D&S Technologies, LLC
Abstracting is the Best
If you have nothing better to do.
Local or Domain?
If you have ever setup a new Windows device you know how desperately they would like you to use your Microsoft account to sign in to your computer. Why? What is the difference between signing in as a local user or a domain user? Most people who understand the meaning of the word 'domain' in this context associate it with corporate accounts, which is true, but it is also true that your personal Microsoft accounts (Outlook, Hotmail, Live) are indeed part of Microsoft's domain. The difference is you are the administrator.
Ever notice how you have to sign in through the web portal to check or modify your low-level account settings? This is because your profile along with account settings, passwords, emails, and anything else you have associated with your account are centrally maintained by Microsoft online. They are not configured on your device, This can be very convenient as you can login to a new device and have most of your stuff readily available to you, whereas a local account would require manual setup of the desktop, apps, settings, passwords, and browsers, which is time-consuming. It also means you aren't fully in control of your device, which is frustrating, and all of your personal information is traveling across the internet, which is scary.
So, which should you choose? Well, that depends on your perspective. We choose to take the time to setup local accounts because we don't want everything on our devices to also be on the internet. We also don't want our information to be sold for marketing purposes nor do we want to depend on the internet for full access to our device. We risk losing information as a result of a lockout or disk failure, but we have secure backups to hedge against this, which is also a manual process. Privacy and security over convenience, we say.
VPN? Which and Why?
There are several benefits to using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) on your device. If you choose the right one, you will enjoy security first and foremost knowing that all of your information is fully encrypted as it traverses the internet, no matter which network you are connected to. It has the added benefit of changing your IP address to a location of your choosing (wherever a server exists you can connect to it) and conceals the nature of your network activity. A special VPN will also provide additional security measures, such as secure DNS resolution or web monitoring, as well as refusal to transmit personally identifiable information to third-parties.
The first benefit is obvious, if you are signing into an account or applying for a credit card, you want to know that your information will not land anywhere other than the place to which it was sent. Simple. The others are not so obvious. Let's start with IP location. Changing your IP address will make the destination server believe you are connecting from that location. It will also see the request being sent from the service provider, not yourself. This is good because you do not want every site to know where your requests are coming from or who is sending them, such as spammy websites or websites you are unfamiliar with. As for DNS, a secure DNS server will encrypt your requests to keep them from being altered, sending you somewhere you did not intend to go.
Qualities of a marvelous VPN:
- Effective kill-switch - A kill-switch will ensure your IP address is not exposed should the VPN suddenly lose connection. When activated, the VPN will disable network traffic until it successfully reconnects.
- RAM Servers - ​The best VPN providers use RAM servers. This is significant, because it means a reboot eliminates all data forever, so you do not have to worry about any data being stored long-term.
- No Logging - Most VPN providers actually do log your traffic, especially the free ones. They keep a record probably for marketing purposes, but also for reporting purposes to your internet service provider (ISP) or the authorities if you find yourself under investigation. We recommend a service with a strict No-Logs Policy.
- Private Jurisdiction - Many countries, including the United States, engage in online surveillance and intelligence-sharing. Some require VPN providers to retain personal information about their users and a few have banned VPN usage altogether. For this reason it is important to know the laws in your country regarding VPN usage and avoid providers that are located in countries with poor privacy protection.
- Independent Audits - It is important to us to use a VPN service that opens itself up to be scrutinized by a third-party. The best service providers are independently audited each year and the premium providers even use open-source protocols. This transparency allows prospective users to see exactly what they are signing up for.
If you find a provider matching the qualities listed above, you will be in good hands. It is important to recognize that no software or human is perfect and you will never be perfectly anonymous, private, or secure online. So, don't use a VPN to do something shady or illegal. It's wrong and your digital fingerprints are everywhere and you will likely be caught. Also, don't be careless with your information. Pay attention to the sites you visit, especially if you have not heard of them before, and watch out for malicious emails and link redirects. If a link takes you somewhere other than the site specified, especially if it is strange or adult-themed, disconnect immediately from the network and close the window. Scan your computer for infected files and make sure that page will not load again when you restart your browser.