However, all of that protection amounts to nothing if a VPN can be easily hacked.
How secure is your VPN service?
We decided to find out.
In the end, it comes down toencryptionand how much yourVPN leaks.
VPNs work by creating asecure virtual tunnel through the Internet to another internet or gadget.
Using this virtual tunnel makes it difficult for anyoneincluding your ISPto see your browsing activities.
It’s easy to establish a secure connection.
This software is also called the VPN client.
Secure Your Connection with ExpressVPN
How Does VPN Encryption Work?
VPNs use a specificprotocolto transmit and encrypt your private data.
Each protocol is an agreed upon set of rules for data transmission and encryption.
Most VPN providers give users the option to choose from several VPN protocols.
OpenVPN is an open-source protocol, which means anyone can look for and patch vulnerabiliies.
It’s consideredone of the best options for VPN security.
If you’ve used a premium VPN service likeExpressVPN, then you’ve likely used OpenVPN protocol.
An algorithm or cipher dictates how the encryption and decryption process takes place within the VPN protocols.
Each protocol hasits strengths and weaknesses based on the cryptographic algorithm implementedwithin it.
Some VPN providers give users the option to choose from different ciphers.
Symmetric encryption uses one key to lock (encrypt) and unlock (decrypt) data.
Asymmetric cryptography is the solution to the limitations inherent in symmetric cryptography.
Diffie-Hellman is a popular cryptographic algorithm that isfundamental tomany VPN protocolsincluding HTTPS, SSH, IPsec, and OpenVPN.
Most VPN protocols use hashing algorithms to verify the authenticity of messages sent via the VPN.
Examples include MD5, SHA-1, and SHA-2.
However, both MD5 and SHA-1 are no longer considered secure.
Can Someone Actually Hack into a VPN?
Nevertheless, its important to note that anything can be hacked.
Hacking into a VPN connection involves one of two tactics.
A hacker can eitherbreak the encryption through known vulnerabilities or steal the key through unethical means.
Cryptographic attacks are used by hackers and cryptoanalysts to recover plain text from their encrypted versions without the key.
However, breaking encryption is computationally demanding and time-consuming.It can take strong computers years to actually break the encryption.
Instead, most attacks tend to involve stealing the keys.
Spy agencies, for example, generally prefer this method over the complex task of breaking encryption.
Given that the math behind encryption is computationally complex, stealing a key is a far easier task.
Furthermore, the chances of being hacked without a VPN are significantly greater than being hacked with one.
Their success was based on the exploitation of a weakness in a common implementation of the Diffie-Hellman algorithm.
The root cause of thisweakness stems from the prime number used to implementthe encryption.
Unfortunately, the researchers found thatonly a few prime numbers are commonly used for 1024-bit encryption.
This includes applications such as VPNs, and therefore, makes it even easier to break.
According to Bruce Schneier, the math is good, but math has no agency.
Code has agency, and the code has been subverted.
One of the simplest waysyour data can be revealed to an outside party is via VPN leaks.
Most frequently, this involvesan IP leak.
In the process of transmitting your data,your net web surfer may still leak your real IP address.
They may not have access to your traffic data in this case, but they cantrace your location.
Not only that, they’ll know who viewed it.
You should also watch out forDNS leaks.
For more on understanding the difference between DNS leaks and IP leaks, you canrefer to our guide.
Learning to test and fix a leak is a useful skill if privacy is your biggest concern.
We’ve also written aguide on how to test and fix a VPN leak.
Based on our research, thesethree top VPN services were leaking data.
Should You Still Use a VPN?
According to Edward Snowden, “Encryption works.
you could trust the math behind encryption.
Maximize their use, and do your best to ensure your endpoint is also protected.
But, how can you know which VPNs are truly secure?
Which VPNs Can’t Be Hacked?
Here is the top VPN that has been proven to have the best security.
1.ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN isn’t justthe fastest VPN on the market.
This premium VPN service offers userstop-notch securitywithout compromising on speed.
However, ExpressVPN manages to implementmilitary-grade securitywithout any noticeable lags.
In fact, inour speed test,ExpressVPN often made equipment connections faster.
ExpressVPN offers various protocol options, including the standardOpenVPN, as well asL2TP/IPsec and PPTP.
Moreover, users can also experimentwith OpenVPN on either UDP or TCP.
ExpressVPN offers users superiorDNS leak protection, which has been thoroughly vetted by external entities.
ExpressVPN is alsocapable of blocking IP leaksoften instigated by complex web page setups like WebRTC.
If you don’t like it, ExpressVPN will give you your money back in full.
Seewhy customers love using ExpressVPN!
Supports torrenting:Yes, all servers support P2P activity.
It also offers an app for use with certain routers.
Further Reading For our newbies guide to VPNs, clickhere.
Check out ourexclusive discounts and couponsfor top VPN services.
Here’s our recommendations forthe best VPN free trials.
Here is alist of the best VPNsyou can trust.
Your data is exposed to the websites you visit!
Visit ExpressVPN
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