I'm curious about how services like HideMyAss make it seem like you're browsing from a different country, like North Korea or other less common locations. I get that these are virtual servers, but how exactly do they work? Is it possible for someone without technical expertise to set up their own virtual server to appear as though they're in one of these obscure places, or is that just not feasible?
1 Answer
Basically, it's all about routing your internet traffic through a server located in that desired country. When you access a site, your request goes to the VPN server first, and then that server contacts the website, making it look like the request is coming from there instead of your actual location. Plus, your connection to the server is encrypted, which means your internet provider only knows you're using a VPN, but they can’t see what you’re doing. Pretty neat, right?
What if the VPN is run by a government? Like, we’ve heard stories of agencies setting up fake VPNs for surveillance. Do you think it's safe to trust them? Also, is it possible to use multiple VPNs at once?