Top all-time · #4223
Michael Horowitz
Personal blog · michaelhorowitz.com · on HN as DefensiveComputsecurity
Michael Horowitz's personal blog at michaelhorowitz.com covers security. Since 2020, 18 different Hacker News readers have linked it 19 times, most often “VPNs on iOS are a scam”. No feed was found, so read it on the site itself.
Too few sampled comments (8) to say how often HN recommends it.?
Why HN links it
HN readers link this blog for its argument that VPNs don't protect traffic on iOS, with DNS and other traffic escaping the tunnel. It also has router security advice.
Summarised by Claude from a sample of 8 HN comments that link here. Each comment is marked recommending, critical or neutral (citing without judging); how this works.
Personal web site of Michael Horowitz
Most-linked posts?
- VPNs on iOS are a scam7 people · 8 mentions · first linked 2022-08-16
- Hover a mouse over a link – just don't trust the results3 people · 3 mentions · first linked 2020-02-17
- The world's BEST password advice2 people · 2 mentions · first linked 2023-06-07
What Hacker News says?
https://9to5mac.com/2022/08/18/ios-vpn-apps/ https://www.michaelhorowitz.com/VPNs.on.iOS.are.scam.php
Comment linking /VPNs.on.iOS.are.scam.php
on “The global surveillance free-for-all in mobile ad data”Submitted VPNs on iOS are a scam as a story · 525 points
HN discussionThe author of the article has some suggestions here: https://www.michaelhorowitz.com/second.router.for.wfh.php and here: https://routersecurity.org/checklist.php
Comment linking /second.router.for.wfh.php
on “Avoid Consumer Routers”Submitted Windows 10 spies on your use of System Settings (2021) as a story · 155 points
HN discussionAnd if/when that happens and in the interim, end user can install a proper VPN and firewall on their iDevice instead of what we have now. https://www.michaelhorowitz.com/VPNs.on.iOS.are.scam.php
Comment linking /VPNs.on.iOS.are.scam.php
on “US Supreme Court declines to hear appeals in Apple-Epic Games legal battle”Submitted Windows Update vs. My Router as a story · 67 points
HN discussionApple App Store mandates that their Apple network infrastructure shall not be impacted by an app (VPN, TailScale, WireGuard, et. al.) In addition to unimpeded Apple network pathway, DNS resolver is being resolved by Apple DNS recursive DNS server during your tunneling setup, arguably resolving even just the IP address(es) as well as DNS names of VPN server. More on this sad saga of Apple iOS and VPN, et. al.: https:…
Comment linking /VPNs.on.iOS.are.scam.php
on “iOS VPNs have leaked traffic for years, researcher claims”Submitted A new aspect of Google's spying as a story · 34 points
HN discussionRead the primary source: https://www.michaelhorowitz.com/VPNs.on.iOS.are.scam.php This includes WiFi as well.
Comment linking /VPNs.on.iOS.are.scam.php
on “iOS VPNs have leaked traffic for years, researcher claims”Submitted Hover a mouse over a link – just don't trust the results as a story · 12 points
HN discussionAndroid only leaks connection checks. While on IOS any system app doesn't use the VPN or DNS requests. VPNs are useless on iOS, and its made to be this way, again the "privacy OS" isn't privacy focused at all. https://www.michaelhorowitz.com/VPNs.on.iOS.are.scam.php
Comment linking /VPNs.on.iOS.are.scam.php
on “iOS allows DNS request to escape the VPN tunnel”Submitted VPNs on iOS Are a Scam (2022) as a story · 6 points
HN discussionThe detailed blog on passwords is quite clear that very often people need more than one approach to dealing with passwords because all passwords are not the same. https://michaelhorowitz.com/BestPasswordAdvice.php A formula is one approach that people should consider and it is often overlooked. The blog also makes a clear distinction between hard and soft formulas (my terms) A soft formula can not be cracked, even i…
Comment linking /BestPasswordAdvice.php
on “Defensive Computing Checklist”Submitted The world's BEST password advice as a story · 2 points
HN discussioniOS fails in providing basic security feature viz. VPN. https://www.michaelhorowitz.com/VPNs.on.iOS.are.scam.php
Comment linking /VPNs.on.iOS.are.scam.php
on “Ask HN: Which minimalist phone would you choose in 2022?”Submitted Hover a mouse over a link – just don't trust the results as a story · 2 points
HN discussionYou say that the VPN is always on, but wasn't there a post on HN some time ago that showed that on iOS VPN is not 100% used for all data? Might have been this one: https://www.michaelhorowitz.com/VPNs.on.iOS.are.scam.php So potentially your real IP was leaked otherwise, Google became aware of that IP and geolocated you, without Maps data?
Comment linking /VPNs.on.iOS.are.scam.php
on “Tell HN: Google Maps location data is used for GeoIP updates”Submitted The World's Best Password Advice as a story · 1 points
HN discussionSubmitted Hover a mouse over a link – just don't trust the results as a story · 1 points
HN discussion
