Can using a VPN on my iPhone increase the chance of it getting hacked? I used a VPN a couple of days ago to get the old version of Snapchat back (because the new one is really bad), and now after reading a little bit on the Internet, it turns out that a VPN actually can steal information from you (which I really didn't know). And now I'm a bit concerned. All answers are greatly appreciated!
iPhone 6s, iOS 11.2.5
If you take data security seriously, then you should definitely NOT be using a 3rd party VPN service. VPNs were designed to allow a remote machine to connect securely to a private network in order to gain access to resources on that network. A VPN was never intended to act as a middle man between you and the Internet at large. Sure, using a VPN when you're connecting to a public hotspot at Starbucks will keep someone at starbucks from sniffing the network and intercepting the traffic, but at some point, the traffic has to leave the VPN providers network to reach your actual intended destination on the Internet, at which point it is exposed again. Never mind the fact that the VPN provider themselves have access to all the data you're pumping across their network and several of the 'big ones' have been called out recently for not doing what they say they're doing... they were collecting data on all of the internet activity of the users on their service... web sites visited, content transferred, etc. Even if the connection was secure, they still had records of users that were connecting to illegal underage images and videos, for example and were able to identify to law enforcement who those people were and exactly what they did when.
Imagine what someone with that information could do if they wanted to... blackmail maybe? Pay up or we turn you over to the perv police.
Using a trusted VPN leaves you less likely to be hacked. The same can't necessarily be said for random, free VPN services. I would get more acquainted with using a VPN and how they work.
https://tiptopsecurity.com/all-about-vpns/
Ultimately you can't change what you've already done, just be sure to use a trusted one in the future.
Maybe I shouldn't be too worried. But I'm a person who takes data security very seriously. Definitely considering to study it after I finish my bachelor degree in computer engineering. Thank you anyways! 🙂
As I said, the only reason I decided to use a VPN was to get old Snapchat back (because there was a glitch where you could connect yourself to a VPN, send a snap to a random friend, and then you would get old snapchat back. Search it up if you don't believe it). Otherwise I would have used it. So my intentions was not to do anything bad with it. I do not use VPN on a regular basis.
AlexHolgersen wrote:
there was a glitch where you could connect yourself to a VPN, send a snap to a random friend, and then you would get old snapchat back
Someone is yanking your chain. That can't work.
Okay thank you. But is there a way to check if your device might have been exposed?
Um... Yeah... It was on the Internet, so it must be true...
Right...
Umm I did it myself? But if you don’t believe me then it’s totally fine :)
Hi
I have used VPN privacy pro for 2 years with no problems.
Cheers
Brian 🇬-1F1E7;
Great!
Cheers
If you connected to an used a VPN service, then all traffic to and from the Internet that passed through that VPN service was "exposed" to the operator of the VPN.
iPhone and VPN
