Those logs provided sufficient evidence to corroborate the FBI’s case against him. HideMyAss says it never logged the contents of internet traffic, but it did record the IP address of Kretsinger’s device and timestamps of when he connected and disconnected to the VPN. When investigators approached HMA with a court order, the company complied by handing over information that ultimately led to Kretsinger’s arrest. Cody Kretsinger attempted to use HMA to hide his involvement in an attack on Sony Pictures and the PlayStation Network. In 2011, UK-based HideMyAss catapulted into notoriety after it handed over evidence that resulted in the arrest of one of its users. Furthermore, logs that tie account IDs to email addresses and connection metadata can be used to corroborate an individual user’s activity. IP addresses, in particular, are often included in connection logs and are unique to every device connected to the internet. Most of this stuff is pretty harmless and just used for diagnostic purposes, but some of it can be used to trace activity back to a specific user. Connection logs, also called diagnostic or usage logs, include metadata like timestamps of when you connect and disconnect, how much data you transfer, and which VPN server you last connected to. Often, the “no logs” claim refers solely to traffic logs, which include the actual contents of internet traffic, such as websites visited, messages, emails, purchases, searches, etc.īut many VPN providers who advertise as logless in fact record and store data on users other than traffic logs. A logless VPN provider doesn’t keep records of its users’ activity while they connect to the VPN. Nowadays, every VPN worth its salt plasters “no logs” or something similar across its website homepage. Currently, this is the case for every VPN, and there’s no alternative but to simply trust the provider won’t log that information. During the decryption process on the server, the VPN provider has the opportunity to sneak a peek at your unencrypted internet traffic. When connected to a VPN, data is encrypted on your device, then sent to the VPN server where it is decrypted before going on to its destination on the internet. Before you sign up for a ‘Best VPN service’ I recommend you read this article. While plenty of providers have proven to be trustworthy, you’ll find no shortage of critics who decry the VPN industry as a whole based on the inherent vulnerabilities that allow such misconduct to occur.Īll of the VPNs listed in this article have had major privacy failings exposed, yet many still feature as ‘highly recommended’ or ‘Editor’s choice’ on well known tech publications where they spend thousands on advertising. Incidents such as these sow doubt into the minds of consumers. In this article, I’ll cover several privacy-related incidents in which VPN providers failed to live up to their privacy claims. Sometimes, that trust is abused and users’ personal details are exposed. But using a VPN still requires a significant degree of trust in the VPN provider that operates the servers and makes the app. Connecting through a VPN is a fantastic way for anyone to improve their online privacy and security.
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