Can VPN save my marriage?

VPN commercials seem to be everywhere these days. Why do you think VPNs have become so popular?

The Internet today is much more common, for example thanks to smartphones. Suchpool of potential customers is an attractive market for companies providing VPN services. And such companies develop their creative marketing, advertising VPN services as a cure-all for all possible Internet threats, which is not quite true…

For those who might not be familiar, can you explain how a VPN works?

In simple terms, it allows for secure (i.e. encrypted) network traffic from one computer network to another over the Internet. The first VPNs were created in the 1990s and subsequent solutions appeared with the development of the Internet in the 2000s, mainly to connect securely from the outside to a corporate network, e.g. to connect to a file server in the office (in the pre-cloud era), or other resources available only on that network.

What are some of the primary benefits of using a VPN for both individual users and businesses?

One of them is so-called traffic tunnelling, i.e. connecting the device (client) to the server, which can protect against “man in the middle” attacks. Traffic through a VPN is generally encrypted, it gives access to remote resources, via servers, applications, etc., available on the network “behind the VPN”. It also allows us to bypass geo blocking on popular streaming services or local authority censorship (although here the legality of using VPNs themselves may vary). It also hides our IP address, instead identifying us with the address of the server or service provider.

Are there any drawbacks or disadvantages to using a VPN?

One rather important one is that the VPN itself can be used to eavesdrop on traffic by the provider of such a service. Sometimes we do not read the quite important info that is served in the Terms of condition - for some VPN providers, this is a way to notify you about having access to your data.

When is the best time for someone to use a VPN? Are there specific scenarios where using a VPN is particularly important?

It is certainly worth using VPNs to connect to systems that contain sensitive data (valuable to the company), critical for the operation of other systems that should not be accessible to the public. Also, in the case of devices such as smartphones and laptops, on which valuable data may be stored (suppose, some secret project), it's better to connect to the Internet through an encrypted tunnel, that a well-configured VPN will provide.

Some people believe that using a VPN is a solution to all cyber security issues. Can you clarify whether this is true? What are some cyber security issues that VPNs cannot address?

Yes, they are definitely not a solution for everything. An example is when someone clicks on a harmful link and something gets installed on their computer/smartphone (here, antivirus will help sooner). Another example is when someone takes advantage of ads about attractive investments and contacts such a “company”. Then, usually some remote desktop access program is installed and the money disappears from the account... What's worse, it can be difficult to prosecute such criminals, because the traffic was encrypted. If anyone has any logs, it's only the service provider.

VPNs should help in the context of connecting to networks such as hotels, public etc., where someone could launch a man-in-the-middle attack and eavesdrop on what we do (more or less). Recently, the TunnelVision vulnerability (CVE-2024-3661) has been in the news. This vulnerability exploits options 121 of the DHCP protocol in IP networks. In a nutshell, it's not even a vulnerability, just an option [it's not a bug, it's a feature ;)] that allows traffic to be redirected, so it doesn't go through a secure tunnel. The only safe system at the time of publication of this vulnerability was Android, because it did not support it. How does one defend against it? Do not use public networks, i.e. hotels, cafes. Having a smartphone with you, it is much safer to simply make a hotspot out of it instead.

With so many VPN services on the market, what should users look for when choosing a VPN provider?

You definitely need to verify the service provider - whether and how long it has been on the market and whether it is trustworthy. You especially need to be on guard when VPN apps are offered for free. Maintaining the infrastructure for quite a number of users is not cheap, and data transfer can also cost money. So, if some provider offers VPN for free, you better verify it twice. Such a VPN tunnel can itself be a kind of “man in the middle” attack, that is, the provider can analyse and listen to what the end user is doing. There were several such applications available for smartphones, including one from Facebook... which turned out to be a Trojan horse trying, quite successfully, to eavesdrop on TikTok users. After a long time, it was banned from the stores on Android and IOS.

How does the use of VPNs differ in a corporate environment compared to individual use?

VPNs for individual use are more likely to be chosen to change one's location (more movies on Netflix ;-)/hide one's IP address) and possibly secure tunnelling.
In corporate use, it's more about accessing resources and monitoring network traffic (whether, for example, there's some weird data transfer going on that didn't happen before). The VPN itself does not enable traffic monitoring, but if this network traffic goes through our (or a trusted provider) server, then it is possible to analyse it on this side.

So, in summary, can VPN save my marriage?

Well, that’s the problem. Due to the high demand for B2C usage of VPNs, you will likely come across various advertisements claiming that VPNs are a solution to all your problems. However, they are not. A VPN can serve as a cloak for some of your activities, like downloading torrents. While it may prevent you from being fined, you could be exposing some of your crucial data to your VPN provider, so choose carefully.
With proper countermeasures and a clear understanding of the terms of the agreement you sign, you can have a great tool that establishes a secure connection.
As for marriage, it’s better to consult a professional counsellor or therapist, or in the worst case, a lawyer, rather than relying on something an advertisement claims will solve all your problems.

Do you have any final advice for our readers regarding VPNs and maintaining good cyber security practices?

Like I've mentioned before, avoid using free VPN services, as they can turn out to be Trojans. Use strong passwords for the VPN service, and it's best to use a password manager to store them as well. Remember to update the software, since an old version of a VPN client may be exploited. And lastly, verify if the VPN software is using the best traffic encryption options.

Not yet a member of Leon community? Contact our Sales team to find out more or jump straight into the 30-day free trial.