Perfect forward secrecy (PFS) is a cryptographic feature of internet communication protocols that ensures even if a session is compromised, past and future sessions remain secure. It achieves this by using a new and unique private encryption key for each session.  PFS is sometimes known simply as forward secrecy by those uncomfortable with the idea […]

A zero-day is a software vulnerability or security flaw in a computer system that its developers or vendors are unaware of. The term zero-day (also known as 0-day) refers to the fact that, since the developer or vendor is unaware of the vulnerability, they have zero days available to mitigate against it.  A zero-day exploit […]

A dedicated IP address is a fixed or static internet protocol (IP) address that’s guaranteed not to change for as long as you lease it. An lP address is a number that uniquely identifies every device that connects directly to the internet (where devices connect to the internet via a router/modem, for example, the IP […]

IKEv2 is a VPN protocol used to secure VPN connections. Part of the IPSec protocol suite, it is sometimes (and strictly speaking, more correctly) referred to as IKEv2/IPSec. A VPN protocol is a set of instructions or rules that determine how the connection between your device and the VPN server is made. Learn more about […]

“Amazon and third parties (including advertising and tracking services) collect smart speaker interaction data. We find that Amazon processes voice data to infer user interests and uses it to serve targeted ads on-platform (Echo devices) as well as off-platform (web). Smart speaker interaction leads to as much as 30X higher ad bids from advertisers. Finally, […]

A kill switch is a security feature that protects your privacy. It ensures that you don’t connect to the internet thinking you’re protected by a VPN when you aren’t.  When you use a virtual private network (VPN), your device connects to VPN server run by a VPN service such as Proton VPN. The connection between […]

A guest network is a separate WiFi network within your home or office network designed specifically for your guests or customers to use.  Although run from the same router (which may also be your modem), a guest network operates as an entirely separate WiFi network, providing guests with internet access without giving them access to […]

Before WiFi, you had to connect your internet-capable device to a router via an Ethernet cable. The router then connected to a modem, which connected your device to the internet. Routers and modems are so often housed in the same device, that the term “router” usually refers to a combined router and modem.  These cables […]

These days, virtual private networks (VPNs) are most commonly associated with commercial consumer-facing VPN services, such as Proton VPN, that allow individuals to bypass censorship, access the internet privately, and “spoof” their geographic location.  However, VPNs were originally developed to let remote workers securely access corporate intranets as though they were physically connected to their […]