VPNs haven't been useful since 2002

[FlyingClayDisk]

There are a lot of misconceptions and misapprehensions about encryption "invulnerability."

People rarely go the extra step in their imaginations and presume that if I send a 'secret' message to someone it 'needs' to be encrypted...  that may not be necessary.

I may also speak in a cryptic manner... while you may understand the message content, you may not understand the message meaning.  Messages can be layered in allegory, metaphor, double entendre, and numerous exceedingly subtle ways.  You many not be aware that my point of contact and I have 'understandings' that go beyond the mere linguistics.  Now multiply that with using multiple languages simultaneously, or referring to object external to the communication which might have an altered meaning, etc.

Cryptography is not merely a matter of codes... its a matter of encoding.

There are some encryption forms that will never be broken except by the creator and his target... you kind of have to think sideways to get past it.  Most technical writers marvel at the numerous and almost musical way things can be encrypted... but that's just the data... the math.  There's more to human communications than math.

Numbers stations are a good example of unbreakable codes.  Uniform blocks of numbers repeated over and over.  Random number changes at periodic intervals, then one number will change which equates to where to look up the location of the message in a subsequent string of blocks.  Then blocks of numbers, and more blocks of numbers.  There's no way to tell even how long a message is.  And by keeping message lengths uniform, no forensic pattern analysis can be performed (mathematical or otherwise).  It's just impossible to break.  A "1" in position #2 of a block of (5) might mean a <space>.  A "1" in the 2nd position of an identical (5) digit block might mean "G".  A "1" in the 2nd position of a 3rd block of (5) digits might be an instruction to look at the 2nd letter in on the cover of the Bible which is an "O".  And the next message is completely different with blocks of (5) random digits which are all meaningless and to be discarded.  There's just no way to crack something like that.  Plus, a digit could refer to a word

21379 21379 21379 21379 21300 21300 21300 21379 21379 21379 21379...on and on, 24 x 7 x 365 for decades on end.  Some have been on the air for 30+ years, just non-stop numbers.

It's really fascinating study when you look into it.  I spent a lot of time back in the 2000's listening to endless strings of numbers and studying the CONET project research publications.

Numbers stations are still out there too, which is a testament to their unbreakable security.