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TL;DR: Microsoft Visio Professional 2021 for Windows is a professional diagramming tool that helps you visualize data and structures, and it’s now $14.97 (reg. $249.99). As your business grows, so does the complexity of your processes and structures. Sometimes, the best way to figure out a particular task, issue, or concept is by building a diagram. And that is exactly what Microsoft Visio Professional 2021 was made for. This powerful software helps you visualize data and workflows faster, with user-friendly controls and a vast library of templates. You can get a lifetime license on Windows for only $14.97 (reg. $249.99). Research tells us the human brain can process images in just 13 milliseconds — that’s way faster than you could ever explain the same information in text. Considering the time you could save communicating with diagrams, you might see the potential to increase efficiency in your business. The only tricky part is compiling the visual content in the first place. If you’re not a designer, it can feel like a painstaking process. Rated 4.9/5 stars by verified purchasers, Visio Professional 2021 is the ultimate shortcut. This diagramming tool makes it super easy to show rather than tell. You don’t even need design chops to use it efficiently. Visio Pro’s features The software offers a content library containing over 250,000 premade shapes, stencils, and templates, helping you build a wide variety of diagrams. Visio Pro supports flowcharts, mind maps, org charts, reporting structures, floor plans, fishbone diagrams, SWOT analysis, network diagrams, and more. Its dynamic design makes it applicable to a wide range of businesses and industries. You can also upload Excel data sets to automatically generate org charts and use your finger or a pen to arrange diagrams on touchscreen devices. With this deal, you get access to a digital download complete with a lifetime license on one device. Order Microsoft Visio Professional 2021 for Windows today for $14.97, which is 94% off the full price. Prices and availability are subject to change. source

Whether for business communication purposes or personal reasons like preserving a loved one’s special note, some voicemails are meant to be kept long-term or indefinitely. Saving voicemails also safeguards against equipment loss or failure and frees up storage space on a device. Storing voicemails, however, can be a little tricky. The process varies for each device type, and sometimes, another app is needed to get the job done. Read our guide below to learn how to permanently save a voicemail. Saving voicemails on iOS Saving a voicemail on an iPhone involves sending the file to a storage option of your choice. Here’s how to do it. Go to Phone, then tap Voicemail. Open the voicemail you want to save. Tap the Share button in the upper right of the screen and select a storage option. Click the Share button to determine where to store the voicemail file. Image: OSXDaily Storage options can vary depending on what apps are installed; regardless, you will see them divided into two groups (see Figure A): Recently used: The most recently used storage option Locations: The available storage options on your iPhone (e.g., iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox) Figure A Choose a location to store a voicemail on your iPhone. You can use the Message and Mail apps to send the voicemail as a text message or email, but a better option would be to swipe until you see the Notes or Voice Memo icons (see Figure B). ​​Figure B Certain apps may be better for saving voicemails on an iPhone. Apple advises saving voicemail messages using Notes or Voice Memo, and as Voice Memo is an audio app, it is more frequently used. If your Voice Memo is synced to your iCloud, a copy of your voicemail is automatically created. It will remain stored there forever, and you can access it anytime. Related read: Download this email, instant message, and voicemail retention policy from TechRepublic Premium. More about Office Technology Saving voicemails on Android Android is a vast ecosystem, so the process may vary, but saving voicemails for this type of devices typically involves the following steps: Access your voicemail screen. Open the voicemail, and tap on the three vertical dots icon in the upper right. Click Save (Figure D). Figure D Saving a voicemail on an Android phone. You will see a prompt similar to the one above, including the local file path where the voicemail will be saved. This will save the file to your phone. Saving voicemails to the cloud To safeguard a voicemail, copy the file to an SD card or a cloud storage like Dropbox or Google Drive: On the phone, you can access the file location — My Files > Internal Storage > VisualVoiceMail — to find the voicemail. Press and hold your finger on the object to select it. Tap Share in the bottom toolbar (see Figure E). A list of apps to send the file to will appear. Figure E Saving a voicemail to a cloud storage option such as Dropbox. Choose the cloud storage app that works best for you, and then follow the prompts to add the voicemail. You can also plug your phone into your PC and browse to a location in Windows Explorer (see Figure F). Figure F Accessing the saved voicemail from Windows. Then cut and paste the .AMR file into your Dropbox folder. Dropbox will keep your file safe, and you can be sure you have access to your voicemails in the event your phone or PC experiences a hardware failure. Alternative methods for saving voicemails securely If you intend to repurpose the files for future use or simply want to explore other ways on how to permanently save a voicemail, here are alternative ways you can try. Use a VoIP service Voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) systems offer built-in voicemail handling features and access to call logs and recordings. You can download important voicemails from the admin dashboard and save them in your preferred storage. This option is ideal for businesses and IT professionals with an active subscription to VoIP platforms like RingCentral, Zoom Phone, and Dialpad, or those who need a business phone system to support their operations. Related read: 7 Key Things to Know about VoIP Before Signing a Contract Enable voicemail-to-email forwarding You can enable this option from the settings or admin portal. Once set up, your voicemails will be sent to your inbox as audio attachments, allowing you to find, sort, and organize them more efficiently. Related read: How to Use an Email Forwarding Service Record voicemails manually While it is certainly not the best option, recording your voicemails is easy and does the job. All you need to do is have a second device ready to record the audio and play the voicemail from the primary source. This option also lets you save and trim the file. The challenge is in making sure you are in a quiet place when you record the voicemail so the audio output is clean, clear, and crisp. source

OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman. Image: Creative Commons While the legal battle between Elon Musk and OpenAI is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2026, the team at OpenAI has filed a countersuit accusing Musk of sustained harassment. The OpenAI/Musk feud thus far Although the roots of the feud go all the way back to the late 2010s and the early days of OpenAI, the legal battle between Musk and OpenAI officially began in February 2024. That’s when Elon Musk filed his original lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging the AI company had strayed from its founding mission as a nonprofit. While that lawsuit was later withdrawn, Musk filed a revised complaint containing the same core allegations in August 2024. Musk’s legal team also sought a preliminary injunction against OpenAI, which was meant to temporarily halt its transition to a for-profit model; however, that request was denied by the US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who instead scheduled a jury trial to begin on March 16, 2026. In February 2025, an investment consortium led by Musk placed a bid of $97.4 billion to purchase OpenAI. The buyout was expeditiously rejected by OpenAI’s board of directors. OpenAI’s countersuit OpenAI’s countersuit revolves around Musk’s alleged ongoing harassment of the company. It cites all of the events mentioned above as evidence to support its claims. The countersuit reads, in part: “Through press attacks, malicious campaigns broadcast to Musk’s more than 200 million followers on the social media platform he controls, a pretextual demand for corporate records, harassing legal claims, and a sham bid for OpenAI’s assets, Musk has tried every tool available to harm OpenAI.” OpenAI is not denying its intentions to transition to a for-profit model; the company says it’s a necessary step that will help them maintain competitiveness in the ever-growing consumer AI market. However, OpenAI insists it’s staying true to the original goal of developing AI for the betterment of humanity instead of focusing solely on corporate profits. According to OpenAI, the company must complete its transition to a for-profit model by the end of 2025. Failure to do so would cost OpenAI a substantial portion of the $40 billion the company secured during its most recent round of fundraising. If Musk’s lawsuit is successful, it seems OpenAI will need to abandon its for-profit model entirely — a move that could jeopardize the future of the company. For now, both parties await the upcoming jury trial in spring 2026. source

The iPhone 16 Pro lineup has new colors and a fully recycled aluminum chassis for the first time. Image: Apple, Inc. Apple is scrambling to figure out a solution after President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs on Chinese imports. Reciprocal tariffs for a number of countries were set to take effect on April 9, but Trump granted a 90-day reprieve for most of them. However, he imposed a 104% tariff on Chinese goods, later raising it to 125% the same day, with the increase taking effect immediately. These tariffs are expected to significantly impact Apple, which manufactures most of its devices in China, as do most other tech and AI companies. iPhones account for about half of Apple’s revenue, far more than any other product. The iPhone is the most popular smartphone in the US, holding a market share of more than 50%. What will an iPhone cost with the new tariffs? Well-known tech analyst Dan Ives told CNN that these tariffs could create a “category 5 price storm” for personal electronics, including iPhones. He compared taxing Chinese goods at such high rates to  “flipping a boat upside down in the ocean with no life rafts” — meaning that few tech companies, including Apple, have viable manufacturing alternatives outside of China. The alleged purpose of the tariffs is to drive more manufacturing back to the US, but Ives said this would raise prices exponentially. He estimated a Chinese-made device that sold for about $1,000 would cost $3,500 if made in the US, a price point that many consumers may be unable to afford. Shifting Apple’s supply chain to the US would also take years, making it an impractical short-term solution for the company and for consumers eager to upgrade to the latest iPhone. Given those drawbacks, it’s unlikely Apple will switch its manufacturing to the US. As the tariff landscape continues to shift, estimating future iPhone prices remains difficult. However, an analysis from UBS on Wednesday found that the reciprocal tariffs could increase the price of the iPhone 16 Pro Max 256GB, which is made in China, by about $675, a rise of 56%. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is the most advanced model currently available and features artificial intelligence capabilities. Must-read Apple coverage If Apple can move its production to India, which is currently excused from reciprocal tariffs, that could potentially help offset some of the price increase. That same analysis from UBS found that the cost of an iPhone 16 Pro 128 GB, costs $999 when made in India, could increase to $1,119, a more modest rise of 12%. Given those drawbacks, it’s unlikely Apple will switch its manufacturing to the US, though continuing production in China may be too costly for the company or consumers to bear. source

Tech companies are adamant that the regulation of artificial intelligence in the E.U. is preventing its citizens from accessing the latest and greatest products. However, civil society groups BEUC and noyb feel otherwise, maintaining that AI developers need to produce products that uphold their customers’ safety and privacy. Some of tech giants’ delayed launches in EU There have been a number of instances where the launches of AI products in the E.U. have either been delayed or cancelled as a result of regulations. For instance, this week, Meta’s Llama 4 series of AI models was released everywhere except Europe. Its AI chatbots integrated into WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram only made it to the bloc 18 months after the U.S. Similarly, Google’s AI Overviews currently only appear in eight member states, having arrived nine months later than in the States, and both its Bard and Gemini models had delayed European releases. Apple Intelligence has only just become available in the E.U. with the release of iOS 18.4, after “regulatory uncertainties brought about by the Digital Markets Act” held up its release in the region. “If certain companies cannot guarantee that their AI products respect the law, then consumers are not missing out; these are products that are simply not safe to be released on the E.U. market yet,” Sébastien Pant, deputy head of communications at the European consumer organisation BEUC, told Euronews. “It is not for legislation to bend to new features rolled out by tech companies. It is instead for companies to make sure that new features, products or technologies comply with existing laws before they hit the EU market.” SEE: EU’s AI Act: Europe’s New Rules for Artificial Intelligence EU regulations push companies to build more privacy-conscious tools E.U. legislation hasn’t always excluded E.U. citizens from AI products; instead, it has often compelled tech companies to adapt and deliver better, more privacy-conscious solutions for them. For example, X agreed to permanently stop processing personal data from E.U. users’ public posts to train its AI model Grok after it was taken to court by the Data Protection Commission. Kleanthi Sardeli, a data protection lawyer working with the advocacy group noyb, told Euronews that users generally don’t anticipate their public posts being used to train AI models, yet that’s precisely what many tech companies are doing, often with little regard for transparency. “The right to data protection is a fundamental human right and it should be taken into account when designing and deploying AI tools.” Google, Meta claim EU AI laws disadvantage citizens, but their revenue is also at stake Google and Meta have openly criticised European regulation of AI, suggesting it will quash the region’s innovation potential. Last year, Google published a report that detailed how Europe lags behind other global superpowers when it comes to AI innovation. It found that only 34% of E.U. businesses used cloud computing technologies in 2022, a critical enabler for AI developments, which is vastly behind the European Commission’s target of 75% by 2030. Europe also filed just 2% of global AI patents in 2022, while China and the U.S., the top two largest producers, filed 61% and 21% respectively. The report placed much of the blame on E.U. regulations for the region’s struggles to innovate in advanced technologies. “Since 2019, the EU has introduced over 100 pieces of legislation that impact the digital economy and society. It’s not just the sheer number of regulations that’s the challenge — it’s the complexity,” said Matt Brittin, president of Google EMEA, in an accompanying blog post. “Moving from the regulatory-first approach can help to unlock the opportunity of AI.” But Google, Meta, and the other tech giants do stand to suffer financially if the rules prevent them from launching products in the E.U., as the region represents a huge market with 448 million people. On the other hand, if they go ahead with launches but break the rules, they could face hefty fines of up to €35 million or 7% of global turnover, in the case of the AI Act. Europe is currently embroiled in multiple regulatory battles with major tech firms in the U.S., many of which have already led to substantial fines. In February, Meta declared it was prepared to escalate its concerns over what it saw as unfair regulation directly to the U.S. president. U.S. President Donald Trump referred to the fines as “a form of taxation” at the World Economic Forum in January. In a speech at February’s Paris AI Action Summit, U.S. Vice President Vance disparaged Europe’s use of “excessive regulation” and said that the international approach should “foster the creation of AI technology rather than strangle it.” source

Screenshot of IBM z17 mainframe from an IBM product video. Image: IBM IBM on Tuesday announced the newest version of its famous mainframe: the IBM z17. Powered by the latest IBM Telum II processor, IBM z17 culminates five years of research and development. It features AI capabilities across hardware, software, and systems operations. “IBM Z is built to redefine AI at scale,” IBM said in the press release. While mainframes are often seen as a throwback to older eras of computing, they are still used by large companies to process massive amounts of data. Many industries worldwide — including banking, insurance, retail, and telecommunications — still use IBM mainframes today. SEE: IT Leader’s Guide to Generative AI From TechRepublic Premium) New IBM mainframe puts AI first The newest IBM mainframe was explicitly designed to better support AI features. According to IBM, the z17 can process 50% more AI inference operations per day than the z16. The tech giant says the z17 has over 250 use cases, including managing chatbots and mitigating loan risk. Some of the main AI tools offered by the z17 processor are: More inferencing capabilities: The z17 has increased frequency, greater compute capacity, and a 40% growth in cache. This enables more than 450 billion inferencing operations in a day and a one-millisecond response time. Accelerated computing: When it becomes available in the last quarter of 2025, the IBM Spyre™ Accelerator will augment the Telum II processor’s computation abilities, allowing the mainframe to run generative features such as assistants. Better user experience: z17 incorporates AI assistants and AI agents, such as IBM watsonx Code Assistant for Z and IBM watsonx Assistant for Z, to improve the user experience of IT teams and developers. Watsonx Assistant for Z will also be integrated with Z Operations Unite, providing live systems data for AI chat-based incident detection and resolution. “The industry is quickly learning that AI will only be as valuable as the infrastructure it runs on,” said Ross Mauri, general manager of IBM Z and LinuxONE. “With z17, we’re bringing AI to the core of the enterprise with the software, processing power, and storage to make AI operational quickly. Additionally, organizations can put their vast, untapped stores of enterprise data to work with AI in a secured, cost-effective way.” source

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Image: Microsoft News Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday security update for April included 134 flaws, one of which is an actively exploited zero-day flaw. The security patches for Windows 10 were unavailable when the Windows 11 patches were released. The Windows 10 patches have since arrived, but the delay was unusual. Tyler Reguly, associate director of security R&D at global cybersecurity software and services provider Fortra, suggested in an email to TechRepublic that the two separate releases and a 40-minute delay in the Windows 11 update might point to something unusual behind the scenes. SEE: What is Patch Tuesday? Microsoft’s Monthly Update Explained CVE-2025-29824 has been detected in the wild The zero-day vulnerability was CVE-2025-29824, an elevation of privilege bug in the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) Driver. “This vulnerability is significant because it affects a core component of Windows, impacting a wide range of environments, including enterprise systems and critical infrastructure,” Mike Walters, president and co-founder of patch automation company Action1, wrote in an email. “If exploited, it allows privilege escalation to SYSTEM level—the highest privilege on a Windows system.” Elevation of privilege attacks require the threat actor to have a foothold in the system first. “Elevation of privilege flaws in CLFS have become especially popular among ransomware operators over the years,” Satnam Narang, Tenable’s senior staff research engineer, said in an email. “What makes this vulnerability particularly concerning is that Microsoft has confirmed active exploitation in the wild, yet at this time, no patch has been released for Windows 10 32-bit or 64-bit systems,” Ben McCarthy, lead cybersecurity engineer at security training company Immersive, added. “The lack of a patch leaves a critical gap in defense for a wide portion of the Windows ecosystem.” The delayed rollout of Windows 10 patches — paired with a 40-minute delay in the Windows 11 update — adds further weight to concerns about internal disruptions or challenges at Microsoft. While the reason for the delay remains unclear, security researchers are taking note of the timing, particularly given the active exploitation of CVE-2025-29824. CVE-2025-29824 has been exploited against “a small number of targets” in “organizations in the information technology (IT) and real estate sectors of the United States, the financial sector in Venezuela, a Spanish software company, and the retail sector in Saudi Arabia,” Microsoft disclosed. “I was recently discussing CLFS vulnerabilities and how they seem to come in waves,” Reguly noted. “When a vulnerability in CLFS is patched, people tend to dig around and look at what’s going on and come across other vulnerabilities in the process. If I was a gambler, I would bet on CLFS appearing again next month.” Remote code execution and Microsoft Office flaws are common patterns Other notable parts of April’s Patch Tuesday include a fix for CVE-2025-26663, a critical flaw that could affect organizations running Windows Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) servers. Reguly highlighted CVE-2025-27472, a vulnerability in Mark of the Web (MOTW) that Microsoft listed as Exploitation More Likely.  “It is common to see MOTW vulnerabilities utilized by threat actors,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a vulnerability that we see exploited in the future.” SEE: Choose the right security applications for your business by balancing features, data storage, and cost.  Microsoft released multiple patches for CVEs in Office (CVE-2025-29791, CVE-2025-27749, CVE-2025-27748, and CVE-2025-27745). Microsoft Office’s popularity means these vulnerabilities have the potential for widespread problems, although they all require successful social engineering or remote code execution to inject a malicious file. While some of these CVEs enabled remote code execution (RCE), this month’s Patch Tuesday told a different story overall. Must-read security coverage “For the first time since August 2024, Patch Tuesday vulnerabilities skewed more towards elevation of privilege bugs, which accounted for over 40% (49) of all patched vulnerabilities,” Narang said. “We typically see remote code execution (RCE) flaws dominate Patch Tuesday releases, but only a quarter of flaws (31) were RCEs this month.” Reguly noted that Office, browsers, and MOTW have often appeared in Patch Tuesday updates lately. “If I were an infosec buyer, think CISO, I’d be looking at the trends in Microsoft vulnerabilities – recurring and commonly exploited technologies like Office, Edge, CLFS, and MOTW – and I’d be asking my vendors how they are helping me proactively defend against these types of vulnerabilities,” he said. Apple releases large security update As KrebsonSecurity pointed out, Apple users shouldn’t forget about security patches. Apple released a large security update on March 31, addressing some actively exploited vulnerabilities. In general, Patch Tuesday is a good time for organizations to push updates to company-owned devices. Consider backing up devices before updating in case something breaks in the newly installed software. source

Image: garloon/Envato Images Apple’s appeal against the U.K.’s demands to be provided access to any material uploaded to iCloud will not remain confidential. The country’s Investigatory Powers Tribunal dismissed the government’s request to prevent details about the hearing from being published on its website, despite claims of national security concerns. In a judgement published on Monday, Judges Rabinder Singh and Judge Jeremy Johnson wrote: “For the reasons that are set out in our private judgement, we do not accept that the revelation of the bare details of the case would be damaging to the public interest or prejudicial to national security.” In February, it was reported that the U.K.’s Home Secretary had asked Apple for a way to access user information that was covered under Advanced Data Protection, an optional security layer introduced in 2022. Data stored under ADP offers the highest level of protection the company provides, keeping information hidden even from Apple itself. They invoked the Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, which grants law enforcement the authority to compel companies to provide access to data as part of criminal investigations. The law also prevents Apple from publicly disclosing the request or voicing its concerns to the public, effectively placing the company under a gag order. In response, Apple disabled access to the ADP encryption feature for devices registered in the UK. iPhone, iPad, and Mac users in the country can no longer sign up for ADP, and existing users must disable it manually to retain iCloud access. The company then appealed the U.K.’s order at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, arguing that compliance would jeopardise user privacy and set a dangerous precedent. It is this case that the U.K. wished to keep private. “There is no reason why the U.K. [government] should have the authority to decide for citizens of the world whether they can avail themselves of the proven security benefits that flow from end-to-end encryption,” Apple wrote in a statement to Parliament. Must-read Apple coverage The U.K. says it only wants access to data useful for criminal investigations Senior officials from the U.K. privately met with their U.S. counterparts in March to clarify that their request for access to encrypted data in Apple’s iCloud is not a blanket demand. Instead, they are seeking access solely to data linked to individuals already involved in crimes such as terrorism, according to Bloomberg. British officials emphasised separate warrants would be required for each access request, Bloomberg’s sources said, ensuring they are strictly tied to investigations into serious crime within the U.K. They denied seeking wide-ranging powers to access anyone’s data for any reason, particularly that of U.S. residents, a claim that has fueled controversy. U.S. lawmakers warn of free speech and privacy risks U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard warned the U.K.’s demands may violate the CLOUD Act, which limits foreign governments from directly accessing encrypted data stored by U.S. companies. She also raised concerns about the effective gag order the Investigatory Powers Act of 2016 imposes on Apple, which was reiterated by a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers. They urged the U.K. to “remove the cloak of secrecy” surrounding the order, claiming that it is “violating the free speech rights of US companies and impairing Congress’ power and duty to conduct oversight on matters of national security.” Under President Donald Trump’s first term as president, the FBI protested Apple’s ADP over similar concerns regarding law enforcement’s inability to access encrypted data — a barrier the U.K. is now attempting to bypass. Meanwhile, tech companies like Apple warn that creating a backdoor would increase the risk of abuse by criminals and authoritarian governments alike. source

Virtual private networks are designed to preserve online privacy by encrypting internet traffic and hiding IP addresses that can be used to determine user location. Most users are aware of this when they try to access a website or service when they are overseas. The IP address generally triggers the loading of a URL in the local area and may restrict access to a U.S. service or site. A VPN can be used to circumvent such restrictions and limitations. For example, a U.S. user traveling in Europe might be blocked from accessing paid streaming services that the user could access if he or she were physically located in the U.S. A VPN masks the local European IP address and can enable the person to view U.S.-based content. A VPN server, then, replaces an IP address with its own as it passes the encrypted data to the public internet. For example, if you live in New York, your IP address will show that you are connecting from New York. However, if you connect to a VPN server based in Amsterdam, the IP address appears to indicate that the user is based in the Netherlands. On the surface, VPNs seem to hide the digital footprint of a user. However, they are not a guarantee of complete anonymity. For example, ISPs are aware of when someone is using a VPN, but they can’t view specific online activity protected by a VPN, such as browsing history, DNS queries, downloaded files and personal data. However, VPNs are useful in preventing Big Brother — in the form of various government agencies — from snooping on users and where they visit online. The use of an encrypted VPN tunnel offers a large measure of protection against unwanted eyes. But VPNs are not a panacea. If a system is hacked, a cybercriminal can learn what is going on, regardless of the VPN. And under certain circumstances, the police and government agencies can be granted access to VPN data. Semperis Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Small (50-249 Employees), Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Advanced Attacks Detection, Advanced Automation, Anywhere Recovery, and more How can police track a VPN? Most of the time, police are not allowed to track online behavior or gain access to VPN data. But serious crimes alter the equation. In the event of a major crime, the police can make a request to receive online data from a user’s ISP. If a VPN is being used, the VPN provider can be asked to provide user details. For example, law enforcement has been able to access VPN data to track down child pornography suspects and internet stalkers IPVanish reportedly handed off logs to authorities. Image: Luis Millares VPN logs enabled investigators to find the perpetrators actual IP addresses. A direct IP address is not going to be available to the police, as VPNs encrypt data and route it via their servers. But other data provided to the police by a VPN provider may make it possible for them to figure out where a user is located. What information can the police obtain from your VPN? The police can legally apply to obtain certain types of information from a VPN provider. This includes: Logs of all the websites a user visited. Services used while connected to the VPN. Actual IP addresses. Connection logs (which provides details such as the time someone used a VPN to connect to a server). Billing information that shows your mailing address and banking details. That said, some VPN providers promote a no-logs policy, i.e., they say their service does not store any logs in order to provide a further layer of anonymity. When the provider is forced to comply with a request for access from the police, there won’t be any data to pass on. But in most cases, there is some kind of data to be found. Billing information is typically available, which is why those wishing for secrecy prefer to pay in cryptocurrency. Further, some of those that say they have a no-logs policy, keep some kind of logs on the down-low. The privacy statement should tell the tale. And if a provider can’t provide a security audit or some form of independent verification of their privacy credentials, they may be quietly logging some data. NordVPN’s security audit on its no-logs policy. Image: NordVPN In addition, VPN providers vary in their level of cooperation. Some are happy to provide information to the police when provided with the right paperwork. Others are largely uncooperative. But even for them, enough pressure can be brought to bear that they are forced to comply. Can police track IP addresses? If the police can gain access to VPN connection logs, they may be able to find a user’s actual IP address along with other information related to data usage and the times the user most commonly connects to the VPN. If the police obtain such broad access, they can generally put the pieces together to identify a specific user device and determine the user’s identity. Can live traffic be tracked? The good news is that there is almost no way to track live, encrypted VPN traffic. Law enforcement can only obtain data, if available, about websites visited and so on. Otherwise, hackers and snooping government agencies are generally blocked by the fact that the data is encrypted. There are exceptions. If a user device is hacked, or a VPN provider is infiltrated, malware can quietly feed VPN-protected data to hackers and cybercriminals. Security basics such as not clicking on malicious links and suspicious emails apply, as do all the usual cautions about not falling prey to social engineering tricks and scams. Surfshark’s desktop interface. Image: Luis Millares Similarly, keeping operating systems, applications and VPN software up to date via patching is recommended. Vulnerabilities should be addressed to prevent breaches. And in very rare instances, hackers may obtain

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