An IP address is the name of a computer on the Internet or local network. It looks like four groups of numbers ranging from 0 to 255. The numbers are separated by dots.
Examples of IP addresses: 192.168.0.2, 41.86.149.210. To change your IP, you first need to write down the current address of your computer. You can view it on the services listed below:
The article describes the following change methods:
- through the provider;
- special web services - anonymizers;
- setting up your browser to work with free proxy servers;
- using the tor browser;
- via VPN.
If the client did not order the service of providing a static IP from the Internet provider, then most likely he has a dynamic one. In this case, the first option to change the IP address is to turn off the modem or router for a period of 5 minutes or more. After turning on the device, you need to look at the IP again and compare it with the one that was there.
The disadvantage of this method is that it is not clear exactly how many minutes you need to turn off your modem or router.
If the client’s address is static, you will have to call the provider’s support service. And explain why it was necessary to change one address to another. Or turn to other means.
Accessing the network through a proxy server
The addresses assigned by the provider are geo-referenced. Some sites block foreign incoming traffic and limit access to certain features. The American music service pandora.com, for example, is only open to users within the US, Australia and New Zealand.
A proxy allows you to access the network from a different IP address, as well as select the address of a specific country.
Using anonymizers
Anonymizer is a simple type of web proxy. It is implemented as a service. To use it, you do not need to additionally configure your browser or computer. Here are several options for anonymizer services:
Working with an anonymizer:
go to the service page, enter the address for checking your IP in the field (the anonymizer address and the address for checking IP should not be the addresses of the same site), select the country and other preferred options (if any)
press the button and compare the original IP with what it is now
If everything is in order, you can use the anonymizer.
Setting up a proxy in a web browser
You can find a list of free proxy servers through a search engine. Here are some sources that regularly update information about the availability, anonymity and other characteristics of proxies:
It is advisable to choose a proxy with the shortest response time in ms and HTTPS support. This is a secure protocol for accessing web resources. Otherwise, the site being visited will determine either the real address issued by the provider, or that the visitor is using a proxy.
After selecting the server and port number (second column in the server table), you need to register the proxy in the program settings:
In the Firefox, Opera or Chrome browser, open the “Settings” option and find the tab for network settings there
register IP and port
go to the website 2ip.ru or Yandex Internet again - check the current IP address (it should be different from the previous one) go to the page 2ip.ru/proxycheck and see the results for proxy anonymity.
Disadvantages of anonymization through free servers:
- low access speed;
- probability of failure - you will have to look for a suitable proxy server again;
You can turn off the proxy and return to basic settings by unchecking the box in the browser settings.
If reliability, stability and speed of communication are important, paid proxy servers will be required.
Anonymous web surfing via Tor browser
Accessing the Internet through a Tor browser solves two main problems well: maintaining anonymity and protecting against “wiretapping” by a third party (traffic is encrypted). The disadvantage may be the relatively slow page loading speed.
Some interactive sites are not displayed correctly: the browser blocks the loading and execution of java scripts for security reasons. But this item is customizable.
The Tor browser is part of a comprehensive solution to the problem of anonymity and security. In addition to the browser itself and the utilities associated with it, these are also separate tor networks through which access to the Internet is realized.
The program itself determines through which server the user needs to access the website.
There is no need to independently search for addresses, test, select, or register in settings. Also, Tor's own trusted network of servers eliminates the possibility of fraud on this side.
Installing and launching the tor browser:
- open the torproject.org link and scroll down the page until the table appears;
- in the table, select the program language and the program itself for your operating system (available for Windows-8, it is also suitable for Windows-10);
- download and install; a “Start Tor Browser” shortcut and a “Tor Browser” folder with the program will appear on the desktop;
- click the “Start Tor Browser” shortcut;
- The Tor network settings window will appear, where you need to select the option “I would like to connect to the TOR network directly” (this is suitable for most cases);
- if everything went well, the browser will open with a welcome page, a field for anonymous search and a link “Check Tor network settings”;
- you need to click on this link;
- if a page opens with the message: “Congratulations. Your browser uses Tor. Your IP address: 191.151.178.93,” - the program is ready to work (the IP address is given here as an example).
One of the interesting options of the Tor browser is the ability to imitate another person. A user using tor can re-enter the site he visited, but the site will already identify him as another user.
To do this, you need:
- close the tab with the site to which you need to go under the guise of a new visitor;
- To the left of the browser's address bar there is a green onion icon that you need to click;
- in the drop-down menu the first item will be “new identity” - click;
- Now you can go back to the site of interest as a different person.
Internet access via VPN
A connection to a virtual private network (VPN) is configured at the computer operating system level. As a result of this, all Internet traffic of the user is anonymized: traffic going through browsers, instant messengers, email programs, chats, etc.
On the Internet, some resources provide addresses for free VPN connections. For example:
- vpngate.net (in English);
- vpnbook.com (English);
- xnet.club (page in Russian).
Setting up a VPN connection using standard Windows tools
Setting up a VPN connection is shown using Windows 10 as an example. Microsoft versions 7 and 8 systems are configured in a similar way.
Sequence of steps:
select a VPN address available for connection, write down your login and password (screen cut from vpnbook.com)
In the lower right corner, right-click on the Internet connection icon and click on “Network Center”
then select “Connect to Workplace”
if there is another connection, select create a new one
select the item with VPN
fill in the “Internet address” field and check the box next to the item asking you to allow other users to use this connection
Windows 7 users will see the following window where you enter your login and password (see the rest below)
Click the “Create” button, after which the window will close. Click on the Internet connection icon again, select the created “VPN connection” → “Connect”
Windows 10 users enter login and password
Connecting to VPN through specialized programs
A simple and free solution is the Hideguard program. You can use it immediately after installation. Turning VPN on and off is done with the click of a button.
Hideguard is accessible to people even with minimal computer skills. The program website has a detailed description in Russian.
After installing and launching hideguard, a tray icon in the form of a ninja will appear. Through it you need to open the program window. The following functions are available from the program window:
- on/off button;
- select any ip;
- choosing an IP from one of four countries - USA, Canada, Germany or UK;
- displaying the current connection status, IP address and country.
The program connects to the network quickly and works almost without restrictions.
OpenVPN client program
With the OpenVPN client program, authorization is possible in three ways:
- using login and password (the process is intuitive);
- through a certificate;
- via a pre-installed key.
On sites with information about free access to virtual networks, in addition to addresses, configuration files are attached for the OpenVPN client. They already contain connection settings. Such files have the extension “.ovpn”.
An example of setting up a connection to a private virtual network via OpenVPN:
- go to vpngate.net
- find the 3rd table, write down the login and password above the table (in this case, they are identical - vpn), select the country from the first column of the table, find in the selected row the cell with the link “ OpenVPN Config file", press;
- on the page that opens under the heading “ The .ovpn file which is including DDNS hostname» download two files from the links below
- copy the downloaded files to the folder for the program configuration files “ C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\config“. If you are using a connection using a login and password, then in order not to enter the data each time you connect, create a text file in this folder named “up.txt”. Open the downloaded configuration file with notepad, look for it and add “auth-user-pass” → “up.txt” to the line.
Open “up.txt” with notepad and enter in two lines:
first line → login
second → password.
- copy the downloaded files to the folder for the program configuration files “ C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\config“. If you are using a connection using a login and password, then in order not to enter the data each time you connect, create a text file in this folder named “up.txt”. Open the downloaded configuration file with notepad, look for it and add “auth-user-pass” → “up.txt” to the line.
- on the icon " OpenVPN GUI» call the menu and run the client as administrator;
- A program icon will appear in the lower right corner, call up the menu on it and click “ To plug»
- A pop-up message will appear and the connection icon will turn green.
Internet access via a private virtual network is open.
The article does not describe complex methods using paid programs, services and deep settings of the operating system. But for most cases, the above options for changing the computer’s IP address will be sufficient.
In this post you can find a suitable anonymizer for any website. My list consists of 110 free anonymizers, which is periodically updated and expanded.
I don’t know who came up with it and when anonymizer, but the one who did it probably couldn’t have even dreamed of how useful his invention would be.
Anonymizers (or proxies, proxy - English) have existed almost as long as the Internet itself, and everyone who has encountered the problem of accessing closed sites probably knows more about anonymizers than I do. I have briefly and clearly described what it is, as well as a list of the best anonymizers in 2020, below, I hope this material will really help someone.
Why do you need an anonymizer?
Most often, anonymizers are used to access blocked sites. Almost everything that is blocked by Roskomnadzor, other government regulators or providers can be opened using an anonymizer.
The main function of the anonymizer is to mask the IP address, which makes your presence on the Internet anonymous - a rather useful function for those who do not want to give away their real location.
Anonymizers are very popular among gamers. They allow you to be in the game in incognito mode, hiding your real nickname and account information. That is, the enemy now knows absolutely nothing about you, which accordingly gives certain advantages in battle.
Anonymizers are very easy to use and there are several types of them. If they are of little interest to you, then feel free to go straight to the list; if not, then here is an ultra-short educational program.
The types of anonymizers differ primarily in their technology for bypassing blocking. In addition, there are paid anonymizers (they are not on my list), with and without advertising, as well as those that limit passing traffic and unlimited (but with a lot of advertising).
The anonymizer works on the VPN principle, passing traffic through its servers, which are outside the jurisdiction of government regulators or Internet providers. It is the physical location of such servers that allows anonymizers to open access to blocked sites.
The most common and simplest type of anonymizer is web anonymizer . This is a regular site with a search bar, where the domain of the blocked site is actually entered. This is an ideal option for accessing regular sites, but absolutely useless for sites with multimedia information (videos, music, TV series, etc.). Another negative point is the amount of advertising, but more on that below.
Browser extensions . A very convenient solution and always at hand. The quality of the service depends directly on the developer, who is usually some kind of VPN provider. There is no advertising or very little of it; it copes with multimedia content better than web anonymizers, but sometimes functions with errors.
With a slight stretch, anonymizers can be classified as proxy servers . This is not exactly an anonymizer, but it performs the same functions. Installation requires manual configuration in the browser, but it's worth it. The important point is that after configuration, all traffic (and not just the site that needs to be unblocked) of this browser will pass through proxy servers.
Browsers with built-in anonymizer can be classified as a subtype of anonymizer. Such browsers are little known, there are few of them, but they offer free VPN encryption, which is much cooler and safer than an anonymizer. It does not require additional settings, but like any browser it needs to be installed. In addition to the well-known Opera and Tor, there are also others such as Avast Secure Browser or Globus VPN Browser.
Anonymizers open any blocked site on the Internet, including the popular social networks Facebook, VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, and YouTube, regardless of the country of location.
Now anonymizers are among the most visited Internet resources. And this is not surprising, because every day around the world, registries of prohibited sites are replenished with new sites, applications, plugins and other information carriers.
In Russia, as is known, the main pest of the barrier-free environment of the free Internet is RosKomNadzor, which with its prohibitions only spreads the popularity of free anonymizers.
To support the viability of any anonymizer, funds and time are required.
Millions of visitors per day pass through their sites, and this requires stable servers with an established infrastructure.
In addition, it is worth understanding that the free availability of the service as such does not bring any income to anonymizer providers. All they have is advertising revenue, which is clearly not enough.
Therefore, many of them are born and die like stars in the sky.
Is it legal to use an anonymizer?
In 2017, a law banning anonymizers came into force.
That is, any Internet services that help you gain access to prohibited sites are illegal. It was assumed that the anonymizer had to be previously connected to the RosKomNadzor monitoring system.
This implied the disclosure of information about its owner, network address, login and password for access. But, as they say, the idiocy of Russian laws is compensated by the impossibility of their implementation.
Even the drafters of the law themselves did not know how all this should work. The authorities tried to make this process as difficult as possible for the average user, but as it turned out later, it was not possible to completely limit Russians’ access to anonymizers.
Below you will find a list of 110 working anonymizers in 2020 year (January 2020), which is periodically updated and expanded. So if for some reason a certain anonymizer still doesn’t work, there should be plenty of other options.
All anonymizers reviewed are free.
110 free working anonymizers 2020
2 Hiefrom – http://hidefrom.com/
3 Unblock Facebook – https://unblockfacebook.com/
4 Ultrafun – https://ultrafun.net/
5 Proxy7 – https://www.proxy7.club/
6 Proxy Unblock – https://proxyunblock.site/
7 Unblock Website – https://unblockwebsites.info/
8 Web Unblocker – https://webunblocker.xyz/
9 VPN Browse – http://vpnbrowse.com/
10 Unblock Web – https://unblockweb.online/
11 Online Proxy – https://onlineproxy.online/
12 Proxy Zagon – https://proxy.zagon.pe/
13 Unblock Video – https://unblockvideo.xyz/
14 Unblock Websites – https://unblockwebsites.site/
15 Turbohide – https://www.turbohide.com/
16 YouTube Proxy – https://youtubeproxy.online/
17 Leo Paul Mihai Pavel – http://leo.paulmihaipavel.com/
18 Unblock Site – https://unblocksite.net/
19 My Proxy – https://www.my-proxy.com/
20 Much Proxy – http://muchproxy.com/
21 Stop Censoring – https://stopcensoring.me/
22 ProxyPX – https://proxypx.com/
23 Proxsei – https://www.proxsei.com/
24 Best proxy – https://best-proxy.site/
25 Browser Webcam – https://browser.webcam/
26 Un-censored – https://un-censored.appspot.com/
27 Fastp – http://fastp.org/
28 Unblockasites – http://unblockasites.info/
29 Hide My IP – http://www.hide-my-ip.net/
30 Free Proxy – freeproxy.win
31 Proxy Site – https://www.proxysite.com/
32 Top Proxxy – http://www.topproxxy.co.vu/
33 Hiden4me – hiden4me.co.vu
34 Paul Mihai Pavel – http://paulmihaipavel.com/
35 Free Proxy – https://freeproxy.win/
36 Web Proxy – https://webproxy.best/
37 Unblock Websites – https://unblock-websites.com/
38 Proxy Site – https://proxysite.one/
39 Unblock YouTube – https://unblockyoutube.video/
40 Unblock Videos – https://unblockvideos.com//
41 Video Unblocker – http://www.videounblocker.net/
42 Croxy Proxy – https://www.croxyproxy.com/
43 Hidester – https://hidester.com/proxy/
44 Kproxy – https://kproxy.com/
45 Free-proxy – https://www.free-proxy.com/
46 ECXS – https://www.ecxs.asia/
47 Change IP & Country – http://anonymizer.nntime.com/
48 Proxy 2014 – http://www.proxy2014.net/
49 KProxy Site – http://www.kproxysite.com/
50 Anonymouse – http://anonymouse.org/anonwww.html
51 4everproxy – https://www.4everproxy.com/
52 Dontfilter – http://dontfilter.us/
53 New IP Now – https://www.newipnow.com/
54 Mega Proxy – https://www.megaproxy.com/freesurf/
55 Boom Proxy – https://boomproxy.com/
56 Unblock Proxy – https://unblockproxy.me/
57 Anony Mizer – https://www.anonymizer.com/ (14-day free trial)
58 Privoxy – https://www.privoxy.org/
59 Ninja Web – https://ninjaweb.xyz/
60 24 Proxy – http://www.24proxy.com/
61 World Flag Championship – http://worldflagchampionship.com/pr
62 Fibreprox – http://fiberprox.us/
63 FilterByPass – https://www.filterbypass.me/
64 Main proxy – http://mainproxy.pw/
65 Yxorp – https://yxorp.pandemonium.ovh/
66 Kanema – http://www.kanema.com.br/proxy/
67 PTR Pumpunhost – http://ptr.pumpunhost.com/glype/
68 Browser Feenex – http://browser.feenex.ru/
69 Direct products – http://directproducts.co.zw/errors.php
70 H4ck0r – http://h4ck0r.com/
71 Nice Trick – http://nicetrick.info/
72 Okmmproxy – http://okmmproxy.marketopedia.ru/
73 CRM Asiades – http://crm.asiades.net/proxy/
74 Online Proxy – https://www.onlineproxy.nl/index.php
75 Cstoolsnet – http://cstoolsnet.globat.com/
76 Free Place – http://freeplace.info/proxy/
77 China Grows – http://www.chinagrows.com/
79 V29 – http://v29.xf.cz/
80 Nice-Share – http://nice-share.com/ppp/
81 Proxy Nowhere Incoming – http://proxy.nowhereincoming.net/
82 Pdts – http://pdts.net/glype/index.php
83 Proxyhub – https://proxyhub.eu/
84 Unblock Everything – https://www.unblock-everything.com/
85 Unblock That Site – http://unblockthatsite.net/
86 New On Internet – http://newoninternet.dobrowsing.com/
87 England Proxy – http://www.englandproxy.co.uk/
88 Fast USA Proxy – https://fastusaproxy.com/
89 Proxy Free – https://www.proxfree.com/
90 Websurf – https://www.websurf.in/
91 Surf for Free – http://surf-for-free.com/
92 Proxify – https://proxify.com/ (3-day free trial)
93 Go Proxy – https://www.goproxy.asia/
94 US Proxies – http://usproxies.info/
95 Prox Me Call Me Names– http://www.proxmecallmenames.com/
96 Proxy 2014 – http://www.proxy-2014.com/
97 Ninja Cloak – http://ninjacloak.com/
98 PHP Proxy – http://www.phproxysite.com/
99 DeFilter – http://defilter.us/
100 Unlock My Web – http://www.unblockmyweb.com/
101 Hidester – https://hidester.com/proxy/
102 VPNBook – https://www.vpnbook.com/webproxy
103 Hide.me – https://hide.me/en/proxy
104 Whoer – https://whoer.net/webproxy
105 Zend2 – https://zend2.com/
106 BlewPass – https://www.blewpass.com/
107 F4FP – http://f4fp.com
108 TiaFun – http://tiafun.com
109 Unblock My Web – http://www.unblockmyweb.com/
110 Zfreez – http://zendproxy.com/
Free anonymizer convenient and easy to use, but for complete protection on the Internet (hackers, wiretapping, network blocking or) I still recommend .
Read about the full functionality of VPN on my blog and stay tuned for new articles.
Not all providers operate in Russia and each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Tariffs range from $2 to $10 for a monthly subscription, but there are several quality services that offer free samples. I also want to emphasize that almost all VPNs offer a money-back guarantee if you don’t like the service.
It is very important to choose the right VPN for your needs.
To save your time and money with a specially designed algorithm. The process takes no more than a minute, and most importantly, it does not require any personal data.
It processes your personal VPN requirements such as location, device, level of protection and selects the most optimal option.
The main difference between a VPN and an anonymizer, as I have already mentioned, is privacy protection and the level of encryption.
If these aspects do not concern you much, then an anonymizer is a sufficient solution for basic needs.
The main thing is not to forget, in order to achieve complete anonymity and hide your activity on the Internet, you should refrain from using an anonymizer. They are not very cryptographic, so use them at your own risk.
and doesn’t offer the same level of protection. Never use it for online payments, BitTorrent download, home banking and any task where security is a must. (Read on for more details)
Anonymster is glad to offer you our Anonymous Proxy Server Free….because we value our readers.
A simple way to gain anonymity on the internet without getting into your pocket. Surfing the net with our free tool will conceal your identity online making your activity on the web more secure and private.
However, this tool shouldn’t be confused with a VPN connection.
We are about to explain to you the difference between a proxy server online and a VPN connection.
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How To Use Our Online Web Proxy
Using our proxy server free is like a walk in the park. You don’t have to set up your device or change any setting in your browser.
Just type the URL in the proxy web browser bar that you see at the top of this page, and the magic will happen instantly. You will be connected to the website anonymously and free of charge.
When Can You Use Our Free Web Proxy Server
This is a very handy tool that you can use in several scenarios.
When You Should Never Use A Web Proxy
Even though this is a fantastic tool, it comes with some limitations. Never make a mistake to think that a Proxy Web, either free or not, will give total anonymity and protection. This is not the case at all.
It will add extra protection to your data, but it will not encrypt it as a VPN does. So there is still a chance for people to snoop into it.
For that reason, we strongly recommend you to not use it for:
- BitTorrent download. File sharing is illegal when copyrighted material is involved. If you get your hands on that, you become the target of surveillance agencies looking for law infringements. The online proxy browser doesn’t provide adequate protection. You may read our guide on.
- Online Payments. Whenever you need to use your Credit Card, Paypal or any other payment methods to , you need a bulletproof connection. Our free tool doesn’t offer that kind of connection so do not use it if you want your money to be safe.
- Streaming. Web Proxy has a tendency to slow down your connection so it may work with streaming content or it may not. In any case, it is not the best tool for a fantastic streaming experience. As good as it can be, it will never be as stable as some of the fastest VPN connections like , or .
- As a general rule, never use it for any task when security is a must.
What Are The Differences Between Proxy Web And VPN Connection
It may look like the difference between a Web Proxy and a is minor. Both connect to a remote server to access the Internet and both conceal your real identity online.
That’s what deceives several users, especially the ones that just reason in term of money and don’t see the point of paying for a service when.
You simply need to look beyond the surface to understand that the two services are as different as black and white.
Here is a list of the main differences:
- The Web Proxy server protects only the app you are using. For instance, if you are using Firefox to browse the net, only the traffic that goes through this browser is protected. Other applications like, for example, or other browsers opened at the same time are still exposed. The instead protects all your device. Once you install the software, it will automatically shield any application that goes online. Plus, if you set the VPN on your home router, all the devices that connect to it will benefit from the same protection.
- The Online Web Proxy doesn’t encrypt your data. This is one of the key points to keep in mind when deciding which tool to use. This is true for both free and paid services. The Proxy hides your real IP but doesn’t encrypt your data. That’s why sometimes it is faster than a VPN. The lack of encryption means that hackers, cybercriminals, government agencies or anyone who wants to snoop into your private business may be able to do it. Not so with a VPN connection. The use and encryptions algorithm that makes it impossible to break into your data.
- Proxy Web may have problems with some websites. Flash content or JavaScript may be too much for this tool to handle. For this reason, you will see that even using our Free HTTPS Web Proxy some web pages will not display correctly or the layout is messed up. You will never bump into this problem if you use a VPN connection.
- A VPN connection is a versatile tool. As we just explained, a Proxy web has certain limitations in term of security and usability. Instead, using a VPN provider, your Internet experience will be enhanced for several reasons. For instance, you can use a VPN connection to access any kind of web content, and you’ll never have issues even with Flash or JavaScript.
> If you subscribe to one of the fastest VPN providers, you can have access to streaming contents like Netflix from all over the world without buffering problems.
> Having your IP hidden all the time you will get the best deals when shopping online. Since you are anonymous 24/7, companies cannot collect information on your Internet behavior and therefore will not have any possibility to push annoying ads to you or adjust the prices to their benefit.
>Government surveillance will be out of the picture. Even if they try to have a look at your private life and discover your businesses, they will end up empty-handed since your data will be entirely shielded by the VPN connection.
> A VPN is a must if you want to enjoy the Internet to the full. For instance, despite where you are around the world, you can follow your favorite sports events live, watch your country’s news, in your own language, use, play online games and a lot more.
Do you still believe that a Web Proxy and a VPN are the same things?
Conclusions
We hope that at this point you’re not disappointed since you’ve no reason to be so.
Our free online Web Proxy is a great tool to add anonymity to your connection. Of course, is not the right tool for every task and it’s not the one-fits-all solution to Internet security.
We didn't set these limitations ourselves. Unfortunately, this is how this kind of tools work even if you are willing to pay a monthly fee for that.
In any case, you are welcomed to use it for free when you have to minor perform tasks. Read the information on this page carefully, and you will quickly understand when our free tool is a wise choice and when it’s not.
Look at things this way. You can use the Proxy web free of charge and enjoy some of its benefits. So, feel free to play with it as long as you like and experience the benefit that such a tool may offer you.
At the same time, make good use of this experience to think of how much more benefits you can enjoy if you give yourself the total protection that only a VPN connection can guarantee you.
We promise you that your vision of the Internet will never be the same anymore.
OUR WORK
Our team has tested more than 50 VPNs and more are soon to come.
Every month, we update our tests to keep you up to date. Based on the test results, we decide which ones are the Best VPN providers.
Disclosure: We receive compensation from some of the VPN we review. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.
Anonymizers and VPN services
Anonymizers- these are special sites, programs or browser extensions that allow you to hide data about the user, his location and the software installed on his computer from a remote server.
- Any traffic passing through the anonymizer (proxy server) will have its IP address instead of the address of the computer from which the request was made;
- Unlike VPN servers, anonymizers (proxy servers) do not have means of encrypting information passing through them
VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a technology that connects trusted networks, nodes and users through open, untrusted networks. That is, a VPN is a secure window for accessing the Internet.
VPNs were originally created to allow company employees to work remotely with their corporate servers, regardless of their location. And while a number of companies still use VPNs for this reason, most users use such services to gain privacy online or to be able to bypass geographic restrictions on access to various sites (for example, streaming content).
When a user surfs the Internet without a VPN, his search history, location, and information about his ISP are available to advertisers, his employer, and government agencies. By and large, a VPN protects online information from access by interested parties, but sometimes there can be leaks. VPN leaks can happen for a variety of reasons. Individuals interested in obtaining personal information may use the code to disable the VPN, or the system may simply not function properly at times. When using a VPN in your daily Internet activity, it is recommended to check it regularly for leaks.
A tunnel is created between the user's computer and the server with installed software to create a virtual private network.
- In these programs, a key (password) is generated on the server and computer to encrypt/decrypt data.
- A request is created on the computer and encrypted using the previously created key.
- Encrypted data is transmitted through the tunnel to the VPN server.
- On the VPN server they are decrypted and the request is executed - sending a file, logging into the site, starting the service.
- The VPN server prepares the response, encrypts it and sends it back to the user.
- The user's computer receives the data and decrypts it with the key that was generated earlier.
Risks and inconveniences for the user when using anonymizers and VPN services
- Slower Internet connection speed than regular connection
- Possibility of leakage of user data (logins, passwords, bank details, card and payment system data) if the VPN is configured incorrectly, as well as when passing through an anonymizer.
- Possibility of infecting your computer with viruses (through the insertion of malicious code while passing through anonymizers).
- The provider that provides VPN services to the user receives all information about the user’s actions while he is connected to the Internet
Is it technically possible to prohibit the use of VPN services from a particular provider?
- It is possible to detect VPN traffic and block it, but this requires expensive equipment.
- In the case of smartphones and tablets, you can also restrict access to VPN services according to the “Chinese model” - if Roskomnadzor agrees to exclude VPN services from mobile application stores
How users will circumvent the law on anonymizers and VPN services
- There are so many anonymizers and VPN services that it is impossible to block all these resources. It will always be possible to find an unblocked resource that does not comply with the requirements of this law.
- You can create your own VPN on a rented foreign site (such a service may become popular in the next couple of years).
- If the Apple Store and Google Market stop providing the ability to download those applications that do not comply with the requirements of this law, then users will begin to download them from alternative sources such as www.apkmirror.com, http://m.apkpure.com, http://f -droid.org, etc.
Types of VPN Leaks
Users typically sign up for VPN providers thinking that the service they are paying for will protect their online privacy. But realizing that a VPN can leak information can be scary and alarming. There are three types of VPN leaks that can occur, so being able to identify them will help users be prepared to fix any leaks they may discover.
IP leak
An IP address is a string of dotted numbers that is assigned to certain computers or smart devices by your Internet Service Provider. When you browse sites on the Internet, your IP address is tied to your searches, clicks, and visits.
There are currently two types of IP addresses. The original protocol is called IPv4, and the newer one is called IPv6. The new protocol is designed to provide even more IP addresses to the world. Currently, many VPN service providers only support IPv4 addresses, which can lead to IP address leaks.
DNS leak
It's a very useful browser-based peer-to-peer communication, but users have found that WebRTC opens up certain VPN vulnerabilities. Similar leaks occur in such popular browsers as Chrome, Firefox, Brave and Opera. With just a few lines of code, any website can reveal your IP address and location.
How do I know if my VPN is working?
There are many paid services that allow you to find out detailed information about potential vulnerabilities in your VPN. If you want to explore your personal Internet security, you can check it yourself and manually.
How to Check for IP Leaks
- Find your personal IP address by turning off your VPN and typing a query like “find my IP address” into the Google or Yandex search engine. Your IP address associated with your device will be shown at the top of the page. Write down this address.
- Go to your VPN provider account, log in, select the required VPN server and connect to it.
- Return to the search engine and again type a query like “find out my IP address.” Your new address will now be shown on the screen. Check it with your IP address that you wrote down earlier.
- If the new address when connected via VPN is the same as your address without VPN, then there is most likely a leak of your IP address.
How to Check for DNS Leaks
- Connect to your VPN and select a server in another country.
- Open a site that is blocked for your country (for example, a social network, forum or content streaming service).
- If you were unable to access this website, then it is likely that there is a DNS leak.
How to check for WebRTC leaks
- Turn on your VPN and select any server to work with.
- Type in your search engine (for example, Google or Yandex) a query like “find out my IP address.” The top of the page will show you the IP address assigned to your device by your VPN service.
- Now copy this IP address and paste it into the query field in your search engine, but just before the address itself, type “IP” (without quotes). If your location is shown, this may indicate a WebRTC leak.
How can I fix a VPN leak?
If you find a leak in your VPN, don't panic. There are several ways to fix the leak you are experiencing. If you find that these types of leaks occur frequently, then consider changing your VPN provider and switch to one that is better able to protect your online activity.
How to fix IP leak
A reliable solution to fix IP leaks is to use a VPN service that provides full support for IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. You can also add restrictions in your firewall to use only IPv6 addresses, but this is a temporary solution to the incident.
How to fix a DNS leak
If you find a DNS leak, there are several fixes you can try. First, turn off your VPN and turn off your WiFi. After a minute, turn on your WiFi and reconnect to your VPN. If this does not help resolve the incident, then try choosing a different server to connect to in your VPN. After that, run the DNS leak test again to check the security of your connection.
How to fix WebRTC leak
The best way to fix a WebRTC leak is to disable WebRTC in your browser. This can be done in Firefox and a number of other browsers. But Chromium browsers like Chrome or Brave don't have an option to disable WebRTC, so for these browsers, use browser extensions to protect your online privacy.
Tips to Prevent VPN Leaks
- Use the tests suggested above to periodically test your VPN.
- Check that your VPN provider supports IPv6 addresses to avoid IP leaks
- Contact your VPN provider and make sure your service does not allow any DNS leak
- Disable WebRTC in your browser or add an extension to prevent WebRTC leaks
- Consider switching to a different VPN provider that offers complete protection against leaks and other vulnerabilities
Who's watching over us?
Very, very many people are watching us, from ordinary overly curious hackers to bigwigs of the world behind the scenes, and they all need something from us. Lesser scammers need your passwords, IP addresses, and confidential information. The intelligence services need to know everything about your preferences, whether you have accidentally strayed from the herd of sheep that they obediently manage, whether you are visiting those resources that you do not need to visit. Online surveillance has existed since its inception, and from that very moment there has been a constant struggle between tracking systems and those who oppose them. Those who are trying to control us have more opportunities, but with knowledge and the right multi-level security system, you can solve any problem from ordinary surfing to effective underground.
Tracking tools can be divided into three levels, but it should be understood that each higher level uses the capabilities of lower ones, so it is more like a nesting doll.
Level 1
Providers, Trojan bot networks, polymorphic viruses, rootkits. All these dangers in themselves are quite serious, but if they are not involved by higher-level systems, they do not pose a particular danger, in terms of criticality for a person, of course, and not for the PC and the data on it.
So what do they do:
Providers
They have access to all your data, collect all your registration data, cut down traffic from torrent networks, and encrypted traffic. They do all this for their own commercial purposes, so it is not particularly dangerous, but what they do as part of the measures to ensure SORM - 2 and SORM - 3 is much more dangerous, and this is described below.
Trojan bot networks
They are a new type of Trojans that are united in networks, and it is Trojan networks that are found on most infected PCs around the world. The tasks of Trojans that get onto your PC are different, there are Trojans for fools who require you to deposit money via SMS and for this they will unblock you, but these are a minority, modern Trojans are more cunning, they hide in very hard-to-reach places and do not manifest themselves in any way. Their main task is to collect data, namely your passwords, your visited pages, your documents. After he transfers this data to the owner of the network (and the average network is from 10,000 PCs), the owner of the network will either sell your PC (more precisely, your IP) for spam or hackers, or use your IP himself. Since you can't take anything from most PCs, Trojans turn them into proxies for VPN servers and use them for spam or hacker attacks. But for us, the main danger of Trojans is not that they control our PC or steal passwords, but that they set you up for dangerous hacking operations on other people’s servers, as well as other illegal activities. But what’s even worse is that many bot network holders sell stolen data to level 2 and 3 systems, that is, they leak all your data to intelligence agencies for pennies, and in return they turn a blind eye to their activities.
Polymorphic viruses
The main danger is that they are difficult to detect, in our case it is also the fact that they can be written specifically for a specific site, or for your network, or for your system’s protection, and not a single antivirus will calculate such specially tailored polymorphs (Polymorphism) . It is polymorphs that stand guard over SORM and Echelon, these are “state programs”, they are not detected by ordinary antiviruses and firewalls, are installed by the provider and have the ability to penetrate your PC at any time. Infection channels are usually the provider’s home pages, billing, and personal account. It’s naive to think that you can ignore this, because if they couldn’t break your communication channel, then they will scan your ports and try to get into your PC. Government polymorphic programs are not malicious, the only thing they do is tell the person who installed them all your online activities and passwords, they record your activity on the PC. There is a department in the SORM system that develops such polymorphs; unless you are an extra-class hacker, you will not be able to avoid infection with a polymorph specially written for you. But there is also opposition to this.
Rootkits
Rootkits are actively used by intelligence agencies in conjunction with polymorphs. They are a process that hides Trojans and bookmarks from you, are not detected by antiviruses and anti-Trojans, and have complex heuristic polymorphic algorithms.
Department K
User tracking aspect
When entering the network, a person immediately comes under the close attention of tracking systems. In our case, SORM - 2, your provider, which provides you with access to the network, allocates you an IP or your temporary or permanent address. It is thanks to IP that interaction occurs between your browser and the server, thanks to it you receive the information that you see on the monitor.
The peculiarity of network protocols and programs is such that all your IPs are written in the logs (protocols) of any server that you visited and remain there on the HDD for a long time, unless, of course, they are specifically erased from there.
The provider has its own IP range, which is allocated to it, and it, in turn, allocates IP to its users. The provider has its own database of IP addresses, each IP address in the database is tied to the full name of the person who entered into the contract and the physical address of the apartment where the access point is located.
IPs can be dynamic (change constantly), or static, that is, constant, but this does not change the essence of the matter, the provider constantly records your movements. The provider knows what resource, at what time and how long you were.
All the resources you visit, and he writes at time intervals from 15 minutes to 1 hour, he writes into his database; when you go to any new resource, he also writes down (the ip of the resource). This data is provided in the database in the form of numbers and does not take up much space. The database of your logs is stored by the provider for 3 years by law, and by tacit agreement with people from SORM - 2 for 10 years.
This is one of the conditions of SORM-2; without it, no provider will receive a license from FAPSI to provide telecommunications services. Thus, an archive of all IPs issued to you for 10 years is stored by the provider, as well as an archive of all your logs (where, when and at what time you “surfed” the network). SORM, through special equipment, has direct access to these databases, and in the SORM system - 3 this data is generally directly integrated into this global system.
If, for example, you are interested in a SORM operator, he simply activates one button in the program and the SORM system begins to record all your traffic, everything that you transmitted, downloaded and watched, simply by using a hardware scanner sniffer on the provider’s channel. Physically, the data will be stored by the provider from where it is transferred for analysis to the SORM operator. I would like to note that, as a rule, all your traffic is UNENCRYPTED and, if desired, anyone can intercept it, not just SORM - 2.
SORM - 2 also installs traffic analyzers on the providers' channel; they view information on a set of keywords, on visited resources, on the presence of encrypted traffic, and in all these cases a message is sent to the system, which automatically decides what to do next. I think clearly what global level of control this is and draw conclusions about what incriminating evidence is available on everyone. If the contract is issued for your grandmother, then do not think that operational development will be carried out in relation to her, SORM databases are connected with the registration database and the central FSB database and SORM databases on other resources, and you will be associated if necessary, there are no fools there.
SORM - 2 on search engines, is directly integrated into the database and looks through ALL your hits by keywords, and also uses ALL your settings for cookies that the search engine collects. If necessary, it creates a “picture” of a particular user based on keywords and specific search queries, remembers passwords and logins.
SORM - 2 on all major social portals collects mainly your information that you leave and logs page visits, remembers passwords and logins.
SORM-2 in mail servers displays all your mail, associates your IP with which you registered this mail. Analyzes and gives a signal if encrypted correspondence via PGP is detected.
SORM - 2 in e-commerce systems completely scans your PC, registers it in the registry, binds to the MAC address, equipment serial number, system configuration and IP, and of course to the data you left during registration. Of course, all this is done by the e-commerce program, but the information it receives is available to SORM.
SORM 2 in VPN and proxy servers
Not for all of them, of course, but for many (legal ones for all), it writes logs. A very big problem is the unreliability of the proxies themselves, many proxies in the SORM - 2 system, the rest are official legitimate servers and, by law, provide SORM - 2 operatives with all the logs of interest. That is, even if you work through 1 or 100 proxy servers, you will be promoted very quickly, just call the owner of the service or come. Exotic countries will only increase the time it takes to find your IP (but, if necessary, they will do it quickly). It is through the promotion of proxy chains that most hackers are caught. All proxy servers write LOGES, and this is living compromising evidence (except for specially configured ones).
SORM - 2 in Data Centers
SORM - 2 is also integrated into all data centers and traffic communication points, if the servers and, accordingly, the hosting are located in Russia, which means that you can get an archive of logs and install a Trojan to the database of registered users only by calling or visiting the data center, It is in this way, in hardware, that most patriotic sites are monitored, as well as VPN servers or resources on which SORM - 2 is not installed directly as equipment. Your admin can re-encrypt his database at least 100 times, but if he has a Trojan on his server in the data center and the channel is being tapped, then even if he wants to, he will not save user logs, their addresses, or other confidential information. Having their own server will only make their task more difficult. For security, you need your own server and your own person in the data center and preferably in data centers abroad.
SORM - 2 on domain name registrar servers
It tracks who and what is registering, writes the ip, automatically breaks down the reality of the entered data, if it is determined that the data is wrong - the domain name is put on a note, if necessary, they can easily close the domain name. SORM - 2 also uses a whole network of TOR servers (like other intelligence agencies), which listen to traffic passing through them.
Level 3
Echelon
Echelon is an order of magnitude cooler system than SORM-2, but with the same tasks and goals, uses all lower levels 1 and 2, the official owner of the CIA, is on Google, built into Windows in the form of bookmarks, on all routers, in the largest data centers of the world, on all main optical cables, it differs in scale and in that, if desired, the operator uses a satellite and watches you on a monitor in real time. The FSB does not have direct access to it, although it can receive it upon request, although its principles are the same. By and large, Echelon is a global worldwide SORM - 2, this system has much more opportunities and finances around the world. The system controls banking transactions, has the ability to open encrypted messages and communication channels, and interacts very closely with Microsoft and Skype.
What is the difference between a VPN and a proxy?
When you dig into the network settings of your computer or smartphone, you often see options labeled `VPN` or `Proxy`. Although they do partly similar work, they are very different. Our article will help you understand the difference between them and what they are needed for. You might want to use some of them.
What is a proxy?
Typically, when you browse a website on the Internet, your computer connects directly to that site and begins downloading the pages you are reading. Everything is very simple.
And when you use a proxy server, your computer first sends all web traffic to it. The proxy redirects your request to the desired site, downloads the relevant information, and then returns it back to you.
Why is all this needed? There are several reasons for this:
- You want to browse websites anonymously: all traffic that comes to the site comes from the proxy server, not from your computer.
- You need to overcome filters that limit access to certain content. For example, as you know, your Netflix subscription in Russia will work in . But if you use a proxy server from Russia, then it will look like you are watching TV while in Russia, and everything will work as it should.
Although this scheme works quite well, there are still a few problems with the proxy:
- All web traffic that passes through the proxy can be viewed by the owner of the proxy server. Do you know the owners of the proxy server? Can they be trusted?
- Web traffic between your computer and the proxy server, as well as the proxy server and the site, is not encrypted, and therefore a skilled hacker can intercept the transmitted sensitive data and steal it.
What is a VPN?
A VPN is very similar to a proxy. Your computer is configured to connect to another server, and your web traffic routes through that server. But while a proxy server can only redirect web requests, a VPN connection can route and provide complete anonymity for all your network traffic.
But there is another significant advantage of a VPN - all traffic is encrypted. This means that hackers cannot intercept data between your computer and the VPN server, so your sensitive personal information cannot be compromised.
VPN is the most secure option
The lawyer of the Center for Digital Rights, Mikhail Bautin, representing the company inCloak Network Ltd, submitted a written response to the lawsuit to the court. In the response, the defendant asked that the claim be dismissed. Such data is contained in the ruling of the Medvedevsky District Court of the Republic of Mari El, writes Roskomsvoboda. Another representative of inCloak Network Ltd, identified as V.K. Ivanov, did not object to the termination of the case in court.
As a result, the court accepted the assistant prosecutor's refusal, terminated the proceedings and informed the parties that it would be impossible to reopen proceedings on the same subject and on the same grounds in the future.
Kaspersky Lab's VPN service began blocking sites banned in Russia
At the beginning of July 2019, it became known that the Kaspersky Secure Connection VPN service began blocking sites banned in Russia. The service was connected to the registry of prohibited information to filter user access to the resources located in it.
Avast closes VPN service in Russia due to Roskomnadzor restrictions
On June 13, 2019, it became known about the closure of the Avast SecureLine VPN service in Russia due to restrictions from Roskomnadzor. The agency requires VPN services and anonymizers to block access to sites on the blacklist and prevent users from visiting these resources.
Roskomnadzor was forced to unblock the world famous VPN service
The HideMy.name project, one of the largest VPN services, formerly known as HideMe.ru, achieved in the Supreme Court of the Republic of Mari El the cancellation of the blocking decision, as reported by the department’s portal. HideMy.name was added to the register of prohibited sites, which is supervised by Roskomnadzor, in July 2018, and the basis for this was the decision of the Yoshkar-Ola district court. The lawsuit was filed by a local prosecutor, however, it is noteworthy that the defendant in the case was not representatives of the resource, but employees of Roskomnadzor.
The judge's decision to include HideMy.name on the list of sites blocked by Russia was influenced by the theoretical possibility of each user of this service obtaining unlimited access to extremist materials, including Adolf Hitler's book Mein Kampf. In addition, representatives of the resource responded, the lawsuit mentioned a certain anonymizer, which was not on the site at the time the case was initiated.
The verdict in this case was challenged on May 23, 2019 in the republican court of Mari El through the joint efforts of representatives of HideMy.name, as well as lawyers from Roskomsvoboda and the Center for Digital Rights. The court completely reversed the earlier decision, but nevertheless sent the case for retrial.
VPN services refuse to join FSIS
International companies providing VPN services are not ready to comply with the requirements of Roskomnadzor to connect to the Russian registry of prohibited sites to filter traffic, Roskomsvoboda reported at the end of March 2019. It is clarified that the only exception was the Russian VPN service from Kaspersky Lab, which stated that it would comply with the law.
Roskomsvoboda monitors the situation and maintains an up-to-date list of services that have already responded. Currently the list looks like this:
- TorGuard - on the RKN list, failure + removes servers from the Russian Federation;
- VyprVPN - on the RKN list, refusal;
- OpenVPN - on the RKN list, refusal;
- ProtonVPN - not on the RKN list, refusal;
- NordVPN - on the RKN list, refusal + removes servers from the Russian Federation;
- Private Internet Access - not on the RKN list, refusal;
- Trust.Zone - not on the RKN list, failure + removes servers from the Russian Federation;
- VPN Unlimited - on the RKN list, refusal;
- Kaspersky Secure Connection - in the RKN list, consent;
- Hide My Ass! - ignore;
- Hola VPN - ignore;
- ExpressVPN - ignore;
- Windscribe - not on the RKN list, refusal;
- Ivacy VPN - not on the RKN list, refusal;
- TgVPN - not on the RKN list, refusal, fundamentally does not have servers in the Russian Federation.
That is, out of twelve responses there were eleven refusals, in three cases the intention to remove the servers from the Russian Federation was voiced
Connection requests were sent to 10 services: NordVPN, Hide My Ass!, Hola VPN, Openvpn, VyprVPN, ExpressVPN, TorGuard, IPVanish, Kaspersky Secure Connection and VPN Unlimited. Of these, only Kaspersky Secure Connection agreed to Roskomnadzor’s demands;
Roskomnadzor requires VPN services to start blocking prohibited sites
2018
Trend Micro warns about the dangers of using Hola VPN
One of the most popular free VPN services, downloaded millions of times, poses a privacy risk because it does not properly hide users' digital fingerprints, researchers warn.
We are talking about the Hola VPN service, which has about 175 million users worldwide. According to a new report from Trend Micro, Hola VPN has a number of serious security problems, and one of the main ones is the lack of encryption.
In particular, during an active session, the connection to the supernode is not encrypted, and an attacker can intercept the transmitted traffic using a man-in-the-middle attack. In addition, the lack of encryption can lead to leakage of IP addresses, which authorities can use to track citizens in countries with totalitarian regimes.
When using Hola VPN, when a user opens a new tab in the browser or enters a domain name in the address bar, the resource is accessed directly from their real IP address. Unlike other VPN services that route traffic through an encrypted tunnel, Hola VPN is not a secure VPN solution, but rather an unencrypted web proxy.
Trend Micro now detects Hola VPN as potentially unwanted software and recommends users remove it from their systems. In turn, the manufacturer called the company’s report “irresponsible.”
Apple has banned individuals from writing VPN apps for iPhone and iPad
The global application publishing rules have also undergone a major update, tightening and describing in more detail the provisions related to protecting user privacy. In particular, clause 5.1.1 of the rules of publications on the collection and storage of user data (5.1.1 Data Collection and Storage) has increased from four to seven subclauses.
Innovations in the App Store Review Guidelines were introduced based on the results of the work of App Store censors over the past few months, during which applications that provided users with anonymous access to Internet resources were subjected to the most thorough scrutiny.
From now on, hosters are required to report to the authorities about the owners of proxies and VPNs
The State Duma adopted in the third reading a law on fines for hosters and search engines related to means of bypassing blocking on the Internet. The law, which will come into force 90 days from the date of official publication, is a set of amendments to the Russian Code of Administrative Offenses.
Fines will be levied on hosting providers who provide tools for bypassing blocking on the Internet without informing Roskomnadzor who owns these tools.
Alternatively, instead of submitting information about the owner of a proxy or VPN to Roskomnadzor, the hosting provider can inform the regulator that it has notified that owner to provide information about itself. If such a message has not been received from the hoster, he will also face a fine.
In both of these cases, the fine for citizens will be from 10 thousand to 30 thousand rubles, and for legal entities - from 50 thousand to 300 thousand rubles.
Fines for search engines
The law also provides for fines for search engines that make it easier for users to access Internet resources blocked in Russia. In particular, if a search engine operator has not connected to the federal state information system, which contains information about which resources are blocked, then such an operator will be fined. For citizens in this case, the fine will be from 3 thousand to 5 thousand rubles, for officials - from 30 thousand to 50 thousand rubles, and for legal entities - from 500 thousand to 700 thousand rubles.
The State Duma approved in the second reading the tightening of liability for anonymizers
In May 2018, the State Duma adopted in the second reading a bill providing for the introduction of administrative fines for violating the law on anonymizers. In particular, if the hosting provider and anonymizer do not provide Roskomnadzor with data on the owners of means of access to blocked sites, this will entail a fine - from 10 thousand to 30 thousand rubles for citizens and 50 thousand - 300 thousand rubles for legal entities, writes "Interfax".
In addition, issuing links to prohibited sites in search engines will result in a fine. For this it is proposed to collect 3 thousand - 5 thousand rubles from citizens, 30 thousand - 50 thousand rubles from officials and 500 thousand - 700 thousand from legal entities.
VPN service rating
23% of VPN services reveal users' real IP addresses
Italian researcher Paolo Stagno tested 70 VPN services and found that 16 of them (23%) revealed users' real IP addresses. The problem is related to the use of WebRTC (Web Real Time Communication) technology, which allows audio and video calls directly from the browser. This technology is supported by a number of browsers, including Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Google Chrome for Android, Samsung Internet, Opera and Vivaldi.
WebRTC is an open standard for real-time multimedia communications that runs directly in a web browser. The project is designed to organize the transfer of streaming data between browsers or other applications that support it using point-to-point technology.
As the researcher explained, the technology allows the use of STUN (Session Traversal Utilities for NAT) and ICE mechanisms to organize connections in different types of networks. The STUN server sends messages containing the IP addresses and port numbers of the source and destination.
STUN servers are used by VPN services to replace a local IP address with an external (public) IP address and vice versa. WebRTC allows packets to be sent to a STUN server, which returns a “hidden” home IP address, as well as the user’s local network addresses. IP addresses are displayed using JavaScript, but since the requests are made outside the normal XML/HTTP procedure, they are not visible from the developer console.
According to Stagno, 16 VPN services reveal users' real IP addresses: BolehVPN, ChillGlobal (plugin for Chrome and Firefox), Glype (depending on configuration), hide-me.org, Hola!VPN, Hola!VPN (extension for Chrome), HTTP PROXY (in browsers that support Web RTC), IBVPN, PHP Proxy, phx.piratebayproxy.co, psiphon3, PureVPN, SOCKS Proxy (in browsers that support Web RTC), SumRando Web Proxy, TOR (works as PROXY in browsers with Web RTC), Windscribe. The full list of tested services can be found here.
2017
A number of VPN services refused to cooperate with Roskomnadzor
According to the public organization Roskomsvoboda, not all VPN services intend to follow the law that has come into force. Seven services have already made their position on the new requirements clear. The first is ExpressVPN, which said back in the summer that it would "absolutely never agree to any regulations that compromise a product's ability to protect users' digital rights."
Service ZenMate prepared in advance for possible blocking in case of refusal to restrict access to sites prohibited in the Russian Federation. The company announced an “elegant solution” that allows the service to automatically switch to “sustainable mode” without causing serious inconvenience to users. “In this mode, the connection will be redirected through the largest backbone Internet services. These services play a key role for the Internet, and therefore blocking them paralyzes the Internet,” the company said in its blog.
Services Tunnelbear And PrivateVPN do not intend to comply with Russian law, since they are not Russian companies. Tunnelbear servers are located outside the Russian Federation, and PrivateVPN is ready, if necessary, to move its server from Russian territory.
They also announced their refusal to cooperate with Roskomnadzor Golden Frog(the company owns the VyprVPN service), TorGuard And TgVPN. “We will not comply with this law and will do everything to remain accessible to users from Russia. Among other measures, we are preparing applications with built-in ways to bypass VPN blocks,” the TgVPN team said in their Telegram chat.
The law on anonymizers came into force in Russia
To implement the law, the Federal State Information System (FSIS) is being launched. Upon request from law enforcement agencies, Roskomnadzor will identify a provider providing technologies to bypass blocking.
The law will need to be implemented upon requests to Roskomnadzor from the federal executive body carrying out operational investigative activities or ensuring the security of the Russian Federation (Ministry of Internal Affairs and FSB).
As reported on the Roskomnadzor page on VKontakte, the agency and market participants - Kaspersky Lab, Opera, Mail.ru and Yandex - are already completing testing of the “new interaction system”. In addition, anonymizers 2ip.ru and 2ip.io have already agreed to cooperate with Roskomnadzor.
The draft law was introduced by deputies Maxim Kudryavtsev (United Russia), Nikolai Ryzhak (A Just Russia) and Alexander Yushchenko (Communist Party of the Russian Federation).
Fines for violating the law banning anonymizers
The State Duma is going to legislate fines for search engine operators if they do not fulfill their obligations to gain access to the Roskomnadzor register and block links to information resources included in the list.
The document provides for a fine for individuals - 5 thousand rubles, for officials - 50 thousand, for legal entities from 500 thousand to 700 thousand rubles.
The creator of Tor explained how Roskomnadzor can block Tor
Roskomnadzor requirements for anonymizers
The law prohibits search engine operators from displaying links to blocked resources on the territory of the Russian Federation. A similar ban is provided for owners of anonymizers and VPN services. Sites that report ways to bypass blocking will, in turn, be blocked by Roskomnadzor. In addition, based on requests from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB, the department will identify a provider that allows the use of an anonymizer and request from it data to identify the owner of the service. The provider will have three days to provide the necessary information.
As specified, the requirements of the law do not apply to operators of state information systems, state agencies and local governments, as well as to those cases of using anonymizers when the circle of their users is pre-determined by the owners and their use occurs for “technological purposes to support the activities of the person carrying out the use.”
If the bill is approved by the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and signed by the President of Russia, most of the provisions of the document will come into force on November 1, 2017.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB of Russia may begin to identify ways to bypass blocking on the Internet
If adopted, the law will come into force on November 1, 2017. On the same day, the procedure for identifying anonymizers and requirements for methods of restricting access to them will come into effect.
As specified, the bill does not affect operators of state information systems, state agencies and local governments, and also does not apply to non-public means of bypassing blocking if they are used “for technological purposes to support the activities” of the organization, and the circle of their users is determined in advance.
As the publication emphasizes, we are talking specifically about blocking casino sites by the Federal Tax Service, however, anonymizers have a wider application. In addition, the State Duma is currently considering a bill to ban anonymizers, VPNs and similar services for bypassing blocking. So far, the document has only passed the first reading. In view of this, the publication’s lawyers interlocutors call the new order illegal - since it gives the Federal Tax Service the right to block not only online casinos, but also the very opportunity to enter an online casino.
Deputies prohibited anonymizers and search engines from giving access to prohibited sites
At the end of June 2017, the State Duma approved in the first reading a bill on regulating the activities of services designed to gain access to Internet sites by bypassing official blocking, as well as on excluding links to blocked resources from search engine results. The authors of the bill were deputies Alexander Yushchenko (fraction of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation), Nikolai Ryzhak (A Just Russia) and Maxim Kudryavtsev (United Russia).
The document represents amendments to the law “On Information, IT and Information Protection”. The bill introduces obligations for “owners of information and telecommunication networks, information networks and computer programs, as well as owners of information resources, including Internet sites designed to gain access from the territory of Russia” to networks and programs.
This definition should include services that provide indirect access to Internet resources: anonymizers, proxy servers, VPNs, tunnels, browsers with a bypass access function (Tor, Opera, Yandex Browser), etc. Such services were originally intended for accessing the Internet while hiding one’s IP address, but after the introduction of registries of prohibited sites in Russia in 2012, they gained mass popularity to bypass such restrictions.
What will happen when Roskomnadzor finds an anonymizer
The bill assumes that Roskomnadzor, the agency that maintains the Register of Prohibited Sites, will monitor such services and include them in a separate register. The owners of the relevant resources will be given access to the Register of Prohibited Sites, and they will be required to block Russian users from accessing such sites.
When Roskomnadzor detects an anonymizer or other similar resource, it will send a request to its hosting provider to obtain the contact information of its owner. The hosting provider will have to respond with information within three days. Next, Roskomnadzor will send a request to the owner of this resource to include it in the above-mentioned register. If the owner does not respond to Roskomnadzor within 30 days and does not take measures to block Russian users’ access to prohibited sites, the agency will block access to it from Russian territory.
New responsibilities for search engines
In addition, the bill introduces an obligation for search engine owners to exclude from search results links to resources included in the Register of Prohibited Sites. Search engine owners will also be given access to the Register of Prohibited Sites.
At the same time, fines for violators are introduced into the Code of Administrative Offences. For owners of search engines for failure to gain access to the Register of Prohibited Sites and for failure to filter links to prohibited resources, fines will amount to p5 thousand for individuals, p50 thousand for officials and from p500 thousand to p700 thousand for legal entities. For owners of anonymizers and other similar services, fines for failure to provide Roskomnadzor with information about themselves will range from p10 thousand to p30 thousand for individuals and from p50 thousand to p300 thousand for legal entities.
CSIRO: VPNs aren't always as private as they're thought to be
Australia's CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) has warned users of virtual private networks (VPNs) that their security often doesn't live up to the technology's name.
The organization's researchers found that 18% of the apps reviewed did not actually encrypt user traffic, 38% injected malware or intrusive advertising directly onto the user's device, and more than 80% requested access to sensitive data such as user account information and text messages.
16% of VPN apps analyzed use opaque proxies that modify user HTTP traffic by inserting and removing headers or using techniques such as image transcoding.
In addition, two VPN applications were found to actively inject JavaScript code into user traffic to distribute advertising and track user activities, and one of them redirected e-commerce traffic to external advertising partners.
“The main reason tens of millions of users install these applications is to protect their data, but these applications do not perform precisely this function,” the report says.
While most of the apps surveyed offer "some form" of online anonymity, CSIRO said some app developers deliberately set out to collect users' personal information which could be sold to external partners. However, only less than 1% of users show any concern about the security and privacy of using these applications.
18% of the VPN applications studied use tunneling technologies without encryption, and 84 and 66% of applications leak IPv6 and DNS traffic, respectively. As a result, the report says, these applications do not protect user traffic from agents installed along the way that carry out online surveillance or surveillance of users.
If you look at the official descriptions of applications on Google Play, then for 94% of applications with leaked IPv6 and DNS data, it is said that they protect personal information.
Before publishing its report, CSIRO contacted developers whose apps were found to have security flaws, which resulted in some taking action to fix the vulnerabilities and some apps being removed from Google Play.
Due to regular blocking of sites, users began to look for workarounds. This issue is especially relevant for residents of Ukraine, where access to Odnoklassniki, VK, Yandex and many other resources is limited. Anonymizers can help with bypass; they help you change your IP address and access any sites. These can be either special programs that are installed on a computer or online resources (Internet sites) and are used to hide information.
Anonymizers also help office workers access resources blocked at the company network level, and also make you less vulnerable to hackers. Let's look in more detail at where to download the anonymizer for free and how to use such a program.
Types of anonymizers
Anonymizer allows you to hide external IP so that the user cannot be identified. At the time of operation, the program replaces it with another address, which allows you to hide the user’s identity; it is impossible to calculate from which city he visited the site. Most often, these utilities are used to bypass locks at various levels.
Such software can be divided into several types:
- a utility installed on a PC or mobile device;
- add-on for web browsers;
- remote proxy server;
- an online service that does not require installation of components on your computer.
The last option is most convenient to use. It is used by office workers, students and schoolchildren. Just enter the desired address in the PC search bar to proceed to using the anonymizer. However, such services are limited in their capabilities. With their help, you can bypass blocking at the organizational level, but it will be impossible to open sites from the prohibited list.
Principle of operation
In order to hide the user's real IP, the anonymizer turns to a proxy server or a web proxy. They submit a request to the desired site on their own behalf, selecting a free IP registered in another country.
After receiving a response from the site to which the user sent the request, it is sent to the user’s PC. Thus, the external IP of the computer is not read by the site; only the provider and the proxy server know it.
This is a simple explanation of how the anonymizer works; at the software level, everything is much more complicated, but for the user this does not matter. The main thing is the result, you remain anonymous on the network, and you can also bypass any blocking.
Russian anonymizer “Chameleon” for classmates, VK and any other sites
Free Russian anonymizers have gained the greatest popularity among users. Their advantage is that they work with sites blocked by Roskomnadzor, and the instructions for use are as clear as possible. One of the popular services is Chameleon. It is a portal from which you can get to any site blocked by the system administrator. It is often used by office workers.
The advantage is that the time for using the service is not limited. When using this option, in a special line you need to enter the address of the site you want to go to, or you can select one of the ready-made options (the list includes social networks and dating services).
After going to the site, you can see a set of characters in the address bar, no need to be scared - this is normal, this is how this service works. You need to enter your registration details and enjoy using the blocked site.
Access to social networks for Ukrainian users
Anonymizers from Russian developers can also be used by Ukrainian users, but the convenient service anonym .in .ua will help you bypass specific blocking - it is located on a Ukrainian domain, which allows you to use it without restrictions on speed and time.
Its advantage is that from the main page of the site you can get to all the necessary portals:
- Youtube;
- Yandex;
- Mail.ru;
- dating services;
- "Classmates".
You will be able to use Odnoklassniki through the anonymizer for Ukrainian users for free by clicking on the login button directly under the site logo.
According to the test results, pages of any social networks are responded to almost instantly. The exchange of information through this anonymizer is carried out as quickly as possible.
There are a lot of services and programs for anonymous use of the network. Some stop working over time, while others are especially popular with users for their additional options. We'll tell you how to use the anonymizer for free and without restrictions, and also give examples of services distributed by subscription. The rating contains all the best anonymizers.
Security Science
SECURITY-SCIENCE.COM is an online service compiled by security experts. It allows you to select a remote server in several countries around the world. In addition, you can select a server located in a specific city in the country. For example, in the USA it is proposed to provide remote access from Illinois, Maryland, and California.
In addition, on the site you can find other useful utilities for security and optimization of your computer: decoders, domain checking programs and many others. All of them are collected by specialists from leading companies.
OrangeProxy
This anonymizer is suitable for beginners. It has very simple navigation that will allow you to open any website. The disadvantage of this service is the lack of Russification. To set the correct settings, you need to know some basic terms.
You can do without additional settings. Simply select one of the icons at the top to get to the desired site, or enter the portal address in the search bar. Above it you can see through which server the connection will be organized. Most often, remote servers from the USA are used.
Xitenow
This free anonymizer inspires confidence at first glance. It is decorated in green tones. The service is inconvenient due to the lack of icons for quick access. Browser type settings are shown in white, which also causes additional inconvenience.
At the same time, if you are not going to regulate the service for yourself, it is easy to use. Just like in Chameleon, you need to enter the address of the desired site and go to it. Next to the “Go” button there is a link to the remote server settings.
4Ever Proxy – online anonymizer
Another free site that can be used by office employees to bypass corporate network blocks. A useful advantage of this site is that it clears user data every 2 hours. All sessions and registration data are completely erased.
In all other respects, this service is similar to the others. All data in it is individually encrypted, which allows you to maintain complete confidentiality. The service allows you to access almost all sites blocked from outside.
Hidester
This service is available in two versions - a website that allows you to open any blocked resource and an add-on for Google Chrome - Hidester Proxy. The last option is more convenient if you use an anonymizer at home.
You don't need to go to the Hidester page every time to access social networks. The installed extension will change your IP and you will be able to surf the network without restrictions.
In addition to external blocking, this service allows you to bypass the internal blocking performed by the firewall. It is enough to enter the site address so that you can start enjoying all the benefits of free surfing.
NewIPNow
A special feature of this service is that you can choose from which IP you will access the blocked resource. On the main page of the service there is a blue window that lists available addresses and their level of congestion. Choose options that don't work too hard to ensure fast surfing.
On the top line of this blue screen you must enter the address of the site you want to visit. This will allow you to open any blocked resource. Please note that the servers of this service are located in different countries of the world, you can choose any one.
Zalmos Web Proxy
This service is convenient to unblock access to Youtube videos that are not available in your region. It is often used by mobile phone users on different operating systems. There is no need to install third-party applications, just use the quick link from the main page of the service.
It will also open the VKontakte anonymizer for free and give you access to many other sites. Below the search bar there are more than 10 direct links to popular resources. Access to them is configured automatically; you do not need to delve into the intricacies of proxy operation.
Avast! SecureLine VPN
A well-known manufacturer of antivirus utility also offers you its . It will need to be installed on your Windows computer; there is also a mobile application for IOS or Android. The disadvantage of this anonymizer is the lack of a free version. Subscription must be for a year.
If you use multiple devices and want to protect them with this program, you will need to purchase a subscription for each separately. After payment, you will not be limited in traffic - you can surf as much as you like.
CyberGhost
This VPN connection service works with all operating systems, which is very convenient. For rare operating systems, you will have to purchase a paid version, but without payment you can use the build for Windows, MacOS and Android. There are no traffic restrictions on the free plan.
The developers indicate that the free client will add advertising to the sites you visit, but there are very few of them and they are unobtrusive. In most cases, you won't even notice it. The paid version has faster servers, but the reduced tariff is also convenient for watching streaming videos and surfing. No delays were found during testing.
PrivateTunnel
To redirect traffic to your own servers, you need to install the PrivateTunnel client; this is one of the most reliable VPN applications. It can be installed on major PC operating systems and mobile devices. This application can be used not only on a home network, but also on an unsecured connection via public Wi-Fi.
The disadvantage of this application is the traffic restrictions - you can use only 500 MB per month for free, and for anything more you will have to pay extra. There are several tariffs: for 50 and 500 GB. The VPN channel turns on quickly enough, which saves packet traffic. If you don't need the anonymizer, you can disable it, which will also allow you not to waste megabytes.
Browsec
This anonymizer is an extension that can be installed on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and mobile devices with the iOS operating system. It is absolutely free and redirects traffic through servers located in different parts of the world.
The advantage of this extension is that it works quickly and does not insert additional advertising on sites. For those who need speed, there is a paid version of this extension. It allows you to redirect traffic through a proxy server at high speed.
However, you don't have to pay to use this extension. In testing, the free version showed good results, delaying the response of sites by just a fraction of a second. Minor hiccups only occurred when playing streaming video. There were no distortions or operational difficulties on complex sites.
friGate CDN
This is one of the best extensions for anonymity, installed on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera browsers. Its advantage is that the extension’s database contains all sites blocked by decision of government authorities, and it can be automatically turned on when you go to prohibited addresses.
You can also set the settings to remain permanently anonymous or enable the extension manually. Among the options of this extension: the ability to change the proxy server manually, enable increased anonymity mode, and speed up page loading using Google PageSpeed technology. By default, the extension will enable advertising on the sites you visit, but you can disable it for free.
This is not a complete list of anonymizers that can be used to visit blocked sites and maintain your incognito on the Internet. You can add your favorite clients, services and extensions to the list in the comments. Ask any questions, share information with friends.
