Confused about which VPN is right, US senator asks the NSA for guidance
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A U.S. senator, Ron Wyden, has asked the National Security Agency for public guidance on choosing and configuring VPNs to protect against foreign surveillance. Wyden notes that existing recommendations simply say to use a VPN without explaining which types offer adequate protection, given many technical limitations. He points out that some VPNs decrypt traffic at a single server, leaving data exposed to rogue employees or hackers, and they don't hide all metadata. His letter poses specific questions about single-hop versus multi-hop services and asks about tools like Apple Private Relay, Tor, and Nym. Experts quoted note that there is no trustworthy standard for comparing VPNs and that advertising can mislead ordinary users. Wyden has requested the NSA to respond by October 14.
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