dVPNs: Network Security with Decentralization

We’ve been hearing a lot about decentralized internet recently with Tachyon’s decentralized internet protocol and Brave’s VPN⁰, and here at LeCiir, we never pass up an opportunity to discuss network security and VPNs.  So this week, we’re diving into decentralized (or distributed) virtual private networks (dVPNs). What are dVPNs? And how can they help enterprises connect to the internet more securely? We answer those questions here, so that you can Live Easy.

VPNs vs dVPNs: The Problem with Centralization

In the typical VPN model shown below, clients (users) connect to the internet by first going through a VPN server via an encrypted tunnel. This makes it appear as though the message of the client is coming from the VPN service provider location, masking their identity and information from anyone potentially monitoring the network connection. It also serves as an important security tool to allow all users of a corporation to connect to the internet via the same server.

A dVPN model has no central authority. Instead, a client also serves as a relay/exit node in a Peer-to-peer (P2P) network (Brave) by using a portion of a client’s upload bandwidth to carry traffic for other clients on the network (BitCoin). In other words, each client can act as a VPN server to which other clients on the network can securely connect in order to access the internet. This is outlined below.

As Bitcoin states, “VPNs are not invulnerable to the very attacks they endeavor to protect their users against.” In fact, an important issue with the centralization of typical VPNs is the possibility that data is logged as it goes through the VPN tunnel (Zafar). Placing this amount of control into the hands of a single, central party can pose a threat to enterprise data.

dVPN Security

Decentralizing this control makes it so that every individual client, or node, in a P2P network must be vulnerable to a threat in order for the threat to affect the network (Joudry). As a result, it becomes more difficult to exploit the vulnerabilities of a dVPN than a typical VPN. And, with Blockchain technology on the rise, chronologically and cryptographically linking events (IBM) across a network, the decentralization trend is just beginning.

At LeCiiR, we want you to Live Easy and securely. For questions on this week’s topic or any others, don’t hesitate to contact us.

References

Brave, VPN⁰: A Privacy-Preserving Distributed Virtual Private Network. October 2019.

Kai Sedgwick, Why a VPN Is The First Layer You Should Pull On When Browsing The Web. October 2019. 

Sara Joudrey, Your guide to Decentralized VPNs. November 2019.

Tachyon Protocol, 2020.

Tanvir Zafar, What Does a Decentralized VPN Look Like? December 2019.