The virtual private network (VPN) is in a flurry, thanks in part to massive marketing budgets and collaborations between influencers. It’s not easy to navigate the rapidly growing VPN market, and a lot of the assertions made about its features and benefits might not be accurate. Consumer Reports’ online security expert Yael Grauer suggests searching for open-source software, reliable builds and up-to-date support for industry-standard protocols.
CyberGhost is able to make a convincing case for itself by promoting its zero-logs policy that promises to never record your internet activities or IP address; apps are available for all major operating systems and offer an encryption of 256 bits and a kill how secure is betternet switch. It also offers leak protection and the ability to connect through a random port. It also scored better in our internet speed tests than many of the other VPNs we tested, though this could be due to a chance or a result of traffic shaping by your ISP. It also has a number of additional tools such as Threat Protection, Onion over VPN and Double VPN.
Nord is another option that has scored well in our tests. This includes a solid performance in our geoblocking tests and streaming tests. The apps are incredibly powerful and quite easy to use, but a map-based interface can be a bit difficult to navigate on smaller screens. It’s compatible with a variety of routers and Kodi TV set-top boxes and is one of the most extensive geographical reach of our selections. It’s also a great option to watch international Netflix and has dedicated ‘Windflix’ servers for this purpose. Recently, it added a feature known as Perfect Forward Secrecy, which secures data with a different key each session. This makes it harder for hackers decrypt past activity.