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I want to know if I run OpenVPN when I want to log in to websites (like Gmail etc.....) is my username/password in danger? Can they monitor saved passwords in my browser or anything else?
I'm new to these things. Is there any security danger with OpenVPN for, for example, personal files?

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It depends on who manages the OpenVPN server.

A VPN allows you to connect your computer to a remote network in a secure way: the traffic between your computer and that network is encrypted. This protects you from the intermediate networks (including the local one, on which you plugged in your computer) from seeing your traffic (they see a stream of encrypted data).

  • If you installed the remote OpenVPN server and manage the service then you would be only vulnerable to a backdoor implemented in the software you downloaded. If you downloaded it from the original OpenVPN web site then you are OK.

  • If someone runs the OpenVPN server for you then it is a matter of trust. They could install whatever they want to spy on your connection. This also includes the case where the server is be installed on an appliance you receive as part of your Internet subscription (the French provider Free would be an example).

Please note however that most of the well known sites are now HTTPS, which means that the traffic is encrypted between your browser and the target site. This is in addition to the VPN tunnel. In other words, someone spying on your traffic within the VPN will still see encrypted traffic, because of HTTPS (which is completely independent on the VPN tunnel).

To summarize: running a VPN connection to a trusted site is a good idea. Even though you are protected by HTTPS when browsing specific sites, a VPN completely hides the traffic for the local network (and, usually less importantly, for the intermediate ones):

  • someone looking your traffic will only see one connection to the VPN server without any details
  • your computer does nor expose any services locally (which may be vulnerable)
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  • so with the research i did if use original software of OpenVpn there will be no danger with my passwords and that site is provide vpn cant see my passwords anyway?
    – Raminlich
    Commented Jul 8, 2015 at 13:18
  • If the site uses HTTPS no , if they use HTTP they can...as well any person in the internet after it leaves the VPN server
    – Freedo
    Commented Jul 8, 2015 at 13:31
  • @Raminlich: you can imagine that a site in https://... ensures security between your browser and that site, no matter the underlying network. So VPN or not, your passwords are encrypted in transit. VPN adds an extra layer of security on top of that. Feel free to accept the answer if it answered your question (this is the check mark under the upvote counter which then turns green)
    – WoJ
    Commented Jul 8, 2015 at 17:44

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