There are now over a hundred VPN providers located across the world. To create this list of the best VPN service providers, I test customer service, the reliability of their network, and commitment to privacy.
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The Best Privacy-Friendly Services & Apps Of 2020 (September Update)
Here are my recommended private and secure services. I’ve chosen services that are reasonably easy to use and don’t require deep technical knowledge.
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Three Essential Encrypted Cloud Services (Updated For 2020)
Bitwarden + Sync.Com + Protonmail This is is my recommended combination of cloud providers. These private clouds are secure enough for most use cases.
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The Best VPNs For Iran
To bypass the Internet restrictions in Iran, we recommend using the following VPNs (Virtual Private Networks):
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The Best VPN For China In 2020
In China, VPNs have been blocked at the protocol level (including corporate VPNs). However, the VPN providers listed in this article use stealth techniques to hide their VPN traffic.
pCloud: A Cloud Provider That Offers Encrypted And Non-Encrypted Folders
pCloud is a secure cloud provider. The name is a bit unfortunate, but I’ve found their service to be reliable and well designed. pCloud is the first cloud storage provider to offer both encrypted and non-encrypted folders in the same account. The company explains why this makes sense: Although at first thought it is the most natural approach to just …
Tresorit: Cloud File Storage With End-To-End Encryption
Tresorit is a new encrypted cloud stroage provider, based in Switzerland. I’ve been testing their service for a few months, and it has performed well. Tresorit works in a familar Dropbox-type fashion. However, the difference is that Tresorit encrypts your files before they are uploaded to the cloud. This is what is called “end-to-end encryption”. It means your files are …
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Bitwarden: A Faster Alternative To Lastpass
Bitwarden is now my recommended password manager. This free, open source application is a replacement for properitary password managers like Lastpass and 1Password.
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How To Hide OpenVPN Connections In China
If you are using OpenVPN in China, even on port 443, you may find that your connections are unstable. The problem is that Chinese government can detect the difference between “normal” SSL encryption and VPN encryption.
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A Guide To Avoiding Ransomware (Part 1)
Ransomware is malicious software that allows a hacker to access an individual or company computer, encrypt your data resident on it and then demand some form of payment to decrypt it. This lets hackers hold your data hostage – and hence the term “ransom”. Victims can regain access to their files only by paying the ransom, or by restoring from a backup that was hopefully not on a network that was accessible to the compromised computer.
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The Best Web Browsers for Privacy and Security
Which Web browser should you use if you are concerned about privacy? From Tor Browser to commercial offerings like Comodo Dragon to a DIY approach, there are lots of options to choose from. Keep reading for an overview and tips on finding the best browser for privacy and security. There is no one-size-fits all solution for private Web browsing. Instead, …
How to Use Encryption Effectively on Android Phones
Android phones and tablets have come with built-in encryption support for several years. Since the Android Lollipop release in 2014 encryption has even been turned on by default. But that doesn’t necessarily mean your Android personal data is secure. There are additional steps you should take to prevent access to your data in case your device is stolen. Here’s what …
New Tails OS 2.0 Release Updates Privacy Features
Tails OS 2.0, the latest version of the privacy-focused Linux-based operating system, is out this week. It features a new interface and many application updates, including version 5.5 of the Tor browser. Tails 2.0 is designed to provide comprehensive, out-of-the-box privacy features. It comes with built-in Tor encryption for all network connections (not just the browser), as well as extra …
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How To: Protect Your Privacy on Usenet
When you access Usenet, you probably don’t want your true identity to be revealed. Nor do you want your ISP or another party to be able to monitor what you upload and download. Here are tips for using Usenet privately. Connect with SSL encryption. SSL is the best way to protect your activity from snooping because it encrypts all of …
SLOTH Attacks Weaken HTTPS Privacy
Security vulnerabilities based on the MD5 hashing function make it possible to decrypt network data or impersonate servers in order to steal private information, according to researchers from the INRIA institute in France. MD5 is a cryptographic hash function. That means it translates data into a “hash,” or jumbled piece of information. In theory, the jumbled data cannot be reverse-translated …
Which VPN Protocol Should You Use? PPTP vs. OpenVPN vs. IPsec
All VPNs encrypt traffic, but the underlying encryption schemes are not always the same. There are three main types of encryption and data transfer protocols that VPNs can use: PPTP, OpenVPN and IPsec. Many VPN services let you choose which protocol to use. Read on for an overview of each option. PPTP PPTP is one of the oldest forms of …
The Pros and Cons of Using Tor for Online Privacy
Tor lets you browse the Internet anonymously. But to use it effectively, you should understand what it does and what it doesn’t do. Here’s a concise summary of things to know about Tor. As an online privacy solution, Tor offers lots of advantages. These include: It’s free. It’s relatively easy to set up and use. For most people, downloading and …
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How To: Use HTTPS Everywhere for Browser Privacy
HTTPS Everywhere is a browser extension that automatically encrypts Web traffic with SSL protection whenever it is available. Here’s how to use it, and what you should know about its limitations. About HTTPS Everywhere Under the HTTPS protocol, data is encrypted so that people monitoring your network connection cannot read what you send or receive through the browser. HTTPS is …