What is VPN, why does Parliamentary Committee wants to ban it and how it will affect you
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs reportedly urged the government to ban Virtual Private Network (VPN) services in India. As per the committee, VPNs “allow criminals to remain anonymous online”. VPNs essentially encrypt network traffic and secure public internet connections, ensuring a certain degree of privacy online. Having said that, VPNs are known to be used by criminals as well but a vast majority of internet users rely on VPNs for better online privacy, internet security and to avoid third-party trackers. The use of VPNs are quite common across the world and employees use them to securely work from their homes. Here’s how VPN works and how banning VPNs will affect you.
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What is a VPN
VPN (Virtual Private Network) is an internet tool that helps in easily creating a private network while you are connected to a less secured public or your home internet connection. It’s primary job is to encrypt network traffic and mask your IP address and location. VPNs are used so that third party trackers, your Internet Service Provider (ISP), websites, malwares, spywares and other parties cannot identify what data you download and upload on your device. Also, no one can track your IP address, location or see what you are doing online while you are using a VPN. Even if a hacker manages to get hold of your online session, it would be encrypted.
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Why is VPN important
VPNs are one of the most crucial aspects of securing corporate data. Most companies, especially due to work from home circumstances, use VPN services so that hackers cannot intercept official data and files including crucial admin passwords. The use of VPN is the first line of defence for any corporate connected to the internet. Without VPNs, competitors can use third-party trackers and target important employees online to extract confidential business data.
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Why VPN is needed to stay safe online
Even when you are not doing your office work, using VPNs help you keep your passwords of online banking, social media, email, etc safe. There are network tracking tools that are easily available that can let anyone know exactly what you are doing online and even intercept your online traffic to carry out frauds. VPN services prevent these trackers.
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Without VPN, your ISP will know too much about you
When you buy a new broadband connection from any ISPs in India like Jio, Airtel, BSNL, etc; your data and online activity can be easily tracked by the ISP. The ISP owns the connection, it also owns the modem/router that you use at your home and they can even reset your internet configuration remotely. The ISP has the capability to throttle speeds to some websites or can slow some down as well. It can deny access to certain websites and can track your browsing history to show relevant ads. VPN is the only tool that is easily available that can help you keep ISPs at bay.
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How VPN helps you get past region restrictions
Governments across the world tend to block access to certain movies, social media handles, games and other type of content including pornography by forcing ISP to follow regulations. VPNs give internet users globally access to content that the government doesn’t want them to see. VPNs give users a choice. Also, VPN helps people get access to shows, sports streaming channels, news, etc that may be locally available in only some countries due to licensing regulations.
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How VPN helps in protecting you when you connect to a public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi available at railway stations, cyber cafes, coffee shops, restaurants, etc can be a gold mine for cybercrime and stalkers. Public networks can be used to plant malware on your device, track your location, steal passwords, perform remote attacks to gain admin rights of your device, record video/audio secretly and also steal your identity to perform frauds. VPN prevents these risks by simply making you anonymous online by hiding your IP address, source of network traffic and internet browsing session.
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Why does the Parliamentary Committee wants the government to ban VPNs
According to the report by MediaNama, the committee recommended permanently blocking VPN service with “the help of internet service providers” across India. “The Committee notes with anxiety the technological challenge posed by VPN services and Dark Web, that can bypass cyber security walls and allow criminals to remain anonymous online. As of date, VPN can easily be downloaded, as many websites are providing such facilities and advertising them. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Ministry of Home Affairs should coordinate with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to identify and permanently block such VPNs with the help of internet service providers.”
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What steps does the Parliamentary Committee want the government to take to ban VPNs
The committee suggested that “a coordination mechanism should also be developed with international agencies to ensure that these VPNs are blocked permanently.” The report by MediaNama also said that the committee wants “the Ministry to take initiatives to strengthen the tracking and surveillance mechanisms by further improving and developing the state-of-the-art technology, to put a check on the use of VPN and the dark web.”
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How will banning VPN in India affect you
Banning VPN in India may immediately jeopardise work from home or ‘remote working’ plans. Your company may require you to work only on a secured internet connection that is provided by your office.
Your internet connection may be more prone to third-party attacks and malwares trying to steal your passwords. You will not be able to access content online that is otherwise not available in India or is restricted. And not to forget, you will lose one of the most basic and easiest way to maintain privacy online.
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