)Arobin Wrote:  

(04-14-2011 02:10 AM)babelfish669 Wrote:  Everything Arobin said, except instead of happening on a compromised site, anyone on the same network as you can send that zero-day exploit, which no AV will pick up, to you via packet insertion, say when you go to google.com. A few free tools off the internet and anyone with near zero tech knowledge can do this. Once that exploit is on your machine they can do whatever the fuck they want. From a little more advanced standpoint, the compromised machines infect other machines on their own. You don't even need a hacker sitting in the starbucks with you, just someone else who has a compromised machine.

Ah, crap. That's a good point. I hadn't considered the threat of compromised machines carrying out automated packet injection attacks. You might have just convinced me to switch to encrypted VPN.

Haha! I got all confused here. I thought babblefish's post was against using VPN.

Post: #31

Bumping this thread.

I use a special type of communication software that is regulated by the FCC. I use it extensively for customer service and conference calls both on desktop and smartphone, and I know it will not work outside of the US.

When I'm traveling outside of the US and want to use this service, I will need to use it off an US-based IP address. Will using a VPN provider do exactly that for me?

Seeing this is a 4 year old thread, some of the recommendations here might be outdated.

What do you guys use, and how much does it cost monthly?

Post: #32

@CleanSlate:

You could try AirVPN. They seem to have a deep ideological dedication to keeping their customers' privacy (read: letting people torrent). They're around 5 bucks a month if I remember correctly. Private Internet Access is probably the cheapest one, but the company is US-based, which many privacy activists don't like. If you're just looking to change your location, PIA should be more than enough

Post: #33

I'm using "privateinternetaccess" seems pretty good. Although I usually have it off most the time.

Post: #34

Thanks guys ^^

What I'm specifically looking for is to be able to use an U.S. based IP address when traveling abroad. Does AirVPN enable you to do that? Privacy (being able to torrent) is secondary, but also a nice feature to have.

Post: #35

(12-07-2015 06:16 PM)CleanSlate Wrote:  Thanks guys ^^

What I'm specifically looking for is to be able to use an U.S. based IP address when traveling abroad. Does AirVPN enable you to do that? Privacy (being able to torrent) is secondary, but also a nice feature to have.

PrivateInternetAccess

Has about 10 US Cities, a few Canadian cities, Australia and about 15 more countries you can use it out of. As well as an "auto" setting.

I was watching the Australian Open online while in Canada and also watching CBC live streaming (Canadian BBC basically) while I was abroad.

Post: #36

I use proxy.sh, but it's expensive. AirVPN is good too.

Some services will try to block connections from known VPNs. There are a few solutions to that:
1. try a few different VPN services until you find one which works
2. rent a $5/month server from DigitalOcean and run your own VPN using the following tool: https://www.tinfoilsecurity.com/vpn/new
DigitalOcean has servers in NY and CA. If you're in Europe, NY is a better choice; CA is better from Asia.
3. set up a VPN on a friend or relative's home router.

Post: #37

Thanks DaveR. Tried to check these out, but the IT dept in my company blocked all sites related to VPNs. Control freaks.

I'll dig into those at home.

Post: #38

(04-14-2011 10:46 AM)Mystik Wrote:  

(04-14-2011 10:25 AM)Arobin Wrote:  

(04-14-2011 02:10 AM)babelfish669 Wrote:  Everything Arobin said, except instead of happening on a compromised site, anyone on the same network as you can send that zero-day exploit, which no AV will pick up, to you via packet insertion, say when you go to google.com. A few free tools off the internet and anyone with near zero tech knowledge can do this. Once that exploit is on your machine they can do whatever the fuck they want. From a little more advanced standpoint, the compromised machines infect other machines on their own. You don't even need a hacker sitting in the starbucks with you, just someone else who has a compromised machine.

Ah, crap. That's a good point. I hadn't considered the threat of compromised machines carrying out automated packet injection attacks. You might have just convinced me to switch to encrypted VPN.

Haha! I got all confused here. I thought babblefish's post was against using VPN.

Can anyone explain what's needed to prevent the kind of attack babelfish was describing? Is an encrypted VPN connection sufficient? Or does encryptedVPN only work for web browsing, and an additional service that encrypts all internet traffic is required?

Post: #39

(12-08-2015 01:06 PM)thoughtgypsy Wrote:  Can anyone explain what's needed to prevent the kind of attack babelfish was describing? Is an encrypted VPN connection sufficient? Or does encryptedVPN only work for web browsing, and an additional service that encrypts all internet traffic is required?

Some suggestions I made in another thread. Point 1 addresses what Babelfish mentioned if combined with a VPN:

(11-29-2015 05:23 AM)DaveR Wrote:  There are a few things you can do to increase your security:

1. use a firewall
For Mac: System Preferences > Security > Firewall tab > Firewall Options > block all incoming connections

For Windows: ZoneAlarm is a good one and is free: http://www.zonealarm.com/software/free-f...index.html

2. use a VPN in the following situations:
- when using a shared network (hotels and public wifi)
- when downloading copyrighted material, especially torrents if you're in the US
- when in a country that filters and/or monitors the internet. Eg. Dubai, China

VPNs are secure tunnels which all of your internet connections are forwarded through. Anyone between you and the other end of the VPN cannot alter or intercept/monitor your connections.
https://proxy.sh is what I use but it's expensive. https://airvpn.org is another one I think is worth trying.

3. uninstall Adobe Flash: http://bgr.com/2015/07/27/how-to-uninsta...ac-chrome/
It isn't necessary any more because just about every website has upgraded to more modern and secure technology.

4. Install software updates as frequently as possible (Windows, Chrome, Firefox, Skype, etc.). This should be easy these days because most software updates itself automatically.

And some general account security tips:

- use two-step login wherever possible, especially for email and any other services which contain sensitive information (eg. Dropbox). Apple/Google accounts are often targets because they can be used to wipe phones and computers remotely. That feature is designed to keep information safe in the event of theft, but in the wrong hands it can be very dangerous.
Google published a reasonably good explanation of how two-step login works: https://www.google.com/landing/2step/
Many services will let you generate a code through the Google Authenticator app, even when you're not connected to the cell network or the internet. Other options include SMS and printed backup codes. Make sure to keep those backup codes safe because if you lose your phone, you won't have any way to access your accounts.

- install an ad blocker like Ghostery. Apart from being annoying, the ads you see on many websites can be used to deliver viruses.

- many sites have password reset procedures based on personal information such as your birth date, home town, mother's maiden name, last four digits of your credit card, etc. It isn't difficult for a hacker to find that information through Facebook and other accounts. For example, if they break into your Amazon account, they'll see the last four digits of your credit card and plenty of personal information. For that reason, I usually provide false details, especially for accounts which I wouldn't be worried about losing. If there isn't a strong reason for them to have your personal information, don't give it to them.

Post: #40

Forgot to add something important: if you're using an ad blocker, make sure you unblock the advertising on RooshV.com and other sites you support, or make a donation in some other way.

Post: #41

AirVPN is having a 20% off sale for Christmas. Link is referred.

Post: #42

Here are a couple of VPN Deals (well hoping they are deals) I stumbled across them. The comments below are not mine. Just text I copy and pasted. Any thoughts on which is a good deal or neither. People seem to like torgaurd.

https://torguard.net/

TorGuard.net has 50% off TorGuard Services w/ promotional code TGLIFETIME50. Thanks stinkybottom

Prices after promotional code:
VPN Service
$4.99/month or $29.99/year

Proxy Service
$2.98/month or $23.47/year

Encrypted Email
$3.48/month or $24.97/year

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
IbVPN currently has a Winter Sale with up to 68% off. Still a little more expensive than PIA and TG but a very good VPN provider.

Ultimate VPN Plan $3.46/mth or $41.47/year

Great for heavy streaming, torrents & p2p activity, unblocking restricted websites, privacy protection. All servers included.
94 servers in 39 countries

7 Proxy Servers in 5 countries

3 users at a time
Dedicated remote assistance
Torrent in 7 countries

ibDNS included
+2000 dynamic IPs

OpenVPN, L2TP, PPTP, SSTP

http://www.ibvpn.com/plans-winter/

Post: #43

If anybody has an IT skills, this is a service you don't have to pay for. But it requires a little bit of skill and Linux box.

Step 1. Install PPTP on a box and leave it in the US just plugged somewhere into the internet
Step 2. Create an account with dyn.com/dns, install dyndns updater to your Linux box, and put in your credentials.
Step 3. You're done. When you put in your server credentials for your vpn server, it'll always be your dyndns address.

https://www.digitalocean.com/community/t...-with-pptp

Now that I think about it, it's probably easier for most guys to just pay for the service. Considering how cheap it is. But for all you IT heads out there with Linux boxes sitting around, there's no reason why you should be paying for this service.

Post: #44

Also, Avast has a paid VPN product (works as part of their antivirus software) which is pretty no fuss to use. You just select the option on your tray icon to activate the VPN and you're good to go.

Post: #45

Couple things I came across while researching this. StrongVPN will give up your info when asked for it. They also log your IP. This could come into play were you downloading torrents, for example. You want to find a VPN that allows torrents, and preferably doesn't log you at all. You want to watch for location of their servers if you travel too, for speed purposes. Having options in and outside of the US is good, if you want to access certain shows or events.

Post: #46

On the iPhone, I'm currently using 'betternet' in China, it's free and pretty fast. No issues.

Post: #47

On the iPhone, I'm currently using 'betternet' in China, it's free and pretty fast. No issues.

Post: #48

hidemyass.com is my favourite but it's not the cheapest.
privateinternetaccess.com and cactusvpn are some cheaper alternatives for around 5$ a month. All of them should allow mobile vpn. For just traveling abroad and downloading some torrents the cheaper ones should be fine.
A very safe and even free alternative is Tor but it's slow.

Post: #49

I signed up for a trial of 1 month with privateinternetaccess.com. Installed it on my OSX and Windows partitions on my laptop, as well as on my iphone.

Set up is so easy that it feels like, "is that it?"

But after a day of using it, there are a couple of issues I found.

* Tinder doesn't work well with VPN. Maybe VPN interferes with the location services for Tinder? (although Google Maps had my correct location within 100 meters)

* I tried sending email from my iphone to my other email address, and it wouldn't send. Turned off VPN on my iphone, and email went through.

Am I doing something wrong?

Post: #50

(01-03-2016 12:58 PM)CleanSlate Wrote:  I signed up for a trial of 1 month with privateinternetaccess.com. Installed it on my OSX and Windows partitions on my laptop, as well as on my iphone.

Set up is so easy that it feels like, "is that it?"

But after a day of using it, there are a couple of issues I found.

* Tinder doesn't work well with VPN. Maybe VPN interferes with the location services for Tinder? (although Google Maps had my correct location within 100 meters)

* I tried sending email from my iphone to my other email address, and it wouldn't send. Turned off VPN on my iphone, and email went through.

Am I doing something wrong?

Changing the server might work. A lot of ip addresses you get with a VPN are on black lists. The reason for this is that you share now an IP address. If you use those with your mail address the provider might block them.