The virtual private network (VPN) is in a flurry due to massive marketing budgets as well as collaborations between influencers. But navigating the burgeoning market can be difficult, and claims of features and benefits aren’t always correct. Consumer Reports online security expert Yael Grüner suggests searching for open source software, reproducible builds, and current support for industry standard protocols.
CyberGhost makes a strong case for itself by promoting its zero-logs policy that promises not to record your internet activities or IP address; The apps are compatible with all major operating systems and feature an encryption of 256 bits and a kill switch. It also offers leak protection and the ability to connect using an unspecified port. It also scored higher on our internet speed tests than most of the other VPNs we tested, although that might be a fluke or the result of the shaping of traffic by your ISP. It also provides additional tools, such as Threat Protection, Onion Over VPN and Double VPN.
Nord is another alternative that has scored well in our tests. This includes a good performance in our geoblocking testing and streaming testing. Its apps are robust and fairly pleasant to use however a mapping-based interface can be a bit difficult to navigate on smaller screens. It is compatible with a variety of routers, Kodi TV set top boxes and has the most geographic reach of our picks. It’s an excellent choice for watching Netflix outside of the United States and has dedicated Windflix servers specifically for this purpose. It recently added a feature dubbed Perfect Forward Secrecy which protects data by using a different key for each session. This makes it difficult for hackers to decrypt previous activity.