VPN usage

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VPN usage

I ran across this thread while trying to figure out what "amsengagementd" was.

A responder with a lot of street creds said that among other things, VPNs are not needed, or words to that effect.

For those of us that are privacy minded, would care to limit who knows where we are, use public wi-fi spots, or live in countries when access to sites like "twitter" are routinely sectioned, VPNs are absolutely necessary. Even if you are a USA homebody that only connects thru your own personal wifi device, VPNs have some benefits. Now as a caveat, FREE VPNs are useless and may in cases be dangereous if you are trying to protect your privacy.

MBP-2022

Posted on Jul 30, 2023 7:09 AM

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Answer 1

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militarymail Author

Level 1

5 points

Aug 1, 2023 7:05 AM in response to Mac Jim ID

Jim,

I would recommend that people that log into public wifi hot spots at their coffee shop, their library, on an airplane, in a restaurant do so using a VPN provider that one has to pay for and comes recommended from sources and people they, the user themselves, trust. If one travels to Eastern Europe, South America, the Far East, and even the Caribbean, and want to get onto the internet, I would STRONGLY recommend a thoroughly vetted paid VPN provider. I think I can safely say that we agree to disagree. That is OK. This forum not only "allows" that, but encourages it. Be safe out there. There are places on earth that would make the Wild West look like Heaven.

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Answer 2

Aug 1, 2023 7:38 AM in response to militarymail

I agree with everything you said and the scenarios you described are use cases that a VPN is effective. The point you make about using a "thoroughly vetted paid VPN provider" is absolutely essential.

My point is that for the average user, they are using their device on their home network, not in the locations you have noted. In addition, the average user who thinks they need a VPN would most likely choose a free service thinking they are getting a deal and not hear your warning about paying for a vetted service. This is harmful and usually more insecure they not using one at all. That is the basis for my statement "that most users do not need a VPN and in some cases they do more harm than good".

I think we agree on more than we disagree on. The problem I have is I think everyone is concerned about security and that does not mean that everyone should be looking to install a VPN for protection. I would recommend not using a public Wifi at all where a VPN could be valuable and instead use the Personal Hotspot on your phone for a device that does not have a cellular connection.

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Answer 3

Jul 30, 2023 7:22 AM in response to militarymail

I do not dispute what you said, there is a use case for VPN's and many people use them with no problem. I think the issue gets muddled due to the many scam VPN's that are out there and the false sense of security they provide. All of your requests are sent to this third party site, so privacy of your information is up to them and in a lot of cases as you have noted, some of those services are only there to collect you data and sell it for a profit.

I think the statement is true that most users do not need a VPN and in some cases they do more harm than good.

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VPN usage

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