What about Melitopol residents who use the Internet in the temporarily occupied territories
The occupiers are already using the Ukrainian Internet for information and psychological operations, gathering intelligence from open sources, and connecting the Russian military with their families. And if the traffic is redirected through Russia, then all messages and content can be viewed and listened to by the special services of the Russian Federation.
If the entire digital network comes under the control of the occupiers, residents of the uncontrolled territory will not be able to safely use the services of the banking sector. The already small number of stores that accept non-cash payments will not be able to accept card payments for objective technical reasons.
To protect yourself at least from wiretapping, everyone needs to learn how to use VPN (Virtual Private Network) services. These are special programs that create a secure channel for transmitting information and change the IP address. The ISP does not know your location and the sites you have visited. For example, you can log in from Melitopol while in Ukraine, but your IP address will indicate that you are in London, UK.
Thanks to VPN, you can freely visit sites blocked in some region, just select and download the application on your computer or mobile device.
The State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine recommends VPN services:
- ExpressVPN
- Surfshark
- Private Internet Access
- CyberGhostVPN
- NordVPN
- ProtonVPN
But these applications need to be downloaded only from official sites, and it is better to use the paid version. Programs that are not installed through the official site may contain hidden threats that can harm the user.
Remember that today Russian troops are not only destroying and seizing the territory of Ukraine. The enemy can also control internet traffic. If you are in the temporarily occupied territories, be sure to use VPN services.
The occupiers seek to take control of Internet traffic by any means, as well as block access to the Ukrainian media. So that people cannot receive objective information, but only see Russian propaganda media.