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43 Law Prac. 30 (2017)
Keeping Communications Confidential with a VPN

handle is hein.journals/lwpra43 and id is 352 raw text is: .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .................. PRODUCT WATCH HOT BUTTONS .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. Keeping Communications Confidential With a VPN By Tom Mighell EARLIER THIS YEAR WE SAW quite an uproar over a congressional decision allowing internet service providers (ISPs) to collect personal information about you without your permission. Privacy experts were seemingly unanimous in their recommended course of action to prevent this collection of information: use a virtual private network (VPN) when you use your computer, phone or other connected device to access the internet. Although I think it's likely ISPs already have been collecting this information about us for some time, the advice to use a VPN is certainly welcome. In 2016 a USA Today reporter wrote that he was hacked in midair on a plane by another passenger connected to the same Wi-Fi network; simply using a VPN would have prevented this from happening. In this edition of The Digital Toolkit, we'll talk about what to look for when selecting a VPN as well as a few services worth examining. First, let's get everyone on the same page by answering the question, What's a VPN? In simplest terms, a VPN is a software product you install on your computer that acts like a secure tunnel connecting your computer to the internet, safe from prying eyes. Put another way, a VPN is like an embassy; you can send diplomatic pouches to your home country with no customs or inspections required along the way. You may already use a VPN at your firm, as law firms and other companies have used VPNs for years to allow employees to securely connect to internal networks. There are many good reasons to use a VPN. As mentioned above, a VPN will keep your communications private and confidential-and will make your online connection much more secure. In addition a VPN can help out if you have trouble accessing particular websites due to your geographical location. For example, I traveled to China earlier this year where much of the Western world's internet is blocked by the great firewall of 30 Law Practice September/October 2017 www.Iawpractice.org China. The VPN I used connected me to a server in Singapore, so as far as China was concerned, I was trying to access Facebook and Google from a location outside the country. A word of warning, however: Don't use a VPN to defeat geographic restrictions that some services (such as Netflix) use to ensure subscribers have legal access to their systems. So let's say you're convinced that a VPN is a useful tool for you and your practice. What are the features you need to consider when purchasing a VPN tool? * Whom do you trust? When you use a VPN, you are still sharing all of your online activity with someone. It's just now you're sharing it with a VPN service rather than your ISP. So the first question you need to ask yourself is: Can I trust this VPN service with my information more than I trust my ISP? * When the product is free, who's the product? Beware of free VPN services. A VPN provider who charges, even a nominal fee, shows that they have a stake in making the product successful. The services I mention below cost between $3 and $8 a month, depending on whether you want to pay monthly or for a full-year subscription. * Watch out for fake services. The frenzy around privacy concerns earlier this year had one major effect: an explosion of fake or A VPN is like an embassy; .... ~ ~ ~ ~ . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .