Security Issue and Concerns

VPN is not really for many folks like grandparents, our parents, older generations, kids, non-technical folks. Thanks for the suggestion, but VPN is not what I am advocating about.

I also don't consider them equivalent exposures, and would rate the VPN as a higher security risk honestly. Create a 0-day for the ChannelsDVR software or create a 0-day for a VPN. Which one is more likely to happen? I'd lean heavily towards the VPN...

Sounds like you have some strong opinions on what is "good" network security. For example, the comment that a VPN is a higher security risk makes me sit up and take notice. I'm wondering if you know about some flaws in VPNs that I'm not aware of. If you don't use a VPN to connect securely to your network and the world, then what do you use? Port knocking? Air gapping? 2FA? I'm always keen to learn the latest tricks and tips from others on good network security. Out of curiosity, what kind of network setup do you have? What tools and techniques do you have in place to keep your network safe?

1 Like

What I'm trying to convey is that most security researchers are going to focus more on applications that more people use, which is why there's a lot more Windows based vulnerabilities than anything else... because most people use Windows, not that's it's more security. Windows has a higher security risk than Mac and Linux only for that simple fact. The higher risk doesn't make it more secure, just like it doesn't make using a VPN more secure than using Channels, but the risk is probably higher with a VPN.

And yes, I do use OpenVPN to connect back to my home network. But I also use Channels DVR to remotely connect to my Channels server while I'm out and about in hotels and at my extended family's. Most of my remote connections though are done using sub-domains though instead of exposing the default port, so 80 and 443 are open but other ports generally aren't. This limits the exposure, but it's still accessible for people who know how to look for it.