A VPN can protect your data by ensuring your connections are secure and secure. While the promises of military-grade security or invisibility may entice you, Consumer Reports Yael Grauer suggests that you look for more evidence to prove that a service you are considering is legitimate.
Start by checking compatibility. The service should work with at least the most popular operating systems, such as Windows, macOS check my blog and Linux, Android, and iOS. Then you want to check the number of devices it supports, as well as the number of simultaneous connections it offers. It is also important to know the number of servers available and their locations around world. This can help you pick one that is close to home or gives you high speeds when traveling abroad.
Some services offer specialized services, such as dedicated ‘Netflix’ servers that unblock geo-restricted platforms, or extra security measures like RAM-only servers (which erase data every when the service is rebooted), dark web monitoring and security measures to protect against threats. Find out the ownership structure of the business and if it has had any data breaches or privacy scandals in the past.
The best overall service we tested was NordVPN with its thousands of servers in 94 countries AES-256 and ChaCha20 encryption, a reliable kill switch as well as split tunneling and obfuscated servers. It’s also one of the few providers to publish its detailed no-logs policy and engages PricewaterhouseCoopers for annual audits. The cost isn’t cheap however, you’ll get a lot for your money. A long-term plan that is generous includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.