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Can VPN network traffic be monitored?

5 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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One of the biggest concerns of casualVPNusers is whether or not canVPNtraffic be monitored. When you’re looking for the perfectsecurityand privacy solution, you’re usually promised completeprivacyand top-notch protection fromVPNs.

So it only makes sense that you’d cling on that sense ofsecuritythat aVPNprovides you with. It’s already common knowledge that aVPNcan hide your Internet traffic from your ISP.

You’ll be glad to learn that you can alsobypass geo-restrictionswith aVPN. More so, if your ISP limits your connection, you can use a VPN to increase your connection speed (and its quality) without an issue.

Yet, people are still concerned that someone can monitor theirVPNtraffic. So let’s debunk this mystery once and for all.

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How does VPN encrypt your traffic?

It all starts on your computer after you deploy theVPNclient. The client receives all the requests you make to online services and turns them into encrypted traffic.

The encrypted traffic travels through a secure tunnel that nobody but theVPNhas access to (ideally). It then reaches theVPNserver you’ve connected to, where it gets decrypted and forwarded.

Once it reaches the destination, the online service you’ve sent the request to sends you a response. However, since the response travels backward, it gets encrypted by theVPNserver and decrypted by the client.

However, it travels the same secure tunnel of encrypted traffic that nobody but yourVPNcan access. Again, this is an ideal scenario and the truth is that someVPNsdon’t offer this level ofsecurity.

Can VPN network traffic be monitored?

If yourVPNhasn’t been hacked and takes all the necessary steps to prevent an attack from ever occurring, then yourVPNtraffic is safe. TrustworthyVPNproviders don’t monitor their customers’ online activity.

Therefore, if an attacker were to break in, it could technically accessVPNnetwork traffic, right? Yes, but they can’t link traffic to any specific individual if theVPNdoes its part right.

If the attacker were to listen to the connection between theVPNserver (where data gets decrypted) and the service you’re trying to access, it could figure out what you’re trying to access.

However, since you passed your data through the secure encryption tunnel, your personally identifiable data should be all wiped out from the traffic.

Meaning that your attacker will simply see that the server tries to access some site. It’s not exactly useful data, since anyone connected to that specific server could’ve accessed that website.

Combine that with SSL encryption and the attacker’s got squat on you. Long story short, even ifVPNtraffic could be monitored, the traffic would still be anonymized.

What about MITM attacks?

They can still happen, even if you’re using aVPN, but not how you’d think. Essentially,VPNswill protect you against MITM (man in the middle) attacks that target the area between you (your device) and theVPNgateway.

Thus, it prevents your ISP (or any other attacker) from running a MITM attack against your device specifically.

However, if an attacker would position itself between theVPNgateway and your destination service (website, email server, etc), you can be affected by MITM.

On the bright side, it’s extremely difficult for the attacker to specifically target you amidst the attack. Thus, the attack would most likely target every user who tries to access that specific service.

What’s the most secure VPN?

If you’re still a bit worried about yourVPNtraffic being monitored, you should aim to find asecure, trustworthy service that won’t break yourprivacyno matter what.

We wholeheartedly recommendPrivate Internet Access, aVPNthat’s brought to you by Kape Technologies. This service has passed all of oursecurity,privacy, and speed tests without a hiccup.

Private Internet Access

However, if you’re not ready to commit to a singleVPNservice just yet and want to do most research, make sure to check out our recommendations of greatVPNsthat have zero-logging policies.

Technically, VPN traffic can still be monitored

All things considered, it would be wrong to say thatVPNtraffic is impossible to monitor. Given the right tools and determination, a skillful attacker could work its magic to listen toVPNtraffic.

However, sinceVPNtraffic is anonymized, all the attacker would be able to learn would be the destination of the traffic. There’s no way it could be pinpointed to the user who initiated the request.

All the traffic in theVPNtunnel is anonymized, and once it gets decrypted, it simply looks like theVPNserver is making the request to the remote server (service you’re trying to reach).

So, even thoughVPNtraffic could be monitored, it’s probably not worth worrying about.

[wl_navigator]

Can VPN network traffic be monitored?#

How does VPN encrypt your traffic?#

Can VPN network traffic be monitored?#

What about MITM attacks?#

What’s the most secure VPN?#

Private Internet Access#

Technically, VPN traffic can still be monitored#

Can VPN network traffic be monitored?

How does VPN encrypt your traffic?

Can VPN network traffic be monitored?

What about MITM attacks?

What’s the most secure VPN?

Private Internet Access

Technically, VPN traffic can still be monitored