WEEKLY WHEATIES #2415
VPNs, AI, Color
In this newsletter:
Post: Unmasking the Mystery of VPNs
ICYMI: AI Updates
POTW: Color Fun
Unmasking the Mystery of VPNs
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) can be defined simply as a secure connection between two networks. A question may be, well, what isn’t secure? Or, why isn’t all connections secure? We will see how to tell, but more importantly, what we mean by secure is also arguable.
For example, every website starts with an “http” which stands for “Hypertext Transfer Protocol.” This is nothing more than the protocol your computer uses to communicate with another network to tell it you’re accessing a website and to show you the information on the site. Within the last 10 years or so, there has been an exponential increase in the number of sites that use the “https” protocol which adds - you guessed it - a level of security. Arguably…
This doesn’t mean you are creating a VPN with each website. Only that the site has security measures in place that tell visitors the site is safe to browse and won’t divulge your information with another party. This is especially important with sites requiring login information, much less personal identifiers and private details. But ironically, not all https sites are that secure, and not all http sites are insecure. It’s aggravating for me, so I know it must be for others. However, a good practice is to not use http sites when using login information.
When you access any website, social platform, or any service that requires an internet connection, you are at risk of having information in-between stolen. Your packet of information (a request to view a website or service as mentioned) must go through multiple routers before reaching the final destination. Even if you are using Wi-Fi, at some point, everything is wired (even cellular signals). So play along with me for the sake of explanation.
You have a router at your house. It is hard-wired to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). They have multiple routers in-between your house and their main hub. Then, there are routers in-between your ISP and the ISP of where the service you are accessing is located. So let’s use an example of me living in Louisiana accessing information from a website hosting in New York.
There is the possibility of a router at the following locations: My home, my city, my parish/county, and then my state. There is also a bigger connection for a multiple state area (most of Louisiana goes through Texas for a lot of connections, for example). Then the packet must go through an intermediary or two (probably like Chicago), then into the New York multiple state area, then New York state, then the county, then New York City, area of the city, building, floor, and server where the website exists.
This could easily be 10 to 20 connections between my computer and the website I’m accessing. That means, theoretically, at each step - there’s an opportunity for someone to see what data I’m accessing because each router provides some level of an open connection. So, this is where a VPN helps, right? Well, sort of.
Let’s compare this to the United States Postal Service. If you send a postcard to someone, anybody in-between your mailbox and the mailbox of the recipient can read the information, right? That’s not as secure. What if we put that postcard in an envelope? Now, we have a level of security, right? Yes, but people in-between can still see the sender and the recipient. If there was a way to have the envelope addressed as to each hop in the chain only knew where to send it to for the next hop - not knowing the origin or final destination - now we’re getting somewhere.
Another way of looking at this is the New York subway system. There are two types of trains - local and express. The local trains stop at every spot on the path. An express train only stops at certain spots (typically skipping many in-between). However, the express train still has to go through the same physical locations as the local trains.
When we combine those two ideas together, that’s how a VPN works at a very high level. It creates a private connection from the sender to the recipient and vice versa. But, the information transferred must still go through the same physical locations due to the hard-wiring of the physical internet system. Even New York is hard-wired to London through the Transatlantic communications cable. There are thousands of miles of cables connecting many other cities, too.
VPNs were developed at some level to safeguard businesses, as well as individuals. By using one, blocks can be set for certain types of traffic to secure your main connection from outside threats of hacking (whether home or business), but to also protect from inside threats (clicking a bad link for example). This isn’t meant to get into firewalls, and other softwares or hardwares that can do similar things. At some point, they all blend together for the end user anyway.
Most people will also be fine from ever using a VPN with two major caveats - they must be very careful when using the internet. This means not clicking on suspicious links, purchasing products from sketchy websites, or divulging personal information on insecure sites. They must also not do anything illegal. Pretty simple, right? Well, to be honest, sometimes a person’s level of fame or use case can also raise the stakes. For example, most celebrities who we see being hacked could probably benefit from a VPN.
VPN services (that’s what they are, services - not products) range from a couple of dollars a month to hundreds, if not thousands. The bigger the name of the company, the more that needs protection, the speed of the service, and more, can all play into the price. However, a word of caution. These third party VPNs may also be stealing data and may still have access to what you are accessing. If you are looking for one to use, some popular ones include:
Again, most people will do fine without one. I have one I use VPN Unlimited on rare occasion, as there can be good use of some too. For example, by using a VPN and logging into many streaming services, you can access a whole new group of shows and movies. I also use it sometimes when traveling and connecting to sketchy Wi-Fi connections to keep my information safe.
If you are thinking of using one for sketchy or illegal activities, let this be a warning. While law enforcement can’t see what’s actively happening while you may be using a VPN, they can request court orders and warrants to bring to the company of use and get information that way. They can and will get what they need to if there’s any suspicion.
If you use one to bypass work or school networks, let this be a caution there, too. Network administrators can see the amount (and sometimes type) of data being transferred, as well as even general connection information. For example, they may see a connection to a random country - which raises red flags quick. They can then monitor direct traffic from your device, and if they can’t see the traffic, they may completely block your device from ever using their network again - because you broke the policy of connecting to their network. Years ago, many people’s home internet services were cancelled because people were using VPNs to download pirated movies. The precedence is there.
Can you think of any other uses of a VPN?
ICYMI: AI Updates
OpenAI has two major updates to its group of AI tools. First up, ChatGPT announced a continued free version of their popular chatbot without having an account. By visiting their website, users may interact without having to login with an email. Keep in mind it may be limited in use and chats will not be saved for future access.
Next, DALL-E will now let you edit images directly in ChatGPT. They also shared a How-to article on their site with a few walk-through examples. However, that is only available in their paid plan. On the other hand, remember - Microsoft has a huge stake in OpenAI and allows image generation in their chatbot, Copilot in Bing.
A few weeks after Claude 3 boasted their most powerful chatbot yet, Amazon says it will invest another $2.75 billion into the founding company - Anthropic. Here, Amazon maintains a minority stake, but does not hold a board seat.
POTW: Color Fun
Color is an interesting thing, isn’t it? It can play with our emotions - whether regarding food, clothes, or sports teams. But it also has a place in marketing, social media, and web design. Here’s a good article by WebWave on Color Psychology: Why Does it Matter in Web Design in 2024?
For some online fun, check out this Color Matching Game. To bring the fun to the real world, there’s a board game called HUES and CUES that allows players to use one- or two-word cues to get the other places to guess the correct hue.
