Explainer: Why free VPN services are so risky and what to lo...

SINGAPORE -- A Chinese national was recently arrested in Singapore for allegedly infecting millions of computers around the world with malware bundled in free Virtual Private Network (VPN) programmes. Wang Yunhe, 35, was arrested on May 24 in a multi-jurisdiction operation led by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). The Singapore Police Force (SPF) was among the law enforcement agencies involved in his arrest. VPN services allow users to browse privately or access content on streaming websites that may be blocked in certain places. The DOJ said in a press release on May 24 that Wang allegedly bundled the malware through VPN programmes such as MaskVPN and DewVPN, and also with pirated software. He allegedly disseminated the malware to amass a network of millions of infected Windows computers in homes worldwide and created a residential proxy service known as "911 S5". A res...