⑆ F-Secure's Freedome VPN vs. Sucuri's Firewall ⏚

Issues4Life · December 2022

F-Secure Freedome VPN Support ...

When I navigate to my website, using my FireFox browser on my macOS laptop (Big Sur), with my F-Secure VPN on and in Finland, there is one page on my website that does not show all of its content.

This particular page uses the following HTML code:

</div>

In the "x.html" file I use "JWPlayer" to display my videos:

So everyday, when I visit my website, I have to log into my SUCURI FIREWALL first and tell it to "ALLOW" the F-Secure VPN IP address I am using that day.

I predominantly use F-Secure's "Finland" VPN location, so my IP Addresses are either 95.175.___.___. or 85.194.___.___. as you can see below.

----| F-Secure VPN IP Addresses

I have been an F-Secure VPN customer for a long time and love F-Secure ...

Nevertheless ...

Above is a list of the F-Secure VPN IP Addresses I have had to tell my SUCURI FIREWALL to "ALLOW" (so far) in order for me to read all of the HTML content on my website.

As you can see, I have had to add the F-Secure VPN IP Address I get that day, to my SUCURI FIREWALL "ALLOW" list many, many times ...

And again, when I add my F-Secure VPN IP Address, to my SUCURI FIREWALL "ALLOW" list, all is well and I can see all of the HTML content on my website.

So, I recently contacted my SUCURI FIREWALL SUPPORT to learn why I have to tell my SUCURI FIREWALL to "ALLOW" my F-Secure VPN IP Address ...

My SUCURI FIREWALL SUPPORT is telling me this:

-------------------------------|

SUCURI FIREWALL SUPPORT QUOTE:

-------------------------------|

"I am pretty sure that if you do not add your VPN IPs to the allowlist they are getting blocked with [THE] BLOCK02 signature. It means that the IP is blocked based on the external blocked IP database that we use. We use IP DBs for blocklist tracking from maxmind, alient vault, our internal one, etc. VPN IPs can be in those eternal blocks. The recommendation here would be to either allow your IP or to change [YOUR] VPN provider so that you have a different IP range."

-------------------------------|

Now, I can remember when any of the F-Secure VPN locations I used, had only one (1) IP address. Now, it appears, that each F-Secure VPN location has multiple IP Addresses.

And to make matters worst ...

My SUCURI FIREWALL is telling me (as you can see from above), that if I do not want to keep telling my SUCURI FIREWALL to "ALLOW" my F-Secure VPN IP address, to get another VPN service.

I DO NOT WANT TO GET ANOTHER VPN SERVICE ...

I trust F-Secure and recommend F-Secure everywhere I go ...

So, can you help me ...

Is there anything, I can do to remedy this situation ...

Of will I have to choose, to either discontinue using my website's SUCURI FIREWALL or discontinue using my F-Secure VPN service ...

I am hoping, you can help me.

Edit: PII removed

Firmy · January 2023

Hello @Issues4Life

Happy New Year. Thank you for your comment.

After you've watched the movie, let me know and please delete the QuickTime movie link from our discussion. I'll then delete it from my server.

I have removed the video from this discussion.

Here is a QuickTime movie of what I see when a access that specific page (after I have updated my SUCURI Firewall to "allow" the F-Secure "Finland" IP address).

After I have updated my SUCURI Firewall to "allow" the F-Secure "Finland" IP address, all the videos load and play just fine.

From the video, I can see that you can play the video on your website.

Please also note that I do not know if your IP address was blocked by our SUCURI Firewall.

You could check with the SUCURI firewall if they blocked our IPs. Because if the IP is blocked by their system, only they can access the information.

• Recently ( "sort-of" ) F-Secure also updated their Freedome VPN protection services, moving to "semi-static" IPs ...

F-Secure FREEDOME VPN is using semi-static for a long time, as far as I know, since 2018.

In the past, before the SUCURI and F-Secure Freedome VPN updates, I HAD NO PROBLEMS with the videos playing on my website, regardless of the HTML code I used to display the videos ...

I understand, however, is it possible that this is caused by the protection with SUCURI? I tried to access the website on my end without any VPN, I cannot play the video also.

You may try it on your end to access it by F-Secure FREEDOME VPN is turned off. I tested on my end with multiple platforms, I face the same issue. The video cannot be played with and without the VPN.

I hope I give you some ideas.

Thank you and Happy New Year 2023.

Firmy · December 2022

Hello @Issues4Life

Thank you for your post.

We are checking this matter with our FREEDOME team.

We will get back to you once we have received more information from them.

Thank you and have a good day.

Firmy · December 2022

Hello @Issues4Life

It is possible that the website is not categorized correctly in our system.

Kindly provide me with the URL. We will check this on our end and let you know further.

Thank you and Merry Christmas.

Issues4Life · December 2022

Firmy ...

Here is the website: xxxxxxxxx

Can we keep this "URL" between us and comment it out of this discussion ??

Again, thank you for your help and Merry Christmas & Happy New Year ...

Edit: PII removed

Firmy · December 2022

Hello @Issues4Life

Thank you for your reply.

I have removed the URL in the previous comment.

I tested the website on our end with FREEDOME connected to the Finland node, we have no issue accessing the website. Is there a particular error you received?

In the "x.html" file I use "JWPlayer" to display my videos:

You mentioned that you use JWPlayer to display your videos. Is it the video is not able to be played?

there is one page on my website that does not show all of its content.

Could you provide the specific page you are not able to show the content? Or perhaps a screenshot, so, we can take a look into it.

Now, I can remember when any of the F-Secure VPN locations I used, had only one (1) IP address. Now, it appears, that each F-Secure VPN location has multiple IP Addresses.

F-Secure FREEDOME will not use a true static IP address. However, each virtual private location (country) users are connected to, has a limited number of IP addresses and these are "semi-static" and this means it is dynamic in behaviour because it could change at any point for various reasons to new "semi-static" IPs.

Thank you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too.

Issues4Life · December 2022

Firmy ...

---| F-Secure Question #1: Start |---

I tested the website on our end with FREEDOME connected to the Finland node, we have no issue accessing the website. Is there a particular error you received?

---| F-Secure Question #1: Stopp |---

You may not get an error ...

As you know, I have kept track of the F-Secure FREEDOME VPN Finland node IP addresses ( and thank you for commenting them out of this discussion ) so our SUCURI Firewall will allow the playing of videos on a specific page on our website.

If you are going to "test things," please send me the F-Secure FREEDOME VPN Finland node IP address that you are using, or are going to use ... and I will delete that F-Secure FREEDOME VPN Finland node IP address from the list of "Allowed IP Addresses" within our SUCURI FireWall.

Then you can see what I am talking about ...

--|| Delete The Following After Reading: Start |>

--|| Delete The Following After Reading: Stopp |>

Let me know what you see when you access that specific page.

---| F-Secure Question #2: Start |---

You mentioned that you use JWPlayer to display your videos. Is it the video is not able to be played?

---| F-Secure Question #2: Stopp |---

Yes, in fact, all of the videos do not play.

However, once I tell our SUCURI Firewall to allow the F-Secure FREEDOME Finland node IP address, in play at that time, all of the videos play just fine.

---| F-Secure Statement: Start |---

F-Secure FREEDOME will not use a true static IP address. However, each virtual private location (country) users are connected to, has a limited number of IP addresses and these are "semi-static" and this means it is dynamic in behaviour because it could change at any point for various reasons to new "semi-static" IPs.

---| F-Secure Statement: Stopp |---

May I assume, that using "semi-static" IPs is more secure that using a true static IP address?

Finally, our team loves and trust "F-Secure".

As such, and again, we will continue to point everyone we work with to the services and products of "F-Secure".

Please let "F-Secure" know how we feel.

Edit: PII removed

Firmy · December 2022

Hi @Issues4Life

Thank you for your comment.

Let me know what you see when you access that specific page.

I tested on my end without using FREEDOME VPN. The page is okay; however, I cannot play the videos on the page. The video just loads and gives an error.

May I know do the website is restricted to a certain geolocation?

In my opinion, there might be some configuration that needs to be done on the website or the SUCURI Firewall since I also cannot play the video from my end without FREEDOME VPN turned on.

May I assume, that using "semi-static" IPs is more secure that using a true static IP address?

Yes, using semi-static IPs will change your IP address to protect your connection. Our server is hosted by the AWS cloud service, the IPs will change at certain times.

As such, and again, we will continue to point everyone we work with to the services and products of "F-Secure"

We appreciate your support and feedback. We will keep doing our best to provide the best protection to all users.

Thank you and have a good day.

Issues4Life · December 2022

Firmy ...

---| F-Secure Question #1: Start |---

Let me know what you see when you access that specific page.

---| F-Secure Question #1: Stopp |---

Here is a QuickTime movie ( ) of what I see when a access that specific page ( after I have updated my SUCURI Firewall to "allow" the F-Secure Freedome VPN "Finland" IP address ).

After I have updated my SUCURI Firewall to "allow" the F-Secure Freedome VPN "Finland" IP address, all the videos load and play just fine.

---| F-Secure Question #1: Start |---

May I know do [ if ] the website is restricted to a certain geolocation?

---| F-Secure Question #1: Stopp |---

No, the website is not restricted to any geolocations

Thank you for all of your efforts to help us.

--|| Delete The Following After Reading: Start |>

After you've watched the movie, let me know and please delete the QuickTime movie link from our discussion. I'll then delete it from my server.

--|| Delete The Following After Reading: Stopp |>

Edit: PII removed

Issues4Life · December 2022

---| F-Secure Question #1: Start |---

In my opinion, there might be some configuration that needs to be done on the website or the SUCURI Firewall since I also cannot play the video from my end without FREEDOME VPN turned on.

---| F-Secure Question #1: Stopp |---

Just a thought ...

I wonder if the iframe code makes a difference ...

I use "JWPlayer" in many places on our website, without the <iframe> code and the videos play ...

For instance, there isn't any iframe code on our home page.

Again, just a thought.

Issues4Life · December 2022

Firmy ...

---| F-Secure Question #1: Start |---

Let me know what you see when you access that specific page.

---| F-Secure Question #1: Stopp |---

Here is a QuickTime movie of what I see when a access that specific page (after I have updated my SUCURI Firewall to "allow" the F-Secure "Finland" IP address).

After I have updated my SUCURI Firewall to "allow" the F-Secure "Finland" IP address, all the videos load and play just fine.

---| F-Secure Question #1: Start |---

Let me know what you see when you access that specific page.

---| F-Secure Question #1: Stopp |---

No, the website is not restricted to any geolocations.

Please also note that I do not know if your IP address was blocked by our SUCURI Firewall.

Also note, that I have enjoyed both F-Secure Freedome VPN services ( long before F-Secure started using "semi-static" IPs ) and SUCURI Firewall services for many years now ...

• Recently ( "sort-of" ) SUCURI updated their protection services and ...

• Recently ( "sort-of" ) F-Secure also updated their Freedome VPN protection services, moving to "semi-static" IPs ...

In the past, before the SUCURI and F-Secure Freedome VPN updates, I HAD NO PROBLEMS with the videos playing on my website, regardless of the HTML code I used to display the videos ...

FROM SUCURI:

"I do see that you use VPN IPs and I checked the latest one that you allowed 95.175.104.164. I didn't see that it was blocked in the logs, but I am pretty sure that if you do not add your VPN IPs to the allowlist they are getting blocked with BLOCK02 signature. It means that the IP is blocked based on the external blocked IP database that we use. We use IP DBs for blocklist tracking from maxmind, alient vault, our internal one, etc. VPN IPs can be in those eternal blocks. The recommendation here would be to either allow your IP or to change VPN provider so that you have a different IP range."

So far, everyone is telling me to choose one service or the other ...

I hope this can work this out ...

Thank you for all of your efforts to help us ...

Issues4Life · December 2022

Firmy ...

Can F-Secure answer this question from my SUCURI Firewall Support Team?

---|

SUCURI QUESTION: Were you able to check with your VPN provider if the IP in question, or range of IP's is currently compromised or showing up as blacklisted?

---|

Thanks.

Issues4Life · January 2023

Firmy ...

Our SUCURI Firewall allows for "Additional Security Headers" to be added to our site.

These "Additional Security Headers" will add recommended security headers to our site in order to protect us against some forms of XSS and clickjacking attacks.

If we allow other sites to "iFrame" our content ( and we do not ), WE ARE NOT to enable this option, as the following headers will be added: X-XSS-Protection, X-Frame-Options.

While WE DO NOT allow others to "iFrame" any of our content, we nevertheless, disabled ( i.e., turned off ) the "Additional Security Headers" on our SUCURI Firewall.

Since we have done this, we are still testing our website. As you know we have to tell our SUCURI Firewall to "Allow" the F-Secure Freedome VPN IP Addresses. Our list of "Allowed" IPs is growing pretty large.

If we come across a Secure Freedome VPN IP Address in Finland, that is not on our list of "Allowed" IPs, at that point, we will be able to continue our testing.

So, you may be testing our site on your end, but your IP Address may "NOT BE ALLOWED" and that, I believe, would explain your results.

Thank you for your help.

⑆ F-Secure's Freedome VPN vs. Sucuri's Firewall ⏚

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