online security question

[corvairbob]

a few weeks ago my chrome books lost there life. no more program and security updates. so if i hook up to a vpn will the work for the missing google security that i do not get anymore with my chrome books? i started using my laptops again and using windows security programs along with avast free but i rather use the chrome books. they are way faster. so what the verdic on using a chrome book with a vpn for security? yes no maybe? thanks

 

[Avast-Team]

VPN's can help you security-wise; there's several things going on with a VPN connection.

First, VPN's mask your original IP address, which is generally not done by default on your router or computer unless you have a VPN set up either on the router or computer itself. This can help to protect your privacy and shield your actual IP from websites, etc.

Also, VPN's (in layman's terms) encrypt the traffic between your computer and the Internet. This is especially important on unsecured wireless networks, like at your local coffee shop.

Finally, you can use VPN's to bypass geo-restrictions (depending on the site or service that is blocking you)

Chromebooks are interesting because they usually don't support out-of-the-box clients like on Windows or Mac, but HideMyAss! does support Chromebooks through the L2TP protocol. Easier to set up than it sounds https/support.hidemyass.com/hc/en-us/articles/202720706-Chrome-OS-OpenVPN-and-L2TP-setup

OpenVPN setup on a Chromebook is a little bit trickier, but possible.

Hope that helps!

 

[hang-the-9]

Not sure what you meant by lost their life? Are you talking about the vendor no longer providing updates for that model? As in "End of Life" for the hardware?

You may still be getting updates for it through Google. Don't know what VPN will do for you as far as security, it will hide your IP from the public internet but your router does the same thing. A VPN, firewall, etc.. will only work on things that try to tunnel into your computer, it will not help you for security in general at all, most security issues are due to people vising infected web sites, opening viruses through email, Facebook, etc... or just a data breach at a larger company where your info gets stolen.

 

[corvairbob]

i found out that a vpn will not help with security so no reason to worry about hiding my internet activity.

google started a program that after a chrome book gets 6 years or so old they stop with program and security updates. they may find that will not work as the people that have them may not want to get new ones just to have them go bad in a few years. they start that time when the model is made not when you buy it. so you get an end of life notice on the chromebooks when they get there. anyway thanks for the reply

 

[hang-the-9]

i found out that a vpn will not help with security so no reason to worry about hiding my internet activity.

google started a program that after a chrome book gets 6 years or so old they stop with program and security updates. they may find that will not work as the people that have them may not want to get new ones just to have them go bad in a few years. they start that time when the model is made not when you buy it. so you get an end of life notice on the chromebooks when they get there. anyway thanks for the reply

6 years if a very long time in computer life, there is nothing odd about stopping support for an old product. Otherwise the companies will be spending too much money and time working on old things. Do you want to pay 10% more for your new computer or TV so you can help support the old ones? I doubt you would. In most cases, the most likely way to have security issues is from bad practices when working online, handing out info left and right to anything that asks, trying to download "free" music and movies, replying to odd emails, etc... You should see how many people hand out their phone numbers, emails and addresses along with account information on these forums which are seen by anyone that wants to come here.

Very rarely is someone's computer compromised when people were careful with that they did, a hacker would not go around targeting a single person, rather they try to break into a large store of information like a company, or they would send out a blast to thousands of computers looking for something open.

 

[corvairbob]

yes some are very careless but i'm not worried about an attack on just me. but using a chromebook that gets left outside the loop will increase that possibility. and 6 years is not to old for computers. the one i'm using to write this is 18 years old and is faster than the chromebook. it does more than the chrome book, but because it is windows based it is more vulnerable than the chromebook. i would not mind getting new chromebooks but google's policy is to start the 6 year timeline from the first day they go on sale so you can get a new out of the box machine 4 years later and get 2 years of service life. so your ok with that from your statement. i'm not. there is no reason they can't keep security going being your using them online to there site and the machine can't run programs by themselves. so going thru their site they should be able to keep you updated. but they are losing money by not selling these machines and now to recoup that money they are stopping the updates.

i will keep using my chromebooks but i have taken all the banking off them now and will not use them for nothing more that email and web searching. and it is insane to pay 500 to 1000.00$ for a machine that can do nothing more than email and web searches. it is kind of like buying a new car and paying 100,000.00$ for it and only take it to church. most are not willing to do that.

 

[Avast-Team]

VPN's can help you security-wise; there's several things going on with a VPN connection.

First, VPN's mask your original IP address, which is generally not done by default on your router or computer unless you have a VPN set up either on the router or computer itself. This can help to protect your privacy and shield your actual IP from websites, etc.

Also, VPN's (in layman's terms) encrypt the traffic between your computer and the Internet. This is especially important on unsecured wireless networks, like at your local coffee shop.

Finally, you can use VPN's to bypass geo-restrictions (depending on the site or service that is blocking you)

Chromebooks are interesting because they usually don't support out-of-the-box clients like on Windows or Mac, but HideMyAss! does support Chromebooks through the L2TP protocol. Easier to set up than it sounds https/support.hidemyass.com/hc/en-us/articles/202720706-Chrome-OS-OpenVPN-and-L2TP-setup

OpenVPN setup on a Chromebook is a little bit trickier, but possible.

Hope that helps!