9

If I am using a VPN to connect to Twitter, can an organisation like Anonymous or Lulzec track me and find out my identity?

schroeder
  • 125,553
  • 55
  • 289
  • 326
qwerty
  • 109
  • 1
  • 1
  • 2
  • short answers: NO , let me tell you why?, as you know a VPN is a tunnel that help you hidden you IP but the VPN company and US you now what are you doing if you want to hdden you location i give you a tips : if you going to do something ilegal or bad NEVER DO THIS IN YOUR HOME may : stackbuks, coffe , small ,etc – simon Sep 02 '20 at 09:45

5 Answers5

12

Using a VPN in and of itself isn't going to stop people who want to trace specific activities on-line. A VPN encrypts the traffic from your machine to the exit point of the VPN network.

So what it protects you from is someone trying to look at your network traffic if they sit between you and your VPN provider (for example a correctly set-up VPN should prevent someone on the same wireless network as you from reading your traffic)

A VPN isn't therefore likely to protect you from an adversary like "Anonymous" unless they happen to be on the same local LAN as you.

Rory McCune
  • 61,541
  • 14
  • 140
  • 221
  • I built my own vpn and hosted it on AWS. Will I be protected if I'm sure IP leak ain't happening ? I'm speaking of sniffers and man-in-the-middle kind of attack or simply let's say your ISP trying to target ads. – Ashik Vetrivelu Apr 17 '18 at 08:01
  • I don't understand. Why would it protect between "someone on the same wireless network " when you already have https encryption? – JobHunter69 Aug 06 '19 at 06:14
12

People can still trace you with other methods. Just because your IP is different and your traffic is encrypted in a tunnel doesn't mean you can't be tracked. There are other ways people can track you. For example:

  • they can find who you are by doxing
  • your IP isn't the only thing that identifies you on the internet
  • your VPN service can see your IP and what you are doing and if hacked or owned by someone who wants to find you they can
  • they can install malware that is hard to detect and can be installed without you knowing, which means your info will be leaked from the malware
  • your VPN can leak your real IP at times.

There are MANY more things that people can use to track you that will take too long to explain.

If you want to be safe, install an anti-virus, anti-malware, and firewall (if you don't wanna pay there are free versions, but remember you get what you pay for), don't mess with anyone (even if you don't suspect them to be a hacker), and don't act tough on the internet. I recommend you still use a VPN because it is another layer of security, but remember you can be tracked if you are their top priority and if they are smart.

schroeder
  • 125,553
  • 55
  • 289
  • 326
Robert
  • 121
  • 1
  • 2
4

Using an offshore VPN can help you to hide your real identity. Every site you visit will see the IP of the VPN-Server instead of your real IP. On most VPN-Services, your IP isn't dedicated to a single user, which make it harder to identify a special customer.

But this is more related to the sites you're using, because the owner of the site can see and track your IP. People from Anonymous wouldn't be able to get this data, unless the Site (in your case Twitter) get hacked. But this seems like a special scenario, which is not part of the question.

Please note that using Tor or a (secure) VPN-Server is not all you have to do for protecting your identity. Escpecially on platforms like Twitter or Facebook you should be very carecully which information you share. You can get identified for posting private infos. This can happen by mistake, for example by posting an image which has your GPS data in the EXIF-Infos.

It should be clear that you're not protected when you use your regular Twitter-Account with a VPN. Maybe you shared information in the past which can be used to get your identity. So you should create a new account for this, which is not related to you or your real account (different name etc).

Th3Dan
  • 41
  • 1
2

Short answer- yes.

Tracked by who? Some 16 year-old who wants to troll you? Then I doubt it. Government? Yes.

VPN's (most) keep records of all your traffic (even though many claim they don't, laws in many nations prohibit them from destroying them). Not to mention if malware is placed on your machine then your real IP is easily gained which the VPN cannot do anything about.

schroeder
  • 125,553
  • 55
  • 289
  • 326
NULL.Dude
  • 201
  • 1
  • 8
  • I'd be interested in knowing more about how I'd be identified and the person figuring out my real name/location, whatever personally identifying info. Ignore malware. I mean from someone using network tools or whatever passive means to get my real identity when I'm connected using Express VPN using a server on the other side of the country. Also assume I have a brain and don't give out personally identifying info, my real email address, etc. – clamum Aug 17 '22 at 05:33
-3

Well if you dont use your real name and if you dont tell people things about you and your life youre not easy to be tracked. Most people that use vpns and get tracked are forgetting to turn on there vpn or using bad ones. Or the tell there real first and or there last names. If you use a vpn and dont tell your real name and or state. Your fine. Malware isnt that easy to be installed. Just make sure you have an anti malware and anti virus. It will protect you against the most used virusses and malwares. If you use an good vpn from an good provider it will cost a lot but your imposible to be tracked. And if youre rly scared just get your self an pfsense firewall and setup an proxy. Its even posible to setup multiple proxys. So you are not behine one but behind 2 or 5 or even more.

Jens
  • 1