The NSA has an elaborate system that makes it possible to collect various information from internet users. Most internet users' concern is whether the NSA surveys their actions on the web and whether it is legal. If so, will using VPN maintain your privacy, especially from government surveillance like the NSA? Does a VPN protect from NSA? Using a VPN is a reliable way to protect your privacy while on the internet. As much as it is an effective way to keep your data safe, you may not be entirely safe from all the spying done by the NSA. Several reports have indicated that the NSA have decrypted some encryption codes and easily infiltrated some VPNs. However, using a quality VPN with military grade encryption is a reliable solution to your safety while on the web. This article will closely investigate the NSA's role and shed light on the speculations that it is spying on US citizens. We also look at how effectively you can use the VPN for your privacy and whether it will guard you against the NSA. Read on as we highlight these and more pressing data security concerns. What Does the NSA Do? The National Security Agency (NSA) is a large organization in the USA whose primary role is security surveillance. Even before the internet's existence, it was present to decrypt telegraphic records that were necessary for the government’s security. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the government saw the need to increase surveillance across the country, targeting both locals and foreigners. This action paved the way for them to infiltrate the internet and personal phone records. To date, the surveillance is still ongoing, much to the citizens’ and legal agencies’ objection. Given these concerns, some agencies have put some measures to assure the internet users feel safe; these include the Freedom Act. So far, the phone data monitoring has reduced to only keep an eye on suspected criminal motives. Should You Be Worried About the NSA Spying on You? There are some pressing concerns that the government’s NSA is using its surveillance systems to spy on the people. These allegations are thanks to various whistleblowers and detailed reports that have revealed some truth behind these allegations. Various reports also show that the government may request access to websites, store our emails, and auction off users' vital data. The public is now aware of these acts, and this revelation has sparked massive outrage. It is these concerns that are slowly making internet users more cautious about their internet activities. So, how much does the NSA know about you, and why should you worry? First, the NSA can scan data, especially from the individuals that they consider as threats. They obtain the user's name, IP, and physical address. Secondly, the NSA has some ties with large internet companies like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft; this way, it can easily access and monitor a user’s messages to foreign users. Therefore, the mere fact that you are messaging someone in another country may warrant the government to spy on your communications. Similarly, once the NSA matches an email you have sent to a target user, your conversations can land in their databases or that of other legal agencies such as the FBI. This information is necessary for their use as evidence of crimes. Lastly, when your data is in the NSA's database, it puts it at risk of access by other malicious hackers; if they can bypass the NSA security, they can easily do the same with your private information. What Is a VPN, and Does It Protect From NSA? A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a useful tool for you to privatize your data. It does so by creating encryption for your data to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the information. The tunnel created will harbor unauthorized access from any other users. For instance, private network connection provided by the VPN will effectively encrypt your data. Similarly, the VPN will come in handy to hide your identity by hiding the IP address you are using; this way, even if anyone accesses your data, your personal information will be safe. The use of VPN comes at the right time for most internet users, especially those who value data privacy. It is easy to guard yourself against the government's spying by using it. If you can be safe from hackers, then you can do the same with other government agencies. Moreover, there are some precautionary measures that you can put in place to ensure that your data is safe from the NSA or any other users. Most importantly, you, as an internet user, should tread carefully while online. It will help if you refrain from revealing every detail of your life or daily social media activities. When you give too much information, you provide malicious people with all the information they need. Similarly, it is not a good idea to use unsecured public Wi-Fi to access sensitive personal information like your bank account. It’s also necessary to be cautious when using Wi-Fi from hotels and airports; safety on the internet should always start with you. Also, to be safe, you can ensure that you use stronger passwords; use special characters and mix them up with letters and numbers. Once you have a strong password, you can be sure that no one can easily log into your accounts. Some people even change it every few months to make it more secure. Besides, some applications can come in handy to prevent spying and tracking when you are using websites. Unfortunately, you can be extra cautious, but this may not guarantee full immunity from NSA snooping. However, using a VPN gives you added protection from such surveillance, so it may be a good idea to get it. Can the NSA Break Encryption? One way to secure your data is by encryption. Over the years, developers have used it as a tool to guard against the government and other bodies' surveillance. However, it is easy for hackers to decrypt the information and access your data. Various reports have also indicated that the NSA can decrypt the communication. Thanks to certain flaws such as reusing passwords, the traffic becomes vulnerable to surveillance access by government bodies like the NSA. Other researchers have also established that the NSA could break encrypted information such as VPN by bypassing data to their systems. Their supercomputers effectively returned valid keys, a fete that is somewhat difficult to achieve in such a short time. However, decryption relies on various factors, such as the implementation and security keys. Similarly, if another user can access the encryption code, it will be easy to access your networks. Given the advanced technology, other users can even get the decrypted content, and so can the NSA, which has all the resources at their disposal. There are also serious allegations that there are loopholes in key exchanges that have enabled the NSA to infiltrate even decrypted communications. Moreover, more reports show that the NSA could bypass VPN connections to get the decryption key. Finally Every internet user needs assurance that their sensitive information is safe from unauthorized users and, most importantly, from government agencies. One way to ensure your safety is by being cautious while using the internet. You can also use a VPN whenever you are on the internet. Although it is not an absolute measure, it is highly effective in locking out spies and hackers from your networks. The VPN will not only keep your data safe, but you can be secure from governmental surveillance, given that it will hide your IP address. The only concern is that there are still lingering reports that the NSA can decrypt data, thereby infiltrating your network. Even so, using the VPN may help in data security.
