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Does A VPN Make You Untraceable? Well, the answer to that is yes and also no. To a certain extent, it does make you untraceable or anonymous. Most of us actually don’t even understand how a VPN functions and this is what leads us to think it makes us untraceable online. What does really matter is choosing a quality VPN provider that offers you a top-notch service.
The only way a VPN can keep you untraceable or anonymous online is if it doesn't record and store data on your online activities uses strong encryption and doesn't leak your IP address through DNS and WebRTC leaks.
A WebRTC leak is a vulnerability that happens to some browsers when using a below-average VPN and your IP address ends up getting exposed or leaked.
Leaks occur because the VPNs are not using a kill switch or use poor encryption that can be easily cracked. Once your IP address is exposed, it can be used to narrow down your location and target you for further exploits or attacks.
The best VPNs that offer a reliable quality service will actually help to boost your online privacy and security so that you can stay anonymous and protected online. They use the latest up-to-date protocols that employ strong encryption so that your IP address and data are not exposed online. They also have the proper policies in place and good terms of service that they deliver.
An IP address is all that a malicious individual, government agency, or law enforcement may require to track and trace your identity online. Once they have your IP address, they can then find out who your ISP(Internet Service Provider) is by obtaining a court order to force your ISP to reveal the identity of the IP address owner.
It is also standard procedure for ISPs to store customer logs on their DNS servers. DNS servers are used to convert website addresses into IP addresses and are the ones that then route the users to the website they want to browse.
So these logs on the DNS servers are very detailed and contain the IP address of the user, the website they visit, and even the time and date they did so. This information can be used as evidence to build a case against you.
The best VPNs will actually efficiently avoid using the ISP's DNS servers and use their own thereby reducing your exposure and risk.
You see, the greatest mistake that most people make is to believe that all VPNs are the same and that they offer equal protection and anonymity.
This is far from the truth as a substandard VPN will not protect you and could actually be first in line to take advantage of you. They actually collect and sell your data to the highest bidder.
Some even use weak encryption which is the same as not using any at all. You’ll find that the websites you visit and your ISP will be able to view your real IP address and even log your visits.
Can You Be Tracked if You Use a VPN?
So one way that you can be tracked is through your IP address. There is however another method that is used by advertisers and certain websites. They do this through browser fingerprinting and using cookies. This is possible even if you use a VPN.
There is a VPN feature that actually solves this. It is called a kill switch and what it does is it will cut off your internet connection just before there leak that could expose you. It is therefore highly recommended to always enable this feature if your VPN has it.
Let's further explore some of these tactics used to track us online below:
Cookies
These are small text files that get saved locally on your device when you visit some websites. Usually, a website will notify you through a cookie policy and ask for your permission through a pop-up notification.
Third-party cookies are used by advertising companies to track you online for retargeting and remarketing purposes. That’s why you can visit some websites and show interest in a specific product but end up seeing similar ads follow you online.
Browser Fingerprinting
This is when the browser itself is the culprit that gives away detailed information about you to make it easy to identify you. When you visit a website, the browser goes ahead to share information about your operating system, language, screen size, plugins you use, browser version, and lots of other details.
This info, when taken piece by piece, is not really harmful but when taken together it can be used to build a profile that can easily and accurately identify you. It is used to build a digital fingerprint of sorts that is used to identify you.
VPN logs
There are those VPNs that claim to not keep logs or collect information on your online activity but they do exactly the opposite. Not only do they keep logs on their servers, but they also readily share that information with law enforcement agencies when served with court orders going against the promises in their policies.
You’ll find that sometimes these VPNs are based or operate from countries that have laws that compel them to keep logs or cooperate with law enforcement and government agencies. It is therefore important to do your due diligence and scrutinize a VPN before choosing to use their services.
DNS Leaks
This happens when some of your network hardware or software may be misconfigured and this causes leaks to occur even when you use a VPN. The data does get encrypted by the VPN but it is still possible to see which websites you visit.
Money trails
When you use a VPN, you have to pay for it if it is a paid service. Payment is usually done by credit card or PayPal and these kinds of transactions get recorded. The records of these transactions can be used to trace you and link you to a specific VPN account.
How to Boost Your Privacy when using a VPN
Here are a few measures you could take to ensure boost your privacy online when you use a VPN.
Don't just install the VPN browser extension and leave it at that. In most cases that is not enough and the VPN browser extensions do not offer the same protection as the actual VPN client developed for the platform or device you are using. Install the VPN fluent for the operating system or platform.
You should install the VPN on all devices on your local or home network. This is everything from mobile devices to laptops, PCs, gaming consoles and even smart devices meant for the internet of things(IoT). Remember all it takes is one compromised device on your network to bring down the entire network.
Perform DNS and IP leak tests on your system. Although you are using a VPN it doesn't mean that you are exempt from leaks. There are several websites that offer you tools and tests to check if you are leaking. Just perform a google search for the term “DNS leak test” or “IP leak test” and you will get access to them. If you don't want to use google you can do the same on any search engine of your choice.
Ensure your kill switch feature is always enabled and your firewall is on. VPNs are not perfect and sometimes the connection can cut causing you to experience DNS or IP leaks. The kill switch feature prevents this and in case of an issue with the connection will switch off your internet connection to stop leaking. Your firewall will stop any intrusion attempts that hackers usually utilize.
Use a dedicated IP address. Some VPNs can offer a special IP address assigned to only you. This enhances your anonymity online and offers more protection than the standard shared IP address that VPNs allocate.
VPNs enhance online privacy and security but it is important to remember that they are not a complete solution when it comes to online security. You need to follow the steps outlined above and use a firewall + antivirus for good protection.
Can The Police Track a VPN?
Law enforcement cannot track someone who is using a VPN. The traffic is encrypted and indecipherable. If they wanted to know your online activity they would have to go follow the law and get a court order which they would use to compel your ISP to provide them with your usage data.
Does a VPN really hide your identity?
Yes. To a certain extent, a VPN hides your IP address which can be used to locate you. It also encrypts your online traffic so that no one can intercept and view your personal information.
What does a VPN not hide?
A VPN can hide your IP address and even encrypt your traffic so that no one can tell which websites you visit, It cannot however stop your browser from browser fingerprinting or stop you from receiving cookies. Both can be used to identify you.
Can You Be Untraceable Online?
It’s almost impossible to do that. Even the best hackers and security experts leave online tracks that can be used to trace them. For the average online user, even if they use a VPN and privacy-oriented browsers like TOR (which uses an anonymous relay network) there are still ways that they can be traced.
How Do Hackers Keep Themselves Anonymous?
Hackers obscure their connection to make themselves untraceable and use several measures to achieve this, namely:
- They use public wifi or any open wifi hotspots making it very hard to trace them.
- They use a VPN to make it even harder to trace their real IP address or location and view their traffic.
- They use TOR which stands for The Onion Routing Project uses an anonymous relay network to enhance privacy online.
- A hacker will not use a physical device to hack but instead uses a virtual machine that resides in memory and can be deleted once used.
How Do I Hide My IP Address?
There are 3 ways to mask your IP address:
- Use a VPN.
- Use TOR.
- Use a Proxy.
TOR is free open-source software that anonymizes communications by relaying them through a volunteer overlay network that is spread around the world. It also uses encryption and this makes it perfect if you want to be private and anonymous. The downside is that it is slow.
A Proxy is similar to a VPN except it does not encrypt traffic and can get quite slow when there are a lot of users sharing it. It basically routes your traffic to and from the internet and anyone observing would see the proxy’s IP address. Proxies are however notorious for spying and forced advertising.
A VPN is the perfect option compared to proxies or even TOR. It gives you a balance of speed, reliability, and privacy that makes it the best choice. It also allows you to access restricted content, and streaming services and surf the web safely.
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