If you're looking to boost your online privacy, it's likely you've read that using one of the best VPN services is the best way to go about it. We would know at TechRadar we're always writing about VPNs, and recommend our favorite providers.
However, security firm INVISV is arguing that a VPN isn't the right tool from a privacy and security standpoint.
This is why it has developed its INVISV Relay (opens in new tab) software that, it claims, is a better option for protecting users' data.
But, how do multi-party relays (MPRs) work in practice? And, can it really fully replace your virtual private network?
"We're challenging something basic in that space: that to protect our privacy we need to hand over our data to some specific company (like a VPN provider) who will supposedly protect us," said INVISV co-founder Barath Raghavan.
According to Raghavan and his business partner Paul Schmitt, the issue lies on the software infrastructure that implies a degree of trust between users and software providers. The same concept also applies to companies behind the best antivirus software or secure email services, for example.
They also believe that independent VPN audits - a growing practice across the privacy sector - cannot fully address this security flaw either, as these still rely on a certain degree of trust from users. Whereas, according to INVISV, it's better to put the protections directly into the software architecture.
"There's so many of these kinds of third parties that they say 'trust us, send us your data and we will fix your security or privacy problem,'" Raghavan told TechRadar. "This is not really the right design for privacy."
Available only on Android devices, INVISV Relay is an MPR, designed on the principle that none of the parties involved can see in full any user-linkable data.However, INVISV Relay certainly isn't the first MPR around. Apple Private Relay is indeed a very similar tool available for iOS.
Both these apps are built on a privacy design formulated by US computer scientist David Chaum in the 1980s something known as the Decoupling Principle.
Here, the data traffic travels across two separate servers run by two distinct organizations. Theoretically, none of the party involved can see the full string of information, meaning that it won't be possible associate users' identity with their activities.
Tor browser, for example, is built on the same premise described as "onion routing". However, being a free software and generally using three layer of encryption as a default, Tor lacks the level of performance that most mobile users might require.
"What we have done has been creating something that has the right privacy principle but is fast," said Raghavan, promising that INVISV Relay can run as fast as your normal browsing connection.
For doing so, the service uses one of the best CDN networks around, Fastly (opens in new tab), as it implements the encryption protocol known as IETF Masque that combines TLS-encrypted HTTPS connections with reliable and fast performance. It's also open-source, meaning that anyone can check out the network for vulnerabilities.
Your data will leave your device passing through a TLS-encrypted tunnelto reach the first server run by INVISV. As the company explained to us, this server will be able to see just a stream of encrypted data traveling from your IP address to the next hop, the one operated by Fastly.
At this point, Fastly will decrypt your data in transit but it will be able to see this as coming from the INVISV server instead of a specific user. It will then route your information to your final destination.
So, MPRs appear to have the potential to better secure your online data without the worry that the companies involved might store or leak your sensitive information.
However, there are still a wide range of use cases where opting for a VPN is the better bet.
First of all, both INVISV Relay and Apple Private Relay are available for mobile devices only at the moment Android and iOS, respectively. This means that a VPN is still the best solution to browse the web anonymously on your laptop or PC while enjoying fast connection speeds.
Also, a key limitation of any MPRs is that they are not designed for those looking to change their IP address. So, if you want to bypass any kind of online restrictions be it your school or workspace firewall or your government's online censorship you still need a good VPN to do so.
One of the most popular VPN uses isn't even to do with security - it's about streaming. By connecting to various servers around the world, VPN users can spoof their virtual location and access streaming content that's unavailable or prohibitively expensive in their own region. Since MPRs don't affect your virtual location, this is off the table.
"What we're really trying to point out is that there's just a different way to protect privacy that people should be doing," explains Raghavan."We're trying to provide something that's practical for the average user, that will just improve their privacy without the need to rely on any promises from anybody."
So, for those simply looking to protect their browsing and decouple their identity from their browsing habits, an MPR is a good choice. However, if you're looking for any of the other benefits traditionally offered by VPNs, an MPR can't deliver.
Read this article:
This security firm claims to have the right tool for your privacy, and it's not a VPN - TechRadar
- Tor Browser Has a New WebTunnel Feature to Avoid Censorship - How-To Geek - March 14th, 2024 [March 14th, 2024]
- The CIA Is Now Trying to Recruit Russian Spies On Telegram - TIME - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Dark Web Alerts: Identifying Criminal Data Exposure on the Dark Web - Security Boulevard - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Mullvad aces security audit with this new privacy tool - TechRadar - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Billions of Google Chrome users warned to avoid browser over red alert privacy concerns check your sett... - The US Sun - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- How the decision on Space Command's home will be made - POLITICO - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Bitcoin Mixers: Clearnet vs. Darknet Which Offers Greater Anonymity? - Crypto Mode - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- Matt Taibbi: Report on the Censorship-Industrial Complex - Scheerpost.com - April 27th, 2023 [April 27th, 2023]
- The Ultimate 2023 Guide to The Tor Browser Explained - Pixel Privacy - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- What is Tor & How Do You Use It? Microsoft 365 - January 17th, 2023 [January 17th, 2023]
- Improving privacy when browsing web: Alternative browsers and chrome extensions - HackRead - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Tor Browser Bundle - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Hacktivists seek to aid Iran protests with cyberattacks and tips on how to bypass internet censorship - CNBC - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- A VPN Isn't the Only Way to Change Your IP Address - CNET - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Hi, I'll be your ransomware negotiator today but don't tell the crooks that - The Register - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Rewards for Justice Reward Offer for Information on Russian Interference in U.S. Elections - United States Department of State - Department of State - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- How Tor Is Fightingand BeatingRussian Censorship - WIRED - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- What Is Incognito Mode And Should You Be Using It? - Forbes - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- TOR Browser - Onion VPN on the App Store - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- Tor Browser now bypasses internet censorship automatically - BleepingComputer - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- The dangers of the dark web: being safe online - Open Access Government - July 13th, 2022 [July 13th, 2022]
- Tor vs VPN: Which One Should You Use? - Dignited - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- Rewards for Justice Offers Up to $10 Million for Information on Foreign Interference in US Elections - HS Today - HSToday - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- Kremlin tightens control over Russians' online lives threatening domestic freedoms and the global internet - Jacksonville Journal-Courier - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- Defence in Amanda Todd 'sextortion' trial zeroes in on missing data - The Tri-City News - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- Now that 'Roe' has been overturned, it's up to the tech industry to protect our data - Fast Company - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- QAnon Is Celebrating the Return of Its Leader After 18 Months of Silence - VICE - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- 3 ways to find out if your passwords are being sold on the Dark Web - Komando - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- EXPLAINER: EFCC 'Linked Naira Marley to the Dark Web'. Here's What You Need to Know About the Internet's Most Hidden Part - FIJ NG - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- What is the Dark Web? - AOL - May 28th, 2022 [May 28th, 2022]
- Cookie Banners Can Be AnnoyingHere's How To Block Them - WRAL News - May 28th, 2022 [May 28th, 2022]
- DuckDuckGo tries to explain why its browsers won't block some Microsoft web trackers - The Register - May 28th, 2022 [May 28th, 2022]
- Proton VPN Secure Core: what it is and when you should use it - TechRadar - May 28th, 2022 [May 28th, 2022]
- How to Download & Install Tor Browser in Windows 10 - May 7th, 2022 [May 7th, 2022]
- How to Unblock a Webpage from Behind a Firewall - Beebom - May 7th, 2022 [May 7th, 2022]
- Download Tor Browser For Windows & MAC (Offline Installer) - May 1st, 2022 [May 1st, 2022]
- Tor Browser - Dark Web Portal Exposed | Dark Web Wiki - May 1st, 2022 [May 1st, 2022]
- Top 10 dark web links & Tor websites for 2022 - Surfshark - May 1st, 2022 [May 1st, 2022]
- How to Install the Tor Browser on a Chromebook - May 1st, 2022 [May 1st, 2022]
- How to Anonymous access to the dark web with Tor - BollyInside - May 1st, 2022 [May 1st, 2022]
- How to Change the Tor Browser Language - How-To Geek - April 29th, 2022 [April 29th, 2022]
- Bites of Life: Shining Light on the Dark Web - Macalester College The Mac Weekly - April 29th, 2022 [April 29th, 2022]
- How to protect against the weakest link in cybersecurity THE USERS - Security Boulevard - April 29th, 2022 [April 29th, 2022]
- What Is Dark Social and Why It Matters - Legal Talk Network - April 29th, 2022 [April 29th, 2022]
- IP bans - why they happen and how to prevent them - Oneindia - April 29th, 2022 [April 29th, 2022]
- Deep Web Tor Browser - Tor Links - Onion Links (2022) - April 20th, 2022 [April 20th, 2022]
- How to Install and Use the Tor Browser on Linux - April 20th, 2022 [April 20th, 2022]
- The Best VPN for Binance 2022 [How to Use Binance With a VPN] - Cloudwards - April 20th, 2022 [April 20th, 2022]
- Three tactics for security providers in the age of Dark Web collaboration - SecurityInfoWatch - April 20th, 2022 [April 20th, 2022]
- Simple way to Install Tor Browser in Rocky Linux 8 - Linux Shout - March 17th, 2022 [March 17th, 2022]
- Laptop in Veltman apartment had what appeared to be 'hate-related material': docs - Lethbridge News Now - March 17th, 2022 [March 17th, 2022]
- How to Access Blocked Websites anywhere and for Free - BollyInside - March 17th, 2022 [March 17th, 2022]
- Download Tor Browser for Mac - Free - 10.0 - Digital Trends - March 11th, 2022 [March 11th, 2022]
- Open in Tor Browser Get this Extension for Firefox (en-US) - March 11th, 2022 [March 11th, 2022]
- Use Brave Private Browsing with Tor to Hide IP Address - OSXDaily - February 21st, 2022 [February 21st, 2022]
- Are Crypto Transactions More Transparent Than Wire Transfers? - InvestingCube - February 21st, 2022 [February 21st, 2022]
- The Truth about Dark Web Is It Really Dangerous? - Crypto Mode - February 21st, 2022 [February 21st, 2022]
- Tech-Savvy Professionals Among 22 Arrested In Dark Web Narcotics Operation - NDTV - February 15th, 2022 [February 15th, 2022]
- Download Tor Browser for Windows - Free - 11.0.3 - February 1st, 2022 [February 1st, 2022]
- Tor Project heads to Russian court to appeal against censorship - The Daily Swig - February 1st, 2022 [February 1st, 2022]
- Firefox Monitor may remove personal information now from the Internet - Ghacks Technology News - December 9th, 2021 [December 9th, 2021]
- The Real Russia. Today. Reining in an unruly Communist Party Meduza - Meduza - December 9th, 2021 [December 9th, 2021]
- See the stunning mansion Josh Duggar is calling home during his child pornography trial ahead of possible... - The US Sun - December 9th, 2021 [December 9th, 2021]
- Whats the Difference Between the Deep Web and the Dark Web? - How-To Geek - December 9th, 2021 [December 9th, 2021]
- How to Access the Dark Web Complete Guide? - The Bulletin Time - December 7th, 2021 [December 7th, 2021]
- Theres More to Threat Intelligence Than Dark Web Monitoring - Security Boulevard - November 25th, 2021 [November 25th, 2021]
- You have to work on this through the routeras options diet plan, as some items immediately restore previous setup after a forced reboot - ADOTAS - November 25th, 2021 [November 25th, 2021]
- What is Tor (Browser) & How does it work? | CyberNews - November 23rd, 2021 [November 23rd, 2021]
- Privacy-Protective Internet Browser Tor Is Running Low on Servers - Gizmodo - November 23rd, 2021 [November 23rd, 2021]
- Yes, the Internet has become safer but a VPN is still needed - TechGenix - November 19th, 2021 [November 19th, 2021]
- Scots businessman caught with the 'most serious' category of child abuse images jailed - Scottish Daily Record - November 19th, 2021 [November 19th, 2021]
- Anna and Josh Duggar welcomed daughter Madyson Lily on October 23, their 7th child * starcasm.net - Starcasm - November 17th, 2021 [November 17th, 2021]
- Tor Browser (Alpha) 11.0.9 Download | TechSpot - November 5th, 2021 [November 5th, 2021]
- US government offers $10 million bounty for information on Colonial Pipeline hackers - The Verge - November 5th, 2021 [November 5th, 2021]
- The Tor Browser: What is it and why would you use it ... - October 24th, 2021 [October 24th, 2021]
- Tor Explained: What is Tor? How Does It Work? Is It Illegal? - October 21st, 2021 [October 21st, 2021]
- Alternatives to Using a VPN That Provided Excellent Anonymity While Online - TechBullion - October 21st, 2021 [October 21st, 2021]
- Slicing open The Onion Router (Tor) with no tears - ComputerWeekly.com - October 19th, 2021 [October 19th, 2021]
- What is the dark web? - fox4kc.com - October 19th, 2021 [October 19th, 2021]
- Use of VPNs in India spiking because of blocked websites, experts say ban proposal will not help users - India Today - October 19th, 2021 [October 19th, 2021]