How Companies Block VPNs

Many people use VPNs to protect their privacy online, bypass geo-locked content, and skirt around censorship. This has led some businesses to block VPNs in order to mitigate the risk of fraud and other illicit activities. However, blocking VPNs is a bit of a double edged sword as it punishes innocent users while also disabling a useful tool.

While there are legitimate reasons why a business might choose to block VPNs it’s important to consider the impact of such actions. The vast majority of VPN users are not criminals, they are just everyday people trying to protect their privacy. When companies decide to block VPNs, they are penalizing the vast majority of honest users while punishing those engaging in criminal behavior.

One of the most common ways to block VPNs is through IP tracking. This is done by examining your website traffic and tracking your location and other details like your internet connection type. This information is then used to create a profile of your online habits and show you targeted advertisements.

Keeping Intruders at Bay: Effective Strategies to Block VPN Access

Another way to block VPNs is through port blocking. This involves preventing access to certain ports, such as 1194 (OpenVPN port). Many VPN providers use different encryption protocols and randomize their exit ports making it difficult for companies to detect the connection. Another method is through deep packet inspection which examines data packets in transit and looks for cryptography signatures that characterize VPN connections.

Some countries like China are well known for their efforts to block VPNs and limit free flowing information. This is because they want to maintain control of their citizens and see the internet as a threat to their regime. Other governments, such as Turkey, have similar censorship strategies. Luckily there are workarounds to most of these blocking methods.

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