Choosing a secure VPN: what features to look for
Are you looking for a trustworthy, secure VPN? A very smart move, indeed. The main purpose of a VPN is providing online safety and privacy. So, it would be a paradox to use a service that might put you into danger, right? But, if you’re on the internet for the cat memes, as most are, you might not be familiar with some technicalities. In this article, you’ll learn what makes a VPN trustworthy and secure.
Pick the most suitable VPN
Here are some recommendations for what makes a VPN as secure as possible.
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Data logging policy
To tell if your VPN is secure, pick one that’s transparent about their logging policy. If you consider security a priority, you must not accept the idea of someone tracking your actions online. Because of that, you should go for a VPN that doesn’t keep any logs. A VPN service should clarify their position on log keeping in their privacy policy. If you choose a VPN that collects your information, keep in mind that it can be handed out to marketing or data mining companies.
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Encryption
You don’t have to read tons of Wikipedia articles to learn the VPN technology definition and principles. All you need is to find out if the VPN service offers military-grade encryption. Cybersecurity experts say that reputable VPNs use OpenVPN or IKEv2/IPsec protocols on their servers. These two are the most reliable and advanced protocols in the VPN industry. To find out a VPN meets these criteria, you can check their FAQ or contact support.
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Free trial or money-back guarantee
Before committing to a long-term plan, it would be wise to test out the VPN service. With a free trial, you’ll be able to see if this VPN meets your expectations. Let’s say, you only need a VPN to access The Office series on Netflix in the US. If it doesn’t work for this particular purpose, you don’t want to be stuck with a product you don’t need. A respectable and secure virtual private network service will offer a money-back guarantee for 30 days or give a free trial.
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24/7 customer service
Imagine: the soccer game you were looking forward to is on in an hour. But, due to geo-restrictions, it’s not available in your location. Good thing is that you have a VPN to circumvent these limits, right? Uh-oh! Something’s wrong–you try connecting to a VPN
server numerous times without any luck. Since you’re not sure where the problem is, it would be wise to contact customer service any time of a day. Trustworthy, secure VPN services offer customer support 24/7. A professional support representative will explain VPN connection issues and help you get it running.
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No address leaks
One of the functionalities of a VPN is masking your online identity. A reliable and secure VPN service will mask your IP, DNS and WebRTC addresses. But, how can you tell if a virtual private network does provide security?
First, find out what is your current IP address location. Then, connect to one of the VPN servers. Hit refresh and compare the results. If your information has been replaced with addresses of VPN, you’re good to go. But, if you can still see old information, it means your actions online are visible. You should contact customer support to get the problem sorted out.
Final words
So, if you’re looking for a trustworthy, secure VPN, that offers all these features, go for Atlas VPN. Why is this VPN secure? It’s transparent about their policies, offers top-notch online security and 24/7 customer support.
