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Do you actually need a VPN? Your guide to staying safe online!

Webroot

So maybe you’ve heard of VPNs but aren’t actually sure what they are. Simply put, a VPN creates a safe, anonymous pathway for the data you send and receive over a Wi-Fi network, allowing you to browse anonymously and access content as if you were in a different location. Do you really need a VPN for personal use? Why use a VPN?

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What LLMs Know About Their Users

Schneier on Security

This may be inaccurate if, for example, the user is using a VPN. Yes, it will occasionally get things wrong, but LLMs are going to open a whole new world of intimate surveillance. User is currently in United States. User is currently using ChatGPT in the native app on an iOS device. User’s average conversation depth is 2.5.

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The Pall Mall Pact and why it matters

Malwarebytes

The goal of the Pall Mall Pact is to regulate Commercial Cyber Intrusion Capabilities (CCICs), or what we usually refer to as spyware and surveillance tools. Commercial hacking tools have enabled intrusive surveillance practices that undermine fundamental freedom and human rights. Privacy is more than a personal concern.

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Why SMS two-factor authentication codes aren't safe and what to use instead

Zero Day

"The company and its founder have worked with government spy agencies and surveillance industry contractors to surveil mobile phones and track user location," Bloomberg reported. In this instance, the messages passed through a controversial Swiss outfit named Fink Telecom Services.

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Privacy Roundup: Week 13 of Year 2025

Security Boulevard

Surveillance Tech in the News This section covers surveillance technology and methods in the news. Privacy Without Compromise: Proton VPN is Now Built Into Vivaldi Vivaldi Vivaldi integrates ProtonVPN natively into its desktop version of its browser. Private search engines generally avoid connecting users to their searches.

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Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the U.S. warn of PRC-linked cyber espionage targeting telecom networks

Security Affairs

Strong segmentation with firewalls and DMZs, securing VPN gateways, and ensuring encrypted traffic with TLS v1.3 The Salt Typhoon group targeted surveillance systems used by the US government to investigate crimes and threats to national security, including activities carried out by nation-state actors.

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Your Network Is Showing – Time to Go Stealth

Security Boulevard

They were strategic, persistent, and laser-focused on exploiting firewall and VPN weak points to establish long-term control over sensitive systems. Firewalls and VPNs are no longer the line of defense. But as networks have grown more complex and workforces have gone hybrid, VPNs have become both overextended and overexposed.