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VPN Useful or Not?

M

Mickeylittle777

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 17, 2015
34
11
I've got the iPad Pro and love it. It is a laptop replacement for me. I have the WiFi/LTE version and I'm wondering if a VPN such as Hotspot Shield will truly make my connection more secure when I'm away from home on either a public WiFi or on my iPad's LTE signal when WiFi is not available?

I know most all websites that I pay bills on have their own security and hopefully eBay, Amazon, and PayPal are secure too but I just want to know if paying $29.99 a year for this app is really going to make my web surfing more secure or not.
 
Thanks for the reply, I guess since I'm using the IPP as a laptop replacement I really just want to make sure that I'm as safe using it to pay bills and make purchases on it as I would be doing so on my laptop or my home PC? That is question #1 and question #2 is does a VPN help the security of question #1?

Sorry if you already answered this and I'm a little dense...
 
You are going to have to look at the specific agreements of the VPN services you are considering. If you want the transactions to be equally as safe as they would be at home then you need to set up a VPN server at your home and connect to that.
 
you're worried about someone intercepting the data on the ipad using cellular ? No offense, but you're being a bit " end of the world " on the situation. For one, the movies lie to you, for two a VPN isn't really going to help as much as a proxy would. I use a vpn / proxy ( cisco anyconnect ) to work from my ipad from home, and the only reason we do that, is to lock certain parts of our website down to staff only.

Honestly, I'd suggest you just not worry about it, and use it like you use your phone. with no "VPN".
 
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Thanks for the input. No offense taken but I don't really consider myself a worrier about my question, I'm just not an expert on Internet security and I want to make sure that using an iPad for banking and shopping is secure.

So far it sounds like using a VPN won't make it any more secure for banking and shopping.
 
BrianBaughn said:
More secure? Yes. If you send all traffic via the VPN, then the provider of your local connection (wifi/cell) will not be able to monitor your traffic. That's about all a VPN does in those circumstances.
Click to expand...

Of course your VPN provider will be able to monitor it instead. You pays your money, you takes your choice.

A.
 
Alrescha said:
Of course your VPN provider will be able to monitor it instead. You pays your money, you takes your choice.

A.
Click to expand...
[doublepost=1453074717][/doublepost]Well thanks everyone. At this point it appears that I don't need a VPN so I have uninstalled it.
 
Actually, there is no need to uninstall it. As far as I am concerned, Virtual Private Networks, allow users to securely access a private network and share data remotely through public networks. It is safe. Because I used VPN for a long time. It rarely appears security issue.

If you want to keep a safer condition, you should have up-to-date anti-virus software installed and ensure that it runs every time you start your computer. Additionally, the laptop should have personal firewall software set up. Some VPN clients already include personal firewalls, so you'll have to check with your vendor as to whether yours does or doesn't. The personal firewall can ensure that only the VPN client is making the connection and that it's not actually a Trojan horse program masquerading as the VPN client. Another good precaution is to enable the BIOS password.
 
William Wales said:
Actually, there is no need to uninstall it. As far as I am concerned, Virtual Private Networks, allow users to securely access a private network and share data remotely through public networks. It is safe. Because I used VPN for a long time. It rarely appears security issue.

If you want to keep a safer condition, you should have up-to-date anti-virus software installed and ensure that it runs every time you start your computer. Additionally, the laptop should have personal firewall software set up. Some VPN clients already include personal firewalls, so you'll have to check with your vendor as to whether yours does or doesn't. The personal firewall can ensure that only the VPN client is making the connection and that it's not actually a Trojan horse program masquerading as the VPN client. Another good precaution is to enable the BIOS password.
Click to expand...

Thanks but this isn't about my laptop. I have great antivirus/firewall setup on it. This thread is about my iPad Pro and being able to use it as a laptop replacement. And since none of the security software programs like Norton etc actually do much of anything in the tablet world other than take your money, I was just trying to see if my tablet is as safe to use for financial business with no security away from home as my laptop would be with it having Webroot, Norton, Macafee, or whatever installed on it.

That's why I started this thread about the VPN was to see if it added that type of security. People here must think I'm crazy for worrying about having my credit card hacked because of poor security on my part and maybe I am but if the iPad Pro is not as safe as a laptop then I need to adjust what I am doing.
 
BrianBaughn said:
I have nothing to back it up but my guess is that if you use your bank's app in iOS you're probably more secure than a VPN on anything no matter where you are.
Click to expand...

I bank at a Credit Union thus no app. I guess I should have laid all this out to start the thread.Sorry this is such a hard question. Lol

I want to use my iPad Pro to pay all my online bills, do my banking, shopping on Amazon, eBay and using my paypal account. I use Safarri for the vast majority of this. Should I be more worried about losing my credit card or other valuable personal information by using an iPad for this as compared to a laptop, especially when I'm away from home and using the iPad's cellular data?

Is there any apps or settings that I can use on my iPad to make the above paragraph more secure for me?
 
Mickeylittle777 said:
Should I be more worried about losing my credit card or other valuable personal information by using an iPad for this as compared to a laptop, especially when I'm away from home and using the iPad's cellular data?
Click to expand...

No. You have no more reason to worry when using an iPad than using a laptop. That said, I question the wisdom of routinely doing this kind of activity while mobile, regardless of the platform. There are bad people out there, why needlessly expose yourself to greater risk?

A.
 
Alrescha said:
No. You have no more reason to worry when using an iPad than using a laptop. That said, I question the wisdom of routinely doing this kind of activity while mobile, regardless of the platform. There are bad people out there, why needlessly expose yourself to greater risk?

A.
Click to expand...
[doublepost=1453136581][/doublepost]
Ok so I'm ok to use the iPad Pro but regardless of what I use I'm best off to use it on my secured network at home when doing banking or purchasing. Thanks for all the patience and help everybody!
 
Mickeylittle777 said:
I've got the iPad Pro and love it. It is a laptop replacement for me. I have the WiFi/LTE version and I'm wondering if a VPN such as Hotspot Shield will truly make my connection more secure when I'm away from home on either a public WiFi or on my iPad's LTE signal when WiFi is not available?

I know most all websites that I pay bills on have their own security and hopefully eBay, Amazon, and PayPal are secure too but I just want to know if paying $29.99 a year for this app is really going to make my web surfing more secure or not.
Click to expand...
I don't really agree with this one.
 
yillbs said:
you're worried about someone intercepting the data on the ipad using cellular ? No offense, but you're being a bit " end of the world " on the situation. For one, the movies lie to you, for two a VPN isn't really going to help as much as a proxy would. I use a vpn / proxy ( cisco anyconnect ) to work from my ipad from home, and the only reason we do that, is to lock certain parts of our website down to staff only.

Honestly, I'd suggest you just not worry about it, and use it like you use your phone. with no "VPN".
Click to expand...
This is the answer.
 
Mickeylittle777 said:
[doublepost=1453136581][/doublepost]

Ok so I'm ok to use the iPad Pro but regardless of what I use I'm best off to use it on my secured network at home when doing banking or purchasing. Thanks for all the patience and help everybody!
Click to expand...

When I travel away from home, even for one night, I take my laptop and leave the iPad at home. I use a VPN on all of my desktops and laptops, both Macs and Windows. Spent two weeks recently in the Dominican Republic, lit off a laptop and VPN...no issues at all. When I am on the road and returning home the same day in my vehicle, I light off my AT&T hotspot, iPad and VPN.

Just my two cents worth
 
Mickeylittle777 said:
... when I'm away from home on either a public WiFi or on my iPad's LTE signal when WiFi is not available?
Click to expand...

What's more important than a VPN service is to simply realize that you should NEVER use public WiFi. Always use your carrier-provided data and you won't need a VPN. If you absolutely must use untrusted WiFi networks, then yes, a VPN is a necessity for all traffic.
 
Isn't that what I said?
IHelpId10t5 said:
What's more important than a VPN service is to simply realize that you should NEVER use public WiFi. Always use your carrier-provided data and you won't need a VPN. If you absolutely must use untrusted WiFi networks, then yes, a VPN is a necessity for all traffic.
Click to expand...
Isn't that what I said?
 
Apparantly the idiots at PayPal are now becoming a tool of big business, (You know those large companies that refuse to pay taxes in the countries they operate in) by blocking payments to VPN providers using the excuse that some people, might be using a VPN to watch Netflix in another country.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/web/paypal-cutting-off-netflix-unblockers/

In my view VPNs are important, especially when it comes to security or for people living in a repressed country. So if PayPal wants me to start using BitCoin or other untraceable services to pay for a VPN subscription then that is their loss. No skin off my nose.
 
Nordichund said:
Apparantly the idiots at PayPal are now becoming a tool of big business, (You know those large companies that refuse to pay taxes in the countries they operate in) by blocking payments to VPN providers using the excuse that some people, might be using a VPN to watch Netflix in another country.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/web/paypal-cutting-off-netflix-unblockers/

In my view VPNs are important, especially when it comes to security or for people living in a repressed country. So if PayPal wants me to start using BitCoin or other untraceable services to pay for a VPN subscription then that is their loss. No skin off my nose.
Click to expand...

Use a credit card, thats what I do. Screw PayPal.
 
I have used VPN services in the past--but do not currently subscribe to one. Most of my internet use is either at home via my own wi-fi network or via cellular traffic on iPhone. Would be a good option if you use a lot of hot spots which I don't.
 
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