What VPN do you use to combat NSA spying?

Now that the news about PRISM is out and we all know our Evil Government is illegally spying on it's citizens the use of VPN's (Virtual Private Networks) are on the rise. A google search tuns up tons of hits on " How to protect yourself from the NSA" - It's sad that we have to protect ourselves from our own government.

For the purposes of this thread I want to know which VPN do you use? What do you like about it and why? It is my hopes this thread will help others find a VPN that's right for them.

There are many good paid and free VPN services. I use the Free VPNDirect Lite. It has high speeds, and unlimited bandwidth on it's one American "Free" server that comes with the Lite version. You can sign up for the price of a webmail address (you dont need to give real info, just a valid e-mail). Connect and choose the free server. I like this VPN because it allows me to watch videos and download torrents due to it's unlimited bandwidth. Most Free VPN services give you a bandwidth cap for browsing only, no media or downloading of large files. VPNDirect also doesn't keep any logs.

As always, if you use a VPN you should also use a google alternative that does not track you or keep logs such as StartPage and the HTTP Everywhere plugin to make sure you only go to secure websites that are encrypted..

Which do you use? Paid or Free, what do you like about it and why?

Loki VPN but careful she is witch

I use several programs available from the Tor Project such as Tor Browser and have used HideMyAss for proxy servers and IP's. I find they both work great and are pretty secure.

Is there really anything you can do besides not using electronics? Wouldn't the use of VPN's put up red flags?

Just curious is all

I also use the Tor browser bundle, but unfortunately not when I want to post on ATS, because I will then receive a message about anonymous posting not allowed. I will keep that bit in my sig until the Admin decides to address that issue.

I also no longer use Google but instead I use duckduckgo.com because they do not keep records. I have never used facebook and never will. When I do have to use IE, like now for instance I also have a plugin that blocks trackers. How odd that since I installed that the ads on ATS do not reflect my search habits like they used to.

Just don't forget this site was either taken over by outside interests, or sold out to profit many years ago. I still have not quite figured out which.

HMA has a history of rolling over on you. Actually, pretty much any VPN service will. And TOR can be compromised by NSA running endpoints.

reply to post by JohnPhoenix


Why bother? They have had backdoors into your OS since the internet was first planned.

Like was mentioned by someone else: all this technology originated in government labs and was given to private industry when the government had a plan for it. The plan: have us pay them for the equipment they will spy on us with, and brainwash us with. Worked pretty well, huh?

I am hiding in plain sight, it's never failed me before.

There are simply too many stupid dangerous people that take up their resources before they ever take a second look at me.

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by JohnPhoenix

 

Why bother? They have had backdoors into your OS since the internet was first planned.

ugh

Yes and they've invented invibility suits and are standing right behind you as you type anyway.

Can you tell me how they're in your OS since the first one? I bet you can't without googleing it, and then copy/pasting a bunch of pseudo gobbledegook that you cannot explain without relying on someone, with probably no experience in it, explaining it to you..

They're in your corn flakes man, cerially. I should know, I ate cornflakes once and saw a decoder ring in the box !! oO

...

OP, while I don't think it's all a bad idea to use vpns if you need to.. I really think this is just paranoia.

I see a bunch of people here saying they use tor and the onion router network, but god damn it's slow. Proxy servers in other countries, slow.

I dunno, I'm not the one to say I've got nothing to hide. I am not that important, but I don't want them reading my email either.

Lets all write our own vpn. Our own encryption methods. it's all a bit like writing letters with lemon juice...

I use paid service IPredator based in Sweden.

They dont keep ip address logs

Originally posted by iamhobo
Is there really anything you can do besides not using electronics? Wouldn't the use of VPN's put up red flags?

Just curious is all

Yeah, my own thoughts coincide pretty well with yours. If your computer were to ever be seized for some reason, and the authorities see that your system is set up to use a VPN, then that's going to raise major eyebrows. How could it not?

Consider the case of hard drive encryption, which hides all of the actual contents of part or all of the drive. The mere discovery that part of all one's hard drive is encrypted is a major flag of concern to authorities. The courts can (and very likely will) legally declare the encrypted portion(s) of a drive to be evidence and therefore legally order that the encryption be bypassed to reveal the contents of the drive. There is no constitutional protection against this.

Aside from all of this, is there any real protection that comes with using a VPN? There are cases in which various online criminals have been located and found and prosecuted, in spite of them having attempted to keep themselves hidden behind all manner of proxies, VPN's, firewalls, etc., and so forth.

I like the idea of using a VPN as much as anyone, but it just seems that all effort to hide one's identity and activity online is ultimately futile.

Originally posted by Bedlam
HMA has a history of rolling over on you. Actually, pretty much any VPN service will.

If they have logs to turn over, you're probably right. I think HMA did turn over some logs when asked for them.

Some people say they use a VPN that keeps no logs, so in that case there would be nothing to turn over I suppose, regarding past connections. But I don't suppose that would stop them from "wiretapping" your current VPN connections or something along those lines.

I don't use a VPN but I've thought about it and read a few articles. After reading about all this spying stuff maybe I should look into it some more.

reply to post by winofiend


I had already googled. it. No need to do it now.

Seriously....i was looking into OS's a few years back for the whole TOR world. What i found out was that there was really no way to do anything with anonymity without being far more savvy than I am. And I am fairly savvy.

The backdoor was built into Linux in the 90's, according to some comments made by an early developer.

But if you want, I can talk wine with you without Googleing it. Would that make you any higher? I am no sommalier, but I know enough.

I'd think it's pointless trying to hide your IP because every file, page, whatever you access has to be ultimately delivered to your actual IP address otherwise you wouldn't receive it. So no matter how anonymous you might like to think you are, you're not. Sure you can complicate the path and suffer dramatic slowdown but invisibility just can't happen unless you pull the plug and talk to people in person quietly in secluded places.

How do you know any of that crap works? Its the NSA you are talking about, not some pathetic moron in a basement, with a skin condition and a bulk pack of potato chips next to him.

reply to post by Arbitrageur


VPN services can be compelled by CALEA to funnel a copy of the traffic to the gubmint, for foreign ones I imagine if they wanted it badly enough they could mitm attack VPN nicely.

I don't. I understand what it is and why it's needed, and I'm not paranoid.

I think VPNs are worth it. Just for the fact that you can use them in public wifi to encrypt the data coming out of your PC or phone it's worth it.

For the anonymity, just remember the bear principle.

So, IMO, if you use some public wifi, it's worth it just for the VPN encrypted tunnel. The other 'protections' it provides, even though they are not perfect, are better than nothing.

I'm not dumb enough to think every single thing isn't recorded SO I TELL THE TRUTH.

Originally posted by Bedlam
reply to post by Arbitrageur

 

VPN services can be compelled by CALEA to funnel a copy of the traffic to the gubmint, for foreign ones I imagine if they wanted it badly enough they could mitm attack VPN nicely.

That's pretty cool when you answer a question I didn't even ask yet, as I would have asked about the foreign services. I guess a mitm approach would be possible for those as you say, seeing as how the gubmint is so cozy with the ISPs etc.

So I'm wondering if there's really a benefit to the VPN. Seems if they really want to spy on people the VPN won't stop them, though I suppose in some cases it might slow them down a little.
I also wonder if using a VPN makes a person a greater target for spying interest.