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VPN stands for Virtual private network. It provides a much safer and more secure way to surf the internet. But can VPN protect our chat history? Do they provide at most security during private messaging? Let’s find answers to these questions.
The messaging apps and End-to-End encryption protocol
The Internet gives you a myriad of ways to chat and meet one another. These tools let you communicate with those who reside all over the world, and you can choose between texting, video calls, or voice calls.
The most used messaging platform Whatsapp, due to the increasing demand for privacy among users, has introduced a variety of ways to protect the data of users. Whatsapp users are now able to relax and breathe a sense of satisfaction after the company introduced the end-to-end encryption feature as a measure to stop any kind of unauthorized access by a third party.
The result is that your conversations on Whatsapp are now secure against any type of interference Your history of messages will be accessible only to you and the person with whom you are talking to.
Recently we have seen a shift in the outlook of many messaging apps towards better security protocols. The signal is now the fav for tech bloggers and activists across the globe due to its strict encryption policy.
Additionally, Telegram is gaining huge popularity because of its “Secret Message” feature, which allows encrypted, verified, end-to-end chats with open-source apps.
Apple’s iMessage platform uses encryption by default to protect messages.
Potential threats to messaging apps
Even encrypted messengers like Whats app, Signal, and Telegram still require a phone number to register, however. It’s also a challenge to conceal your IP address. There are numerous ways to make online chat safer, more private, and more private.
To make sure you’re protected from any kind of security breach even though you are using other messaging apps Here are some possible threats you should be aware of:
Internet malware
Internet malware could have come across malicious websites that were in your fake profiles or contacts. If you click on these links, they could lead you to a site infected with viruses which act as an avenue through which your device can be infected with an infection. Avoid clicking on those websites.
Privacy Settings:
Even though the Whatsapp privacy settings are set, hackers are still able to see your profile photo, status, or even your messages using an application known as WhatsSpy Public.
Crash messages:
There’s one kind of message that could be sent to clients which, when opened directly, could result in your app going down. These types of messages typically fall within the 2 KB to 7 MB and typically force the user to restart their device.
These messages also exert an impact on groups, as the moment a message of this type is delivered to a group, the entire members of the group are subject to a similar fate.
As you can see that there are many threats to which people are vulnerable and the repercussions caused by being exposed to these risks could be irreparable.
How can I keep my chats as well as my chat log private?
The process of keeping your chats private can be a difficult and exhausting task. Making sure they remain private can be a challenge. However, our chats are some of our most private details – we often engage in unintentional jokes or remarks that are easily misinterpreted.
In private conversations we act like we’re not watching, we make a swear and confess our guilt, and we do not take too much care with our actions. There’s a good chance that there are things that you’ve said in your chats that could result in you being detained when you speak in public!
If you want to be safe from being hacked by one of these threats If you’re concerned about your security, then using the VPN service is the best option to help keep you secure. The fact that you have your Internet connection secured by the use of a VPN service lets you stop any interference from a third party.
A VPN is also about hiding your real IP address and using a virtual IP address provided by your service provider. This lets you select any country you’d like to appear to be connecting to, and as the result, you’ll be able to access your messaging app safely even in countries that do not allow the use of it.
Here are a few things to note on how VPN is protecting you
Your IP Address
The VPN application alters your IP address and assigns you a new IP address in its database. This is how you become completely anonymous online. Internet communication is based on the exchange of IP addresses. Your IP address can reveal information about you such as the Internet Service Provider (ISP) city or region, as well as your country.
It isn’t enough for you to pinpoint the exact place of residence and physical address, however. The snoopers would know that you’re in the US but nobody knows your street address. However, your ISP, the websites you visit as well as online applications as well as even government agencies could monitor all the things you do online through your IP address.
These powerful loggers can connect the dots to build a unique digital profile. Your profile on the internet contains all information about your online activity and personal information. It includes the frequency with which you log on to Facebook as well as when you are applying for a job, as well as where you take your holiday – just to mention some. Third parties could then utilize this information to email you with targeted advertisements.
Hiding your IP address aids you to stop online monitoring. This way nobody can trace your activities back to you by using your IP address.
Your Geo-Location
A VPN can also hide your actual geographical location because you connect to a server in a different nation. If your actual address lies within London but you’re connecting to the US VPN server, Anyone who is looking at you would think that your location is someplace inside the US.
This allows you to bypass restrictions on online content. Certain websites or apps impose geo-restrictions that only allow users from certain regions to be able to browse their content. If you connect to a VPN server, you will be able to alter your address to get around censorship or gain access to your favorite websites from outside.
Moreover, it is possible to make use of the VPN to stream services if you’re connected to an unrestricted network, such as working from home or traveling across the world.
Search History
A VPN protects your search data from ISP as well as governmental agencies and cybercriminals. When it encrypts your Internet communication, the information passing through the VPN server is encrypted and becomes unreadable code.
No one can crack the encryption code and discover the activities you’re engaging in online. But your default browser can still display your internet search results when you connect to VPN.
If you have an account with Google, each time you log in and search for something in Chrome, Google’s web browser can view your internet searches, even if you’re connected to VPN.
To ensure your browser’s anonymity choose to use a more private web browser and ensure that you clear your cookies. Cookies can reveal your online activities! Make use of the IVACY VPN extension to protect the privacy of your browser!
Downloads
If you share or download files, your information isn’t secure. The information on your IP address will be the first thing that gets plugged into the data detectors of your ISP because you’re using excessive bandwidth.
Alongside your ISP, in addition, the government and advertisers are also able to track the downloads you make. Based on the content you download you could be subject to notice letters or fines or even legal action.
All of these risks disappear once you sign up for a VPN! Cover your IP address, and secure your data to ensure no one will ever know the date, time, and how much you download.
Streaming activities
Online streaming and Gaming are known for their enormous data consumption. It’s a nightmare for your ISP as the heavy use of data strains their network. ISPs are known to reduce bandwidth when there are lots of data-intensive activities and particularly during peak times. Such activities are called ISP throttling.
If you conduct your streaming activities using IVACY VPN, you are able to take advantage of endless hours of streaming. When you’ve used the IVACY VPN, it blocks your IP address and your ISP isn’t able to track or monitor what you’re doing on the internet and won’t be able to throttle the speed of your connection.
Data security
Data security breaches, malware attacks, and other online threats reveal your personal information. They can compromise sensitive data, such as your login details, personal information, and financial details like credit card information, as well as email conversations.
The VPN will be the most reliable tool that can help you secure all of your personal data. It uses a secure tunneling method and unbreakable encryption of 256-AES bits for extra security (Provided by IVACY VPN). Even the most powerful and sophisticated computers will be unable to penetrate this encryption.
The biggest benefit? You are able to keep all your information to yourself and keep it from prying eyes.
Do my chat data and private messages remain secure through a VPN?
A VPN can secure and conceal your web traffic away from the internet provider as well as from other users who are on that same network.
Text messages
Because SMS text messages are transmitted through your mobile phone’s voice control channel, they aren’t part and parcel of regular internet traffic. A VPN can’t block text messages. If you’d like to send private messages or send messages to a friend, you can use an app for secret messaging like Cover me or Signal.
Social messaging
As already discussed, social messaging apps like Whatsapp, Signal, and Telegram come with stringent security protocols and end-to-end encryptions. They also offer secret messaging services with high-end security protocols. On the other hand, there are messaging apps like Facebook and WeChat, which have some serious issues regarding end-to-end encryption protocols. Hence a VPN service on mobile can be an added advantage for these apps as they enhance the security protocols.
Is there anything that a VPN cannot monitor or protect?
The main idea of using a VPN is to hide out identity from the deep net. But even VPN has some limitations. Here are some things VPNs can’t protect from or VPN cannot secure.
Continuous connectivity
Many VPNs might often fail to provide continuous connections due to various reasons. As a result, when the VPN connection drops, your anonymity might be disclosed which might be a serious threat to your privacy.
On the other hand, VPN providers like IVACY come with a special application protocol called “The internet kill switch”, which disconnects your device immediately when the VPN service drops.
Account Activity
A VPN connection doesn’t prevent platforms from monitoring your account activities while you’re logged into a site or app, or online service. In Simple words, the application platforms like Amazon can still monitor your activity when you are searching their website, even after using VPN.
The platforms can detect that you’re using an alternate IP address and can see that you’ve spoofed your address. Be aware of this and be aware of what you are doing and how much of your personal data you disclose on the internet.
Be aware that the data that you intend to share with a specific application is already decided at the time you create an account with them and cannot be camouflaged even after using a VPN. Hence disclose your data cautiously when creating an account in a specific application.
Online threats
Another misconception is that the VPN safeguards you and your device against cyberattacks or online threats. A VPN can help you remain hidden and does not give you protection from online threats such as malware, ransomware, phishing attacks, and from other viruses. That’s where your security software comes in.
Our personal recommendation is to use internet security software with powerful firewall protocols along with a VPN to prevent such brutal attacks. Internet security software helps in stopping or blocking lethal links containing malware and ransomware.
Moreover, the antivirus in the software regularly scans the entire system for any known viruses which are hidden in our downloads.
Discoverability
Being anonymous is the primary goal of using a VPN. However, it’s not entirely achievable. Security agencies and hackers employ complex techniques to gain access to your private information. This includes browser fingerprinting, background scripts, and other dangerous techniques. A VPN to some extent can help you maintain your hidden status, but not to a full extent.
You should be cautious about the sites you deal with and the logins you create using anonymity. What you post and how much you publish online also plays an important part. A VPN cannot change the information you share through social networking sites.
How Ivacy VPN can protect your information & chats from online fraud?
As stated on their website, “Safety first”, the phrase is true or else all hell will be unleashed. In today’s Internet environment, being secure online is essential. Why? Because of the dangers lurking in cyberspace.
By using Ivacy VPN you can disguise your IP address, making the hackers, surveillance agencies, and ISP inaccessible to your online activities.
IVACY VPN protects its clients with these options:
256-Bit Encryption
Ivacy provides up to 256-bit encryption for users which makes breaching security nearly impossible. Therefore, you can enjoy security protocols that secure your Internet transactions, keeping hackers from being able to access your data.
Added security on Public Wifi
Not only can hackers inject malware code without your knowledge, but they can also control your devices remotely, or close them down completely. The chances of such activities appear more when you are on Public Wifi. Hackers and Malware experts connect their devices to public Wifi and wait for such opportunities. Make sure you are careful and enable Ivacy VPN before connecting to what appears to be “Free” Public Wi-Fi.
Remember nothing comes for free. If someone is providing it for free, then you are the product. So be careful with free Wifi or Public Wifi.
No Logs Policy
Your data is sold to third-party companies who are conscious of your internet behavior. To protect your personal privacy, you should invest in Ivacy with an unambiguous policy of no Logs policy.
IVACY boasts that each and every personal data regarding the web footprints of their customers is safe as they follow the No log policy.
Smart Purpose Selection
The Purpose Selection tool helps you determine the reason for connecting to the VPN Secure Download for streaming, Unblocking, and other activities. As a result the IVACY VPN automatically changes the settings to fulfill your deeds.
ISP Throttling
As discussed earlier, ISP Throttling is a serious problem if you are a heavy data user, and, to avoid this, the most efficient VPN must be used. Ivacy disguises the IP address which is a way to defeat ISP Throttling.
Internet Freedom.
Certain streaming channels and websites are restricted to certain countries, preventing users from accessing the content they want. Ivacy can bypass these restrictions easily.
Internet Kill Switch
Sometimes, your VPN connection might drop suddenly and your anonymity might disclose, which is a serious threat to your privacy. In such conditions, an Internet kill switch equipped with IVACY comes to your rescue.
Internet Kill Switch, which comes with the IVACY VPN application, instantly stops the Internet of your mobile, laptop, or pc, immediately after it has detected that your VPN connection has been dropped. As a result, it will ensure that you remain secure at all times.
Dedicated IP
A dedicated IP can be used to whitelist IP addresses. It’s done to stop unauthorized access to your company accounts, or online accounts in general where the services recognize you based on your IP address. It also adds additional security.
Split Tunneling
Usually, when you use a VPN, the search results usually come based on your location. In simple words, if you google for a product using a VPN in the United States, the search results usually show the products that are sold in the united states. You will miss the local results.
Ivacy VPN pioneered Split Tunneling. It allows you to access international and local content simultaneously. Access content through a VPN via your local network.
IPv6 Leak Protection
IPv6 leaks your internet IP and permits third party monitor your online activities. Ivacy VPN offers IPv6 Leak Security.
DNS security
DNS leaks can happen if your request (IP address that is associated with the URL) is routed through the DNS of your ISP instead of a VPN tunnel. I protect that channel.
Multiple Protocols
IVACY VPN provides protocols like TCP, UDP, L2TP, and IKEV. Select one among these to create the most secure encryption layer for your Network Connection.
DDoS Protection
As mentioned by the Imperva website, “Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks are a subclass of denial of service (DoS) attacks. A DDoS attack involves multiple connected online devices, collectively known as a botnet, which are used to overwhelm a target website with fake traffic”.
The DDoS attack is malicious and can cause disruption to your Internet Traffic as well as could overwhelm your traffic enough that your infrastructure is damaged. Ivacy can stop DDoS.
Multi Logins
With an Ivacy membership, users are able to use protection on up to ten devices simultaneously. There is no need to log in and out every time. Moreover, the application comes with multi-system support like windows, mac, android, and much more.
Secure Downloading
With its cutting-edge real-time threat detection, Ivacy detects and eliminates any suspicious viruses or malware from the files being downloaded to ensure your security always.
Things to keep in mind during private chats
When you chat with friends, you should be paying attention to two important aspects. The first is private messaging, and the other is to secure your identity.
Private Messaging
The majority of people will give up their online identity for private messaging, which includes dating apps because they believe it’s secure. Private messaging apps are the prime source of hacking. Hence in case of such an instance, stop using the app or shift to a better one.
Furthermore, some apps might be unable to connect to a remote VPN server if they require your location for the operation. Such apps provide a serious threat to your identity. Do not entertain such apps and always use your VPN to protect your identity.
But still, if you do decide to display your personal photo, then modify the name, the age, and the location. If you discover in any instance, that your IP address is traceable and can be easily disclosed, stop the app immediately and try to use a VPN.
Protecting Your Identity
With the increase in social networking, disclosing one’s identity has become easy. Hackers can easily find your personal and financial details by connecting dots, once your identity is disclosed. The VPN serves to safeguard your device from the possibility of anyone spying on and hacking your internet connection. A private IP address can redirect every malicious entity online to a secured server, and not to your personal devices.
Just as your VPN safeguards your computer’s IP address, your AVATAR shields your identity from social eyes. An AVATAR is a computer representation of users in a computer-generated 3D world, used primarily in chat and entertainment websites. Avatar is a real identity that you’ve created on an online platform.
As the metaverse is becoming more popular these days, people tend to use online avatars as their personal identity. AVATAR with VPN is a deadly combo and is a robust shield to protect your personal identity.
This also means not divulging more details than is necessary while creating and using an AVATAR in web3 platforms like a metaverse. This will help your AVATAR last for a longer time.
We are using IVACY VPN for the past year and have found it to be beneficial. I hope you find the same results.
