Option to use servers that renews IP

[livovo 1]

Hi,

Let us say that I live in a small 3rd world country and I would like to write some critique. I am not a vivid IT-user, but I do know how to set up a VPN.

Now let us say I use the VPN to connect to a random VPN (or always connect to the same VPN). I know that chances are slim but still very real - and what if the site logs the VPN used to login to my personal information and that information is then stored in a database (IP + identity) and that same IP is later used to write some critique.

I could just remember to use one VPN when logging onto services that can identify me and another when using forums, but I do not see how I will be able to remember which VPN is used where.

Now, if you live in the US I don't see this as a problem - there are more than 300 million people, so a lot of people could have used the same VPN server. If you live in a small country + use a smaller VPN company with less customers + have a unique dialect or language in that country (as in most of Europe) = that gives you a bad combination for being identified if you have earlier used the same VPN server to log into a site that can identify you.

In Europe I am especially thinking of critique of companies. Even if you use a VPN, they could just compare ip login info with lets say an the ip from an anonymous wikipedia post and it will almost certainly be a bingo.

I am not asking for IP-renewal every 60 seconds (although it would be nice), but maybe on a weekly or montly basis. For example if you log in to some site via VPN that can identify you and then 1 year later - without remembering - you use that same VPN to write some critique of a company on wikipedia, if the company chooses to look, they can almost certainly identify you if the criteria is met: small country (small language) + ip login info via VPN from company's own site + wikipedia anonymous IP. Combined with context of the critique, this method might also work in larger countries.


Best regards.


 

[OpenSourcerer 1359]

I was about to counterpoint some of your arguments and point out a bit of a wrong understanding, but all in all the answer is: Do not solely rely on a VPN. If you are going to talk badly about your government, use Tor, it's got exactly what you need, with the IP rotation and all. Use it while connected to a VPN server, there shouldn't be any correlation possible because it's devilishly tricky to follow a circuit back to the Tor client, if at all possible.

[livovo 1]

Thanks for the answer.

 

I read once that the FBI used some ad on a page in Tor to track the guy behind that network where you could buy all sorts of illegal stuff - which is also the reason I don't like Tor (I don't want to be mistaken for or become a suspect in some investigation).

 

My fix now is to exit the VPN when logging in to sites that can identify me and then use VPN for everything else (hoping that the my correlation to different VPN IP's goes very quickly down as other people from my country uses the same VPN's and does the same mistakes by logging into sites that can identify them, ie. whoever is watching knows I am not the only user on that VPN).

[OpenSourcerer 1359]

2 hours ago, livovo said:

I read once that the FBI used some ad on a page in Tor to track the guy behind that network where you could buy all sorts of illegal stuff - which is also the reason I don't like Tor (I don't want to be mistaken for or become a suspect in some investigation).

I trust you looked into this to actually not spread doubts? Do you know of the invest which made that possible? Do you have any source?

I also didn't write to rely solely on Tor. There's Tor over VPN for example. If anyone gets to know the circuit (which, again, is quite the challenge), they will end up with a VPN IP. You login to a website with your personal info on it, how likely is it that someone actually looks for correlations? What's the invest?
The way you write about all this suggests that your best bet is to disappear from the internet entirely. It's the best way to ensure a digitally traceless existence, one that does not feed paranoia above all. Some say "don't be absurd", and I say the same back, for existence always leaves traces, especially digitally.

I find it exceedingly fascinating how people manage to be most afraid of things which are least likely to happen.

[livovo 1]

It was not something I read (sorry for the mistake), I saw it in a netflix documentary. I think this was it: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3312868/ . As far as I remember, they explain the method FBI used in details.

You do realize that it is simply a question of writing an algorithm and have that algorithm calculate the chances of user x visiting page x given that and that. I don't fear anyone spying - have used the internet without a VPN or Tor for over 25 years and just recently signed up for a VPN for the first time. What I don't like is ads and the idea that companies follow. If I can get anonymity online from everyone it is just a plus.

Again, I really have to point this out, there is no need for someone to "push the button" to make these correlations - it can and does probably happen automatically.

[livovo 1]

My point is that if you use a VPN to login to say a government site which can identify you with 100% (only you can log in) it is known that you use this VPN and if you at the same time come from a small country where not many citizens use that same VPN, it is fairly easy to find a correlation using a good algorithm. The same goes for companies tracking for ad purposes - imagine if many companies use the same handler (I don't know what it is called) to handle logins to numerous websites that can identify you and save data with VPN IP and identity.

I know it is over the top - as I said I spent many years without covering my tracks - but I really don't like the idea of companies collecting so much information and are asking for an option to renew VPN IPs. I get now that it probably won't matter so I just have to trust that they are not THAT worked up over collecting data that they might employ such a tactic. I also like the idea of being able to say what is on my mind without being afraid of lawsuits etc. from companies - must say that I have already wrote numerous critiques about companies and I really enjoy the VPN experience.

[Staff 9751]

@livovo

Hello!

Just use Tor after you have connected to some VPN server. Tor renews circuit for different streams and at the same time your ISP (and any other entity wiretapping your line or acting with your ISP complicity) will not see that you're using Tor. Only limitation is that Tor does not support UDP.

Kind regards
 

[livovo 1]

Thanks!