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How VPNs are steering information in Russia-Ukraine War

VPN can be used to secure multiple devices by choosing appropriate subscriptions. Companies like Surfshark support apps and plugins on most computer and mobile devices, smart TVs, and consoles.

Zoya Rasul By Zoya Rasul
Updated on :
As Russia-Ukraine War enters its third month, like any modern era conflict, information war has become a critical facet of the aggression that has appalled the world. Wars are no longer fought just on the battlefield. Wars are no longer merely about sophisticated artillery and weapons. Increasingly, it has become as much about controlling the narrative and delivering your version of events in the most emphatic way to the world. Ever since the war broke out, the Russian government has blocked thousands of websites including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and a host of Western media outlets in the country, restricting access to the content for its citizens. Consequently, more and more Russians are turning to Virtual Private Network (VPN) in a bid to circumvent this censorship and avoid surveillance. British PM Boris Johnson has called upon Russians to use an online VPN connection to access alternative, independent news sources to see the alleged war crimes being committed by Russian President Putin. Surfshark, one of the leading VPN companies, reported that their average weekly sales in Russia increased by 3500% in the week following Russia’s decision to ban various media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, in the wake of February 24 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The reason for this massive surge is the two advantages that VPN provides – privacy and security, learn more. It allows the user to browse the internet anonymously by using VPNs private server to route the device’s internet connection instead of the user’s Internet Service Provider (ISP). The private connection thus created not only changes the visible IP address allowing the user to spoof their location and appear virtually in any part of the world but also makes it difficult if not completely impossible for the government to track what websites are being accessed. However, given the aggressiveness with which the Russian government is trying to pull down the digital curtain on their citizens, not all VPNs can offer 100% safety. Not just Russians, VPNs are also being used by Ukrainians in numbers greater than before. Much of it is driven by the threats of cyberattacks and disruptions as Russian forces are suspected of tinkering with the infrastructure that supports the internet. Journalists in the war zone are also extensively using VPNs to stay safe, concealing their activity and data tracking. Atlas VPN has announced handing out Premium VPN subscriptions to journalists in Ukraine until the crisis is over, while other companies are also offering their services at discounted prices for users in Ukraine. Earlier, President Joe Biden had also called upon the private sector to harden their cyber defenses immediately citing an intelligence that the Russian government was planning cyberattacks as retribution for the West’s stringent sanctions. This has prompted the tech experts to emphasize the use of VPNs as an added layer of digital security for users doing important business online, traveling or using public Wi-Fi hotspots. It’s suggested not to use a free VPN as it may compromise your security. Setting up a VPN may sound complicated, but it isn’t so in actuality. It can be done by either downloading native apps from respective VPN providers or can be set up manually if one has adequate technical know-how. VPN can be used to secure multiple devices by choosing appropriate subscriptions. Companies like Surfshark support apps and plugins on most computer and mobile devices, smart TVs, and consoles.

As Russia-Ukraine War enters its third month, like any modern era conflict, information war has become a critical facet of the aggression that has appalled the world. Wars are no longer fought just on the battlefield. Wars are no longer merely about sophisticated artillery and weapons. Increasingly, it has become as much about controlling the narrative and delivering your version of events in the most emphatic way to the world. Ever since the war broke out, the Russian government has blocked thousands of websites including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and a host of Western media outlets in the country, restricting access to the content for its citizens. Consequently, more and more Russians are turning to Virtual Private Network (VPN) in a bid to circumvent this censorship and avoid surveillance. British PM Boris Johnson has called upon Russians to use an online VPN connection to access alternative, independent news sources to see the alleged war crimes being committed by Russian President Putin. 

Surfshark, one of the leading VPN companies, reported that their average weekly sales in Russia increased by 3500% in the week following Russia’s decision to ban various media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, in the wake of February 24 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The reason for this massive surge is the two advantages that VPN provides – privacy and security, learn more. It allows the user to browse the internet anonymously by using VPNs private server to route the device’s internet connection instead of the user’s Internet Service Provider (ISP). The private connection thus created not only changes the visible IP address allowing the user to spoof their location and appear virtually in any part of the world but also makes it difficult if not completely impossible for the government to track what websites are being accessed. However, given the aggressiveness with which the Russian government is trying to pull down the digital curtain on their citizens, not all VPNs can offer 100% safety. 

Not just Russians, VPNs are also being used by Ukrainians in numbers greater than before. Much of it is driven by the threats of cyberattacks and disruptions as Russian forces are suspected of tinkering with the infrastructure that supports the internet. Journalists in the war zone are also extensively using VPNs to stay safe, concealing their activity and data tracking. Atlas VPN has announced handing out Premium VPN subscriptions to journalists in Ukraine until the crisis is over, while other companies are also offering their services at discounted prices for users in Ukraine. 

Earlier, President Joe Biden had also called upon the private sector to harden their cyber defenses immediately citing an intelligence that the Russian government was planning cyberattacks as retribution for the West’s stringent sanctions. This has prompted the tech experts to emphasize the use of VPNs as an added layer of digital security for users doing important business online, traveling or using public Wi-Fi hotspots. It’s suggested not to use a free VPN as it may compromise your security.

Setting up a VPN may sound complicated, but it isn’t so in actuality. It can be done by either downloading native apps from respective VPN providers or can be set up manually if one has adequate technical know-how. VPN can be used to secure multiple devices by choosing appropriate subscriptions. Companies like Surfshark support apps and plugins on most computer and mobile devices, smart TVs, and consoles.

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