![]() ![]() Snowden, Backdoors & the NSAĮdward Snowden is the one to thank for the majority of historical leaks surrounding VPNs, as the whistleblower confirmed what many security experts had suspected for years. The original plan may have been to see Dual EC implemented more widely, allowing better access for intelligence agencies to get their hands on more data. In 2014, Dual EC was inevitably removed from their list of recommendations. ![]() After all, in their own words: “NIST’s mission is to promote US innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.” The only problem is, the NSA could exploit Dual EC to access encrypted data.ĭual EC was also added as a cryptography solution by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2006, with the non-regulatory government agency seen as a trusted resource. Reuters reported that Dual EC was chosen to encrypt software used by a wide range of RSA Internet and computer security programs. One such example would be tech giant RSA Security, which were paid $10 million by the NSA to favor and promote a random number generator cryptography system called Dual Elliptic Curve (Dual EC). After all, they strive for backdoor access when it comes to communication, and have previously sought out agreements with tech companies under which they would ensure special access for spy agencies into their products, according to whistleblowers. It makes sense that intelligence services are interested in being able to crack the methods of encryption used by VPNs and other forms of technology. Here’s our take on the links between VPNs and intelligence agencies, and why it’s bad news for anyone who values privacy above all. Whether it be the Snowden leaks that came to light almost a decade ago, or ExpressVPN employees reportedly questioning management as to why an executive “formerly worked on a United Arab Emirates spying and hacking operation called Project Raven,” it has clearly had an impact on the online security landscape. ![]() The uneasy relationship between intelligence agencies and VPN services has been well documented over the years. However, keep in mind that when you use a VPN, you are trusting the service to handle all of your encrypted traffic and not do anything questionable in the background.Disclaimer: Partnerships & affiliate links help us create better content. ExpressVPN users largely seem upset by the news. Ido Erlichman, the CEO of Kape, admitted that the name change was an attempt to distance Kape from controversial “past activities”.Ģ018: Kape purchases Zenmate VPN (amount unknown)Ģ019: Kape purchases Private Internet Access for $127 millionĢ021: Kape purchases ExpressVPN for $936 million. Forbes Chronology:Ģ017: Crossrider purchases CyberGhost VPN for $10 million.Ģ018: Crossrider changes name to “Kape”. Co-founder and CEO Koby Menachemi was part of Unit 8200, where he was a developer for three years. His biggest money maker to date is gambling software developer Playtech. One of the biggest is Crossrider, the majority stake of which is held by billionaire Teddy Sagi, a serial entrepreneur and ex-con who was jailed for insider trading in the 1990s. A vast number of companies are affiliated with ad injectors, either packaging their tools or funnelling ads down to them. They also happen to have links to the nation’s military and its top signals intelligence agency, the Israeli equivalent of the NSA or GCHQ: Unit 8200, which works out of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). ![]() Here's a quote from the Forbes article: What went unnoticed, until now, is that most of the searchable organisations involved in this potentially dangerous business are based in Israel. Forbes noted the ties that Kape had to Israeli state surveillance entities. Sagi acquired Kape Technologies in 2012 and led it to be a major player in the malware and adware industry. Sagi earned much of his wealth from a gambling company called Playtech. The main person behind Kape is Teddy Sagi, an Israeli billionaire who previously spent time in jail for insider trading. This is a full two years after the purchase of CyberGhost VPN and the initial promise to refocus on user privacy. Important note: Crossrider malware was still wreaking havoc as late as August 2019. You can still find numerous articles about Crossrider’s malware and adware infecting various devices. Before 2018, Kape Technologies was called Crossrider and it was an infimous player in the malware industry. ![]()
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