Privacy VPN

privacyvpn

Today, privacy is increasingly at risk, and restrictions are common; it's vital to have tools that keep us safe and anonymous online. Proxies and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are two such tools that play a crucial role. They help hide our identity, encrypt our data, and even let us access content that might otherwise be blocked. But they're not just about staying hidden – they also have complex technical aspects, like how they encrypt information and route internet traffic. This article dives into the details of proxies and VPNs, explaining how they work in simple terms and showing how they can help us navigate the web more securely. Proxies and VPNs Proxies and VPNs stand as essential intermediaries, but their roles and functionalities are different. Proxies are between users and the internet, intercepting and forwarding requests from the user's device to online resources. They operate by masking the user's IP address, enhancing , and giving access to restricted content. privacy VPNs establish a secure, encrypted connection over the internet, creating a private network even within public networks, such as WiFis. By encrypting all transmitted data, VPNs ensure confidentiality and anonymity, shielding user information from potential eavesdroppers. Mechanisms Behind Proxies Protocols: Specializing in handling HTTP requests, HTTP proxies are optimized for web browsing activities. They intercept and forward HTTP traffic. HTTP Proxies: Designed to handle encrypted HTTP traffic, HTTPS proxies ensure secure communication with websites that implement HTTPS protocols. By intercepting and decrypting HTTPS traffic, these proxies provide an additional layer of security and privacy for users browsing sensitive websites or transmitting confidential information. HTTPS Proxies: SOCKS proxies can manage various protocols and applications beyond HTTP. They operate at a lower level of the network stack, allowing them to handle a wide range of internet traffic, including HTTP, FTP, and SMTP. This makes SOCKS proxies suitable for activities such as online gaming, file sharing, and email communication. SOCKS Proxies: SSH proxies utilize the SSH protocol to create encrypted tunnels for securely transmitting internet traffic. SSH proxies offer enhanced security and privacy, particularly when accessing sensitive resources or communicating over untrusted networks. Users can leverage SSH proxies to route their traffic through SSH servers, encrypting data transmissions and protecting against eavesdropping and tampering. SSH Proxies: These protocols are often utilized to secure communication between clients and proxy servers. SSL and TLS encryption ensure the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted through proxies, mitigating the risk of interception or tampering by malicious entities. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security): VPN Operations VPNs leverage encryption and tunneling protocols to establish secure connections and protect user data from interception or tampering. Encryption and Tunneling: has robust security features and flexibility, OpenVPN is an open-source protocol widely used for creating VPN connections. OpenVPN: operating at the IP layer, IPSec encrypts packets to ensure secure data transmission, making it vital for VPN security. IPSec: combines the advantages of Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol with IPSec, providing enhanced security and data integrity. L2TP/IPSec: Examples and Applications To illustrate the practical significance of proxies and VPNs, consider the following scenarios: Imagine a user residing in a country with censorship laws, attempting to access social media platforms or news websites blocked by the government. By utilizing a VPN, the user can bypass geo-restrictions and access the desired content securely and anonymously. When connecting to public Wi-Fi networks in coffee shops or airports, users expose themselves to potential security risks, including eavesdropping and data interception. By activating a VPN on their device, users can encrypt their internet traffic and protect their sensitive information from malicious actors. In essence, proxies and VPNs play indispensable roles in online privacy, anonymity, and security. By understanding their mechanisms and applications, users can navigate the web with confidence, knowing they have tools at their disposal to protect their online presence. Exploring Proxies and VPNs in Detail Proxies: Varieties and Configurations Residential vs. Data Center Proxies Residential proxies emulate authentic residential IP addresses, imbuing them with high reliability and authenticity. They are particularly valuable for tasks that demand genuine residential presence, such as social media management. Data Center Proxies Data center proxies reside within data centers, offering fast connections and scalability. However, their centralized nature makes them susceptible to detection and blocking by certain websites and services. Static vs. Dynamic IPs Static IP addresses remain consistent over time, making them ideal for applications that necessitate stable identification or access. Businesses often utilize static IPs for hosting services, remote access, and ensuring uninterrupted connectivity. Dynamic IP addresses are assigned dynamically, enhancing anonymity and complicating tracking efforts. This feature is particularly advantageous for users seeking to obfuscate their online activities or frequently change their digital fingerprints. IPv4 vs. IPv6: IPv4, the longstanding internet protocol, faces challenges stemming from the limit of available addresses. IPv6, with its expanded address space, offers a solution to address the limitations of IPv4. With a bigger number of unique IP addresses, IPv6 ensures the longevity of IP addressing and supports the growth of the internet ecosystem. VPNs: Features and Configurations Split Tunneling: It empowers users to route specific traffic through the VPN while directing other traffic directly to the internet. This flexibility optimizes performance and resource utilization, allowing users to prioritize sensitive data while conserving bandwidth for non-sensitive activities. Kill Switch: A vital component of VPN security, the kill switch automatically disconnects the user from the internet if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly. By preemptively severing the connection, the kill switch prevents data leakage and protects user privacy, ensuring uninterrupted protection against potential threats. DNS Leak Protection: It is vital for preserving user privacy and anonymity. By ensuring that all DNS requests are routed through the VPN tunnel, this feature prevents DNS leaks that could compromise user privacy by inadvertently revealing their browsing activity to third parties. Use Cases, Why People Choose Proxies and VPNs Proxies and VPNs serve diverse purposes for the needs of individual users, businesses, and organizations. Accessing Geo-Restricted Content One of the primary reasons people turn to proxies and VPNs is to access geo-restricted content. For example, imagine a user residing in a country where certain streaming services or websites are inaccessible due to regional restrictions. By leveraging a VPN or proxy, the user can route their internet traffic through servers located in other regions, effectively bypassing geo-blocks and gaining access to the desired content. Security Another crucial aspect is enhancing online security. Proxies and VPNs encrypt internet traffic, thereby protecting sensitive data from interception and eavesdropping. This is particularly crucial when using public Wi-Fi networks, where the risk of data breaches is higher. For instance, consider a tourist accessing their bank account or making online purchases using public Wi-Fi at an airport. By using a VPN, they can encrypt their data, ensuring that their financial information remains secure from potential threats. Anonymous Browsing Privacy concerns are another driving factor behind the adoption of proxies and VPNs. By masking IP addresses and encrypting data transmissions, these tools enable users to browse the internet anonymously, shielding them from surveillance by ISPs, government agencies, and malicious entities. For example, a journalist working on a sensitive investigative report may use a VPN to conceal their online activities and protect their sources from potential danger. Business Applications Proxies and VPNs facilitate market research by enabling companies to gather data from different regions without revealing their true identity. Proxies and VPNs are indispensable for brand protection, ad verification, and managing multiple accounts securely. For instance, a marketing agency may utilize proxies to monitor competitor activity or verify the placement and performance of online ads across different platforms and regions. Consider a remote worker accessing their company's internal network from a coffee shop using public Wi-Fi. To ensure the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive corporate data, the worker connects to the company's VPN. This creates a secure tunnel through which all communication flows, protecting the data from interception or unauthorized access by malicious actors. Examples: Secure Remote Access: Privacy and Anonymity Matter Masking IPs A fundamental aspect of privacy protection involves masking the user's IP address. Proxies and VPNs accomplish this by substituting the user's real IP address with that of the proxy server or VPN server. By concealing their IP address, users can thwart attempts by websites and 3rd parties to track their online activities or pinpoint their geographic location. Encrypting Data VPNs employ robust encryption protocols to secure all data transmitted between the user's device and the VPN server. By encrypting this data, VPNs ensure confidentiality and integrity, thwarting attempts by malicious attackers to intercept or tamper with sensitive information. This encryption is particularly crucial when using public Wi-Fi networks, where the risk of data interception is heightened. Using Proxies and VPNs System Configuration Deploying proxies or VPNs begins with configuring them across different devices and platforms to secure all network traffic effectively. This involves: Install and configure proxy or VPN client software on computers to establish encrypted connections and route internet traffic through designated servers. Users can customize settings such as server selection, encryption protocols, and privacy features to tailor their experience. PCs and Laptops: Configure proxies or VPNs directly on routers to extend security and privacy protection to all devices connected to the network. This centralized approach ensures that all network traffic, including IoT devices and smart appliances, is encrypted and routed through the proxy or VPN server. Routers: Install and configure proxy or VPN applications on smartphones to safeguard data transmissions and protect privacy while on the go. Mobile users can enjoy seamless access to geo-restricted content and enhanced security features, such as automatic Wi-Fi protection and ad blocking. Mobile Devices: Application Integration Integrating proxies or VPNs into applications and web browsers Many applications and web browsers offer built-in support for proxies or VPNs, allowing users to configure and enable these services directly within the application settings. This simplifies the setup process and ensures that all application traffic is encrypted and routed through the proxy or VPN server while other traffic goes using your direct connection or other proxies and VPNs. Built-in Support: Users can install plug-ins or extensions to enable this functionality. They provide additional customization options and may offer features such as automatic connection on startup or per-tab proxy routing. Plug-ins and Extensions: If you want to learn more about privacy and anonymity online, read and follow or for posts and updates on these topics. my article about digital fingerprints me on LinkedIn here

Proxies, VPNs: Your Online Privacy, Anonymity and More

প্রক্সি, ভিপিএন: আপনার অনলাইন গোপনীয়তা, বেনামী এবং আরও অনেক কিছু

Proxys, VPNs: Ihre Online-Privatsphäre, Anonymität und mehr

Proxies, VPN: su privacidad en línea, anonimato y más

Proxies, VPN : votre confidentialité en ligne, votre anonymat et bien plus encore

प्रॉक्सी, वीपीएन: आपकी ऑनलाइन गोपनीयता, गुमनामी और बहुत कुछ

プロキシ、VPN: オンラインのプライバシー、匿名性など

프록시, VPN: 온라인 개인정보 보호, 익명성 등

Proxies, VPNs: sua privacidade online, anonimato e muito mais

Прокси, VPN: ваша конфиденциальность в Интернете, анонимность и многое другое

Proxy'ler, VPN'ler: Çevrimiçi Gizliliğiniz, Anonimliğiniz ve Daha Fazlası

Proxy, VPN: Quyền riêng tư, ẩn danh trực tuyến của bạn và hơn thế nữa

代理、VPN：您的在线隐私、匿名等

As marks its tenth anniversary, it's not only an opportunity to chart our own growth but also to consider how our development mirrors changes in the wider VPN industry. In a decade, both VPN Unlimited and the sector it belongs to have witnessed tectonic shifts, from technological advancements to shifts in global internet policies. VPN Unlimited 10 Years of VPN Security The following years have seen a surge in both threats to digital privacy and awareness of such risks among the general public. This heightened awareness translated into an increased demand for VPN services. Our user base — scaling from 80,000 in our first year to 37 million in 2023 — mirrors this surge and indicates the mainstreaming of VPNs as a necessary tool for digital life. From an industry standpoint, the expansion of server locations and the introduction of more robust protocols like IKEv2, OpenVPN, and WireGuard by VPN Unlimited and its peers were not just enhancements; they were responses to a rapidly changing digital landscape. The escalating sophistication of cyber threats required an equivalent evolution in security technology. Additionally, as online censorship in various countries was growing, the demand for effective solutions to bypass these restrictions has also increased. KeepSolid Wise protocol was developed to allow individuals in these restrictive environments to circumvent online censorship and regain their online freedoms. This innovative protocol has become a symbol of resilience for those living in regions with pervasive internet censorship, highlighting the role of technology in upholding the principles of a free and open internet. The inclusion of features such as a kill switch, trusted networks, and the capability to conduct DNS leak tests in VPN Unlimited also clearly reflects the evolving landscape of the VPN industry. The kill switch, for instance, ensures that users' internet connections are automatically severed if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly, preventing potential data exposure. Trusted networks allow users to specify safe networks where the VPN should automatically disconnect, improving convenience without compromising security. Furthermore, the ability to perform DNS leak tests underscores the industry's commitment to transparency and accountability, enabling users to verify that their DNS requests remain private and protected. These features collectively demonstrate the VPN industry's dedication to adapting and staying ahead of emerging security challenges to provide users with the utmost protection and peace of mind while online. Moreover, the proliferation of devices and platforms necessitated a change. VPN Unlimited's extension from iOS to include Android, Windows, Linux, and even browser extensions reflects an industry-wide pivot to cater to a broader range of users with an array of devices. The industry's movement towards router, NAS, and streaming device compatibility indicates a holistic approach to user security — protecting everything, not just the computer or phone. The jump from a handful of servers to over 3000 across 80+ locations reflects another industry trend: the demand for not just more, but also strategically placed servers to ensure performance and reliability. This escalation is a direct response to users' growing need for consistent and fast connections, highlighting that today’s VPN users are as concerned about speed and stability as they are about privacy. Privacy policies within VPN Unlimited and across the industry have become more transparent and user-focused over the years, particularly with the implementation of no-logs policies. The legislative environment surrounding digital privacy has become a labyrinth of international laws, and the industry's commitment to user privacy has been tested and reinforced through these policies. No-logs policies are a big deal for VPNs because they make sure they don't keep tabs on what you do online. It's like having your own secret online hideout that's off the radar, keeping you safe from prying eyes and legal requests for your data. These policies are very important, especially if you're in fields like journalism or activism, where staying anonymous is a must, and also, if you want to dodge data leaks in case of a breach. Customer support has seen a paradigm shift as well. In the case of VPN Unlimited, the progression from email-only support to 24/7 live chat services signifies an industry-wide elevation in customer service standards. Users today expect instantaneous, round-the-clock support, and VPN services have adapted accordingly. Pricing and services have also evolved. The tiered subscription models, lifetime access plans, and the introduction of features like personal servers and static IPs are responses to a marketplace where users seek tailored solutions. VPN Unlimited's diversified offerings reflect the industry's move towards providing more personalized, flexible services. The Bloggers Mode feature is one of the recent additions to VPN Unlimited. It works by hiding the user's real IP address within the application interface, a practical solution for those who frequently share screen recordings or live streams, where accidental exposure of sensitive information can occur. It's a response to concerns like DDoS attacks against streamers or the vulnerabilities associated with using public WiFi networks. This development in VPN Unlimited's offerings reflects a wider trend in the VPN industry, where services are increasingly offering features tailored to the unique challenges of different user groups, moving beyond general anonymity to address specific online privacy and security needs. As the VPN industry has had to confront the public's rising concerns over data breaches, VPN Unlimited's untarnished record of no data leaks illustrates an industry imperative: to maintain and build trust with users through impeccable security records. In summary, as VPN Unlimited celebrates a decade of service, we are reminded that our story is part of a larger narrative. Our growth from a simple VPN provider to a multifaceted service with millions of users mirrors the evolution of an industry that has grown in complexity, sophistication, and importance. The last ten years have seen VPNs move from a niche tool to an essential component of online life, a reflection of the changing times and the industry’s response to an ever-more interconnected world. As we look to the future, VPN Unlimited, like the industry we're a part of, will continue to adapt, innovate, and anticipate the needs of an increasingly digital society. P.S. Get ready for our Black Friday Event! This is your golden opportunity to at unbeatable prices. Don't miss out on this chance to enhance your online experience with top-notch security and privacy. Stay tuned, and be the first to grab these exclusive deals. secure VPN Unlimited

A Decade of VPN Evolution: How VPN Unlimited Reflects the Changing Landscape of Online Security

ভিপিএন বিবর্তনের এক দশক: কীভাবে ভিপিএন আনলিমিটেড অনলাইন নিরাপত্তার পরিবর্তনশীল ল্যান্ডস্কেপকে প্রতিফলিত করে

Ein Jahrzehnt der VPN-Entwicklung: Wie VPN Unlimited die sich verändernde Landschaft der Online-Sicherheit widerspiegelt

Una década de evolución de VPN: cómo VPN Unlimited refleja el panorama cambiante de la seguridad en línea

Une décennie d'évolution du VPN : comment VPN Unlimited reflète le paysage changeant de la sécurité en ligne

वीपीएन विकास का एक दशक: कैसे वीपीएन अनलिमिटेड ऑनलाइन सुरक्षा के बदलते परिदृश्य को दर्शाता है

10 年間の VPN 進化: オンライン セキュリティの変化する状況を VPN Unlimited がどのように反映しているか

VPN 진화의 10년: VPN Unlimited가 변화하는 온라인 보안 환경을 반영하는 방법

Uma década de evolução da VPN: como a VPN Unlimited reflete as mudanças no cenário da segurança online

Десятилетие эволюции VPN: как VPN Unlimited отражает меняющуюся ситуацию в онлайн-безопасности

On Yıllık VPN Gelişimi: VPN Unlimited, Çevrimiçi Güvenliğin Değişen Ortamını Nasıl Yansıtıyor?

Một thập kỷ phát triển của VPN: VPN Unlimited phản ánh bối cảnh đang thay đổi của bảo mật trực tuyến như thế nào

VPN 十年的演变：VPN Unlimited 如何反映不断变化的在线安全格局

The history of hacking is a history of ambiguities. Some chapters are rich and entertaining; others filled with code lines and functions that can bore to death. There's a hooded cyber criminal somewhere in Holywood spreading chaos in the digital sphere. Then there's Elliot from Mr. Robot fighting the good fight. In this sense, hacking is as vivid as life itself, or, to quote Stephen Hawking "I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image." There's one key take away from this analogy - cybersecurity is a complex organism, and we at NordVPN had to find our fit in digital life. And we found it in the sphere of digital privacy. VPNs were primarily developed for business security, but our goal was to adjust it for personal use. Alongside Antiviruses and Firewalls, we defined precise boundaries in which we function and concrete cyber threats that our service neutralizes. In this article, we'd like to illuminate where exactly a VPN fits in the context of cybersecurity. And what online dangers will no longer be your problem while using it. What is a VPN? VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, and it's an online privacy protection oriented cybersecurity software. NordVPN establishes a secure and encrypted tunnel between users' devices and one of its servers and reroutes all data-traffic through the chosen server. Encryption and no-logs policy ensure user' privacy and safe data transit. Moreover, IP address obfuscation further contributes to online safety and freedom of information on the Internet. Because of this VPN is a crucial part of a broader cybersecurity package. Firewalls guard outgoing and incoming traffic at a port level against viruses and malware; meanwhile, Antiviruses scan the data on the device for the same dangers. VPN is somewhere in between these two, protecting users' connection to the Internet and granting it privacy. VPN encryption benefits At the very core of a high-quality VPN is strong encryption with talented cryptography experts to adapt it for online safety. NordVPN uses Advanced Encryption Standard with 256-bit key size. However, our cryptographers and programmers worked tirelessly to implement NordLynx, a WireGuard based protocol with symmetric ChaCha20 encryption, which is predicted to become one of the most advanced encryption algorithms in the near future. Even though IP obfuscation and no-logs policies are essential to NordVPN integrity, it's the encryption that forges a strong defence against some popular hacking techniques. Data is the new currency, and scandals such as Cambridge Analytica proved that some people would go great lengths to obtain it. On the other hand, in the United States, , making the use of a VPN even more important. Internet Service Providers can collect and sell user-data legally MITM attacks protection Man In The Middle attack is among the most popular hacking techniques, with an astonishing variety of attack scenarios. Some are easily executable, such as Evil Twin attack, others, such as SSL hijacking, are a bit harder, but the rewards for the cybercriminal can be great. A successful MITM attack can snatch someone's banking credentials, or even lead to some corporate secrets exposed. But, first of all, what is a MITM attack? Man In The Middle attack is a cyber-attack where the attacker secretly tries to intercept the communication between two parties that believe they are communicating only with each other. Usually extracting the information is a primary goal, but not always. Sometimes the communication can be altered and modified to spread misinformation, and sometimes the purpose of MITM attack is to stop the communication altogether. One of the most popular and most accessible MITM methods is Evil Twin or Fake Wireless Access Point (Fake WAP) attack. It requires little hacking in the traditional sense of the word. The attacker sets up a wireless access point, usually in a public place, like Starbucks, airport, or local library. The name of this hotspot resembles an authentic wireless access point, and some unsuspecting victims connect to it. Then the attacker can start monitoring their traffic in hopes to catch something juicy. The attacker may as well force the user to download malware for future exploits. NordVPN can protect against Evil Twin attacks. Applied encryption ensures that whatever you're doing online is your business only. The attacker will see meaningless gibberish because your traffic is encrypted using the latest encryption standards, and decrypting it is nearly impossible with the technology at hand. However, don't lose your guard and always be on a lookout for suspicious networks, and do online shopping only on trusted ones. Another MITM attack that a VPN protects from is DNS hijacking. DNS stands for Domain Name System, and it translates web page names (such as Hackernoon.com) into IP addresses to direct your traffic to. This can be hijacked and modified, and instead of sending your traffic to a target destination, cybercriminal redirects it for his or her own gains. Instead of an online shop, you might be redirected to a fake mirror page, where you will make purchases and lose money. Because NordVPN takes control of your access to the Internet, we use our own DNS resolver to resolve DNS queries securely. Combine this with an encrypted tunnel, no-logs policies, and CyberSec feature for phishing protection and you get a robust cybersecurity tool, perfectly capable of protecting your online-data from espionage. More about Nord Security was developed by Nord Security, a multinational company offering everyday cybersecurity solutions. With a growing global user base of 14 million, NordVPN is a leader among VPN providers. To protect user privacy, NordVPN operates out of Panama — a jurisdiction without data retention laws. NordVPN The company has recently been taking big steps towards becoming “more than just a VPN,” with the launch of several features beyond your regular virtual private network. One such feature is , offering ad and tracker blocking and protection against malware. Threat Protection Nord Security offers several other cybersecurity products: — an encrypted password manager NordPass — file encryption and storage NordLocker — a VPN for businesses NordLayer How much does NordVPN cost? has three pricing plans: 2-year, 1-year, and monthly. The 2-year plan offers the best value at $3.29/month for two years (taken as one payment of $78.96). NordVPN The 1-year plan is the second-best option for value, offering 39% off right now. You’ll pay $59.88, amounting to $4.99 per month. You can also pay monthly, but the cost increases to $11.99/month. NordVPN often has special deals and discounts, especially with the 2-year subscription plans. Right now, NordVPN’s “Back to school” offer will save you 65% and gift you three free months of service. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee that’ll guarantee a full refund if you’re unhappy with the service. Customer Support at NordVPN NordVPN offers 24/7 customer support that helps users solve any issues and make the most of their cybersecurity products. You can reach the support team via chat or email. For more information about NordVPN’s products and services and cybersecurity news, visit . You’ll find answers to your technical questions on how to use NordVPN in the . the NordVPN blog FAQ section

Privacy Protection In The Context of Cybersecurity

Free WiFi has become so ubiquitous that you’d be hard-pressed to find a Starbucks that does not offer it. People rarely give it a second thought when browsing in a cafe or even using public Wi Fi for business . Unfortunately, such carelessness may come at a price, as public hotspots make it quite easy to hack your device and steal sensitive data. Let’s look at what risks free WiFi poses and what you can do about it. to stay productive What Is Public WiFi? Essentially, public WiFi is any WiFi hotspot that does not require authentication so that anyone can jump in. Such hotspots are usually hosted by cafes, restaurants, coffee shops, and similar businesses. Nowadays, the practice has become so ubiquitous people rarely wonder if it is safe to use public WiFi. In fact, many users set their phones to connect to discovered public networks automatically. While it might save you some mobile data, this approach also creates considerable concerns about free WiFi security. Is Free WiFi Safe? Picture yourself in your local Starbucks casually browsing the web while waiting for your order. Whatever thoughts you might have at that moment, “Is it safe to use WiFi at Starbucks” would probably not be among them. Unfortunately, the dangers of using public WiFi are very real. Having unrestricted access may be great for consumers, but it has a significant downside – it essentially allows people on the network to do things that you won’t be comfortable with. Of course, sharing a network with a hacker is not the same as handing your phone to them. Modern phones and web services have many layers of protection that provide a certain level of public WiFi safety. Think of it as a room with valuable possessions. They are not in plain view, as you have locked most of them in drawers or even in a strongbox. This might be enough not to let a stranger steal them, yet you’ll probably not feel good about it. The same goes for public WiFi. With the right tools, anyone in the coffee shop can gather data from unprotected devices and, given enough time and luck, crack it open. There are numerous ways to do that: Snooping/Sniffing Man-in-the-middle attacks Honeypots (faux hotspots) Unencrypted connections Malware While only some of them will be available to a hacker in each situation, the sheer range of possibilities should give you an idea on how secure is Starbucks WiFi. Is McDonald’s WiFi safe? Okay, so Starbucks is probably not the best place to connect to the Internet. How about other amenities, then? Do they fare better in terms of public WiFi protection? They can be, but, unfortunately, there is no way to tell. Companies do not publish any information on policies in this field – in part because not all have them. So, essentially, you are at the mercy of a person who set up the network – and even then, there’s not much they can do to secure it completely. Is Airport WiFi Safe? What about more serious organizations like airports? Sure these people know a thing or two about safety protocols? Well, not really. Public WiFi safety is simply outside the scope of the majority of companies in the hospitality sector. So while you may feel safer when you ditch the Starbucks’ hotspot and connect to the airport’s one instead, it is a gamble in each case. You might get out unharmed or hand all your passwords to someone, and choosing between free hotspots does nothing to improve your odds. Read more: How to Prevent Data Breaches: Rules for Safe Internet Connection How to Protect Yourself on Public WiFi Now that we’re done with the question “Is Starbucks WiFi safe?” we can move on to “What can I do about it?” While you cannot eliminate all possible risks, you can still reduce them significantly. Be Vigilant The first and probably the most important point is good . Time and time again, studies show that a . This can be anything from poor configuration to installing suspicious applications. To avoid joining these ranks, remember to: cybersecurity hygiene human factor is the leading cause of data breaches Create strong passwords Protect sensitive accounts with two-factor authentication Pay attention to authentic links Be picky about what you agree to Reserve sensitive operations for trusted networks Stay Away from Public WiFi At first glance, this may not seem like the right solution. However, once you think about it, it actually makes sense. Aside from being risky, public networks rarely provide a good internet connection, which sort of defeats the purpose of using them in the first place. At the same time, a in the recent decade, making it a feasible alternative. There are even several ways to share WiFi with friends, although . mobile Internet has been moving in strides some are better than others Not only that, modern portable modems, nect MODEM among them, come equipped with built-in solutions, which add an extra level of security. These come in both paid and free versions, so you can choose the one that fits your budget. A word of warning, though – free VPN for modem often does the very thing you expect them to prevent, like gathering your data or even . So make sure you know what you are doing when protecting your privacy. VPN carrying malware Is It Safe to Use VPN on Public WiFi? Speaking of virtual private networks, you might also ask: Is public WiFi safe with VPN? It does make public networks safer by hiding your activities and data. However, it leaves the non-encrypted traffic vulnerable (and there are still a lot of non-HTTPS websites out there). VPNs are also known to somewhat – a drop in the bucket for 4G yet a major slowdown for crawl-speed public WiFi. In other words, it is the next best thing when you don’t have your around. decrease Internet speed trusted 4g VPN modem Better Safe Than Sorry Public WiFi is certainly a milestone in the popularization of the Internet. At one time, it was a great addition to the experience of visiting a local coffee shop. Things were simpler back then. Nowadays, with better awareness about cybersecurity and better means of Internet connection like phone and  it is a questionable trade-off. Free WiFi may still hold a special place in our hearts, but using it will probably not be worth it in most cases. . All illustrations are created by Lucy Ivanova, a Chief Creative Officer at nect Previously published at https://nectmodem.com/blog/is-starbucks-wifi-secure-and-how-to-mitigate-the-risks/

All You Should Know About Cybersecurity Hygiene When Using Public WiFi

VPN vs Tor vs dVPN - What are the real differences? This means no matter what you do online, there’s always some new malware or cybercriminal trying to get to you. The internet was not built to be private and secure by default. In this you’ll learn just how good these security tools are when it comes to hiding your information and keeping you safe online. VPN vs Tor vs dVPN comparison, What is TOR - is TOR a VPN? Tor is a privacy project that launched in 2002. It’s an open-source and free browser that . It was first developed by Syverson and computer scientists Roger Dingledine and Nick Mathewson, who originally called it The Onion Router (Tor) project, due to its enables anonymous communication online “layers” of encryption. and VPNs are similar in their aims but not in their technological approach. While both are great at hiding your identity and ensure your browsing activity is kept private and encrypted, there are certain advantages and disadvantages to each. That’s why using the two systems together is your safest bet for securing your digital privacy. Tor browser How Tor works The Tor network utilises a system that was originally developed by the US Navy to protect intelligence communications. It “bundles” your data into smaller, encrypted packets before it begins , which can be run by anyone for free. routing these through its vast network of nodes The chosen path is randomised and predetermined, and your traffic will pass through a minimum of three relay nodes before it reaches a final exit node. Each time your traffic passes through a relay node, a “layer” of encryption is removed, revealing which relay node the traffic should be sent to next. Each relay node will only be able to decrypt enough data to identify the location of the next relay, and the one before it who passed on the traffic. Exit nodes, however, remove the last layer of encryption. It can’t see your location or IP address, but it is possible for an exit node to see your activity if you visit an unsecure website (one that is HTTPS). not How does a VPN work? A regular VPN seems much simpler, because a company simplifies everything with a nice user interface and additional features. You can run an app in the background, or connect through a browser extension, while you access sites around the world. Your VPN provider will keep you hidden and encrypt all of your data, You can usually choose from a list of servers located across the world, so you’re able to access the internet via a secure and private connection, and unblock your content based on where a website is located. However, your protection has its limits, and you won’t be completely anonymous. directing all your traffic to a remote server owned or hired by them. What is a dVPN? As a peer to peer system, you plug into a global network of nodes run by people voluntarily. Unlike Tor network, A decentralized VPN mimics the architecture of Tor more closely, but has the same ease of use as a VPN. all nodes are paid for providing the VPN service and keeping the network powered and safe. One example of this in action is (the team which I work with). This dApp (decentralized application) allows people to select the connection from a list of nodes (mostly providing residential IP addresses) from around the world. Traffic is encrypted and directed through the network, and users pay the node for the minutes they are connected and the traffic they're sending through nodes. Mysterium Network But how do all these popular privacy tools really compare? This breakdown explores the most important differences between VPN, Tor and dVPN, comparing new features, access, connecting speed, rewards and more. For this comparison I use Mysterium as an example of a dVPN, though there are other projects out there, each with their own technical approaches, solutions and advantages. NETWORK DESIGN 🧬 A global collection of nodes (usually run in people homes) power a VPN network by Users can easily become a node and also download the VPN app to select from a global menu of node IDs. dVPN: sharing their bandwidth P2P in exchange for cryptocurrency. : The main goal of Tor is privacy and anonymity. It’s a browser that anonymizes your web browsing by sending your traffic through various nodes in the Tor network, which can be hosted by anyone. Traffic cannot be traced as each node encrypts it and hides the source IP. Tor : Not a network, but more a global, centralised service that uses dedicated data center servers around the world in hundreds of different locations. Centralized VPNs also allow P2P traffic on certain servers and can additionally provide Dedicated IP address, Double VPN, Onion Over VPN and connection to the Tor anonymity network. VPN HOW ARE NODES REWARDED? 🎁 P2P network allows nodes to set their own price based on This unique micropayments system utilises cryptocurrency payments, so nodes can , ensuring security and convenience. dVPN: supply and demand. sell their bandwidth in small intervals : Tor doesn’t have incentivisation. All This lack of incentivisation for nodes in the network has meant it remains relatively small (after 10+ years of development, it still only has 6500 exit nodes). Tor nodes are operated by volunteers. : No rewards or incentive – centralized s are businesses who own the infrastructure and VPN VPN charge customers for the service. NODE ONBOARDING 🧰 using their laptop, or even mini computers such as a Raspberry Pi. (In theory, even mobile devices can run one). Node runners can link their crypto wallet address via an easy to use dashboard, and track earnings. dVPN: Anyone can run a node : However, there are and it’s recommended that you do not run a relay (non-exit) node from a consumer-level route, as it may overwhelm it. Tor Anyone can create and run a Tor node. various technical requirements : VPN companies manage their own servers/exit nodes, so all setup and maintenance is done by company’s employees. By paying for the service, users get access to the VPN service, but do not help power it. VPN COSTS & FEES 💰 Users pay in cryptocurrency for only the bandwidth they consume on a l. Nodes earn cryptocurrency directly from users of this VPN service. They will pay a small fee to payment hubs for validation of their payments, similar to paying miners for processing transactions in a blockchain network. (Mysterium is currently while in BETA) dVPN: pay-as-you-go mode free to use : Free to use. Tor : Monthly subscription model, rather than a pay-as-you-go structure. Sometimes users are even motivated to pay for a 3-year subscription in advance. VPN USER SECURITY 🔐 As a fast and scalable security layer to reinvent privacy via VPN, it’s built so that A traffic slicing solution could send traffic to different services via different nodes. Thanks to Wireguard and OpenVPN protocols, it’s already encrypted, so even ISPs can’t see what is in there. dVPN: different protocols can be plugged into the network. : While Tor has better privacy properties, offers protection via anonymity, it’s not risk free. Your This could lead to surveillance, as US government agencies (FBI/NSA) are constantly trying to crack Tor and discover its users web activity. Tor ISP can still see that you’re connected to Tor. The owner of the entry node will be able to see your real IP address. After this node hides your address, the rest of the nodes will no longer know who you are or what sites you visit. The last node will see what you’re looking at, but not your identity. This presents some risks when using the network, but in terms of fully private internet access, it is the best available option at the moment. : Traditional VPN services route all users’ data through a remote server, hiding IP addresses and encrypting all incoming and outgoing data. For encryption, they use the OpenVPN and Internet Key Exchange v2/IPsec technologies in their applications. One their due to an expired internal private key being exposed, potentially allowing anyone to spin out their own servers imitating their own. VPN company admits servers were hacked Additionally, , destination addresses, and in many cases (because of fiat payments) even user’s identity (name, email, etc.). If that destination is not encrypted (e.g. not using HTTPS), they can see the content you’re accessing, which may compromise your security. a VPN exit node knows a user’s IP LOGGING POLICY 📝 No centralized logs! The distributed architecture dVPN: removes any technical possibility for collecting or storing logs centrally. : Some hypothesize that a number of nodes are run by malicious actors (eg. the NSA) who could potentially control enough nodes to effectively track users. The network itself is , however a Tor entry and exit node may be able to see your activity or IP address, but actually piecing the information together to identify you would require a lot of effort. Tor unable to store logs : In theory, a centralized VPN *could* keep logs of a user’s activity, but many state they are committed to a zero-logs policy. However, nobody can be really sure that they’re not cooperating with governments or not selling user’s browsing data to 3rd parties. VPN EASE OF USE 🏋️‍♀️ : Simple apps can be used on desktop or a mobile device. dVPN New nodes can get set up in just 5 minutes and 5 steps via a simple, user-friendly dashboard. There is a and support team on hand to help. Users will need to have some An Ethereum wallet is easy to set up, and you can receive payments any time. knowledgebase basic understanding of cryptocurrency, and how to keep it secure. : Anyone can download and install Tor browser to connect to the internet (similar to any other browser). However, browsing is quite slow (as all your traffic has to pass through numerous nodes first). Its practical usability suffers (e.g. not being able to unlock media content) but this drawback is the exchange for For nodes, a Tor relay must be able to host a minimum of 100 GByte of outbound/inbound traffic per month. Tor better anonymity. : Many VPN services offer apps or browser extensions for instant security. Some VPNs have features such as smart algorithms that can automatically choose the best server for you based on location, time, or your special requirements. VPN You can use a VPN because they’re easier to navigate, allow convenient payment methods (eg. via credit card) and have 24/7 user support. However, they may slow down your speed and don’t always have unlimited streaming options. SCALABILITY 🚀 As with most P2P infrastructure, the more participants which join the network, the stronger and more robust it becomes. dVPN: Mysterium’s micropayments system is a homegrown Layer 2 solution. It was built to handle large volumes of users and transactions, making the network fast and more scalable. is currently used by a couple million of users. Due to its distributed nature, the network can (in theory) grow larger. However it would require a much higher number of nodes. Unfortunately, despite its millions of users, Tor has not had huge growth in nodes due to its being a free service run by volunteers. Without incentivisation for nodes, it can only grow so fast. Tor : Depends on high bandwidth throughput and fast connection speeds to provide an optimal service for their users. Often use multiple tunneling protocols to ensure their network can scale and can adapt to various needs. VPN COMPATIBLE WITH 📱💻 : Android, macOS, Windows, Linux. dVPN : Tor for android, Windows, Mac, Linux and as a separate tab in Brave browser. Tor : Offers the widest choice — Android, Windows, Mac, iOS, Chrome/Firefox extension, Linux. VPN OPEN SOURCE? 📖 : Yes — transparent and collaborative from Ground Zero. Check out Myst . dVPN codebase : Yes — open source pioneer — check out Tor . Tor codebase : No — centralized VPNs are proprietary and closed source. You can only imagine what they do with your collected data stored in their servers. VPN DECENTRALIZED? 🌐 : Duh. dVPN : Yes, but it doesn’t use blockchain for payments. Tor : Nope. VPN NETWORK STATUS 📊 Testnet live, ~900 residential nodes, with more than 600 live at any given point. dVPN: : Approx. 6500 exit nodes. Tor : Depends on the size of your provider, but the largest will connect you to a VPN server in over 59 countries. VPN So, Tor or VPN — why not both? Tor and VPNs/dVPNs are complementary solutions, so they can work together to enhance your privacy and security even more. There are two methods for merging Tor with VPN: connect to the Tor browser, then use a VPN. This is a more complex method as it requires some manual configuration. As your VPN server acts as the final exit node, Tor’s own exit nodes will not be able to peel back the final layer of encryption to reveal your activity. While your ISP can tell that you’re using Tor, it wouldn’t be able to trace you and keeps your IP address hidden from your VPN service. VPN on Tor: : Connect to your VPN, then use Tor browser. Your VPN will encrypt your traffic before it enters the Tor network, and also hides your IP address. It also hides the fact you’re using Tor from your ISP. However, if your VPN provider chooses to keep logs, it can see that you’re using Tor. This is why it’s best that you use a decentralised VPN, which cannot keep user logs. Tor over VPN Both and can be pieced together to ensure full privacy coverage and secure internet access. One of Mysterium’s most considered features is to extend our whitelisting in such a way so that your traffic would only exit via a Mysterium node’s IP, while the rest would be forwarded throughout the Tor network. Mysterium Tor In this way, Mysterium users will get to unblock content, and our node runners will not risk unwanted content passing through. The Bigger Picture 🔭 Decentralized privacy networks like Mysterium and Tor are who have managed to grow large platforms without any corporate backing or support. grassroots, open source technologies community-driven However, we have one point of difference; while regular VPNs offer to protect their users (for a price), we believe the fight against surveillance and censorship is a shared one. Regular VPNs do nothing to address the infrastructural flaws of the internet, instead they apply a quick fix solution. We want to rebuild the internet itself, creating people-powered networks that are immune to corporate or government control. In the case of Mysterium, a trustless and P2P (currently on testnet) can become a game-changer and will lead to a much higher amount of exit nodes. micropayment system Tor helped kickstart this and now the dVPN industry is taking it even further. grassroots anonymity revolution You can try dVPN apps for Android . You can also decide whether to use Tor browser for android . Check us out our Github or join our Discord to ask our developers any questions directly.

Decentralized VPN:  The Evolution of Tor?

The evolution of digital currency came about in part to address the issue of online payments. To decipher the question of truly private digital cash, we first need to understand the history of virtual currencies. Let’s take a look at past attempts of digital currencies. The idea of virtual payments dates back to the start of the dot com boom. One of the early notable attempts was by (1). Unfortunately, FirstVirtual was bogged down with a rather cumbersome payment process. First, the seller would send the sale details to FirstVirtual. Next, FirstVirtual bills the customer and collects their credit card information. In a seemingly archaic practice, FirstVirtual would hold the payment for up to 3 months. This is in case either party had any disputes. What is even more bizarre is that all communication was done turn by turn via email. FirstVirtual was one of the first noteworthy iterations of digital cash. David Chaum founded DigiCash in 1989 in Amsterdam. DigiCash was intended to counter the government's surveillance enabled by the electronic road toll systems. Two DigiCash products were released, eCash and Cyberbucks. Both currencies offered complete privacy between merchants and clients. However, DigiCash eventually fizzled out due to (a) collapse of the anonymity structure as merchants cashed out to banks, and (b) poor user experience due to the high friction in making transactions. DigiCash was the next somewhat successful player that came along in 1994. They used the Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) micropayments software architecture standardized by Visa, Mastercard and IBM. At its peak, users could pay charges as little as $0.10 and accounts were FDIC insured up to $100k. Unfortunately, the company was hit by the Y2K bug and eventually filed for bankruptcy. The intellectual property was sold and resold and eventually owned by Verisign, then Paypal today. CyberCash All of these still involve the legacy payment systems. What followed were several attempts at digital currency, each experimenting with Proof-of-Work algorithms, that were eventually fundamental precursors to Bitcoin. Adam Back’s Hashcash (1997), Wei Dai’s B-money (1998), Nick Szabo’s Bitgold (1998) and Reusable Proof-of-Work by Hal Finney (2004) (2). the world has to a currency with sound monetary policy. The virtues of Bitcoin are many but are beyond the premise of our discussion here. The public ledger of Bitcoin makes it at best pseudonymous. Although fiat is fraught with problems of poor monetary policy, physical cash beats Bitcoin in its privacy. No third party can track your spending when you use cash. The US dollar bill is still the most liquid and anonymous form of currency in the world today and is still the payment of choice in all matters political and criminal around the world (3-5). Bitcoin is the best solution The , however, is detrimental and even dangerous at many levels. Every transaction made reveals the balance of your wallet to the other party. It does not take any stretch of the imagination for large corporations to track you through your wallet transactions and vice versa. In fact, this is so much easier than trying to track you through your credit card transactions as those are sequestered in private servers. Whereas with Bitcoin, the blockchain is broadcast globally. transparency of Bitcoin Even worse, nefarious actors can target you once they have identified your generous wallet balance. This public display of your financial status to the world is found not just in Bitcoin but in also in every cryptocurrency without native privacy. Financial privacy is paramount to individuals and business entities. “Privacy is not about the right to be left alone but the right to exercise control. In our increasingly data driven economy, privacy is money.”  - Alex Gladstein, Human Rights Foundation. Truly private, digital cash is a fundamental pillar of any economy. There are numerous variants of Bitcoin that claim to be private, but almost all have optional privacy. One needs to know that optional privacy is NO privacy at all. It is worth noting that Wasabi’s optional privacy-for-a-fee service Samourai wallet is a frequently promoted privacy option for bitcoin. This wallet mixes up to 100 transactions using a method called Coinjoin. The caveat is that the fee increases according to the size of the anonymity set you choose. Choosing to hide your transaction in a group of 100 will also cost 100x more (6). Binance has already fired the first shot across bow freezing funds from a wallet that was sending bitcoin to a Samourai wallet address (7). The U.S. Justice Department Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski declared the usage of Coinjoin mixers a crime (8). Due to the Coinjoin mixer that he operated, the CEO of DropBit was charged with money laundering in February 2020 (8). Players in the cryptocurrency privacy sector include top marketcap leaders such as DASH, ZCash, Monero, and forks of those such as PIVx (from DASH) and Sumokoin (from Monero). Let’s discuss the three marketcap leaders and household names of the privacy space that cryptofans would know about. First, DASH has the weakest privacy. It uses PrivateSend which is a method of mixing the transactions. This is a weak form of privacy. More egregious is that DASH offers privacy as an optional secondary feature. You see, DASH, like many cryptocurrencies focus on adoption and speed of transactions, with privacy as an afterthought. The state-of-the-art of privacy cryptography is “Zero-Knowledge Proof” (ZKP). ZKP validates the truth of something without revealing how that truth is known or sharing the content of this truth with the verifier. Hence, when applying ZKP to cryptocurrency, transactions can be validated without revealing any information about the sender’s address, the transaction amount or the receiver’s address. ZCash is a pioneer cryptocurrency that employed zero-knowledge proofs in their Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge (ZK-SNARK) algorithm. However, at the time of writing this article less than 10% of ZCash transactions are private (9). This creates a vulnerability for users that desire privacy, the other 90+% public transactions become datapoints, allowing for chain analytics to decipher the private transactions just like a sudoku puzzle. Arguably the most notorious, Monero (XMR) comes to mind when someone in crypto thinks of a privacy coin. Even John McAfee talks about Monero when asked about privacy: Monero uses Ring Confidential Transactions (RingCT) / Ring Signatures (RingSig) to confuse any inquisitor of transaction details. The algorithm essentially mixes the input from several transactions to obfuscate details. However, the algorithm only uses the data from a maximum of 15 transactions (upgraded from 7 recently). Monero has just implemented the Bulletproof algorithm to hide transaction values. What Monero does right is the enforcement of mandatory private transactions. So, despite dozens of projects that claim to be in the privacy sector today, Monero and Pirate Chain (ARRR) are the only two cryptocurrencies with non-optional (mandatory) private transactions where all transactions are private-only. possesses the best features of ZCash, the zk-SNARK algorithm, and Monero’s, default privacy enforcement. All addresses are by default private “shielded” z-addresses only, as are all transactions by default private z-transactions only. Pirate Chain This means that balances of every address are not visible to anyone else beside the user. There is no rich list. These transactions also cannot be tracked as there is no public display of the transaction on explorers. Another very unique feature of Pirate Chain is the anonymity set. It is purposefully designed to use every transaction that has ever occurred to create the anonymity set. With XMR your transactions are hidden only amongst a group of 15, but with ARRR, your transactions are forever obscured in an infinitely growing anonymity set. Even Monero’s developers at MoneroKon have praised Pirate for its anonymity set: Just as noteworthy is that both ZCash and Monero’s admins have publicly praised Pirate Chain for superior privacy. Pirate Chain is the first in the history of cryptocurrency to implement a mandatory private-only usage of zk-SNARKS. Privacy is not Pirate Chain’s only outstanding feature. Pirate Chain is also secured by Bitcoin’s network using delayed Proof of Work (dPOW). ARRR secures its blockchain by the use of 64 elected Notary Nodes (NNs). These NNs validate transactions then notarize them into both Komodo and Bitcoin’s blockchain. Attempts to overcome Pirate Chain with a Sybil attack would first have to overcome 51% of both Bitcoin and Komodo’s hashrates first. This is virtually impossible at the hashrate of both these chains today. As you can see, Pirate Chain is for all essential purposes the perfect privacy-first cryptocurrency by being absolutely and incomparably private, while at the same time undeniably secure in this sector. Even John McAfee favors Pirate Chain as his go to privacy option. https://twitter.com/officialmcafee/status/1213840656826818560?s=20 In today’s digital world, every action online is monitored and tracked. All financial transactions are at best recorded, or worse, hijacked by hackers for future illicit purchases. Privacy used to be the right to be left alone. Today it has morphed into the right to opt-out of giving away your personal info. Using Pirate Chain will restore privacy to your financial actions, giving you the right to opt-into sharing your personal details. Many other cryptocurrencies value adoption and coin price above privacy, with privacy features as a secondary feature. Pirate Chain’s ethos is privacy-first above all else. As the leading cryptocurrency with the best privacy, Pirate is the closest approximation to the US dollar in terms of anonymity and also boasts the sound fiscal policy of Bitcoin with programmed scarcity. While usage of $ARRR secures and anonymizes the financial transaction, there are still potential vectors of attack. The community at Pirate Chain came together to build a privacy-centric, operating system with the primary goal of protecting the user’s security and anonymity. When using a Pirate Chain wallet with PirateOS you are naturally more protected than any other wallet in crypto because it defends you with protections like VPN and Tor by default. The OS also boasts pro-active defenses like MAC address spoofing which gives you anonymity on your own local network and drive encryption to prevent unauthorized access. Welcome to the new Economy of Privacy, brought to you by the truly private digital cash and most anonymous cryptocurrency, Pirate Chain. : References 1. https://medium.com/@danielsfskim/the-early-history-of-digital-cash-and-cryptocurrency-b87436711de0 2. https://medium.com/@FidelityDigitalAssets/the-evolution-of-digital-cash-da19b06aa58e 3. https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-08-02/white-house-caught-secretly-airlifting-17-billion-us-taxpayer-cash-tehran-ensure-ira 4. https://www.cnn.com/2016/08/03/politics/us-sends-plane-iran-400-million-cash/index.html 5. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/feb/08/usa.iraq1 6. https://docs.wasabiwallet.io/FAQ/FAQ-UseWasabi.html#why-is-it-bad-to-re-use-addresses 7. https://news.bitcoin.com/as-fatf-regulations-galvanize-crypto-mixing-applications-are-targeted/ 8. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/ohio-resident-charged-operating-darknet-based-bitcoin-mixer-which-laundered-over-300-million 9.    Laura Shin. Unchained podcast episode 88, 10/16/18, 57’22’’

What Should You Expect From A Truly Private Digital Cash?

Welcome to my meet the entrepreneur Interview Series, where I interview impactful leaders and ask them to share tips and techniques that have benefited them, both in their personal and professional lives. This interview is with , Co-Founder & CEO of . Gal Ringel Mine Privacy Ops About Gal: Gal Ringel is an accomplished leader combining a rare background in technology (cybersecurity – including six years in the 8200 Elite Intelligence Corps, captain rank), entrepreneurship, and Venture Capital (with 4.5 years and 20+ investments with Nielsen and Verizon Ventures). Ringel brings strategic thinking and unique business skills to his role as CEO, the same skills that awarded him the #1 spot in the Forbes 30 under 30 in 2017. The Interview How Do You Deal With Stress And Anxiety? I really put work-life balance as a priority. To unwind, I enjoy Pilates, Paddle-board surfing, and, most importantly, spending time with my wife and son. Your Tips For Aspiring Entrepreneurs? ​​Many entrepreneurs think raising seed money is the hardest part of running a startup; as a former investor [moving into entrepreneurship], I knew this wasn’t the challenge. Raising seed money is not a goal; it is a means to achieve your business goals. The day after the seed funding is finalized, and you have the money in the bank, then the actual task of building a company begins: hiring people, building the product, creating and maintaining company culture, finding the first customers, and navigating toward the product market. That’s the hard part! Who Would You Like To Meet For Lunch and Why? Elon Musk. I’m really curious to learn how he can manage so many companies as CEO in parallel and succeed in doing it. What is his secret? What Is Your Favorite Book Or Movie Recommendation? One of the books that influenced me the most is Peter Thiel’s Zero to One. I think this is a must-have book for every entrepreneur, regardless of who he is, and it really sharpens what needs to be done with problems that you want to solve in the market, how to reach product market fit, how to validate ideas, how to build products that people like, etc. What Habit Has Contributed To Your Career? Always get out of your comfort zone and push yourself to try new things and learn continuously. Never be afraid of failure. When You Hear About Other Famous Entrepreneurs, is There Any Entrepreneur Who Specifically Caught Your Attention? Elon Mask. He is an excellent example of how to be fearless, go after your most extreme dreams, and make them a reality. This person never stops and works night and day to make our world a better place, and it’s really inspiring. Is There a Specific Business Philosophy That Has Helped You? I genuinely believe that “Success is a management of failures.” Therefore, my motto is: “Do not be afraid to take risks and experience failures. This is how we learn best!” This sentence leads me with everything I do in my professional and personal life. Getting out of your comfort zone and experiencing new things is the number one key to success. About Mine PrivacyOps: is a data privacy company that connects consumers and companies around data privacy rights. With Mine, consumers can discover and manage their personal data online, while companies can use Mine PrivacyOps, the all-in-one privacy suite, to streamline and automate their privacy operations and increase brand trust. Mine This article was first published here.

Meet The Entrepreneur: Gal Ringel, CEO, Mine PrivacyOps 

Table of Links Abstract and I. Introduction II. Preliminaries III. Proposed Design: IBis IV. Detailed Construction V. Implementation on DAML VI. Evaluation VII. Conclusion and References VII. CONCLUSION In this paper, we present IBIS, a blockchain-based data provenance, lineage, and copyright management system for AI models. IBIS provides evidence and limits power scope for iterative model retraining and fine-tuning processes by granting related licenses. We leverage blockchain-based multi-party signing capabilities to streamline the establishment of legally compliant licensing agreements between AI model owners and copyright holders. We also establish access control mechanisms to safeguard confidentiality by limiting access to authorized parties. Our system implementation is based on the Daml ledger model and Canton blockchain. Performance evaluations underscore the feasibility and scalability of IBIS across varying user, dataset, model, and license workloads. Potential future work includes exploring different on-chain data structures to optimize the performance of graph traversals, and extending IBIS to cover additional stages in AI lifecycle, such as data cleaning, model testing, and model explanation. REFERENCES [1] R. Bommasani et al., “On the opportunities and risks of foundation models,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2108.07258, 2021. [2] W. X. Zhao et al., “A survey of large language models,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2303.18223, 2023. [3] Y. Zhu et al., “Large language models for information retrieval: A survey,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2308.07107, 2023. [4] L. Bonifacio, H. Abonizio, M. Fadaee, and R. Nogueira, “Inpars: Data augmentation for information retrieval using large language models,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2202.05144, 2022. [5] J. Li et al., “Pretrained language models for text generation: A survey,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2201.05273, 2022. [6] J. 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Lu et al., “Developing responsible chatbots for financial services: A pattern-oriented responsible AI engineering approach,” IEEE Intelligent Systems, 2023. [13] Q. Lu, L. Zhu, X. Xu, J. Whittle, D. Zowghi, and A. Jacquet, “Operationalizing responsible AI at scale: CSIRO data61’s pattern-oriented responsible AI engineering approach,” Communications of the ACM (CACM), vol. 66, no. 7, pp. 64–66, 2023. [14] A. Power, “Licensing agreements,” Miss. LJ, vol. 42, p. 169, 1970. [15] M. Benjamin, P. Gagnon, N. Rostamzadeh, C. Pal, Y. Bengio, and A. Shee, “Towards standardization of data licenses: The montreal data license,” arXiv preprint arXiv:1903.12262, 2019. [16] D. Contractor et al., “Behavioral use licensing for responsible AI,” in ACM Conf. on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency, 2022, pp. 778–788. [17] D. Siddarth, D. Acemoglu, D. Allen, K. Crawford, J. Evans, M. Jordan, and E. Weyl, “How AI fails us,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2201.04200, 2021. [18] R. Li et al., “How do smart contracts benefit security protocols?” arXiv preprint arXiv:2202.08699, 2022. [19] L. T. Nguyen et al., “Blockchain-empowered trustworthy data sharing: Fundamentals, applications, and challenges,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2303.06546, 2023. [20] X. Xu, I. Weber, and M. Staples, Architecture for Blockchain Applications. Springer, 2019. [21] W. Zhang et al., “Blockchain-based distributed compliance in multinational corporations’ cross-border intercompany transactions,” in Advances in Information and Communication Networks. Cham: Springer Int. Publishing, 2019, pp. 304–320. [22] T. Scott, A. L. Post, J. Quick, and S. Rafiqi, “Evaluating feasibility of blockchain application for DSCSA compliance,” SMU Data Science Review, vol. 1, no. 2, 2018. [23] M. Allena, “Blockchain technology and regulatory compliance: Towards a cooperative supervisory model,” European Review of Digital Administration & Law, pp. 37–43, 2022. [24] O. Ural and K. Yoshigoe, “Survey on blockchain-enhanced machine learning,” IEEE Access, vol. 11, pp. 145 331–145 362, 2023. [25] A. A. Hussain and F. Al-Turjman, “Artificial intelligence and blockchain: A review,” ETT, vol. 32, no. 9, p. e4268, 2021. [26] Y. Liu, F. R. Yu, X. Li, H. Ji, and V. C. Leung, “Blockchain and machine learning for communications and networking systems,” IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 2020. [27] A. Bernauer et al., “Daml: A smart contract language for securely automating real-world multi-party business workflows,” 2023. [28] D. A. C. Team, “Canton: A Daml based ledger interoperability protocols,” Digital Asset, Tech. Rep., 2020. [Online]. Available: https:// www.digitalasset.com/hubfs/Canton/canton-whitepaper.pdf?hsLang=en [29] D. Kreuzberger, N. Kuhl, and S. Hirschl, “Machine learning operations ¨ (MLOps): Overview, definition, and architecture,” IEEE Access, vol. 11, pp. 31 866–31 879, 2023. [30] J. Litman, “What notice did,” Boston University Law Review, vol. 96, pp. 717–744, 2016. [31] Q. Wang, R. Li, Q. Wang, and S. Chen, “Non-fungible token (NFT): Overview, evaluation, opportunities and challenges,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2105.07447, 2021. [32] C. Meurisch and M. Muhlh ¨ auser, “Data protection in AI services: A ¨ survey,” ACM Computing Surveys, 2021. [33] B. Gedik and L. Liu, “Protecting location privacy with personalized k-anonymity: Architecture and algorithms,” IEEE Trans. on Mobile Computing (TMC), vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 1–18, 2007. [34] D. Xu, S. Yuan, and X. Wu, “Achieving differential privacy and fairness in logistic regression,” in Companion Proc. of The World Wide Web Conf. (WWW), 2019, pp. 594–599. [35] J. Zhang, Z. Gu, J. Jang, H. Wu, M. P. Stoecklin, H. Huang, and I. Molloy, “Protecting intellectual property of deep neural networks with watermarking,” in AsiaCCS, 2018, pp. 159–172. [36] R. Gilad-Bachrach et al., “Cryptonets: Applying neural networks to encrypted data with high throughput and accuracy,” in ICML. PMLR, 2016, pp. 201–210. [37] P. Mohassel and Y. Zhang, “Secureml: A system for scalable privacypreserving machine learning,” in SP. IEEE, 2017, pp. 19–38. [38] B. D. Rouhani, M. S. Riazi, and F. Koushanfar, “Deepsecure: Scalable provably-secure deep learning,” in Proc. of the Annual Design Automation Conf. (DAC), 2018, pp. 1–6. [39] R. Shokri and V. Shmatikov, “Privacy-preserving deep learning,” in CCS, 2015, pp. 1310–1321. [40] S. Servia-Rodr´ıguez, L. Wang, J. R. Zhao, R. Mortier, and H. Haddadi, “Privacy-preserving personal model training,” in IEEE/ACM Int. Conf. on Internet-of-Things Design and Implementation (IoTDI). IEEE, 2018, pp. 153–164. [41] W. Liang et al., “Circuit copyright blockchain: Blockchain-based homomorphic encryption for IP circuit protection,” IEEE Trans. on Emerging Topics in Computing (TETC), vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 1410–1420, 2020. [42] Y. Liu, H. Du et al., “Blockchain-empowered lifecycle management for AI-generated content products in edge networks,” IEEE Wireless Communications, 2024. [43] A. Savelyev, “Copyright in the blockchain era: Promises and challenges,” Computer Law & Security Review, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 550–561, 2018. [44] N. Jing, Q. Liu, and V. Sugumaran, “A blockchain-based code copyright management system,” Information Processing & Management, vol. 58, no. 3, p. 102518, 2021. [45] B. Wang et al., “Image copyright protection based on blockchain and zero-watermark,” TNSE, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 2188–2199, 2022. [46] G. Yu et al., “Ironforge: An open, secure, fair, decentralized federated learning,” TNNLS, 2023. [47] A. Borzunov et al., “Distributed inference and fine-tuning of large language models over the internet,” NIPS, vol. 36, 2024. [48] X. Liu et al., “Decentralized federated unlearning on blockchain,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2402.16294, 2024. [49] Y. Gao, Z. Song, and J. Yin, “Gradientcoin: A peer-to-peer decentralized large language models,” arXiv.2308.10502, 2023. [50] E. Androulaki et al., “Hyperledger Fabric: A distributed operating system for permissioned blockchains,” in EuroSys, 2018, pp. 1–15. Authors:
(1) Yilin Sai, CSIRO Data61 and The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia;
(2) Qin Wang, CSIRO Data61 and The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia;
(3) Guangsheng Yu, CSIRO Data61;
(4) H.M.N. Dilum Bandara, CSIRO Data61 and The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia;
(5) Shiping Chen, CSIRO Data61 and The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. This paper is available on arxiv under CC BY 4.0 DEED license. Table of Links Abstract and I. Introduction Abstract and I. Introduction II. Preliminaries II. Preliminaries III. Proposed Design: IBis III. Proposed Design: IBis IV. Detailed Construction IV. Detailed Construction V. Implementation on DAML V. Implementation on DAML VI. Evaluation VI. Evaluation VII. Conclusion and References VII. Conclusion and References VII. CONCLUSION In this paper, we present IBIS, a blockchain-based data provenance, lineage, and copyright management system for AI models. IBIS provides evidence and limits power scope for iterative model retraining and fine-tuning processes by granting related licenses. We leverage blockchain-based multi-party signing capabilities to streamline the establishment of legally compliant licensing agreements between AI model owners and copyright holders. We also establish access control mechanisms to safeguard confidentiality by limiting access to authorized parties. Our system implementation is based on the Daml ledger model and Canton blockchain. Performance evaluations underscore the feasibility and scalability of IBIS across varying user, dataset, model, and license workloads. Potential future work includes exploring different on-chain data structures to optimize the performance of graph traversals, and extending IBIS to cover additional stages in AI lifecycle, such as data cleaning, model testing, and model explanation. REFERENCES [1] R. Bommasani et al., “On the opportunities and risks of foundation models,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2108.07258, 2021. [2] W. X. Zhao et al., “A survey of large language models,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2303.18223, 2023. [3] Y. Zhu et al., “Large language models for information retrieval: A survey,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2308.07107, 2023. [4] L. Bonifacio, H. Abonizio, M. Fadaee, and R. Nogueira, “Inpars: Data augmentation for information retrieval using large language models,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2202.05144, 2022. [5] J. Li et al., “Pretrained language models for text generation: A survey,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2201.05273, 2022. [6] J. Chen et al., “Benchmarking large language models in retrievalaugmented generation,” in AAAI, 2024. [7] N. Carlini et al., “Extracting training data from large language models,” in USENIX Security, 2021, pp. 2633–2650. [8] J. Hoffmann and thers, “An empirical analysis of compute-optimal large language model training,” NIPS, vol. 35, pp. 30 016–30 030, 2022. [9] T. Chu, Z. Song, and C. Yang, “How to protect copyright data in optimization of large language models?” in AAAI, vol. 38, no. 16, 2024, pp. 17 871–17 879. [10] N. Vyas, S. M. Kakade, and B. Barak, “On provable copyright protection for generative models,” in Int. Conf. on Machine Learning (ICML). PMLR, 2023, pp. 35 277–35 299. [11] Z. Yu, Y. Wu, N. Zhang, C. Wang, Y. Vorobeychik, and C. Xiao, “Codeipprompt: intellectual property infringement assessment of code language models,” in Int. Conf. on Machine Learning (ICML). PMLR, 2023, pp. 40 373–40 389. [12] Q. Lu et al., “Developing responsible chatbots for financial services: A pattern-oriented responsible AI engineering approach,” IEEE Intelligent Systems, 2023. [13] Q. Lu, L. Zhu, X. Xu, J. Whittle, D. Zowghi, and A. Jacquet, “Operationalizing responsible AI at scale: CSIRO data61’s pattern-oriented responsible AI engineering approach,” Communications of the ACM (CACM), vol. 66, no. 7, pp. 64–66, 2023. [14] A. Power, “Licensing agreements,” Miss. LJ, vol. 42, p. 169, 1970. [15] M. Benjamin, P. Gagnon, N. Rostamzadeh, C. Pal, Y. Bengio, and A. Shee, “Towards standardization of data licenses: The montreal data license,” arXiv preprint arXiv:1903.12262, 2019. [16] D. Contractor et al., “Behavioral use licensing for responsible AI,” in ACM Conf. on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency, 2022, pp. 778–788. [17] D. Siddarth, D. Acemoglu, D. Allen, K. Crawford, J. Evans, M. Jordan, and E. Weyl, “How AI fails us,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2201.04200, 2021. [18] R. Li et al., “How do smart contracts benefit security protocols?” arXiv preprint arXiv:2202.08699, 2022. [19] L. T. Nguyen et al., “Blockchain-empowered trustworthy data sharing: Fundamentals, applications, and challenges,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2303.06546, 2023. [20] X. Xu, I. Weber, and M. Staples, Architecture for Blockchain Applications. Springer, 2019. [21] W. Zhang et al., “Blockchain-based distributed compliance in multinational corporations’ cross-border intercompany transactions,” in Advances in Information and Communication Networks. Cham: Springer Int. Publishing, 2019, pp. 304–320. [22] T. Scott, A. L. Post, J. Quick, and S. Rafiqi, “Evaluating feasibility of blockchain application for DSCSA compliance,” SMU Data Science Review, vol. 1, no. 2, 2018. [23] M. Allena, “Blockchain technology and regulatory compliance: Towards a cooperative supervisory model,” European Review of Digital Administration & Law, pp. 37–43, 2022. [24] O. Ural and K. Yoshigoe, “Survey on blockchain-enhanced machine learning,” IEEE Access, vol. 11, pp. 145 331–145 362, 2023. [25] A. A. Hussain and F. Al-Turjman, “Artificial intelligence and blockchain: A review,” ETT, vol. 32, no. 9, p. e4268, 2021. [26] Y. Liu, F. R. Yu, X. Li, H. Ji, and V. C. Leung, “Blockchain and machine learning for communications and networking systems,” IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 2020. [27] A. Bernauer et al., “Daml: A smart contract language for securely automating real-world multi-party business workflows,” 2023. [28] D. A. C. Team, “Canton: A Daml based ledger interoperability protocols,” Digital Asset, Tech. Rep., 2020. [Online]. Available: https:// www.digitalasset.com/hubfs/Canton/canton-whitepaper.pdf?hsLang=en [29] D. Kreuzberger, N. Kuhl, and S. Hirschl, “Machine learning operations ¨ (MLOps): Overview, definition, and architecture,” IEEE Access, vol. 11, pp. 31 866–31 879, 2023. [30] J. Litman, “What notice did,” Boston University Law Review, vol. 96, pp. 717–744, 2016. [31] Q. Wang, R. Li, Q. Wang, and S. Chen, “Non-fungible token (NFT): Overview, evaluation, opportunities and challenges,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2105.07447, 2021. [32] C. Meurisch and M. Muhlh ¨ auser, “Data protection in AI services: A ¨ survey,” ACM Computing Surveys, 2021. [33] B. Gedik and L. Liu, “Protecting location privacy with personalized k-anonymity: Architecture and algorithms,” IEEE Trans. on Mobile Computing (TMC), vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 1–18, 2007. [34] D. Xu, S. Yuan, and X. Wu, “Achieving differential privacy and fairness in logistic regression,” in Companion Proc. of The World Wide Web Conf. (WWW), 2019, pp. 594–599. [35] J. Zhang, Z. Gu, J. Jang, H. Wu, M. P. Stoecklin, H. Huang, and I. Molloy, “Protecting intellectual property of deep neural networks with watermarking,” in AsiaCCS, 2018, pp. 159–172. [36] R. Gilad-Bachrach et al., “Cryptonets: Applying neural networks to encrypted data with high throughput and accuracy,” in ICML. PMLR, 2016, pp. 201–210. [37] P. Mohassel and Y. Zhang, “Secureml: A system for scalable privacypreserving machine learning,” in SP. IEEE, 2017, pp. 19–38. [38] B. D. Rouhani, M. S. Riazi, and F. Koushanfar, “Deepsecure: Scalable provably-secure deep learning,” in Proc. of the Annual Design Automation Conf. (DAC), 2018, pp. 1–6. [39] R. Shokri and V. Shmatikov, “Privacy-preserving deep learning,” in CCS, 2015, pp. 1310–1321. [40] S. Servia-Rodr´ıguez, L. Wang, J. R. Zhao, R. Mortier, and H. Haddadi, “Privacy-preserving personal model training,” in IEEE/ACM Int. Conf. on Internet-of-Things Design and Implementation (IoTDI). IEEE, 2018, pp. 153–164. [41] W. Liang et al., “Circuit copyright blockchain: Blockchain-based homomorphic encryption for IP circuit protection,” IEEE Trans. on Emerging Topics in Computing (TETC), vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 1410–1420, 2020. [42] Y. Liu, H. Du et al., “Blockchain-empowered lifecycle management for AI-generated content products in edge networks,” IEEE Wireless Communications, 2024. [43] A. Savelyev, “Copyright in the blockchain era: Promises and challenges,” Computer Law & Security Review, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 550–561, 2018. [44] N. Jing, Q. Liu, and V. Sugumaran, “A blockchain-based code copyright management system,” Information Processing & Management, vol. 58, no. 3, p. 102518, 2021. [45] B. Wang et al., “Image copyright protection based on blockchain and zero-watermark,” TNSE, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 2188–2199, 2022. [46] G. Yu et al., “Ironforge: An open, secure, fair, decentralized federated learning,” TNNLS, 2023. [47] A. Borzunov et al., “Distributed inference and fine-tuning of large language models over the internet,” NIPS, vol. 36, 2024. [48] X. Liu et al., “Decentralized federated unlearning on blockchain,” arXiv preprint arXiv:2402.16294, 2024. [49] Y. Gao, Z. Song, and J. Yin, “Gradientcoin: A peer-to-peer decentralized large language models,” arXiv.2308.10502, 2023. [50] E. Androulaki et al., “Hyperledger Fabric: A distributed operating system for permissioned blockchains,” in EuroSys, 2018, pp. 1–15. Authors: (1) Yilin Sai, CSIRO Data61 and The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; (2) Qin Wang, CSIRO Data61 and The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; (3) Guangsheng Yu, CSIRO Data61; (4) H.M.N. Dilum Bandara, CSIRO Data61 and The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; (5) Shiping Chen, CSIRO Data61 and The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Authors: Authors: (1) Yilin Sai, CSIRO Data61 and The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; (2) Qin Wang, CSIRO Data61 and The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; (3) Guangsheng Yu, CSIRO Data61; (4) H.M.N. Dilum Bandara, CSIRO Data61 and The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; (5) Shiping Chen, CSIRO Data61 and The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. This paper is available on arxiv under CC BY 4.0 DEED license. This paper is available on arxiv under CC BY 4.0 DEED license. available on arxiv available on arxiv

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