In an age where everyone is trying to steal your personal data A VPN can aid you in avoiding that by keeping your online connections secure and private. While the promises of military-grade security or total invisibility may entice you, Consumer Reports Yael Grauer recommends looking for more evidence to prove that the service you are considering is legitimate.
It is a good idea to start with compatibility. Look for the service to support at a minimum, the most popular operating systems, which include Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. You’ll want to know the number of devices supported by the service and how many connections it can support simultaneously. Then, you’ll want to consider the number of available servers and their locations around the world. This will help you choose one that is close to home or offers high speeds when traveling to another country.
Certain allvpnnow.com/ services offer specific features, such as dedicated ‘Netflix servers that allow geo-restricted websites, or additional security measures like RAM-only servers (which erase data each time the service reboots) dark web monitoring and threat protection. Check the ownership structure of the company and determine if it has been involved in data breaches or privacy scandals in the past.
NordVPN was the most reliable overall service that we test. It has thousands of servers across the world in 94 countries. It also provides AES-256 encryption as well as ChaCha20, a reliable Kill Switch with split tunneling and an obfuscated server. It’s also one of the few providers to publish its detailed no-logs policy and engages PricewaterhouseCoopers for annual audits. The prices aren’t cheap, however you receive a variety of features for your money and a long-term, comprehensive plan that comes with a full 30-day money back guarantee.