Vpn thoughts

DeletedUser443

I have read through many pages here on vpns and I can see most has been covered so I'm not going to ask which is the best vpn

I understand a vpn is a limited security feature overall and part of a package

Does anyone think it matters if a vpn co is using quantum resistant cryptography as some of the leading ones recommended here don't use Quantum resistant encryption yet. Whereas some of the less liked providers here are using it.
One of the leading vpn providers recommended here is based in the 14 eyes but says it doesn't matter. I agree as long as they indeed don't keep logs but how would you ever know. Some of the very low rated vpns here have been raided before and nothing found so even those low rated ones here have proven to be safe as in no logs which proves they are safe too?
Nord and Express etc. Some of the mainstream ones. Is there a reason these are not liked here among privacy people?

argante

DeletedUser443

As long as you are not a high-value target for government agencies, it doesn't really matter. This migration to PQC is already happening, so you shouldn't worry about it.
Consider that a VPN company may claim they don't log anything, but they also have a server in a data center that is monitored and, for example, must cooperate with various agencies. So what difference does if a VPN doesn't log your activity?
Don't look for the most advertised providers, but rather for those with the best reputations. The ones mentioned don't have a good reputation (unless you trust those paid experts at Techlore). In my opinion, Mullvad should be your first choice. NymVPN looks very interesting, but it's a relatively new project.

N1b

DeletedUser443 you ask good questions.

DeletedUser443 Does anyone think it matters if a vpn co is using quantum resistant cryptography

That's one of those "it depends" questions. I like having extra security features, but can we really know what will be cracked 10+ years down the line and whether today's ideas and countermeasures are good enough? It's not bad having it, but personally my VPN choice wouldn't depend on this feature.

DeletedUser443 One of the leading vpn providers recommended here is based in the 14 eyes but says it doesn't matter

It's all about trust, as none of us can truly verify (or falsify) claims. All we do is look at track records and make informed decisions. The recommended VPNs (just to drop some names: Mullvad, Proton VPN, IVPN) have good track records and seem trustworthy from their internet presence, communication and what they put their resources towards. For me the 14 eyes are not that important, as long as the provider is not in a country where gag orders are a thing.

DeletedUser443 Nord and Express etc. Some of the mainstream ones. Is there a reason these are not liked here among privacy people?

Again, it's about trust. Also it's about what you want to achieve with the tool (e.g. circumvent geoblocking works better on such mainstream VPNs compared to privacy friendly VPNs). I think based on the company history (hacks, leaks and how they're dealt with, ownership change etc.) and the website (trackers, dark patterns, shady marketing promises etc.) there are good reasons for privacy focused people to avoid certain VPN companies.

Xtreix

DeletedUser443 Does anyone think it matters if a vpn co is using quantum resistant cryptography

To add a comment to @N1b 's comment, please note that Chromium and Firefox have supported post-quantum encryption for key exchange for some time now, which means that even without a VPN, you can benefit from post-quantum encryption for certain websites, and I am seeing more and more websites using it.

You must use an up-to-date version of Firefox or Chromium. In Chromium, press F12 on this forum page to open DevTools, go to Privacy and Security, Security overview, Origin, Connection, Key exchange : X25519MLKEM768.
The method is similar on Firefox, you need to open DevTools, then go to network, reload the page, privacy and security.

argante

Xtreix My comment is awaiting approval because I think I used a forbidden word. I also wrote that the migration to PQC is already underway, and there's no point in forcing it or worrying about it.

Xtreix

argante Yes, and I think it's more interesting to have a native deployment rather than forcing it through a VPN, at least everyone can benefit from it. Of course, the obstacle is that the website has to use it, but as I wrote, I'm seeing it being used more and more, which is cool.

argante

Xtreix Communications of high-value targets are logged despite cryptography. If someone has the resources, they might be tempted to attempt to crack the key. Sometimes, there are weaknesses in the implementation, making such attacks much easier. In most cases, it shouldn't matter whether someone uses current algorithms or migrates to PQC.

I find the approach to communication patterns more interesting. Mullvad implemented DAITA. Unfortunately, this causes all traffic to glow like a beacon, immediately recognizing that it's Mullvad's DAITA. AmneziaWG takes a different approach, attempting to mask WireGuard as if it were different protocols. NymVPN adopted this approach.

Xtreix

argante That's interesting, but since I'm not an expert in cryptology, I can't answer in detail. I read the article you published about Session, I have read several articles by this author. I never used Session simply because I was already using Signal (Molly now).

I think DAITA and Nym's mixnet are cool, at least based on my limited understanding, I haven't looked into AmneziaWG yet, I only know the website. I don't know how to respond when you write that all DAITA traffic shines like a beacon. Here is the source I read to learn more about DAITA, do you use a VPN yourself ?

argante

Xtreix Here is a good video on YouTube from THO.

DAITA makes every packet on the network look the same and adds empty packets. This makes it difficult to use ML/AI to analyze network traffic. However, DAITA is highly visible because it is unnatural to typical network traffic. If someone is monitoring traffic from an exit node, DAITA connections can be easily spotted. If, for example, an unusual sequence can be found in the data transfer intervals, even with DAITA, the user's hidden IP address can be discovered. This will be much more difficult, but it seems possible.

AmneziaWG takes a different approach. The WireGuard protocol is very easy to detect in network traffic. Therefore, AmneziaWG attempts to impersonate other network protocols to make the connection to the VPN server less noticeable.