I’m not an expert but I think : The site you visit only sees the VPNs info. Which is how you maintain some anonymity while browsing. However, if your VPN keeps logs, then you can still be tracked, just at a different place. Some say they don’t keep logs, and you’d have to trust that.
RAM is considered volatile memory, so each time the server turns off, it loses all data. This is compared to disk (hard drives of whatever type) which retain memory even if the server turns off.
In theory, this ram only server prevents them from keeping logs (like which user went where) since the server wouldn’t even have a place to store it.
Edit: lustrums post is more accurate and has info that this doesn’t prevent logging per se, but could prevent accidental logging. I.e. they can’t hire a forensic computer specialist to parse through operating system logs to try to find info they didn’t otherwise log elsewhere.
Yes, all the ISP will see is the vpn tunnel.
If you don’t trust the ISP why are you with them?
When you access a website with https the ISP will not see what happens inside that connection as it too is encrypted.
If you run your own DNS server that uses root hints the ISP will see even less.
By using a vpn you’re placing your trust on the provider and there is nothing stopping them filtering the outbound connection from all their VPN endpoints to collect and sell the meta data your hiding from you ISP.
All VPN providers just talk about logging but nothing about meta data collection, funny that 🤔
Some say they don’t keep logs, and you’d have to trust that.
Note that this same caveat applies for a VPN provider promising they are running diskless endpoints. Or that they don’t have some third party monitoring their stuff even if diskless. Or that a law enforcement agency can’t come along with a warrant to require them to monitor an account’s activity moving forward, even if logs are not possible.
If your online activity justifies this level of paranoia, there’s probably no meaningful protection available for your wants in practice. If your provider is operating in a jurisdiction that is problematic for your online activity, they can probably ultimately be compromised. If you are just using it to access a different country’s streaming library, you probably don’t need to be that paranoid. If you are trying to disguise illegal activity that is illegal in the jurisdiction of the VPN endpoint, well you are likely boned with logging or not.
A normal computer is usually constantly writing little bits and pieces of data to disk. But data on the disk might accidentally remain on the disk even if it’s not intended. Then that data could be read later by someone else who is spying on VPN users .
There’s also a common assumption that data on disk storage may leave behind remnants even after it’s been overwritten. (Magnetic disks may leave behind some magnetic signatures. Flash drives will stop using sectors that are worn out, potentially leaving data there.) And state actors like NSA might have some capability to recover this ghost data if they get a hold of the actual drives.
There’s a general understanding that data on RAM is irrevocably destroyed within a short time after the device loses power. So attacks on RAM data have to occur in real time while the data is in use. (There may be some attacks that preserve RAM after power down using low temperatures and liquid nitrogen).
If the computer is unplugged, there’s nothing left on a hard drive to show what state it was in. This means nobody malicious can physically remove their servers and gain information about customers.
It means that even though Mullvad already doesn’t log anything about their users activities, there is no persistent storage on the servers, so as soon as it is powered off or raided by The Agencies, there is absolutely nothing to retrieve from it.
Can someone explain to me what this means? I’m technologically inept when it comes to privacy, slowly getting better day-by-day thanks to Lemmy.
I’m not an expert but I think : The site you visit only sees the VPNs info. Which is how you maintain some anonymity while browsing. However, if your VPN keeps logs, then you can still be tracked, just at a different place. Some say they don’t keep logs, and you’d have to trust that.
RAM is considered volatile memory, so each time the server turns off, it loses all data. This is compared to disk (hard drives of whatever type) which retain memory even if the server turns off.
In theory, this ram only server prevents them from keeping logs (like which user went where) since the server wouldn’t even have a place to store it.
Edit: lustrums post is more accurate and has info that this doesn’t prevent logging per se, but could prevent accidental logging. I.e. they can’t hire a forensic computer specialist to parse through operating system logs to try to find info they didn’t otherwise log elsewhere.
A VPN just changes your IP, all your browser info is still visible to the website.
It does hide where your traffic is going to the ISP, no?
Mullvad also has their own browser that has some security features that prevent fingerprinting while also keeping an okay level of usability.
Yes, all the ISP will see is the vpn tunnel. If you don’t trust the ISP why are you with them?
When you access a website with https the ISP will not see what happens inside that connection as it too is encrypted.
If you run your own DNS server that uses root hints the ISP will see even less.
By using a vpn you’re placing your trust on the provider and there is nothing stopping them filtering the outbound connection from all their VPN endpoints to collect and sell the meta data your hiding from you ISP.
All VPN providers just talk about logging but nothing about meta data collection, funny that 🤔
You live in a world where you should not use the internet ever
Chances are I was online before you was even a thought.
Helps if you keep an eye on the bigger picture that vpn is a tiny part of.
chances are i had sex with your mom lol
Good try, she’s dead. Thanks.
If your online activity justifies this level of paranoia, there’s probably no meaningful protection available for your wants in practice. If your provider is operating in a jurisdiction that is problematic for your online activity, they can probably ultimately be compromised. If you are just using it to access a different country’s streaming library, you probably don’t need to be that paranoid. If you are trying to disguise illegal activity that is illegal in the jurisdiction of the VPN endpoint, well you are likely boned with logging or not.
A normal computer is usually constantly writing little bits and pieces of data to disk. But data on the disk might accidentally remain on the disk even if it’s not intended. Then that data could be read later by someone else who is spying on VPN users .
There’s also a common assumption that data on disk storage may leave behind remnants even after it’s been overwritten. (Magnetic disks may leave behind some magnetic signatures. Flash drives will stop using sectors that are worn out, potentially leaving data there.) And state actors like NSA might have some capability to recover this ghost data if they get a hold of the actual drives.
There’s a general understanding that data on RAM is irrevocably destroyed within a short time after the device loses power. So attacks on RAM data have to occur in real time while the data is in use. (There may be some attacks that preserve RAM after power down using low temperatures and liquid nitrogen).
If the computer is unplugged, there’s nothing left on a hard drive to show what state it was in. This means nobody malicious can physically remove their servers and gain information about customers.
No data is supposed to be readable after you shut it off. There are ways to restore it though but it’s still vastly better in leaving no trace.
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It means that even though Mullvad already doesn’t log anything about their users activities, there is no persistent storage on the servers, so as soon as it is powered off or raided by The Agencies, there is absolutely nothing to retrieve from it.