question about VPN safety in general

[bafdbf 0]

This is a general VPN question that I have as a beginner, but of course AirVPN would be a part of it.

 

I understand people want a VPN service that stores no logs, for privacy / safety.

 

However, if a government / agency / whoever, sees a VPN IP downloading something (for example as a peer in a torrent list), couldn't they just ask the local ISPs, which one of their customers was connected to this specific VPN IP at this specific time, and they would instantly know who was downloading this file?

 

Perhaps I'm missing something, but could someone explain this to me? Am I correct in assuming that it would be this simple?

 

[go558a83nk 362]

1) Local ISPs wouldn't cover the range of possibilities concerning from where a user is connected.  Users could be connected from anywhere around the world.

 

2) Even if an ISP said a user was connected to that VPN server they'd never be able to prove which user it was downloading a torrent because there are no logs on the server, there are tens of other users, and data is encrypted between the user and the VPN server. 

[bafdbf 0]

1) Local ISPs wouldn't cover the range of possibilities concerning from where a user is connected.  Users could be connected from anywhere around the world.

 

2) Even if an ISP said a user was connected to that VPN server they'd never be able to prove which user it was downloading a torrent because there are no logs on the server, there are tens of other users, and data is encrypted between the user and the VPN server. 

Let's say the police watch the peer list of a torrent file. They could automatically log every IP downloading that torrent and know at which time this specific IP was downloading a copyrighted movie for example.

 

They now send that full list of IPs and timestamps to the ISPs (again all of this could theoretically be fully automated) and the ISPs would check if any of their customers was connected to this given VPN IP at this given time. So if it matches, the ISP answers and says "customer so and so was in fact connected to this VPN IP at this time, at which you have seen this VPN IP download this torrent".

 

I don't see why this wouldn't work.

[Staff 9973]

 

1) Local ISPs wouldn't cover the range of possibilities concerning from where a user is connected.  Users could be connected from anywhere around the world.

 

2) Even if an ISP said a user was connected to that VPN server they'd never be able to prove which user it was downloading a torrent because there are no logs on the server, there are tens of other users, and data is encrypted between the user and the VPN server. 

Let's say the police watch the peer list of a torrent file. They could automatically log every IP downloading that torrent and know at which time this specific IP was downloading a copyrighted movie for example.

 

They now send that full list of IPs and timestamps to the ISPs (again all of this could theoretically be fully automated) and the ISPs would check if any of their customers was connected to this given VPN IP at this given time. So if it matches, the ISP answers and says "customer so and so was in fact connected to this VPN IP at this time, at which you have seen this VPN IP download this torrent".

 

I don't see why this wouldn't work.

 

Hello!

 

It's nonsense. It would not work because "the police" would need to send each warning to about 11000 ISPs in the world. Even if they embarked in this lunatic endeavor, and even if all 11000 ISPs replied properly, "the police" would receive back 0 matches, because no OpenVPN clients can connect to our servers exit-IP addresses.

 

Kind regards

[bafdbf 0]

 

 

 

1) Local ISPs wouldn't cover the range of possibilities concerning from where a user is connected.  Users could be connected from anywhere around the world.

 

2) Even if an ISP said a user was connected to that VPN server they'd never be able to prove which user it was downloading a torrent because there are no logs on the server, there are tens of other users, and data is encrypted between the user and the VPN server. 

Let's say the police watch the peer list of a torrent file. They could automatically log every IP downloading that torrent and know at which time this specific IP was downloading a copyrighted movie for example.

 

They now send that full list of IPs and timestamps to the ISPs (again all of this could theoretically be fully automated) and the ISPs would check if any of their customers was connected to this given VPN IP at this given time. So if it matches, the ISP answers and says "customer so and so was in fact connected to this VPN IP at this time, at which you have seen this VPN IP download this torrent".

 

I don't see why this wouldn't work.

 

Hello!

 

It's nonsense. It would not work because "the police" would need to send each warning to about 11000 ISPs in the world. Even if they embarked in this lunatic endeavor, and even if all 11000 ISPs replied properly, "the police" would receive back 0 matches, because no OpenVPN clients can connect to our servers exit-IP addresses.

 

Kind regards

 

 

This answer does make sense, unlike the first one by the user. If in fact the IP we are connecting to, when connecting to the AirVPN service, differs from the exit IP, then obviously my theory wouldn't work. Thanks.

[LZ1 672]

Hello !

 

I recommend you take a look at torrentfreak.com and you'll find there's countless stories of very well-funded organisations hunting down

people who torrent stuff. You'll find that despite their efforts, both legal and otherwise, they're still failing at consistently finding and even

less so, imprisoning or fining downloaders.

 

Also:

 

- There's shared IPs. Meaning multiple users share the same IP address.

- Multiple servers around the world you can connect to and thus different jurisdictions/rules.

- AirVPN is logless and makes constant attempts at securing their users.

- Not all ISPs are interested in following up on copyright notices and not all are capable of it either.

- Having an IP address isn't necessarily proof of any wrongdoing. For instance, when you're in a swarm, your IP is shared regardless of if you're downloading or uploading anything at all.

- It's not necessarily easy to see when someone is using a VPN.With AirVPN, you can mask VPN traffic to look like generic traffic. This is how you get around high-level censorship in places like China, where VPNs are actively blocked.

- Air offers their own DNS services too, so you won't use your ISPs; meaning they still won't be able to see what you do.

- For general browsing, but not torrenting, Air is one of the view VPNs which offers the option of routing VPN traffic through the anonymizing network known as TOR, for an additional level of privacy and security.

- AirVPN has an active policy of ignoring DMCA requests. Meaning it doesn't matter if someone was watching the peer list. Companies already do this and they're still failing as well.

- The nature of the VPNs encrypted traffic is to prevent people looking over your shoulder to start with.

- Torrenting/Bittorrent are not illegal in and of themselves. Bittorent is a protocol and torrenting is an act of downloading. It depends on what you're downloading and where it's from.

 

So in short, if you take your precautions and do things like:

 

- Use an open-sourced client, such as qBittorent and configure it correctly.

- Use Network Lock in Airs "Eddie" VPN program or similar.

- Plug the various IP leaks in your browser, by checking Airs website www.ipleak.net (not dot com)

- Download from reputable sources and don't download stuff like child porn, etc.

- Generally keep your OS, browser and client software up to date.

 

Then you won't have anything to worry about, for the most part :].

 

I also recommend taking a look at this:

 

https://www.goldenfrog.com/blog/myths-about-vpn-logging-and-anonymity

 

https://superuser.com/questions/609406/if-one-uses-a-vpn-can-the-isp-still-see-or-know-what-exact-urls-one-visits-o

 

Ignore the self-advertising on goldenfrog, but do read the various points.