Illustration: © IoT For All
Artificial intelligence is no longer tied to the realm of science fiction. Machine learning is here and can be found in your pocket, car, online, and offline. Machine learning looks for patterns, and any successful guesses are logged to create the next generation of AI. This duplication process continues until you have an algorithm able to make decisions for itself. There are, however, drawbacks to such learning technology, and the most obvious downsides concern our privacy, security, and individuality.
AI can be used by the powerful for wrongful actions. It currently helps governments find new ways to censor material online. Artificial Intelligence can collect data in secret and gain access to the personal information of users worldwide. This is where Virtual Private Networks (VPN) become seemingly necessary. VPNs work by serving as a middleman to trick the host website into thinking you’re physically somewhere else. This means data collectors can’t get an exact read on your geographic, historic, or personal information. Once you choose your VPN protocol, you can enjoy certain anonymity in a world where this is seemingly impossible.
'VPN technology, coupled with AI and machine learning, serves as an example of important security measures that internet users worldwide should start to see as a necessity.' -Ezra BishopClick To Tweet
How AI Affects VPN
AI is even more beneficial for VPN technology than it is for bad actors. A study from the Journal of Cyber Security Technology revealed that AI and machine learning allow modern VPNs to achieve 90 percent accuracy. Simply put, VPNs are critical to any action or conversation involving cyber security awareness.
This is done through AI-based routing, which allows Internet users to connect to a VPN server that is closest to the destination server. This not only optimizes ping but also makes connections more secure by allowing traffic to stay within the network. It also makes the user much harder to track. Home-based networks are much more secure with AI-powered VPNs. The average security breach is just as common on a home network as it is on corporate infrastructure.
Artificial Intelligence Censorship
Because VPNs using AI can help counter other AI-based algorithms, they play an especially important role in dodging censorship. Censorship is increasingly common in many nations, and one of the primary uses of VPNs is tricking a host server into thinking you are somewhere else. While this usually amounts to gaining access to streaming platforms not available in certain regions, this is also important for getting outside sources for news, information, and web services. It’s a small wonder that VPNs are used frequently in regions like China where national firewalls prevent even basic services from companies like Google, PayPal, or Amazon.
Changes in VPN Technology
Despite what VPNs can offer now, AI-powered changes to VPN technology are coming. Future versions of VPNs will offer the following technologies:
- Fingerprinting: A feature that will allow VPN users to ID their own traffic and information over their VPN.
- Configuration and setup speed upgrades: Current VPNs can be difficult to set up. AI-powered configuration protocols will make this task much easier.
- IP Tunneling: Encryption is better than it’s ever been, but still only covers data inside IP packets. Future VPNs will cover all IP packets.
- Detection: VPNs today only cover traffic that is easily detectable, which is why some streaming services can successfully block users trying to use a VPN while using their services. Future VPNs will be much harder to detect and should alleviate these problems.
AI & VPN Privacy
When it comes to AI, VPNs are using fire to fight fire. Machine learning can help combat the AI threats online which helps boost your ability to stay secure and private. When you go online, your actions are tracked and cataloged whether you like it or not. Each piece of information seems banal on its own, but when amalgamated, your online persona becomes apparent. This is why after browsing a retail site, you will often see advertisements for that same site.
VPNs, coupled with AI, help to counter this and more. Bad actors on the internet can use these pieces of information to breach your secure documents or invade your privacy for nefarious purposes. With AI helping to plug these breaches, VPNs are more secure than ever before.
Security Necessities
The rapid advancement of internet technology has made it easy to overlook potential threats that come with it. Security breaches average damages of over $4 million as of 2021, and it’s only getting worse. VPN technology, coupled with AI and machine learning, serves as an example of important security measures that internet users worldwide should start to see as a necessity.
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cybersecurity
- Machine Learning