İstinye University (ISU) Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Dr. Lecturer Member Reza Kalan answered questions about the risks of VPN use and whether it is legal or not. Underlining that the use of unknown VPNs should be avoided, Kalan warned users by saying, “Many free VPN tools may contain malware that can be used by cybercriminals to steal users’ data or gain unauthorized access to their data or machines.”
With the blocking of access to Instagram, VPN (Virtual Private Network) took its place on our agenda. Those who wanted to access Instagram turned to using VPN. VPN, which has rapidly entered our lives, has also caused question marks. Is it safe to use VPN? Are there any harms of using VPN? Is this a crime? Questions like these came to mind. İstinye University (ISU) Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Dr. Lecturer Member Reza Kalan answered questions about VPN.
“VPN provides secure communication”
Giving information about VPN, Dr. Lecturer Member Reza Kalan describes VPN as “VPN (Virtual Private Network), which means virtual private network, protects its users by encrypting their data and masking their IP addresses. This protection includes getting through the firewall. This provides greater privacy and autonomy by hiding their browsing activity, identity, and location. “VPN provides secure communication thanks to its encryption logic,” he explained.
“Free VPN tools may compromise user security” “Technically a VPN can protect us from some viruses and malware, but not all. “In addition, free VPNs may contain malware that can damage the system or data,” said Kalan, regarding the risks of using a VPN:
“VPN use is legal in most countries, and there is also a commercial sector that provides VPN services. However, free VPN tools can compromise user security. Many free VPN tools may contain malware that can be used by cybercriminals to steal users’ data or gain unauthorized access to their data or machines.”
“A secure VPN can protect us from unauthorized access”
Giving information about whether it is a problem to keep the VPN on all the time, Kalan said, “A secure VPN can protect us against unauthorized access. But the question is, how can we trust VPN providers? For this reason, it is recommended to avoid using unknown VPNs and not to use VPNs unless necessary,” he said about the legal aspect of VPN use:
“VPN is legal and most countries, including the US, Canada, and Europe, use VPN service, and secure VPN companies also provide VPN services (Masala, Nard VPN, Express VPN, and IPvanish). In some countries like Iran, using VPN is illegal and prohibited, but everyone uses VPN.”
“Difference between DNS and VPN”
Referring to the difference between DNS and VPN, Kalan said, “DNS does not contain an encryption algorithm. This means that data is transferred in plain text mode. However, VPN encrypts the data and sends it over the network. Therefore, it can pass through any filter. Because no one knows what kind of data the application is being transmitted to. “Let’s not forget, the first step to prevent users from using VPN is to filter the popular VPN site or application,” he explained, explaining the difference between the two.
“DNS was not designed with security in mind”
Kalan gave the following information about the reliability of DNS addresses circulating on the internet:
“DNS was not designed with security in mind. DNS services like Google, OpenDNS, and Cloudflare offer free solutions, and providers often include basic security features like phishing protection and some level of content filtering. Every transaction we make on the internet can finally be captured by the service provider and we know that every service has a cost. I believe: ‘Free cheese can only be found in a mousetrap.’”
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