VPN Issue

MourningStar said:

ok - however, all the MS-source literature I've encountered indicate it's also for 'all that other stuff' discussed here.

Yes.. VPN Virtual Private Network Is for a lot of stuff.
Super simplified version without go in to details... It was more or less first for to create a site to site secure connection between offices.. Then it started to be used for remote work from home etc. Then hackers started to discover it is a good way to hide your true location. Then TOR came along and TOR is its own Private Network with different exit nodes and as long you are IN tor, your safe.. but in-point and exit point is vulnerable, and a lot of people get caught as in-data and out data is comparable. That's why TOR browser recommend you to use a VPN
Now its mostly used for bypass the firewall/geo rules as if a country blocks facebook you can use an VPN to get passed the blocks.. or if you want to watch netflix in another county. or to be on the dark web.
And if you have a static public IP and you gaming or just visit shady websites.. Then a VPN will hide your public IP and you can avoid someone getting pissed of that Ddos attacks you or trying to hack your gateway.

VPN is mostly marketed for privacy to normal people. and it does do that too, as it do hide your location. But it don't protect against stupid users.
You disguise yourself with everything to rob your bank you work at.. but to get in to the locked building Instead of blowing a hole in the wall you use your access card... Who will the cops first pay a visit to.
So when it comes to Privacy, VPN is only one small link in a looong chain....... And if you plan to hack NSA.. Then a VPN from home don't cut it.

VPN without customer data collection it exists and i have a strong feeling some shady people that used that VPN service for illegal stuff is very happy right now. *LOL*

I saw this today
Mullvad VPN was subject to a search warrant. Customer data not compromised - Blog | Mullvad VPN

Mullvad VPN was subject to a search warrant. Customer data not compromised

20 April 2023 NEWS

On April 18 at least six police officers from the National Operations Department (NOA) of the Swedish Police visited the Mullvad VPN office in Gothenburg with a search warrant.
They intended to seize computers with customer data.

In line with our policies such customer data did not exist. We argued they had no reason to expect to find what they were looking for and any seizures would therefore be illegal under Swedish law. After demonstrating that this is indeed how our service works and them consulting the prosecutor they left without taking anything and without any customer information.

If they had taken something that would not have given them access to any customer information.

Mullvad have been operating our VPN service for over 14 years. This is the first time our offices have been visited with a search warrant.

F22 Simpilot said:

Mullvad sounds like a mighty fine VPN, especially how they accept Monero (nice marketing selling point), but it still is someone else's computer... And because of that, I will NEVER put 100% faith in ANY VPN. Not even the one I use now.

Now here's something that puts a whole new spin on the news story. What if it was staged? What if Mullvad had a backroom talk with the local PD and had six police officers (because it takes that many, ya know) to conduct the search warrant. Then to just go away without a further judicial inquiry or anything. It's kinda like this nonchalant attitude in the below video clip.

That's why i don't use cloud services as it is someone else computer, and i don't have control over my data on their disks.

Yeah, Mullvad seems to be a good VPN and they have 13years in the business, so if they was bad, they had gone under by now...
Then also to think about that many misses is VPN is only one link in a long chain... and then it is the big question.... why do just you, and you and you want to use an VPN... as it is used for more then one thing.

For me it is super simple, I have a public and static IP, so i use VPN primary to avoid getting Ddos'ed if i stumble on the wrong webpage when i do research... So i don't trying to hide from governments, (i have actually helped them in a few cases.)


If it was staged you say.... It was not posted either in there blog or the swedish tech-forums on 1 April. so it was not an April fools day thing..
Then if it was a scam, then that will come out, as the Swedish police don't classified's search warrant events after they have executed, so it is really easy to check up on.. and then Mullvad will lose all credibility and it's paying customers and get a bad reputation after 13years in the business.
and now it starts to make headlines in tech-news Mullvad VPN Hit With Search Warrant in Attempted Police Raid

So no i have a really hard time believing they would do a thing like that... It would be more likely there site had been hacked and the hackers had posted the message.. but then it had been corrected by now and the rumor of them being hacked had been all over internet.

I liked the Video clip though. that cartoon series can be really fun to watch sometimes.

F22 Simpilot said:

Well, 13 years is nice and all, but there exist crap free VPNs like HotSpot Shield that have been out for just as long if not longer and for some strange reason are still in business. Even though some people know free means they harvest your data....

I'd never use HotSpot Shield due to their past activities.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/techn...a-than-tiktok/

F22 Simpilot said:

Well, 13 years is nice and all, but there exist crap free VPNs like HotSpot Shield that have been out for just as long if not longer and for some strange reason are still in business. Even though some people know free means they harvest your data...

I need to read how Swedish law drafts a search warrant and whatnot. I'm curios to learn more about this investigation that now gives marketing potential to a VPN in an industry where VPNs are all the rage... There must be over 100 different VPN providers these days. It's ridiculous.

as for search warrants it has to go thru a prosecutor and court to be able to get one.. and to get one approved the the penalty value of the crime must have at least 1+year imprisonment on the penalty scale.. or was it 2years.. all rules has exceptions as if some one is in immediate danger, terrorism and that stuff. Then they can get a warrant/go in within a minute or two just by a phone call to the officer in charge.
as for data collection that applies more or less on the whole EU and GDPR all ISP/phone providers must log traffic for some months. i dont remember exactly.. and that data is Time, IP-address source and destination, but not content as that is under the GDPR privacy law.
So they can see i connect to Tenforum, but they can not see what content I'm looking for or write/read. as it is https, they don't see that anyway.. but say it is HTTP site.
So if i log in on a site i sent a threat message. Then they have time and IP i was on and can use 1+1=2 it might have been me.
But in the other way around. Say someone get killed 200yard away from my hose and they think it is me.. and i say.. Noooo i was on a live chat at that time.. Then the data collection logs becomes my alibi so i can prove i was at home.

those VPN company's is not an ISP, so they don't go under that data collection laws.. so you get privacy on what sites you are on from the government/police.. They can still see in the logs that you have an active connection to the VPN with time stamps.

I dont think i missed any vital thing. but basic this is how it works.

Edit
oh... and if they want those logs. it is the same rule as the search warrant.. to get to the logs it has to go thru the court and the the penalty value of the crime must have at least 1-2year imprisonment on the penalty scale to even get to the logs.
Why do you thing some criminals think sweden is paradise. *LOL* wiki-leak and others had its servers in sweden if i remember right.

F22 Simpilot said:

I said "Swiss." Is that correct for where Mulvard is located at? Swed - Swiss, I get them confused. LOL All I know is, we have a hot chocolate in the U.S. called Swiss Miss. LOL!


swiss miss - Google Search

It is easy to mix them up
Proton VPN is in Swiss and Mullvad in Swed.. Proton is good. I have heard many positive things about there services as email, vpn and privacy

Okay.. i had never heard "swiss miss"..... Darn, now i did learn something new today too.. and i who hoped i would manage one simple day without learning something new. *LOL*