Having a VPN tool is very common today. We can use them on mobile devices and also on desktop computers. They help us to encrypt connections, connect to services that may be restricted in a certain place, hide our IP address and therefore improve privacy. However, sometimes we can come across programs that are not reliable. In this article we talk about it. We will explain when a VPN can be insecure .
The importance of choosing safe tools
Whenever we are going to install any type of program or make use of some type of online service, it is very important to make sure that they are really reliable. There are many attacks that we can suffer simply by using software that has been maliciously modified.
But this is even more important when it comes to sensitive tools , services that can filter our data. We are talking, for example, about messaging applications, social networks, bank accounts … And yes, also VPNs.
Using an insecure VPN , which does not have adequate security minimums to protect our data, could be a very significant problem. Ultimately, our personal information could be exposed, as well as not properly encrypting the connection. This affects both privacy and security.
The reality is that we have a wide range of possibilities to use VPN services today. They are available for all types of operating systems and there are both free and paid. However, as we say, not all of them are going to be safe.
When a VPN service is considered insecure
Knowing how to detect when a VPN tool that we are going to use or that we are already using is insecure can avoid serious problems. We will prevent our data from being exposed, from possible intruders from accessing connections, from seeing the websites we visit, etc.
Stores traffic logs
Undoubtedly one of the most important factors that tell us that a VPN is really not secure and that it does not protect our data well is when it stores traffic logs . Basically it means that it keeps a log of all the connections, the time, the date, the sites visited even …
Many free tools of this type use this information to sell it to third parties. A way to profit but that logically exposes the privacy of users. It is something that we must inform ourselves very well before using a service.
Use an outdated or weak encryption protocol
The encryption protocol they use is also essential. They can be different and not all are equally safe, logically. We can come across ciphers that are weak or even obsolete and therefore our connections are not really protected as they should.
Usually VPNs are always going to provide us with information about encryption. It is convenient to inform ourselves about this issue and make sure that we are taking a really safe option.
Country where the servers are located
Another interesting point is the country in which the servers are located . It can not only be a reason why the speed and stability of the connection can be better or worse, but also the security.
There are countries in which the laws related to privacy on the net are not as good as other nations. There might even be countries that collect user data. For this reason, we must check in which country the servers they use are located.
DNS leak
This is rather an option that we have to check if a VPN is reliable. We can test DNS leak for free and see if it is leaking. If yes, it means that the VPN does not really protect us and is not secure. There are many tools on the Internet that allow us to check this aspect.
IP address leak
Something similar happens with the IP address . Is the VPN correctly hiding our IP or does it show us the real one? We can check it on the internet in a simple way once again. In this way we will have a better understanding of whether or not that service we use is reliable.
Works very slow
Is the VPN very slow? It can be synonymous with the fact that it is an insecure service. It is not something that is 100%, but we do have one more clue. This is so since free services, those that offer poor quality and therefore could expose the data, do not usually have a good speed. In addition, we will also notice cuts and generally poor stability .
Free with shared bandwidth
This last one is very important. Many free VPN services are free as they trade on users’ bandwidth . That is, they provide us with a service in exchange for us sharing our bandwidth with other users who are paying. This can logically affect our privacy and security.
Ultimately, these are some factors that can tell us that a VPN we use is insecure. We must always inform ourselves well on the Internet, read reviews from other users and correctly analyze the service that we are going to use so as not to have problems that could compromise us. There are many options on the net.