Bypass blocking without. How to bypass IT restrictions at work

Since the spring of 2014, the Internet Censorship Law began to be applied in Russia, which gives a number of departments the right to block both individual web pages and entire sites without a court decision. At the moment, access to dozens of information resources is closed on the territory of the Russian Federation. But immediately after the adoption of this law, methods appeared. Many of them were proposed - from simple ones, accessible to any user, to technically complex ones, but providing additional bonuses.

Google Services

You can also view prohibited sites using some Google services. If you go to the Google Translator page, paste the link to into the translation window and press the enter key, the desired page will open. To display the content correctly, it is advisable to select the "Original" viewing method.

You can also use Google cache. To do this, just open the main Google page and copy the desired link into the search bar, adding “cache:” to the left without quotes, then press Enter.

A serious disadvantage of this method is the inability to view blocked images, as well as interactive content on sites. If social networks suddenly get blacklisted and the question arises of how to bypass the blocking of VKontakte, for example, then Google services will not help here. They are only suitable for viewing text on static pages.

Opera browser in turbo mode

The easiest way to visit prohibited sites in Russia is to enable turbo mode in the Opera browser. In this case, the traffic will not go directly, but through the Opera servers. This technology was originally created to speed up the loading of web pages, but has also proven effective in overcoming censorship. Mobile versions Opera and Chrome browsers also support turbo mode.

The disadvantages of this method include the fact that the turbo mode does not hide the user’s IP address. Compressing images can also degrade their quality.

The Yandex browser also has a turbo mode, but for obvious reasons it is unlikely to be effective as a tool for combating censorship restrictions.

Anonymizers

Anonymizers are special websites designed, as you might guess from the name, to anonymous surfing. With their help, you can also bypass site blocking or get to those Internet resources where you have been banned. Some anonymizers also allow you to select the country through which the traffic will go. In this case, the site you are accessing will assume you are a user from that country.

The way anonymizers work is very simple. You just need to go to such a site and enter the address desired page in the field located on the website.

Anonymizers can be fraught with danger - the owner of such a service has the ability to intercept data transmitted by the user, including logins and passwords from sites. To protect your personal data, it is recommended to use anonymizers that support the secure connection function (SSL).

Browser plugins

Chrome and Firefox allow you to install additional plugins that expand the functionality of the browser. There are plugins to bypass censorship.

One of the most effective and at the same time simple plugins is Stealthy. When using it, you just need to click on a button to route traffic through the proxy server. When proxy mode is enabled, the plugin icon will be green; when disabled, it will be red.

Plugin friGate somewhat more difficult to use. It routes through a proxy only traffic from those sites that are included in its list. The plugin has a list installed by default, as well as the ability to independently add new sites there. The advantage of this extension is the high data transfer speed.

A plugin has already appeared, developed specifically for visiting exactly those resources that Roskomnadzor has included in its “black list”. Blocking of websites by this agency is carried out by sending IP addresses of Internet resources to Russian providers, access to which must be blocked. Plugin NoZapret collects data on blocked addresses from the Antizaban.info website, and then, based on it, independently generates a list of sites that will open through a proxy. All other connections will be made directly. This plugin is convenient because it does not require manual configuration and provides fast data loading.

It should be remembered that the use of such plugins does not provide complete anonymity on the Internet, but only allows you to bypass the prohibitions established by the authorities of individual countries. In addition, as in the case of anonymizers, the owner of the proxy server through which the traffic passes can, if desired, intercept users’ personal data.

"Torbrowser"

Tor is a distributed network that provides users with a high level of anonymity. It is almost impossible to track the real location of someone who accesses a website via Tor, since the traffic passes encrypted through several nodes.

In order to use this technology, you need to download from the official website and install Tor Browser Bundle. There are browser options for operating systems Windows systems, Mac OS and Linux. Tor browser for Android platforms is called Orbot.

The advantage of using Torbrowser is that it allows you to both bypass site blocking and perform truly anonymous surfing. Tor technology also allows you to create hidden sites that can only be accessed through. You can learn more about such sites by visiting the Hidden Wiki - a directory of hidden services, which itself is only accessible through the Torbrowser.

The Tor network also has serious disadvantages. Firstly, it is a low data transfer speed. The fact is that the network nodes are supported by enthusiasts, so the throughput of the nodes can vary greatly. It is natural that traffic passing through several random nodes will often be quite slow.

Another danger lies in the possibility of traffic scanning by the owners of the end nodes from which information is transmitted, unlike intermediate nodes, in unencrypted form. To avoid password theft, you should whenever possible work with sites that support the https protocol.

VPN

A virtual private network, or VPN, is a technology that allows all traffic from all applications to pass through a remote server, usually located in another country. In this case, data between the user’s computer and the remote server is transmitted in encrypted form and cannot be intercepted by the provider.

The main feature of a VPN is that absolutely all traffic is routed through a proxy server. If you use several browsers, you do not need to configure each of them separately - site blocking will be bypassed automatically.

There are several types of VPNs. Therefore, it would not be superfluous to dwell in more detail on their features.

PPTP - this protocol has been used for quite a long time. It is supported by all popular platforms and operating systems. You can configure your router to transmit traffic through this type of VPN without installing an additional software. The disadvantage of this protocol is that the encryption is not strong enough. In addition, difficulties may arise with a PPTP connection via a 3G modem.

L2TP is a tunneling-only protocol. Therefore, as a rule, it is used in conjunction with IPSec - such a combination also provides encryption. However, if you are only concerned with the question of how to bypass blocked sites, you do not need to use encryption. This type of VPN also does not require the installation of special software.

OpenVPN is the most common type of virtual private network. Provides strong encryption transmitted information. Overcomes NAT and corporate firewalls when correct setting. To work with OpenVPN, you need to install additional software on your computer.

Most VPN services are paid. Free VPNs either have restrictions on the amount of traffic transmitted and received, or display advertisements on the pages being viewed. Speed ​​y paid services also, of course, much higher.

Open proxies

There are sites on the Internet that regularly publish current lists of open proxies. They are a list of IP addresses and ports. This data must be entered into the network by first selecting manual proxy settings. There are also browser plugins that make working with proxy lists easier.

Open proxies can be anonymous or transparent. When using anonymous proxies, the sites the user accesses will not know his real IP address and location. When using transparent, information about where the user accesses the Network from will remain open. But in any case, the blocking of sites by the provider will be successfully overcome.

Using open proxy lists is a rather inconvenient way to bypass censorship. There are several reasons for this.

• Firstly, page loading speeds through public proxies are usually very slow.
• Secondly, such proxies are unstable and close quickly.
• Third, open proxies can be created by hackers to collect passwords and other personal information from unsuspecting users.

Public DNS Servers

Another effective way to visit freely is to use alternative public DNS servers. By default, requests to Internet resources are processed on the provider's DNS server. And if a program is installed there to block blacklisted sites, then instead of the prohibited site, the user will be shown a stub page.

Using public DNS servers allows you to ignore ISP blocking. In order to start using this tool, you only need to change the network settings of your operating system once.

The most popular alternative server today is Google Public DNS. Its primary and secondary addresses for DNS queries are:

• 8.8.8.8
• 8.8.4.4

Google, in addition to solving the problem of how to bypass site blocking, also promises to speed up Internet surfing and improve user protection from the actions of computer scammers.

I2P network

The decentralized I2P network is designed to reliably protect user anonymity. This technology is also called the “deep Internet”, because within the I2P network there are websites, peer-to-peer networks, instant messengers and other services that are technically impossible to censor. Network invulnerability is ensured by encryption and tunneling of all internal traffic. The client program processes not only the information requested by the user, but also serves as an intermediate node for the transit transmission of traffic from other network participants. As a result, neither the provider nor government regulatory authorities can track the final recipient of the encrypted packets.

Increasing Internet censorship in Russia has already led to some popular sites acquiring mirrors on the I2P network. An example is the free library "Flibusta", which opened sites in I2P and Tor.

Another possibility to visit prohibited sites in Russia using I2P is to use gateways from anonymous network to the regular Internet. A serious drawback of such gateways is the very low loading speed of sites. It is expected that with the increase in the number of I2P users, the data transfer speed will also increase both within the network and when exchanging data with the external Internet.

SSH tunneling

If you have own server, located outside of Russia, the question of how to bypass ISP blocking can be solved using SSH tunneling. in this case it is used as a regular SOCKS proxy.

To use this method, it is not necessary to buy or rent a foreign server for a long time. You can use the Amazon EC2 service, which allows you to use a dedicated server hourly at a price of three cents per hour.

Setting up a tunnel to a remote server is simple. It is enough to enter a command like this through the console:

ssh -D localhost:port username@serveraddress

• port - an open port on your computer;
• username - your login on the remote server;
• server_address - host of the remote server.

After that in network settings browser, you need to choose to use a SOCKS proxy and specify the desired port and localhost as the address.

Other ways

The arsenal of methods for bypassing blocking is so wide that detailed description each of them can take more than a dozen paragraphs. One way or another, they all boil down to transferring traffic through a foreign server, as a result of which the list used by the Russian provider for blocking sites turns out to be useless. Here is a small list of the most interesting ways.

• JAP is a long-known program for ensuring anonymity on the Internet. Passes traffic through a chain of proxy servers. Has a paid mode that increases surfing speed.

• Ultrasurf- a project developed in China to bypass government censorship. Requires software installation. Default is set to use browser Internet Explorer.
• TunnelBear - paid application for mobile devices. Uses VPN technology. It has a free version, limited to 500 megabytes of traffic per month. Requires configuration.
• Onion Pi- a portable device that routes all traffic through the Tor network and distributes Wi-Fi access. Allows you to anonymously access the Internet from a computer on which no anonymous surfing programs are installed. This can be convenient if you have to work from someone else's or company computer.

Future prospects

Obviously, if users begin to massively bypass state-imposed restrictions on access to Internet resources, censors will take additional measures to ensure that prohibited sites are blocked. Limitation methods network activity citizens can be either purely technical or police.

The most popular proxy servers and Tor exit points may be blocked. Private individuals may be prohibited from using VPNs. However, it is almost impossible to limit the use of I2P and products like the JAP program. SSH tunneling will also remain a reliable way to circumvent restrictions.

Effective Internet censorship is only possible if the country is completely disconnected from World Wide Web, similar to how it is implemented in North Korea. In all other cases, you can always find ways to get to the information you need.

Let's be honest: for many of us, our work computer is a little island of home outside of the home. This is probably only fair, considering that our home computer often a branch office outside the office. So in between writing reports and thinking about spreadsheets with calculations, we use our work computers for our personal lives. We buy groceries for our birthday, watch funny clips on YouTube and chat with friends via ICQ or email.

And very often, some things are easier to do with consumer technology than with often clunky enterprise technology - just compare Gmail with a corporate mailbox.

This raises one problem: our employers are unhappy with our behavior in the workplace. Partly because they want us to work in the workplace. And partly they are afraid that what we are doing jeopardizes the company's internal networks. So they ask the IT department to stop us dragging our personal lives from home to work.

So, is the fairy tale over? Well no, not so fast. To find out if it's possible to get around the IT department's restrictions, we turned to network experts for advice. Namely, we asked them to find the top 10 secrets that people from the IT department are hiding from us. For example, how to access a blocked site without leaving a trace, or how to chat in real time without downloading a prohibited program.

However, to keep things fair, we also turned to security experts to find out what we risk by making these workarounds.

For tips on hacking, we turned to Gina Trapani, editor of the online guide to productive use of the network Lifehacker.com, Leon Ho, editor of the blog Lifehack.org, and Mark Frauenfelder, founder of the blog BoingBoing.net and editor of Make magazine, which provides technology advice. in a do-it-yourself format.

To assess the risks, we spoke to three experts who make their living helping IT departments write rules and track down bad actors who want to break them. They are John Pironti, chief information threat strategist at Amsterdam-based consulting firm Getronics, information security specialist at PricewaterhouseCoopers Mark Loubel, and threat specialist at security software company McAfee Craig Shmugar.

So here are 10 secrets your IT department is hiding from you, the dangers associated with them, and tips on how to protect yourself and avoid losing your job when you put them into practice.

1. How to send giant files

Problem: We all need to send large files from time to time, ranging from presentation slides to vacation photos. But if you're sending anything larger than a few megabytes, you risk receiving a message that says you're over your company's limit.

Companies may limit the amount of data their employees can send by mail for one simple reason: they want to avoid overloading their servers, which will slow them down. And approaching management with a request to increase your limit on sent files can be a very tedious process.

Workaround maneuver: Use online services like YouSendIt, SendThisFile or DropSend, which allow you to send large files—sometimes up to several gigabits—for free. To use their services, you usually need to register by providing personal information such as your name and email address. You can then enter the recipient's email address and a message for him or her, and the site will give you instructions on how to download the file. In most cases, a link is sent to the recipient's address, following which he can download the file.

Risk: Since these service sites send your files over the Internet, they are beyond the control of the company. This makes it easier for wily hackers to intercept these files in transit.

How to protect yourself: Some of these sites have a better reputation than others. For example, YouSendIt is a new company run by former head Adobe Systems and which is funded by well-known venture capital companies. Other such sites offer little information about themselves and are therefore more likely to create security holes that hackers can exploit to steal your information.

If the owners of a site are not obvious, there are other benchmarks by which to evaluate it. Look for security icons - in Internet Explorer this icon looks like a small padlock at the bottom of the screen - which indicate that the site uses an encryption system to protect the privacy of information from visitors.

2. How to use software that your company prohibits you from downloading

Problem: Many companies require employees to get permission from the IT department before downloading software. However, this can be problematic if you want to download a program that the IT guys have blacklisted.

Workaround maneuver: There are two easy ways to solve this problem: find an alternative to this program on the Internet or bring the program on external media.

The first method is easier. Let's say your company doesn't allow you to download the popular real-time chat program AOL Instant Messenger. You can still communicate with your friends and colleagues using an online version of the program called AIM Express (AIM.com/aimexpress.adp). Google also has a real-time communication service, Google Talk, available at Google.com/talk. Such programs as music players and video games also have their own Internet versions - usually they are somewhat stripped down compared to the original programs.

The second approach to solving the problem is more complex, but with its help you get access to that very program on your computer. All three of our experts named the company Rare Ideas LLC (RareIdeas.com), which offers free versions popular programs such as Firefox and OpenOffice. You can download programs to portable devices, such as an iPod or flash drive, through the Portable Apps service (PortableApps.com). After that, you connect this device to your work computer and you're done. (True, if your company prohibits the use external devices, consider yourself unlucky.)

Risk: The use of online services may place undue strain on company resources. And programs on external media create a security risk. IT people prefer to keep control over the software used by employees so that if a virus or other problem occurs, they can easily fix it. If you bring programs with you, the degree of control over them is reduced.

Another thing to keep in mind is that some less secure programs, especially file-sharing programs, may contain spyware.

How to protect yourself: If you bring the program on external media, Lowbell says, at least change the settings antivirus program on your work computer so that it scans your device for potential threats. This is easy to do by going to the “settings” or “options” menu. Likewise, if you use file sharing services, configure them so that others cannot access your files, also through “settings” or “options”.

3. How to access sites blocked by your company

Problem: Companies often restrict their employees' access to certain sites, ranging from the truly obscene (porn sites) and the likely not-so-scrupulous (gambling sites) to the practically innocent (email sites).

Workaround maneuver: Even if your company does not allow you to access these sites by typing their address in the top line, you can sometimes still get to them in a roundabout way. You go to a site called a “proxy” and type the Internet address you need in the search bar. Then the proxy site goes to the site you need and gives you its image - this way you can see it without going to it directly. For example, Proxy.org serves more than 4 thousand proxy sites.

Another way to achieve the same result is suggested by Frauenfelder and Trapani: use Google translator, asking it to translate the site name from English to English. Just enter the following text: "Google.com/translate?langpair=en|en&u=www.blockedsite.com", replacing "blockedsite.com" with the address of the site you need. Google essentially acts as a proxy server, finding the mirror site for you.

Risk: If you use a proxy site to view email or YouTube videos, the main danger is that you will be caught by your superiors. But there are also more serious security threats. Sometimes Internet bad guys buy website addresses that are a letter or two different from popular sites and use them to infect visitors' computers with viruses, Lowbell warns. Often companies block these sites too - but if you use a proxy, you will be defenseless against them.

How to protect yourself: Don't make using proxy sites a habit. Use this method only to access certain sites that your company has closed access to in order to improve productivity - for example, YouTube. And be more careful with spelling.

4. How to cover your tracks on a corporate laptop

Problem: If you use a company-owned laptop to work from home, it's likely that you use it for personal purposes: organizing family vacations, buying books to read on the beach, compiling online photo albums, and so on. Many companies reserve the right to track everything you do on that computer because it is technically the property of the company. What will happen if... uh... your friend accidentally wanders onto a porn site or searches on the Internet for a cure for some shameful disease?

Workaround maneuver: Latest versions Internet browsers Explorer and Firefox allow you to cover your tracks. In IE7, select Tools, then Delete Browsing History. Here you can either erase your entire browsing history by selecting Delete All, or select multiple links that you want to erase. In Firefox, simply press Ctrl-Shift-Del or click on Clear Private Data in the Tools menu.

Risk: Even if you clear your history, surfing the Internet freely still puts you at risk. You could unintentionally pick up spyware on a shady site or create legal problems for your boss with your behavior. If you get caught, at best you could be in an awkward situation, and at worst, you could lose your job.

How to protect yourself: Clean up your personal data as often as possible. Better yet, don't use your work computer for anything you wouldn't want your boss to know about.

5. How to find work documents from home

Problem: You finish your work late at night or on the weekend - but the document you need is left on the office computer.

Workaround maneuver: Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and IAC/InterActiveCorp offer software for quick search documents on the computer desktop. In addition, some of them allow you to search from one computer for documents saved on the desktop of another. How does this work? The search engine company stores copies of your documents on its server. This way it can scan these copies when you search remotely.

To use Google's software - one of the most popular - you need to follow these steps. First, set up a Google account on both machines by visiting Google.com/accounts. (Be sure to use the same account on both computers.)

Then go to Desktop.Google.com and download desktop search software. Once it's installed, again on both machines, click on Desktop Preferences, then on Google Account Features. Check the box next to the phrase Search Across Computers. From this point on, all documents you open on both computers are copied to Google servers, allowing you to find them on both computers.

Risk: Enterprise technology professionals imagine a catastrophic scenario: You've stored highly sensitive financial information on your work computer. We installed a program to access these files from our personal laptop. And then the laptop got lost. Ay-ay-ay.

In addition, experts found in Google program to search computers for vulnerabilities that could allow hackers to trick a user into giving them access to files, says McAfee's Shmugar. (Those problem areas have since been fixed, but there may be others, he says.)

How to protect yourself: If you have files on your work computer that should never be shared publicly, ask system administrator from IT to help you install Google Desktop in a way that avoids leaks.

6. How to store work files online

Problem: In addition to desktop searches, most people who often have to work from home have found their own solution. They save work files on portable devices or on the company network, from where they later retrieve them remotely. But portable devices can be bulky, and connections to your work network can be slow and unreliable.

Workaround maneuver: Use online storage services such as Box.net, Streamload or AOL's Xdrive. Most of them offer free storage of one to five gigabytes of information, and charge a few dollars a month for a package with additional storage. Another guerrilla method is to send yourself these files to your personal email, such as Gmail or Hotmail.

Risk: Bad guys could steal your password for one of these sites and steal copies of your company's sensitive materials.

How to protect yourself: When you are about to save a particular file on the Internet, ask yourself what will happen if it becomes widely available or falls into the hands of the head of a company that is your main competitor. If nothing bad happens, then continue.

Problem: Many companies have the ability to track emails employees both at their work address and at other email addresses, as well as communication via ICQ.

Workaround maneuver: When you send emails from your personal email box or from work email, you can encrypt them so that only the recipient can read them. IN Microsoft Outlook Click on Tools, then Options and select the Security line.

Here you can enter a password, and no one will be able to open the letter without knowing this password. (You must, of course, give this password to the people for whom these letters are intended in advance.)

For personal correspondence using Internet mail services, use Frauenfelder's advice. When you check your email, add an s after "http" in the address bar of your email site - for example, https://www.Gmail.com. This way you will start a secure session and no one will be able to track your emails. However, not all web services support this.

To encode your communications in real time, use Cerulean Studios' Trillian service, which works with AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and other real-time chat programs and helps you encode your conversations so that no one else can read them.

Risk: The main reason companies monitor employee emails is to catch those passing on sensitive information. By resorting to all of the above tricks, you can provoke a false alarm and make it difficult for IT department employees to deal with a real threat.

How to protect yourself: Use the methods described only occasionally, and do not use them by default.

8. How to get remote access to work email if your company doesn’t want to go broke on a PDA

Problem: Anyone who doesn't have a PDA knows the feeling: you go to a restaurant for lunch or a beer after work, and everyone reaches into their pockets for their PDAs, and you're the only one forced to dangle a glass in your hand.

Workaround maneuver: You too can stay in touch with your work email using a variety of mobile devices. Simply set up your work email so that emails are forwarded to your personal email address.

In Microsoft Outlook, you can do this by right-clicking on any email, selecting "Create Rule" and asking that all emails be forwarded to another address. Then set up your mobile phone so that you can check your email using it, following instructions from your provider (the company that sends you your phone bills).

Risk: Now hackers can hack not only your computer, but also your phone.

How to protect yourself: There is a "correct" way to access work email using various personal mobile devices by obtaining the password and other information from the IT department.

9. How to access personal mail from a work PDA

Problem: If your company provided you with a PDA, you're probably facing the opposite problem. You want to check your personal email as easily as your work email.

Workaround maneuver: Pay attention to the "Settings" section of your personal mailbox and make sure that you have activated POP (postal protocol), which is used to receive mail through other addresses. Then go to your BlackBerry PDA service provider's website. Click on the "Profile" button, find the Email Accounts section there (" mailboxes") and select Other Email Accounts. Then click on Add Account and enter information about your personal email address. Now your personal mail will arrive in the same place as corporate mail.

Risk: Your company probably uses an arsenal of security tools to combat viruses and spyware. When you receive personal email on your BlackBerry, it bypasses these security barriers. That means spyware or viruses could get into your PDA through your personal email, says McAfee's Shmugar.

What's worse, he says, when you plug your BlackBerry into your work computer, there's a chance that spyware will transfer to your hard drive.

How to protect yourself: Cross your fingers and trust that your ISP email does everything it can to protect against viruses and spyware (it probably does).

10. How to pretend you're working

Problem: You're busy doing a vital Internet search when suddenly your boss appears behind you. What are your actions?

Workaround maneuver: Quickly press Alt-Tab to minimize one window (like the one you're exploring on ESPN.com) and open another (preparing for today's presentation).

Risk: The good news is that there is no threat to the company's security.

How to protect yourself: Get to work.

Do you like that someone decides for you what sites to visit, what to read, what to watch, what to download, who to communicate with and how to live? Definitely not for me. Meanwhile, the practice of blocking web resources for certain offenses is spreading wider and wider.

Almost every week we hear about the closure of one or another Internet portal from Russian visitors. Plus, employers make their contribution. We won’t sit idly by looking at this! Let's talk about how to bypass website blocking in simple and free ways.

How to bypass website blocking: fast, easy and free

VPN

VPN(virtual private networks) are used not only for access to a corporate or private Intranet, but also for anonymity on the World Wide Web. Unlike browser extensions, they pass all computer or computer traffic through a proxy. local network.

To surf closed sites, you need to install a VPN application. Most of them, unfortunately, are paid, but I have selected a few free ones for you.

The best free VPN service, in my opinion, is Freemer.org. He:

• Russian-speaking.
• Understandable.
• Has no restrictions on traffic volume.
• Maintains a directory of frequently visited sites, which you can create yourself. You simply go to Freemer.org, add the desired web resource to the list, and after a while it appears in the application. This is more convenient than using browser bookmarks.
• Works automatically. Doesn't have manual settings, which means it won’t allow you to get confused or do something wrong.
• Always chooses a server that can provide the most stable and fastest connection to the desired web resource.
• Reliably protects your real IP and all transmitted data from leakage into the hands of strangers.

How to use Freemer

To add a blocked site to the Freemer directory, go to , enter its URL in the field shown in the screenshot and click the add button.

To go to any resource already included in the list, launch the application and click " Site directory". Or enter its URL in the address bar and click " Find«.

Having found the desired website in the directory, simply click on its thumbnail. In a few seconds it will open on the same page.

Do you want to get to RuTracker.org? No problem! And by clicking on the star in the upper right corner of the window, you will add it to visual bookmarks Freemer browser.

To get additional information about any site from the catalog - description, search tags, screenshot home page, click on the thumbnail button " More details«.

To quickly navigate to this site from the description page, click " Play". It's that simple!

Second on the list best VPN services I would bet that he:

• cross-platform – works under Windows, Linux, OS X, Android and iOS;
• carries out proxying through servers of different countries;
• does not place restrictions on the volume of traffic;
• provides good connection speed;
• reliably hides the user’s original data;
• makes it possible to change information about operating system and web browser.

Other VPN service apps:

Bypassing blocking with the help of anonymizers is convenient and beautiful, but not without a flaw. The disadvantage of all such services is limited support: for example, they are useless for accessing gaming and multimedia portals. Often they do not open multi-structured web resources well - with numerous scripts and complex transitions. It happens that the design of pages is distorted - blocks are shifted and text spreads out. In short, it is better to use anonymizers for what they are designed for.

Browser turbo mode

Turbo mode, which speeds up the loading of web content, is also used to access blocked sites. True, not to everyone and not everywhere. Working in turbo mode, the browser routes traffic not along the usual path, but through a proxy server (intermediate network node), where data compression occurs. Bypassing blocking is an undocumented feature and a nice gift for users.

Option " Turbo"is available by default in Opera, Yandex.Browser and some web browsers for mobile platforms. In others it must be installed as an extension.

In Opera, the turbo mode activation button is located in the main menu:

In Yandex.Browser, the function is enabled in the settings:

Turbo expansion for Google Chrome is called "" (Traffic Saving), and Mozilla Firefox, unfortunately, it has no analogues today.

Browser extensions

To access blocked resources, it is convenient to use anonymizers in the form of browser extensions that direct web traffic first to proxy servers, and from there to the open spaces global network under changed IPs. So, if the site is closed to visitors from Russia, the IP address of another state will serve as the “key to the front door.”

The friGate CDN extension is designed to remove the blocking of resources that are subject to sanctions by government agencies, by the way, today our favorite ones are among them. The list of disgraced pages is stored in the application itself, and the user has the opportunity to add to it.

Proxy servers are located in different countries. When you open a prohibited page, a small window will show which country you are under. If you want to select a different server, click on the flag image.

friGate supports Opera, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome browsers.

There are other extensions with similar functions:

Unlike friGate, Zenmate, Browsec and Hola encrypt and redirect all browser traffic to servers scattered around the world.

Tor

The last lock bypass tool in today's review is. It uses “onion routing” technology, the essence of which is that all sent information is encrypted multiple times (layer-by-layer) and passes through a chain of intermediate nodes. This provides the highest level of anonymity and guarantees access to any blocked sites, although it significantly slows down communication.

For constant network surfing, Tor, as a rule, is not needed, but when all opportunities to get to the treasured resource have been exhausted, only it can save you.

And one more question worries many: by using means of bypassing the blocking, are we breaking the law? No! None of what I talked about in the article is prohibited in Russia. At least today we do not face any punishment for this.

On May 16, 2017, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed a decree on new sanctions against Russia, in connection with which all Internet providers must block access to the largest Russian social networks- and, as well as to Yandex services. In this article we wrote in detail how to bypass blocking on mobile devices and computers.

How to bypass blocking on a smartphone

The most in a simple way Bypassing blocking on a smartphone is to use VPN services. VPN is a virtual private intermediary network that allows you to access the Internet from a foreign IP address (device identifier). Programs that provide VPN need to be activated once, after which you can use the Internet and applications, bypassing any restrictions on the user’s location. The free services listed below demonstrate good speed - despite the use of servers in other countries, the loading speed of sites remains virtually unchanged.

VKontakte in Ukraine on Android

Hola is one of the most popular applications for spoofing your location on the Internet. Key Feature This program has the ability to establish a VPN connection for specific applications, and not for the entire network.

Touch VPN is another popular app for using VPN. It is notable for its large selection of available servers - you can “sit” from 19 countries, including Russia. The program has a warning function about connecting to an unsecured network. Thanks to this, you can always use VPN in public access points without worrying about the confidentiality of transmitted information.

VKontakte in Ukraine on iPhone/iPad

TunnelBear is one of the most popular VPN services in App Store, which became famous due to its simplicity, as well as its beautiful and clear design. The application is distributed free of charge, but provides only 500 MB of “anonymous Internet” per month. If you need unlimited access, you will have to pay.

Hola (left) and ZenMate (right) interface

There are a lot of browser extensions, here are just the most popular ones: Hola and ZenMate. In most cases, in extensions you must manually select the virtual server private network. To make the speed as fast as possible, you should specify one of the nearby regions.

Hola VPN for browsers:

• Firefox (direct link)
  

ZenMate for Browsers:

How Opera's built-in VPN function works

Another way to bypass location blocking is to use browsers with a built-in VPN. The most famous browser of this kind is Opera. This web browser has a built-in VPN that can be activated in the settings.

Virtual private networks in Tor

Another well-known browser is Tor, which uses a network of anonymous servers. Unlike all of the above methods, this browser is able to provide complete anonymity on the Internet. However, it is unlikely that the average user will need it.

Alternative methods to bypass blocking

Cameleo anonymizer main page

If the above methods of bypassing the blocking do not suit you, you can use anonymizers. An anonymizer is a website where you need to enter the address of the required web page (for example, vk.com), after which the anonymizer will download this page for itself, process it and transfer the data to the user on its behalf. This method is notable for the fact that it provides the ability to anonymously access blocked sites without installing additional software (browser, extension or VPN client). The most famous Russian anonymizers are: Cameleo, NoBlockMe and PingWay.

Another way to replace information about your location without using additional programs is to change the DNS server (a computer that stores a database of correspondences between IP addresses and domain names nodes).

To change DNS server on Windows 10, 8.1 or 8, you must follow these steps:

In the new window, left-click on the item “Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” or “IP version 4 (TCP/IPv4)”. After that, click on “Properties”.

In the tab that opens, select “Use the following DNS server addresses” and enter the addresses of public servers for DNS queries in the lower fields. For example, you can use Google Public DNS and enter 8.8.8.8 And 8.8.4.4 .

Check the box next to “Confirm settings on exit” and click the “OK” button.

Right-click on the Start icon and select Command Prompt (Admin).

IN command line enter the command ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter. Restart your computer.

The Internet is diverse. A huge amount of content of a very different nature is available to users around the world. However, this very content does not always coexist with the legal framework of a particular country, so regulatory authorities try in every possible way to hide resources from users by introducing restrictions and blocking. The Russian Federation was no exception, where users are also forced to resort to various tricks to open blocked Internet pages.

Opera browser and its integrated bypass system

To begin with, it’s worth taking a closer look Opera browser, which in 2016 acquired its own VPN (Virtual Private Network).

As part of the browser, this add-on is absolutely free, and its work is characterized by high levels of stability and speed of the Internet connection. Initially, the display of the launch button for this option is disabled; to activate it, you must perform the following steps:

• Call up the settings menu. In the latest versions of the browser, the settings icon is displayed on the express panel, and the menu can also be called up by typing “opera://settings/” in the address bar.
• On the left, click on the “Security” tab.
• In the main browser window, go down to the “VPN” block.
• Check the box next to “Enable VPN”, after which the required button will appear to the left of the address bar.

When you click on this button, the browser displays a drop-down menu in which you can enable or disable the option, go to the settings block, and also select the location of the servers that act as a network intermediary: Optimal location, Europe, America, Asia. Of course, using a VPN directly affects the connection speed; any speed testing service will help you test the servers and choose the most suitable one.

Browser extensions

In browsers that do not have a built-in anonymizer, bypassing the blocking is possible using add-ons that work on a principle similar to Opera VPN for encrypting session traffic inside the browser. The list of addons is impressive, the most popular of which are worth noting:

• friGate - used in Chrome browsers and Firefox and is a classic proxy add-on. It has its own updated list of resources, thanks to which access to the web addresses required by the user is maintained, and also maintains acceptable speed.
• Browsec VPN - available for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera, works as a proxy agent.
• Yandex Access - works on most browsers based on the Chromium engine. Designed primarily for free access to Yandex, VK and OK group sites.
• Data Saver is an addon for Chrome that compresses data to save traffic using Google servers. Due to recent events involving mass blocking of many IP addresses, operation may be unstable.
• - an add-on that works in Opera, Firefox and Chrome. Proxy anonymizer with the ability additional protection wireless connection.

VPN

The principle of operation of a VPN, the use of which is offered by third-party companies, is similar to what Opera VPN does, with the only difference being that the communication channel is encrypted not at the browser level, but at the network level, which allows you to organize secure network interaction without being tied to a specific browser. There are both paid and free services that provide this service. Free ones are the most popular among most users, but they most often offer limited services (speed and connection time, amount of data transferred, and possible lack of country selection).

Among the most frequently used services are:

• CyberGhost VPN is a program for Windows, Android, Mac OS and iOS that provides anonymous and confidential data transfer. It works through traditional IP address spoofing and traffic encryption.
• Hotspot Shield Free - can be used not only as a means of bypassing blocking, but also as a means of protecting personal data by sending data via HTTPS.
• OkayFreedom VPN is a classic service that offers the use of servers both in Russia and in the USA, Europe and Asia.
• SoftEther VPN is an interesting VPN project based on the voluntary interaction of ordinary network users from all over the world. The connection speed is noticeably lower, but a high-quality encryption level is offered.
• Avast SecureLine VPN - client-server application, developed for Windows, Android, Mac OS X and iOS. The ability to protect any networks, including wireless ones, as well as anonymize and encrypt data.
• F-Secure Freedome VPN is another multi-platform VPN client that, in addition to standard functionality, has the ability to block dangerous web pages and mobile applications.

DNS

Sometimes it is possible to bypass the blocking of a particular resource using forced change DNS The DNS server in this case will be used as a proxy server, redirecting user traffic. In this case, the blocking will not work, and there will be no problems with access to prohibited sites.

Now, in the era wireless devices, there is a router in almost every home. Therefore, it would be more expedient to change the DNS server on it. When setting up DNS on the router, any prohibited web page will be accessible from any device, and there is no need to change the DNS settings.

Several services providing similar services:

• Google Public DNS is a free service that is quite capable of acting as a high-quality replacement for a local provider’s domain name system due to its good bandwidth and stable connection.
• OpenDNS Premium DNS - in addition to the basic function of providing DNS, provides anti-phishing protection and blocking services malware. It implies a stable and reliable connection, as well as high speed.
• Norton ConnectSafe is a service that provides both DNS servers and local network protection from malicious sites. Does not require installation of specialized software.

Tor Browser

Tor is an organized proxy server system that uses virtual tunneling principles and provides anonymization as well as data encryption. This is achieved thanks to the so-called onion routing, which encrypts the transmitted data layer by layer at various network nodes. In addition, it is not subject to traffic analysis.

A free cross-platform client component of this complex network, the use of which virtually eliminates third party interference information exchange the user with the sites he needs, blocks information about the real IP address, and also easily bypasses site blocking.

Of course, with such a multi-component network organization, it is impossible to avoid the main problem - very low connection speed, although this is a more than reasonable price for complete anonymity and protection of personal data.