VPN's that don't deliver

Excerpts from National Public radio (US)

Turning To VPNs For Online Privacy? You Might Be Putting Your Data At Risk

Worried about Internet companies snooping on your online browsing? You might turn to something called a virtual private network to protect your privacy. But researchers say these networks can themselves be insecure.

One solution is a VPN, which is like a dark, secret tunnel you use to go from your computer to a website. While you're inside the tunnel — clicking on Instagram photos or checking your bank account — third parties can't see what you're doing. The data are encrypted.

Some VPNs promise anonymous browsing for free or just a few dollars a month; they claim not to share your data. But these services don't always deliver on their promises.

"If you're not careful with choosing your VPN service provider, the medicine might be worse than the illness," says Nick Feamster, a computer science professor at Princeton University. He says tens of millions of people have downloaded VPNs — and many don't realize they're not as secure as they claim.

In the first major review of VPN providers, researchers from across the globe tested nearly 300 free VPN apps on Google Play. What they found was alarming. Nearly 40 percent injected malware or malvertising. And nearly 20 percent of the apps didn't even encrypt user traffic.

This month, the Center for Democracy & Technology filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission alleging the VPN  Hotspot Shield collects data and intercepts traffic. If true, that would be a direct violation of claims by the company's policy to "never log or store user data."

Experts say the safest option is to set up your own VPN server and connect to it, use Tor to browse the Web anonymously. But Feamster admits most people won't do that.

For now, he suggests researching a VPN before using it and to think of it as a supplemental tool, not a privacy solution. He advises reading the VPN service provider's privacy policy to see whether it collects or retains any user information that could be traced back to you — and if so, for how long.

If you're looking to use a VPN, comparison chart (link below) is a good resource. And, if you're feeling adventurous enough to build your own, Ars Technica provides helpful guide (link below).

Comparison guide:

https://thatoneprivacysite.net/simple-vpn-comparison-chart/

Build your own VPN guide:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/05/how-to-build-your-own-vpn-if-youre-rightfully-wary-of-commercial-options/

http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/08/17/543716811/turning-to-vpns-for-online-privacy-you-might-be-putting-your-data-at-risk