When we browse through the VPN websites and try to choose a suitable VPN for us, we usually always see them bragging about how many servers they have. This is a very important point to consider when choosing a VPN as having a large number of VPN servers has several reasons and benefits. It is not just a number placed on the website for marketing or competitive reasons. It serves as a main feature in the functionality of the VPN. The main purposes of the network of servers in any VPN service are as follows:

1- Having or operating servers in several diversified locations allows users to find a close enough server to their location in order to get the highest connection speed possible.

2-When the users are located in a country known for online censorship, they can easily find a server outside of the country they are in in order to bypass these restrictions.

3-Some popular websites, like Netflix and BBC iPlayer, are restricted to only be viewed in certain countries. VPNs that have servers in these countries allow their users abroad to bypass these geo-restrictions by connecting to the servers in the required locations.

4-Each server provides their user with a certain number of shared IP’s to replace their true IP’s, hence hiding their true online identity. The more the servers, the larger the number of shared IP’s available, the higher the anonymity level.

The above reasons are why having a large network of servers is a very competitive performance edge for VPN providers and are why when choosing a VPN, one of the main features we should be searching for is the network of servers and where these servers are located (strategic placement of servers). Well, we have done our extensive research through the VPN providers in the market and came out with a list of 3 VPN providers with the largest network of servers.

VPNs with the Largest Network of Servers

TorGuard VPN

TorGaurd is one of the very famous names when it comes to online security, privacy and freedom. It started operating in 2012 and in a matter of only 5 years expanded to having one of the largest networks of servers in the market. Not only that, but its security features are very competitive as well. This is why, even though there might be bigger names in the market, yet TorGuard definitely beats them when it comes to its network of servers.

Network of Servers

• The TorGaurd massive network consists of over 3000 servers spread across more than 55 worldwide countries.
• This includes servers in all the strategic locations around the world like US, UK, South East Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Australia, and many more.
• A network this big is able to provide its users with countless shared IP’s.

Additional Features

• Unlimited bandwidth
• Up to 5 simultaneous connections
• Multiple security protocols (OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, and SSTP)
• TorGuard Stealth Proxy

ExpressVPN

Based in the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN has been operating since 2009. Over the years it has grown to become one of the biggest names in the market with countless features and a massive network of servers. It has been recommended in several occasions and it well deserves this reputation.

Network of Servers

• The ExpressVPN network consists of over 1000 servers in 141 cities, spread across 94 countries worldwide.
• This network includes servers in all the strategic locations like North America, South America, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and India.
• Each server provides the users with thousands of shared IP’s.

Additional Features

• Unlimited server switching
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Multiple protocols supported (OpenVPN with UDP/TCP, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, and SSTP)
• SSL secured network with 256-bit encryption
• Network Lock kill switch
• Zero-Logging
• Up to 3 simultaneous connections
• 30-day money back guarantee

NordVPN

NordVPN is one of the very impressive VPNs in the market due to its state of the art features and competitive network of servers. It started operating in 2012 in Panama City, Panama. Now it is definitely a leading name in the industry and a highly trusted VPN service provider.

Network of Servers

• NordVPN has a network of 965 servers in 57 countries around the world.
• These locations include all over North America, Russia, all over Europe, South East Asia, North Africa, South Africa, the Middle East, and almost everywhere else.
• This network provides its users with thousands of both shared and dedicated IP’s

Additional Features

• Double Data Encryption
• No Logs Policy
• Automatic Kill Switch
• DNS Leak Resolver
• Onion over VPN
• Up to 6 simultaneous connections
• Network secured with AES 256-bit SHA encryption
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Multiple protocols supported (OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, SSTP, and IKEv2)
• 30-day money back guarantee

Conclusion

As we have mentioned the size of the network and the strategic placement of the servers in the network is a main focus point when searching for a VPN, especially if the purpose of the VPN is bypassing restrictions. Whether these are geo-restrictions or online censorship placed by the country’s government, a large, well placed network of servers is the solution.

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VPN services are powerful tools to hide a user’s identity (real IP address) on the internet, as well as encrypt and secure their personal data. Moreover, VPNs are used by lots of netizens to bypass geo-restrictions to be able to unblock and access restricted web content. The very idea of a VPN is masking a user’s original IP address (geo-location) and replacing it with an entirely fake and different IP address that cannot be traced back to the user by ISPs or any other third parties. For example, if you are based in China and want to get access to Netflix, a VPN will provide you with a US IP so it would appear to Netflix servers that you are browsing from within the US, thus, you will be able to view and stream its content.

However, in many cases, even when you are using a VPN, websites can detect your real IP address and restricted your access through their servers. This is called IP leakage, which happens mostly when your VPN is not compatible with your internet protocol version, such as: IPv6 which results in leaking out your real IP address to the internet along with your personal data and your browsing activities. In other cases, your operating system might get mixed up sometimes and sends out requests to the DNS server operated by your ISP, instead of sending them through your VPN tunnel.

On a brighter note, there are several methods to avoid VPN IP leaks. For example, you can subscribe to a VPN that offers a DNS leak protection, IPv6 leak protection or a kill switch, or better yet, a VPN that has its own DNS servers. Moreover, if you are unable to afford an security-advanced VPN service, you can monitor your VPN’s performance by regularly running IP leak tests.

Best Websites to Check for IP Leaks

In this section, we will review the best websites out there that will help you check if your VPN leaks your IP address or not.

1- Doileak

Doileak is a super sleek and user-friendly security testing website that can help in detecting the most common leaks. In just one click of a mouse you run a leak test that does not only fish for IP leaks, but also checks your browser, connection, IPv6, DNS, SSL traffic, WebRTC IP leaks, torrent IP & DNS leaks, HTTP leaks and many more. Doileak gives accurate and detailed results which makes it one of the best IP leak testing website on the internet. However, the only downside is that it does not provide much information about browser testing.

2- Whoer

Another fantastic service to check if your having an IP problem is Whoer. Whoer is a very popular tool to conduct IP leakage tests. Once you visit their website, you will be greeted with a sheet of your test results in comprehensive details. Whoer takes pride in the services they provide as they clearly state on their website,

“The main and the most powerful side of our service is the interactive checking by Java, Flash and WebRTC, allowing to detect the actual system settings and its weaknesses, which can be used by third-party resources to find out the information about your computer.”

3- ipleak

Powered by AirVPN, ipleak is another tool to detect if your VPN is leaking your IP address or not. Similarly to Whoer, only less attractive, ipleak greets you with your test results. Not only is your IP checked for leakage, but ipleak also checks if you are suffering from DNS and WebRTC leaks.

Conclusion

There is no such thing as a perfect, flawless system. No matter how strongly encrypted your VPN service provider is; there is always a room for flops and risks. That is why it is better to be safe than sorry. By using IP leakage tests, you will be able to be absolutely certain that you are anonymous, secure and untraceable on the internet. Furthermore, we highly advise not relying on one IP test tool, but rather combine more than one tool to get as accurate results as possible.

The post Top Websites to Check for IP Leaks (2017) appeared first on VPNanswers.com.

Mac OS users face a lot of challenges and unpleasant connection issues with IPv6. Mac users who also use VPN services while surfing the web are liable to serious security breaches due to the fact that a lot of VPN services are not compatible with IPv6 yet. Therefore, if you use a VPN that is not IPv6 compatible or include features, such as: IPv6 leak protection or a kill switch, you definitely need to disable IPv6 on your Mac OS.

If a VPN is not equipped with tools to operate with IPv6, it will end up leaking your real IP address on the internet including all you personal data and browsing activities. This means that you will be paying for a service that is supposed to hide your IP address and secure your web activities whereas it is failing to fulfill that purpose. In this case, unless you are subscribed to an advanced VPN that is IPv6 friendly, you will need to disable IPv6 on Mac to avoid IP leaks.

In this guide, we will help you disable IPv6 on your Mac Sierra step-by-step with pictures. Scroll down for more details.

Disabling IPv6 on Mac Sierra

1- Go to “Finder”.

2- Click on “Go”.

3- Then, click on “Utilities”.

4- Select “Terminal”.

5- Type the following command “networksetup -setv6off Wi-Fi” in order to enable the IPv6 “OFF” option in Network Preferences.

6- In case you are prompted by a message to continue, please insert your admin credentials to proceed.

7- Close the “Terminal”.

8- Go to “Finder” one more time.

9- Select the “Apple Menu”.

10- Choose “System Preferences”.

11- Next, open “Network”.

12- Click on “Advanced”, then click on the “TCP/IP” button.

13- Make sure that “Configure IPv6” is set to “OFF”.

14- Click “OK”.

Congratulations, you have successfully disabled IPv6 on Mac Sierra.

Now that you have disabled IPv6 on your Mac Sierra, we strongly suggest that you restart your system and run an IPv6 leak test while you are connected to your VPN service to make sure that your network is not leaking your IP address.

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Why do you need to disable IPv6 while using VPN?

IPv4 is currently the standard IP protocol with which all applications on the internet, including VPNs, are equipped. However, due to the dire need of IP addresses, IPv6 has been introduced to fill in the IP shortage gap and compensate for all IPv4 issues. It will soon take over and become the standard IP protocol. That is why not all VPN services are equipped to be compatible with IPv6 resulting in massive IP leaks which dangerously compromises a VPN user’s security online.

VPNs are mainly used to hide a person’s identity (real IP address) on the internet, secure his/her personal data as well assist in bypassing geo-restrictions to unblock any restricted web content. They are also used in business and money transactions due to their high security levels. Consequently, IPv6 presents a challenge to some VPN services that are not equipped with features like: a kill switch or an IPv6 leak protection due to leakage problems. This means that a user’s real IP address together with any personal data and online activities are vulnerable to getting exposed online. In other words, the VPN becomes a useless tool that fails its purpose to anonymise your IP address and encrypt your data traffic.

On a brighter note, there is a workaround to this irritating issue, that is to disable IPv6 on your Windows system to avoid any leaks.

Disabling IPv6 on Windows

There are two different ways to disable IPv6 on Windows:

First Method:

1- Go to the network icon located at the bottom right hand side of your Windows screen and right-click.

2- Click on “Open Network Sharing Centre“.

3- Click on “Change Adapter Settings“. This will lead you to a window in which there is a list of all network adapters installed on your computer.

4- Right-click on your currently active network connection (e.g: WiFi)

5- Next, click on “Properties“.

6- Make sure that you are on the “Network” tab, then scroll down until you find “Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)“.

7- Click on the small box next to it to uncheck it.

8- Click “OK” to confirm the changes you have made.

9- Restart your computer as well as your router to apply the changes.

You have successfully disabled IPv6 on your Windows system.

Second Method:

1- Click on the start menu on the bottom left hand side of your screen (Windows logo).

2- Click on “Control Panel” and then select “Network and Sharing Centre” to open it.

3- Repeat steps 3-9.

You have successfully disabled IPv6 on your Windows system.

To know more about IPv6 leaks and how to prevent them, click here.

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IP (Internet Protocol) is one of the fundamental units of the internet to grease the communication wheels between machines (devices) when they are connected to the internet. Similarly to car license plate numbers, an IP is your device’s registration number on the internet which gives it an identity and helps in routing traffic between your device and the destination website on the internet. The world relied only on IPv4 (IP version 4) until 2013 when it started running out of IP addresses due to the rampant growth of internet users. Now imagine the world being flooded with unregistered cars because it has run out of license plate numbers, that is when IPv6 came into existence.

What is IPv6?

Internet Protocol Version 6 “IPv6” is commonly referred to as the IPng or the “internet’s next generation protocol” was designed by the Internet Engineering Task Force “IETF” to replace IPv4 and compensate for all of its issues including coping up with the exponential growth of internet users. Compared to IPv4, which uses 32 bits for its addresses,  IPv6 uses 128 binary digits to support around 340 trillion unique addresses. This tremendous number of IP addresses should definitely meet the internet’s ravenous demand for decades to come. Not only that, but IPv6 also improves the routing process by reducing the size of routine tables. Moreover, IPv6 has increased the efficiency of packet processing by eliminating IP-level checksum. In this way, the IP-level checksum would need to be recalculated at each and every router hop like it does with IPv4. IPv6 also has a built-in address auto-configuration and supports and increases the quality of mobile devices, VoIP as well as P2P services due to the fact that NAT (Network Address Translation) is eliminated. More importantly, IPv6 is developed to be much more secure than IPv4 as it is supported by IPsec protocol.

IPv6 Deployment

For all its merits, IPv6 is becoming remarkably widespread as more and more top global websites are deploying the IPng. For example, Apple is one of the biggest companies that has successfully transitioned into IPv6 in June 2016.  The company continues to aggressively help in pushing the transition into IPv6 by rejecting any application submitted to its app store that does not use IPv6, including VPN services. Apple had released a statement last June, saying:

“Starting June 1, 2016 all apps submitted to the App Store must support IPv6-only networking.”

Netherlands-based bVPN reported that their application (which uses IPv4 for DNS network scanning for optimal configuration) has been rejected by Apple for not supporting IPv6.

Following in Apple’s footsteps, US carrier, Verizon announced in an official statement in March 2017 that they will fully transition into IPv6 by the end of June this year.

“On June 30, 2017, Verizon will stop issuing new Public Static IPv4 addresses due to a shortage of available addresses. Customers that currently have active Public Static IPv4 addresses will retain those addresses, and Verizon will continue to fully support existing Public Static IPv4 addresses. In order to reserve new IP addresses, your company will need to convert to the Persistent Prefix IPv6 requirements and implement new Verizon-certified IPv6 devices.”

This means that Verizon customers with devices that still use IPv4 will have to replace their gadgets into IPv6 compatible ones.

Furthermore, the world witnessed what you may call it “the largest wireless IPv6 deployment” which was carried out by T-Mobile in which IPv6 was fully transitioned across the entire network.

Consequently, until all VPN service providers improve their software to be fully compatible with IPv6, VPN users are vulnerable to serious security risks, such as: IPv6 leaks.

What is VPN IPv6 Leak & What causes it?

The very idea of a VPN is to securely hide your real IP address and replace it with a fake IP to anonymise your identity while surfing the web, secure your personal data from potential attackers and snoopers, and to assist you in bypassing any geo-restrictions to be able to unblock and access any restricted web content. However, due to certain security flops, your “real” IP address could leak out and get exposed online.

When it comes to IPv6 users, there are many VPN services that are not compatible with IPv6 nor are they equipped with tools to encrypt it leading to IPv6 leaks. This mainly happens when the VPN connection drops unexpectedly, so instead of routing your data traffic through secret tunnels on the internet, your data traffic will take the normal route of your internet connection. Therefore, it becomes exposed to all peeping Toms online.

Moreover, some encryption protocols, like: L2TP are not compatible with IPv6. This means if you have an IPv6 address and use L2TP on your VPN connection, your IP address will be leaked out to your normal internet connection and you might also experience problems while trying to bypass censorship or access a geo-restricted web content.

How to Prevent VPN IPv6 Leaks?

Having an IPv6 address does not mean that you cannot use VPN. There is always a work around behind any internet problem and there are definitely many ways to avoid IPv6 leaks while using VPN.

1- Disable IPv6 on your OS (Windows, Mac OS, Android,…) for better VPN protection, especially if you are using L2TP protocol.

2- Enable VPN kill switch feature which terminates any running application in case a VPN connection drops suddenly.

3- Run VPN IPv6 leak tests to check whether your VPN leaks IPv6 or not.

4- Disable WebRTC on your browser (Firefox, Chrome, Opera) or switch to a browser that is not WebRTC-based.

5- Configure your VPN on your router instead of configuring it on your device directly. This will ensure that all devices connected to your network are protected.

Conclusion

It is without any doubt horrific to have your personal data and online activities compromised on the internet while being under the impression that you are protected by your VPN due to IP leaks, especially to Windows users. However, by understanding the root of the problem and getting a better idea about the different solutions for it, you will need to worry no more.

The post VPN IPv6 Leaks: What are they and How to prevent them (2017) appeared first on VPNanswers.com.

DNS remains for Domain Name Server. Whenever you write a web address into your program bar, a solicitation is sent to a Domain Name Server. This server matches space names to IP addresses where the site is really facilitated. The DNS then advises your program which IP location to go to with a specific end goal to stack the site you have asked.

DNS makes an interpretation of space names into IP locations, spoke to by a progression of numbers. For instance, one of Yahoo’s IP locations is 67.195.160.76, and when you write in “www.yahoo.com” to your location bar and land at Yahoo, that is on the grounds that your ISP (Internet Service Provider), with the assistance of their DNS servers, have deciphered that space name from that numerical IP address

In a perfect world, when you’re utilizing a VPN, it’s your VPN’s DNS servers making an interpretation of these IP addresses into space names, instead of your unique ISP. However, now and again, Windows defaults to its unique settings and deciphers those IP addresses through your ISP’s DNS servers, as opposed to your VPN.

One of the minimal known actualities about VPN administration is that notwithstanding the advantages of a changed IP location and information encryption, individual data can even now hole out in the open through something many refer to as a DNS leaks. Some VPN suppliers fabricate DNS leek arrangements directly into their product. For those that don’t, there are manual arrangements too.

What is a DNS leaks?

In the event that you simply get to the web through your standard association by means of your ISP (Internet Service Provider), your PC will be advised to utilize your ISP’s DNS servers. This implies all lookup solicitations will experience your ISP unless you physically determine something else.

At the point when joined with a Virtual Private Network, your PC will be advised by the VPN to utilize their safe DNS servers that are unique in relation to the ones appointed to you by your ISP. On the other hand, do to security blemishes characteristic in windows OS, your PC can entirely utilize the wrong DNS servers, accordingly uncovering your actual IP location to the site you are going to.

Causes of a DNS Leaks?

DNS Leaks can be brought on by an assortment of variables. Something as straightforward as a site deferring its reaction to your PC can bring about a windows machine to change to the unsecured DNS servers. This is the strategy used by numerous vindictive sites to bring about DNS releases and uncover private client data.

Detect DNS Leaks?

DNSLeaktest.com is a free site that can recognize DNS leaks in a matter of seconds. They additionally have supportive data on the most proficient method to quit spilling DNS data automatically. To get the most out of DNS Leak Test, you need to interface with your VPN administration before going to their site, or ensure you revive your program once your association is set up.

By what means would I be able to Prevent DNS Leaks?

There are 3 answers for this windows security blemish. It is very prescribed that you set your PC to utilize a static IP address. This will ensure your new DNS settings aren’t incidentally overlooked.

1. Utilize a VPN with inherent DNS Leaks Protection.

2. Programmed DNS Leaks Fix.

3. Manual Fix.

1. Utilize a VPN with inherent DNS Leaks Protection.

While most VPN’s don’t yet incorporate this component, there are couple that do. The best part is, they are both to a great degree reasonable and mysterious (they don’t keep information or association logs)

2. Programmed DNS Leak Fix

DnsLeakTest.com has programming that ought to settle DNS spills on most windows working frameworks consequently. It essentially distinguishes a VPN association and powers your PC to utilize the protected DNS servers when joined.

3. Manual Fix

In some cases the least complex technique works the best. Before you utilize the manual alternative, please ensure your PC has a static system IP rather than one relegated by DCHP, generally your endeavors could be squandered.

You should do nothing more than determine a DNS server for your PC or switch that doesn’t have a place with your ISP. Comodo SecureDNS is a free DNS server that works awesome. At the point when utilizing the manual alternative, it’s imperative to ensure that your ISP doesn’t utilize Transparent DNS Proxies.

 Please follow theses steps on your PC:

• Head to the Control Panel then Network Settings then Network Connections
• Right tap on the system connector you use for your home syste
• Click on properties
• Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPV4)
• snap properties
• Switch from Obtain DNS Address Automatically to Use the accompanying DNS Server Address
• finally Enter your new secure DNS data

The post All about DNS Leaks appeared first on VPNanswers.com.

Ditch Domain Names and Use an IP Address

This is quite an easy way to unblock websites, but it usually only works in countries that censor websites. You just have to type the IP address of the website instead of the domain name. You can find the IP address of a particular website using a tool like Whois, or using your command prompt and typing “ping thewebsitename.com” without quotes.

Look for Alternate Domain Names

You can also unblock websites using different domains. Many large websites can be accessed with alternative domains. For example, instead of typing “Google.Com” you can try “Google.UK.Com“, and see if that domain is unblocked.

Use a Cached Page

Search engines like Google and Yahoo cache webpages and these cached pages are stored in search engines themselves, and you may get the information you need.

Use a Web Proxy

A web proxy is a service that will load web pages for you from a server at a different location, and pass on the results to your browser. You can find a free web proxy on HideMyAss (HMA), for example, and they also list other public proxies. To unblock websites, you enter the URL of the site into the form on HMA (under the “Web Proxy” button). It’s somewhat slow, but it works for simple web browsing. Beyond that, you’ll need a VPN.

Use VPN Trials

A VPN or “virtual private network” is a service that encrypts and redirects all your internet connections. It’s the most reliable way to unblock websites. I don’t recommend using most free VPNs because they are usually run by untrustworthy companies. For example, Hotspot Shield is a very popular free VPN app, but after installing the app you will be inundated with pop-up and banners ads in your browser. The company also records your online activities, and resells that information to advertisers. VPNs encrypt your data through a secure tunnel before sending it out to the internet to protect your sensitive information, such as: username,passwords and credit card details from hackers, identity thieves and other third parties like your government. In this way, you will not unblock websites and stream your favourite channels online, but also protect yourself from cyber attacks and maintain your anonymity on the internet whether you’re using a PC, laptop, smartphone, tablet, gaming consoles or any other device that requires an internet connection.

Subscribe to a VPN Service

If you want something beyond a trial VPN service, the Best VPN Services Of 2015, which offer supreme quality service, bullet-speed connection, optimal security and value packages guaranteed to help you unblock websites from anywhere in the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUwev81EBzg&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=WASELVPN-HowTo(VPNTips)

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if you’re always on the move or rely mostly on your hand device (e.g: smartphone or tablet) to surf the web, you definitely need to secure your internet even if you’re using a home network because an insecure hand device is a an easy target for hackers or phishers to spread malware or steal your personal data (like: credit card information or passwords). If you’re looking for a way to browse the web safely without spending much on security services or creating a mess while setting up a VPN, for instance; an SSH tunnel is your saviour. SSH is a versatile and a user-friendly tool to secure your internet traffic on all operating systems, like: Windows, Mac, Linux and Android. In this article we will explain how you can secure Android with SSH tunnelling in a breeze.

What is SSH Tunnel?

In a Nutshell…

How to Secure Android with SSH Tunnelling?

Assuming that you have already installed and set up an SSH server, like: OpenSSH, and that you have also you properly forwarded the port your SSH server is running on. Therefore, your SSH server is now accessible from the Internet.

Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to secure Android with SSH tunnelling easily, without any hassle.

1- In order to properly secure Android with SSH tunnelling, you need to first install a free app called “Connectbot”.

2- After installing Connectbot, open it and insert the IP address (or dynamic domain name) followed by the port on which the SSH server is running and connect.

3- Once you’re connected, tap on the “Menu” button and choose “Port Forwards”.

4- In this step, you can easily configure in order to to be used for tunnelling. Tap on the Menu button and select “Add ports”.

5- A dialog box will be pop up in which you can configure 2 types of ports:

• The first port you can configure for a secure Android SSH tunnelling is mainly used for services that are already running on your home network and you want to access them through your Android device. For example, if you have a firefly media server running on a port “12345” and you want to access it from your Android device just as normally as you do over your home wi-fi, in this case you should choose “Local” as your port type. Next, insert “56000” for a source port and “ip:port” in the destination field, where the “IP” is your home local area IP and the “port” is the actual port on which server is running. Once done, open the app on your phone that wants to connects to this servier and enter “127.0.0.1” in the IP field and “56000” in the port field. That’s it!

• The second type for a secure Android SSH tunnelling on your device is used “to route all traffic to internet through home connection”. This can be done by selecting “Dynamic” and “56000” as a source port. This method doesn’t require choosing a destination port “because any traffic that comes over this tunnel will be routed back to the internet using the destination IP and port as desired, e.g., specified in a browser’s address bar.”

Furthernote

SSH tunnelling isn’t only used for maintaining online privacy. ” When you use an SSH tunnel to send data, it appears to have come from the server on the other end of the tunnel. So, somebody in Europe can use a service like Pandora by tunneling through to a server in America. Flip it the other way, and an American could use a service like Spotify by tunneling to Europe.”

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Internet shopping has become without doubt the most popular and fastest way to make purchases. With the rapid growth of online stores, people now find it a lot easier to shop for their stuff online instead of physically wandering through stores and markets in their towns. Moreover, you can purchase any product from anywhere in the world with just a few clicks on your mouse. With fast shipping and insane discounts, internet shopping has remarkably trumped over regular shopping methods. However, the number of cyber crimes and internet scams has equally increased since shoppers are required to provide their credit card information in order to make a purchase. Although, a lot of online stores offer guaranteed secure payment methods, hackers and scammers manage to hack and rob vulnerable accounts. So what can you possibly do to protect your credit card from cyber threats?

How to Protect Your Credit Card When You’re Shopping Online

“According to the FTC, more than 700,000 consumer complaints in 2010 were fraud related.  Consumers reported paying over $1.7 billion for those complaints. Scam victim Isolina Nunez and finance host and credit expert Erica Sandberg have teamed with Western Union to help bring light to holiday scams.”

Consequently, there are some necessary measures you should take before going shopping on the internet in order to protect your credit card and make safe purchases.

In this article we explain 5 of the simplest and most effective ways that will protect your credit card information when you are browsing the web.

1- Use Strong Passwords

We briefly discussed in this article how passwords can be risky when it comes to safe web browsing. If you create an account on any shopping website you will be required to insert a minimum of 8 characters. The trick is how you create a strong password that can’t be easily broken by hackers or phishers. Adding a string of consecutive numbers for your password is truly the most awful thing that you should stop doing. Also, inventing a short complex password, like “D$%#^&*” is not as secure as you may think. In fact, the idea behind a sturdy password is a creating long string of known words with no correlation, like “jockeysalamandersizzlingpneumonia”. This kind of password (jockey/salamander/sizzling/pneumonia) is much more stronger than symbols or predictable text and will help you protect your credit card whenever you go shopping online.

2- Avoid E-mails and Social Networks

Using your credit card information via e-mails or in private messages over social networks (like: Facebook) will only make it easier for scammers to hack into your account. In order to protect your credit card information, you need to use “data encryption services, such as Privaroria Secure Data and Message Storage.” Otherwise, you’d be presenting your life savings to hackers on a silver platter.

3- Use a VPN

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are one of the best and most secure ways to protect your credit card while you’re making your purchases online. VPNs are tools used to encrypt personal and sensitive information, like: credit card information and password when you’re surfing the internet. Simply put, a virtual private network service masks your IP address and tunnels your personal data into an encrypted tunnel within the internet until it reaches the desired destination. In this way, hackers or scammers who can steal your money and information through your real IP address (location) will be tricked into following a shell IP. VPNs come in many packages and features, but here are some of the best VPN services that will assuredly protect your credit card whenever you go on an online shopping spree.

Not only do VPNs protect your credit card and personal information on the internet, but VPNs help you bypass geo-restricted web content and gain access to blocked websites from anywhere in the world. Moreover, virtual private networks provide you with anonymity when you’re surfing the web.

4- Never Perform Transactions on Public Networks

If you want to protect your credit card over the internet, you must know that public networks, such as: public Wi-fi and hotspots are one of the most common gateways used by hackers and phishers to steal your credit card information and hack into you bank account. Statistically speaking, “over 60% of all free Wi-Fi spots are exposed to hacking. This cyber attack can take less than 2 seconds.” Therefore, to protect your credit card, you mustn’t go shopping online on public networks, and use secure networks instead.

5- Keep Track of Your Online Purchases

Another way to protect your credit card and do safe Internet shopping “is by keeping track of your expenses with the help of a special email folder (you’ll be getting an email confirmation for just about anything you buy online,) in a notebook or in a spreadsheet.

You also want to check your monthly credit card statement for any incorrect or suspicious information.”

The post 5 Tips to Protect Your Credit Card While Shopping Online appeared first on VPNanswers.com.

There are more than ten utilities of ifconfig commands. We will take some of them with examples. Of course we will begin by clarifying how to change IP address ifconfig.

How to change IP address ifconfig?

If you want to change IP address ifconfig, assign an IP address to a specific interface with interface name “eth0” and put IP address that you want for example “ifconfig eth0 172.16.25.125. Use the following command:

[root@tecmint ~]# ifconfig eth0 172.16.25.125

If you want net mask your network interface, you can change IP address ifconfig and use netmask command. You will combine with these two commands (ifconfig, netmask). For example “ifconfig eth0 netmask 255.255.225.223”

[root@tecmint ~]# ifconfig eth0 netmask 255.255.255.224

Other utilities of ifconfig command

Now after you knew how to change IP address ifconfig, we will take a quick look on other usages of this useful ifconfig command.

Use ifconfig command to assign a broadcast to network interface:

You will use this command in the same way you used other commands. For example “ifconfig eth0 broadcast 172.15.25.63”.

[root@tecmint ~]# ifconfig eth0 broadcast 172.15.25.63

You can combine between these three usages, assign IP, netmask, and assign a broadcast to network interface:

If you want to use these three at once via ifconfig command, type this command line

[root@tecmint ~]# ifconfig eth0 172.16.25.125 netmask 255.255.255.224 broadcast 172.16.25.63

You can change MTU for network interface via ifconfig command as follow:

The MTU allows you to set the limit size of packets that are transmitted on a network interface. For example “ifconfig eth0 mtu 2000” you set the limit of transmission until 2000 “e.g.2000”.

[root@tecmint ~]# ifconfig eth0 mtu 1000

How to change the mac address of network interface via ifconfig

To change media access control address of network interface, use this command with argument “hw ether”.

[root@tecmint ~]# ifconfig eth0 hw ether AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF

These are some of the most utilities of ifconfig command.

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