Privacy: How can I keep information safe?

[DigitalHazard]

**note: also I apologize if this is the wrong place to make this type of post, networking just seemed like the most fitting. ^^;;

***note: changed title to make it more question like.

 

Above all and before everything- I know nothing of tech outside of the basics, and even then my knowledge is a little undereducated so I apologize for sounding stupid but this question is important to me, and I'd really appreciate your help!

 

To give a little background: I am in a relationship with a veteran. As most veteran's, he is rather paranoid and keeps his personal information as personal as possible. Because of this, in order to have my own video calls over the internet, I was told I'd need to find a way that would allow me to do so without putting his Router/Modem at risk - because I suppose somehow that could lead to the files on his pc or otherwise being hacked into...? I won't pretend to understand it, but I understand his need for privacy, so I don't mind trying to find a personal way for me to do so. The issue is that I'm not sure where to look. So here are my questions:

 

1. If I got just a router and connected it to his modem, would his information be at risk even though I'm using a different router?

2. If I got a wireless adapter would that be safer than a router?

3. If I bought both a modem and a router, would there be a way to connect it without using a landline?

4. If none of these are viable, could you please offer some tech-savvy advice?

 

I feel it's important to note that no matter which option/suggestion I go with, I plan to get some privacy-related things such as a VPN, Tor, Blur, etc just to cover as many bases as possible. If you'd also like to suggest privacy based programs I'm all ears!

[Sauron]

Most of these concerns can be addressed by using a VPN, however the VPN provider and your ISP will always know your modem's IP address. There is no way to prevent that.

 

Still, I think he's being overly paranoid - exposing his IP address doesn't really make him vulnerable to attack, especially since only the ISP can tie that IP to a name (unless they sell the information...). As long as he doesn't have exposed ports (if he didn't touch his settings, he most likely doesn't) it should be fine.

[DigitalHazard]

2 minutes ago, Sauron said:

Most of these concerns can be addressed by using a VPN, however the VPN provider and your ISP will always know your modem's IP address. There is no way to prevent that.

 

Still, I think he's being overly paranoid - exposing his IP address doesn't really make him vulnerable to attack, especially since only the ISP can tie that IP to a name (unless they sell the information...). As long as he doesn't have exposed ports (if he didn't touch his settings, he most likely doesn't) it should be fine.

Thank you so much!!

 

I actually spent quite a few days wondering and looking up articles trying to figure out a way around this. Hearing that I'll only need to use a VPN makes me feel so much better.

 

However, just to clarify, using a VPN will also make things like discord calls/video chats protected too, correct? It doesn't just make browsing anonymous and that's it, right?

[knightslugger]

Just now, DigitalHazard said:

Thank you so much!!

 

I actually spent quite a few days wondering and looking up articles trying to figure out a way around this. Hearing that I'll only need to use a VPN makes me feel so much better. However, just to clarify, using a VPN will also make things like discord calls/video chats protected too, correct? It doesn't just make browsing anonymous and that's it, right?

anything your router is connected to is protected by the VPN.

[DigitalHazard]

Just now, knightslugger said:

anything your router is connected to is protected by the VPN.

Thank you so much for your fast and informative responses. I very much appreciate it.

[Donny_Chen]

Software Engineer here,

 

Unless he's a high target for a government agency, there's no real need to go overboard with security.  Most video connections are secure, messages are encrypted -- and the only real way someone can get access to anything related to him is if the service gets hacked.

 

But if we're gonna talk about theory,

 

I guess you can both use VPN's on both sides,  and use a provider you trust.  As long as you initiate the call while on the VPN,  and he accepts the call using the VPN that's the most you really have to do.  If he's worried about getting his IP logged anywhere,  his ISP will always know his IP address, but his equipment and his activities online should be protected ( Granted you use a trust worthy VPN).

 

You can go crazy and use tor on top of it, but that's tinfoil hat status lol

 

EDIT: Dangit someone beat me to it.

 

 

 

[Cyberspirit]

@DigitalHazard Keep in mind that most VPN services are slow unless you sign up for a monthly subscription so don't be surprised if your connection becomes really slow after connecting to one.

[DigitalHazard]

1 minute ago, Donny_Chen said:

Software Engineer here,

 

Unless he's a high target for a government agency, there's no real need to go overboard with security.  Most video connections are secure, messages are encrypted -- and the only real way someone can get access to anything related to him is if the service gets hacked.

 

But if we're gonna talk about theory,

 

I guess you can both use VPN's on both sides,  and use a provider you trust.  As long as you initiate the call while on the VPN,  and he accepts the call using the VPN that's the most you really have to do.  If he's worried about getting his IP logged anywhere,  his ISP will always know his IP address, but his equipment and his activities online should be protected ( Granted you use a trust worthy VPN).

 

You can go crazy and use tor on top of it, but that's tinfoil hat status lol

 

EDIT: Dangit someone beat me to it.

 

 

 

Hate to be paranoid as well, but I will probably be using Tor just for the sake of being completely safe - and more importantly, - free of blame if something goes amiss on that 0.03% chance that the VPN doesn't work somehow. The last thing I want is to threaten someone's livelihood. Even if it is considered overboard to most people, it's a matter of respect ya know?

 

I just wish this information was easy to find via google so I didn't have to bother awesome professional folks like you. ^^;

[DigitalHazard]

5 minutes ago, Cyberspirit said:

@DigitalHazard Keep in mind that most VPN services are slow unless you sign up for a monthly subscription so don't be surprised if your connection becomes really slow after connecting to one.

 

Aye, I'm aware. Hoping that it isn't that bad, and if it is, I guess paying ten bucks or so for privacy and speed isn't so bad. Especially considering what's happening recently anyway with the whole-well...that's another topic entirely. Either way, thanks for the helpful information.

 

Really glad to see how willing you guys are to help out a newbie like me, and what's more explain stuff with such clarity.

[Sauron]

13 minutes ago, DigitalHazard said:

Thank you so much!!

 

I actually spent quite a few days wondering and looking up articles trying to figure out a way around this. Hearing that I'll only need to use a VPN makes me feel so much better.

 

However, just to clarify, using a VPN will also make things like discord calls/video chats protected too, correct? It doesn't just make browsing anonymous and that's it, right?

Yes, every outgoing connection will be encrypted and pass through the VPN provider - at the cost of some speed usually.