• NordVPN blocked over 5 million malware attempts in January alone
• 99% of phishing attacks impersonate just 300 brands
• AI tools and fraud kits mean attackers no longer need advanced skills

We are well past the days when a cyberattack meant mass-mailing a poorly spelled virus. In 2026, cybercriminals are heavily leveraging generative AI to make their scams highly personal, industrializing fraud on a massive scale.

That is the stark warning from the Consumer Cybersecurity Report: Dismantling the Evolving Threat Landscape, published today by NordVPN. Analyzing threat intelligence data from the first half of the year, the prominent cybersecurity and best VPN provider uncovered that the most exploited vulnerability right now isn't outdated software; it is human trust.

Armed with unrestricted AI models and ready-to-use fraud kits, scammers have drastically lowered the entry barrier for digital crime. The focus has decisively shifted from complex technical exploits to highly targeted campaigns that weaponize greed, urgency, and our faith in familiar brands.

"Bad actors are weaponizing our natural instinct to believe what we see and hear," says Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN, warning that these attacks no longer require advanced skills or significant resources. "Anyone with an internet connection can launch them."

It's in this context that "A single human error is now more likely than ever and likely to be more devastating than ever," Briedis added.

The numbers behind the threat

NordVPN analyzes 12 million unique URLs daily, blocking an average of 130,000 malicious pages every 24 hours before they can reach a user — a critical defense mechanism as NordVPN’s antivirus tool continues to block massive volumes of malicious sites.

Malware remains the single largest threat by volume. January 2026 saw a massive peak of over 5 million blocked attempts as attackers preyed on post-holiday shoppers. Most of these were infostealers aiming to grab saved login credentials.

The US was the hardest hit with 4.89 million attempts across the first half of the year, followed by the UK (2 million) and Germany (1.32 million).

Phishing is equally rampant. NordVPN blocked over 4.4 million phishing attempts in the first half of the year, noting that 99% of these attacks impersonate a narrow list of just 300 brands, often disguised as fake job recruiter campaigns.

Microsoft was the most impersonated company (16.12%), followed by Roblox (12.32%), Google (9.94%), and Netflix (5.99%). Adding to the danger, attackers frequently exploit the trusted .com domain, which accounts for 43.2% of all intercepted scams.

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Hijacked sessions and the Dark Web

While users are increasingly wary of downloading fake apps or clicking shady links hidden in pirate sites, attackers are finding stealthier ways in.

Between January 1 and May 26, 2026, a staggering 94 billion cookies were exposed online. Of these, 1.2 billion were active session cookies, which cybercriminals can use to hijack accounts without needing a password, often completely bypassing multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Once data is stolen, it is swiftly commodified. Using its Dark Web Monitoring tools, NordVPN identified 8.4 million compromised accounts in just 90 days.

Frighteningly, over 47% of the exchanged data involved physical addresses and full names, allowing attackers to weave digital and real-world identifiers together into comprehensive victim profiles.

Telephony isn't safe, either. Between the service's launch and June 16, NordVPN blocked nearly 29,000 scam calls and issued spam warnings to over 525,000 users.

How to stay safe

Because technical barriers for criminals are lower than ever, defensive strategies must evolve. NordVPN's report stresses that consumer protection now requires a mix of both technological defenses and behavioral resilience.

Alongside using security tools like a virtual private network (VPN) and antivirus software, users must cultivate a healthy skepticism. If a message, email, or website demands urgent action or offers something too good to be true, pause and verify.

In the age of AI-driven fraud, a moment of hesitation is your best line of defense.

Proton's Unlimited plan has dropped $120, making now the cheapest time to ditch Google entirely, should you wish.

The plan includes everything you'd expect from Google's privacy-unfriendly suite: Docs, Drive, Calendar, Mail, Sheets, and so on. But, it also throws in extras such as Proton VPN, one of the best VPNs available, and Proton Pass, a premium password manager which includes the super-handy email aliasing feature.

Normally, the Proton Unlimited bundle costs $12.99 per month over two years, billed as $311.76.

This deal brings a 38% discount, making it $7.99/month. That saves $120, bringing the total 2-year cost to $191.76.

Unlike Google's suite, all of Proton's tools are end-to-end encrypted and ad-free. This means whatever you send, upload, or create is protected from snoopers looking to intercept your information to use maliciously or sell online.

This is the lowest Proton Unlimited price we've seen in 2026 but we don't know how long it'll last. So, if you're interested, sign up now to lock in the deal, and you can always make use of Proton's 30-day money-back guarantee if you change your mind.

While ditching Google entirely might seem scary, Proton is taking steps to make it as simple as possible.

Its 'Easy Switch' tool sits at the heart of this. It allows you to sign into your old email account, from which Proton automatically pulls information such as your emails, contacts, and calendar.

Files aren't quite so slick but Proton has guides for transferring from services such as Google Drive, OneDrive and more to help you get started.

I've used Proton's privacy suite for nearly two years now. Since the addition of Meet and Sheets (alongside Calendar, Docs, Drive, Mail, Pass and Wallet) it now feels more like Google Workspace than ever, and it's all far more secure.

All of the tools included can be signed up for separately. Most are pricey on their own but the Unlimited bundle makes it really good value.

• Proton VPN has added a China Smart Routing server
• Main use case is connecting to Chinese content and services from abroad
• Proton joins a short list of VPNs offering a (virtual) Chinese IP

Proton VPN has just added one of the hardest server locations in the industry to offer: China.

As of September 3, 2026, Proton VPN offers Smart Routing servers in China, adding a Chinese IP address to a network that already spans well over 140 countries.

It's notable because a genuine China option is something even some of the best VPN services don't provide. Serving up a Chinese IP address is technically and politically fraught, and the list of providers willing to do it is short.

How Proton's new China VPN server works

The new China location isn't a physical VPN server inside the country.

Instead, it uses Proton's Smart Routing technology, which lets the provider offer servers in countries where it might not otherwise be able to, using infrastructure located elsewhere. In China's case, that infrastructure sits in Hong Kong.

When you connect, you appear to access the internet from China while keeping all of Proton's features and security.

These servers run on Proton's own bare-metal hardware, so they're as secure as any other on the network.

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When you should use Proton's China VPN server

Proton is being careful about expectations. In a comment on the X thread announcing the change, Proton VPN's General Manager emphasised that "the primary supported use-case is for connecting *into* China from abroad to reach Chinese content and services."

In plain terms, this server is for people outside China who need to look like they're inside it: expats, travellers, and businesses reaching region-locked Chinese platforms, banking apps, or streaming.

It is not a fix for people inside China trying to escape the Great Firewall, though there is still some chance that Proton can help with that.

Getting a Chinese IP from a VPN is rare, because most providers don't offer a China server at all. Only a handful do: Private Internet Access, CyberGhost, and PureVPN all use servers to hand you a virtual Chinese IP.

Most of the bigger names, however, don't. ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and NordVPN don't offer a dedicated China server location. Their focus is the opposite direction, helping users inside China tunnel out via obfuscation, rather than providing a domestic Chinese presence.

If beating the Great Firewall from inside China is your goal, though, read our guide to the best VPN for China.

• Proton VPN sign-ups in Vietnam have spiked 450%
• New law mandates extensive internet logging and user identification
• It follows a similar August spike, triggered by severe social media fines

For internet users in Vietnam, preserving online privacy is becoming an increasingly uphill battle. Following the introduction of a restrictive new cybersecurity law, demand for the best VPN services has skyrocketed as citizens seek to protect their digital footprints from encroaching government surveillance.

According to data from the Proton VPN Observatory shared by David Peterson, General Manager at Proton VPN, new sign-ups from Vietnam have spiked by a staggering 450% above the usual baseline.

The massive influx of new users aligns directly with the enactment of sweeping new internet regulations, which tighten online speech controls and place heavy data-logging obligations on internet service providers (ISPs) and tech companies.

Talking to TechRadar, Peterson confirmed that daily registrations reached 450% above baseline on September 1. "This is on top of an elevated level following the 170% spike after the fake news fines in July, and another in August," he added.

A growing threat to digital privacy

The latest surge in VPN usage isn't an isolated incident, in fact. This 450% spike follows a similar increase recorded just last month when the Proton VPN Observatory logged an initial jump in sign-ups.

That earlier surge coincided with the government introducing severe financial penalties for individuals sharing what authorities broadly define as "fabricated" or "false" information on social media.

By forcing domestic and foreign telecommunications platforms to store granular user data, including IP addresses and account names, the Vietnamese government is rapidly shrinking the space for anonymous online expression.

"It's difficult to isolate a single driver of this surge in VPN use," Peterson noted. "A flurry of laws and fines — from social media penalties to crypto crackdowns and ISP logging requirements —have compounded one another. But they all send a single message to the Vietnamese public that ordinary online activity now carries legal risk."

According to Peterson, this environment is driving demand for VPNs in ways no single measure could achieve alone. "A secondary factor is that some Vietnamese news outlets (and their social media accounts) that have been subject to censorship have been recommending VPNs to their readers," he added.

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What this means for people in Vietnam

For everyday internet users in Vietnam, these sweeping rules mean that ISPs and tech platforms now possess a highly detailed, identifiable record of their online activities. This could create a chilling effect on free speech, as expressing dissenting opinions on social media platforms can now easily lead to significant financial fines or further legal action.

This is exactly why virtual private networks (VPN) have become an essential lifeline. A reliable VPN encrypts a user's web traffic, ensuring that local ISPs and government monitors cannot see which websites they are visiting or what messages they are sending. Furthermore, VPNs mask the user's actual IP address, making it significantly harder for third parties to track their physical location.

However, it is worth noting that while a VPN protects data in transit, it does not bypass the legal requirement to provide identification when registering for local social media accounts or trading platforms.

As internet restrictions continue to tighten, the continued surge in Proton VPN registrations highlights a clear reality: when governments attempt to clamp down on digital liberties, citizens will inevitably find a way to take their privacy back into their own hands.

"This is a pattern we see worldwide," said Peterson, while noting how te recent Vietnam's VPN usage spikes revals how residents' calculations of their online activity are changing.

"Internet freedom isn't just about access; it's about people's fundamental right to communicate, do business, and express themselves without fear that their activity will bring a fine, or worse."

• Surfshark Group acquires a majority stake in data removal service Optery
• It joins Incogni, Ironwall, HeyPolo, while running as an independent brand
• The acquisition is expected to expand Surfshark's data broker coverage

Surfshark, the company behind one of the best VPN services around, is growing its privacy footprint again. The group has completed its acquisition of a majority stake in Optery, a US-based data removal specialist, adding a fifth brand to its expanding cybersecurity ecosystem.

Announced on September 7, the deal places Optery alongside existing group members Incogni, Ironwall, and HeyPolo. Financial terms were not disclosed.

For a group built around online privacy, buying another company that scrubs personal information from data brokers is a natural fit. It also marks another step in the steady consolidation of the booming data removal industry.

What Optery brings to the table

Optery is a US data removal service that finds and deletes personal details from data brokers, people-search sites, and search engine results.

According to Surfshark, it stands out for its specialized scanning technology, detailed screenshot reporting, and broad US data broker coverage.

In our Optery review, we called it one of the strongest data removal tools of 2026, praising its transparent before-and-after reporting and genuinely useful free tier. For now, Optery is available only in the US and Canada, though it has signaled plans to expand internationally.

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Why Surfshark made the move

Surfshark frames the acquisition as a response to growing demand for data control in an AI-driven world, where personal information increasingly surfaces in search results and AI-generated summaries.

The wider data broker market is expected to top $440 billion by 2032, making removal services a valuable long-term bet.

"At Surfshark Group, our goal is to empower people to take full control of their digital lives," said Vytautas Kaziukonis, founder and chairman of the board at Surfshark Group.

Optery is the group's second acquisition, following its 2024 purchase of Ironwall, a removal service aimed at government employees and executives.

Surfshark itself merged with NordVPN parent Nord Security in 2022, so growth through consolidation is well-trodden ground.

What Optery's acquisition means for Surfshark users

If you already use a Surfshark or Incogni product, not much changes overnight. Optery will keep operating independently, with its own teams, products, and technology, so there's no bundling or migration right now.

The bigger payoff should come over time. Surfshark says the deal will let it expand data broker coverage, deepen its knowledge of search-related removals, and ship new privacy tools faster across the group. Pairing Optery's US expertise with Incogni's global scale, in particular, could sharpen both services.

"By pooling our knowledge with Incogni, Ironwall, and Surfshark, we can collaborate extensively to deliver even greater protection for our users," said Lawrence Gentilello, CEO and founder of Optery.

• NordVPN has launched an extension to boost holiday savings
• PriceMice shows you better prices from other countries
• The extension is available on Chrome and is completely free to use

Have you ever felt ripped off when booking a holiday or found that your search for the best accommodation deals never actually resulted in saving a penny? NordVPN has just launched a tool that might help relieve that stress.

PriceMice is a free browser extension that shows how much the same hotel room costs when booked from other countries. This way, you can check whether a lower price is available before confirming your booking and, if so, save money.

TechRadar's best VPN pick continues to leverage its security features to the full. With PriceMice, it now offers you a useful way to use the service for your personal needs too. Even better, you don't need to be an actove NordVPn's subcribers to use the tool.

How PriceMice works

PriceMice compares the final prices of the same room in different locations, helping you find the best deal before completing your online payment.

The tool addresses the fact that holiday companies can sometimes advertise the same accommodation at different prices depending on the customer’s specific geographical location. If you’re not aware of this, it could end up costing you money that you could otherwise spend on your holiday, such as dinner or museums.

Even if you are aware of regional price differences, checking whether a better price is available elsewhere often means manually changing your location or switching to a different version of the website to repeat the search. As the process can take a long time, it could mean that places are already fully booked by the time you make a decision.

PriceMice promises to speed up the process significantly. Once the extension is installed, it works alongside your usual browsing on Booking.com when searching for hotels.

When you find a room, you can click on 'find better price,' and it automatically goes on a best price hunt without requiring you to open new tabs or windows. Within seconds, it checks prices across dozens of regions and displays the lowest option, including taxes.

You can then just connect to that region using a virtual private network (VPN) app like NordVPN and return to your booking, where you’ll see the adjusted price before completing the booking.

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Why using PriceMice

Savings might be worth the look. For example, prices can vary considerably between the US and the United Arab Emirates: NordVPN cites an example where using PriceMice resulted in a claimed saving of almost $150.

The company suggests that you can save at least $20 per stay, with maximum savings of up to $500.

As more platforms are expected to be added to the list soon, Domininkas Virbickas, product director at NordVPN, stressed that the goal is to provide users with the transparency they need "to know for sure before they book."

Indeed, the VPN points out that several factors can affect the final amount a traveller has to pay. For example, some destinations only add accommodation costs at the time of payment or charge them on arrival.

Final rates may also vary due to exchange rate fluctuations, while booking platforms may carry out real-time price testing that affects final prices.

Nevertheless, although the responsibility to check the final price and booking details before getting your wallet out remains with you, the prospect of saving money, particularly as the next holiday season approaches, still makes PriceMice definitely worth a look.

• Mullvad is discontinuing its public encrypted DNS (DoH) servers
• The VPN firms will instead funnel resources into the Quad9 Foundation
• Manual users must migrate to a new service before November 2

Mullvad has officially announced that it is shutting down its public encrypted DNS servers.

In a surprising but practical move, the provider, widely regarded as a major contender for the title of best VPN, revealed it will redirect its resources toward financially sponsoring the Quad9 Foundation rather than running its own standalone DNS service.

Having operated its public DNS over HTTPS (DoH) servers since 2022, Mullvad originally offered the tool as a free public service to protect DNS queries for internet users outside of its core VPN network. However, the company has now decided to step back from the highly complex infrastructure required to maintain it.

For most dedicated Mullvad VPN subscribers, this change will be entirely invisible. The company noted in its September 3 announcement that public DoH servers are "unnecessary when using Mullvad VPN," as subscriber traffic is already encrypted and handled directly by the provider’s internal DNS routing.

TechRadar has reached out to Mullvad for further comment regarding the financial details of its new Quad9 sponsorship, and we will update this article if we receive a response.

Why is Mullvad closing its DNS servers?

Mullvad's decision boils down to resource allocation and industry expertise. Running a fast, secure, and privacy-focused public DNS service at scale is incredibly difficult. Rather than competing with established non-profits, the company is choosing to fund them.

"Running a privacy-focused public DNS service is a highly specialized undertaking, and the Quad9 Foundation is the undisputed leader in the field," Mullvad explained. "Rather than duplicating their efforts to achieve only part of what they do, we're putting those resources toward financially supporting Quad9 instead."

For users familiar with Mullvad VPN, this pragmatic approach is on-brand. The company has a history of retiring legacy features in the name of security and efficiency, such as when it removed port forwarding or when Mullvad retired OpenVPN support on desktop to push users toward the modern WireGuard protocol.

Backing Quad9 DNS makes logical sense for a brand so heavily invested in the wider open-source privacy ecosystem.

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What this means for users (and how to switch)

If you rely on Mullvad’s public DNS servers when disconnected from the VPN, you have until November 2, 2026, to make the switch before the service goes dark. The migration process depends entirely on how you currently access the servers.

For users of the privacy-centric Mullvad Browser, the transition will largely be seamless. If you have kept the default DoH settings or the included ad-blocking variant active, your browser will automatically migrate to Quad9 without requiring any manual input. However, if you have customized your DoH to a specific Mullvad variant (such as base, extended, or family), you must change your settings back to the default.

The situation is stricter for users who rely on configuration profiles. According to Mullvad, any existing iOS and macOS Mullvad DoH profiles will simply "stop working" after the shutdown. These users must proactively replace their current setups with dedicated Quad9 iOS or macOS profiles before the November deadline.

Finally, if you have manually configured your router or operating system to point to Mullvad’s DoH servers, you will need to manually input the new Quad9 addresses. Mullvad advises these users to follow the official configuration guides provided by Quad9 to ensure their browsing remains secure.

• NordVPN has released a UI upgrade for its browser extension
• It promises improved search and better navigation
• The app is available for Chrome and Edge browsers

NordVPN has released an update to its browser extension, promising a completely revamped look and an overall visual reorganisation that will make navigating the interface easier.

As the company explains in a blog post, the changes mainly involve new visual updates to the connection screen, a redesign of the features, and an improved search function.

Currently available on Chrome and Edge, the new look arrives with update 6.0.0, the ninth of the year, while the VPN continues to evolve in a bid to maintain its status as one of the best VPNs in the world.

A restyled look for the everyday

While the changes introduced are mainly cosmetic, the update aims to deliver a more engaging experience and a clearer visual hierarchy for faster navigation.

Indeed, the way users browse and select VPN server locations and select one has changed, with the connection screen now displaying a world map showing server positions. This should be appealing to users who prefer more visual information to a simple list of locations, giving them an immediate idea of where they are connected.

Additionally, several key features have been reorganised and moved to more functional areas of the interface to reduce visual clutter and create a cleaner, more intuitive experience. Users will find features such as ‘Exclude from VPN’ and ‘Spoofing’, along with a variety of basic settings in the profiles menu in the top bar.

The VPN’s search function has also been moved to the top of the interface and can now be accessed from any tab: users can simply click on it to find the country or city they wish to connect from and establish the connection without having to return to a specific screen.

Over the past year, NordVPN has implemented a new update on its Linux app and released similar UI updates on its mobile experience for easier navigation. These changes were inspired by research and user feedback, so it’s likely the company has taken a similar approach in this case, identifying the areas users wanted improvement in without compromising on advanced features.

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NordVPN app vs browser extension

Just as with a dedicated VPN app, a browser extension will encrypt your traffic, which is arguably the most important task of a VPN. However, while a standalone VPN app typically secures traffic across the entire device, a browser extension operates within the browser rather than at the system level.

This means it usually only routes the browser's traffic through the VPN, whilst other apps on the device continue to use their normal connection. Its system is similar to split tunnelling, which allows only certain data to pass through the VPN.

While cybercriminals are increasingly using fake VPN extensions to pose as services such as NordVPN and Proton, genuine VPN browser extensions can offer certain advantages of their own: speed is one of them.

As they generally have less of an impact on performance, since they only manage browser traffic rather than traffic from the entire device, they are reliable allies for streaming devices.

Indeed, you should give it a go if your dream is to watch a TV series without interruptions while on the train, and continue to benefit from security features — including malware protection and ad-blocking tools — for a user-friendly and worry-free experience.

• ExpressVPN adds support for Vega OS Fire TV devices
• The app features remote-friendly sign-in and quick location switching
• It joins NordVPN, IPVanish, and Surfshark on VegaOS devices

ExpressVPN has released a native app for Amazon Fire TV devices running Vega OS, giving owners of the newest streaming sticks a mainstream option many have been waiting months for.

For anyone shopping for the best VPN to pair with a next-gen Fire TV Stick, this launch is significant. ExpressVPN is one of the biggest names in the category (you can read our full ExpressVPN review for the details), and its arrival noticeably widens a field that had so far been stuck at three providers.

Fire TV VPN users with supported Vega OS devices can now download ExpressVPN from the Amazon Appstore and connect in just a few clicks.

The rollout covers all supported hardware, including the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, the first device to ship with Amazon's Linux-based platform.

Built for easy TV use

ExpressVPN says the Vega OS app was designed around the way people actually use a TV, keeping the main controls within easy reach rather than buried in menus. Users can connect or disconnect, choose a VPN location, and manage the connection with a remote, and frequently used locations can be pinned to Favorites for quick access later.

Sign-in is handled with the remote in mind, too. The app supports TV-friendly sign-in, including QR code sign-in where available, so you don't have to type out a long password. Under the hood, it runs ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol, which is built to keep connections fast and stable for HD and 4K streaming.

Setup is straightforward. Open the Amazon Appstore on a supported Fire TV device, search for ExpressVPN, and download the app. Sign in with your account, then choose a location and connect. You will be asked to allow the one-time system VPN permission that Amazon introduced when it enabled VPN support on the platform.

If the app does not appear, check that your device is supported and updated to the latest software. TechRadar's Fire TV Stick VPN guide and setup walkthrough cover the wider basics.

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Every VPN available on Fire TV Vega

The field is still small but finally competitive.

NordVPN broke ground first with a native Linux-based app, and IPVanish joined it shortly after, making them the only two providers ready when Amazon finally turned on VPN support at the end of November.

Surfshark followed in May 2026 with a WireGuard-based app. ExpressVPN's arrival now brings the total to four.

Expect the list to keep growing as Amazon's developer tools mature, and as ExpressVPN says, it plans to expand support as new devices and updates arrive.

Windscribe has reduced its annual plan from $69 to $39 upfront ($3.25/month), just in time for the new academic year.

The plan includes unlimited simultaneous connections — a feature missing from competitors like NordVPN or Proton — along with a built-in ad, tracker, and malware blocker.

Its user-friendly apps are available across desktop, mobile, and many smart TVs, so it can cover everything you need: whether you're securing public Wi-Fi in the library or streaming back in the dorm.

Crucially, this isn't a first-year teaser rate. You'll be billed $39 every 12 months for as long as you keep the subscription active, avoiding the steep renewal price hikes standard across the VPN industry.

Few premium VPNs match this pricing, particularly when accounting for renewal costs. For example, NordVPN's one-year plans start at $65.88, over $20 more, and renew at $139 per year. It's a similar story when you look at the likes of Surfshark and ExpressVPN, too.

It's also among the fastest VPNs we reviewed during our most recent tests, achieving over 2,000 Mbps over WireGuard. Plus, it reliably unblocks major streaming platforms and bypasses regional internet blocks.

If you're not keen on Windscribe but want to keep top speeds, PrivadoVPN is another top choice that achieved over 2000 Mbps in testing. Equally, for streaming performance, no VPN performed better than NordVPN with global services this time around.

If you want to test it first, Windscribe offers a solid free tier. While bandwidth and server locations are capped, it gives you a risk-free way to test the interface before upgrading.

• Surfshark has relaunched its Beta Tester Program
• Testers get a direct line to the development team
• Joining is free but available only to Windows, Android users

If you like being first in line to try new tools, Surfshark has launched an updated Beta Tester Program that gives users early access to unreleased features, design changes, and app updates.

For now, the scheme is limited to the company's Windows and Android apps. It invites everyday users to test, poke at, and help refine tools that are still works in progress, rather than waiting for a polished public release.

Plenty of the best VPN services make use of beta programs to squash bugs and gather real-world feedback. What Surfshark is leaning on to stand out is the promise of a direct line to the people actually building the product.

What's new in the Beta Tester Program

Enrolled testers can try upcoming features and updates before anyone else, then flag any bugs or quirks they run into. The twist is the communication channel: participants are invited into a closed Discord hub built for direct, two-way conversation with Surfshark's developers.

The company says input from testers will directly influence feature improvements and even the development of new products.

"Our mission is to build the most beloved security product for everyone, but for that, we need input from our community," said Gabriele Sinkeviciute, Head of Product at Surfshark. "Oftentimes, we are buried so deep into our product that we don't see the small details or inconveniences."

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Why it matters

For Surfshark, the appeal is a tighter feedback loop that catches the small annoyances developers tend to miss. The company has been shipping quickly of late, recently rolling out real-time scam text protection, so a structured way to stress-test new tools makes sense.

It also puts Surfshark in good company. IPVanish launched a similar beta scheme in August, and Proton VPN has been running its Proton Protocols rewrite in beta across all major apps.

Just be aware of the trade-off. Early builds can be buggy; the program is a volunteer effort with no financial reward, and you can opt out whenever you like.

How to join

Any active Surfshark subscriber can take part, regardless of plan.

On Windows, open the app and head to Settings > App settings, scroll to Beta Testing, and click Join Beta. On Android, open the Surfshark page in the Google Play Store, scroll to the Join Beta section, and tap Join.

Once enrolled, you will be invited into the private Discord hub to connect with developers and fellow testers. You can read our full Surfshark review if you want to know how the service performs today.

• AdGuard's TrustTunnel is now available as a native macOS app
• The protocol camouflages VPN traffic as standard HTTPS web browsing
• A new feature allows users to resolve connection problems much faster

For those looking to secure their online privacy in regions with heavy digital censorship, choosing the best VPN is crucial. However, the most advanced anti-censorship tools often require technical know-how that can alienate everyday users. AdGuard is changing that dynamic for Apple users with a major update to its custom stealth VPN protocol.

AdGuard’s open-source VPN protocol, TrustTunnel, has officially launched a native macOS client. Previously restricted to those comfortable tinkering in the command line, the protocol is now easily accessible to anyone via the Mac App Store.

"Let’s be honest: not everyone gets excited about opening Terminal," the TrustTunnel development team admitted in the version 1.2 release notes on GitHub. "Until now, that’s exactly what macOS users had to do to use TrustTunnel. With version 1.2, those days are over."

The update means Mac users no longer need complex terminal commands or extra setups to run a self-hosted VPN server. By giving the protocol a simple, native graphical interface (GUI), AdGuard is bringing highly effective network-bypassing technology to the everyday consumer, effectively removing the usual steep learning curve.

Blending in with the crowd

TrustTunnel's primary selling point is its ability to bypass deep packet inspection (DPI). This is the aggressive monitoring method that restrictive networks, from strict university campus Wi-Fi to oppressive regime firewalls, use to identify and block traditional VPN traffic.

It achieves this stealth by routing connections through TLS with HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 protocols. To an outside observer or a network administrator monitoring the firewall, a TrustTunnel VPN connection simply looks like ordinary, harmless HTTPS web browsing. Because it seamlessly blends in with everyday internet traffic, it becomes incredibly difficult to detect, throttle, or block.

This advanced stealth functionality is now paired with the standard quality-of-life features that macOS users expect. The new client includes a handy menu bar status icon for checking connections at a glance, an automatic launch setting when macOS starts up, and an auto-connect feature that activates the moment the application opens.

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Troubleshooting made easy

Alongside the shiny new interface, the 1.2 update brings practical under-the-hood improvements across all platforms. Chief among them is a new "Export logs" option conveniently located in the app's settings menu.

Previously, diagnosing a failed connection or a sudden drop in server performance meant manually digging through hidden files. Now, users can export diagnostic logs in just a few clicks, streamlining the process of sharing critical error information with AdGuard's support or development teams.

To further reduce confusion, the developers also renamed the "Query log" to "Connection log," clarifying exactly what data users are looking at when troubleshooting their self-hosted servers.

This Mac App Store release continues AdGuard's broader push to make its privacy tools more accessible across all operating systems. It follows similar consumer-friendly moves, such as bringing the AdGuard VPN to the Microsoft Store, launching a dedicated iPhone app, and offering a simplified desktop client for Apple users.

By bringing TrustTunnel out of the Terminal and into the Mac App Store, AdGuard ensures that advanced stealth VPN technology is no longer strictly reserved for power users.

• NordVPN blocked 94% of malicious URLs in latest AV-Comparatives test
• The provider's next-gen antivirus registered zero false positives
• NordVPN ranked third overall, behind Avast and Norton antivirus tools

If you're hunting for the best VPN to secure your digital life, a provider's ability to evolve beyond basic encryption is rapidly becoming a critical deciding factor. Case in point: NordVPN has just proven its security chops yet again, not just as a privacy tool, but as a formidable shield against targeted cyber threats.

According to the newly released AV-Comparatives' 2026 Q3 Anti-Phishing Comparative Test, NordVPN's next-gen antivirus achieved a highly impressive 94% phishing detection rate.

This isn't an isolated victory. The provider has a history of strong showings in independent evaluations. Back in June 2024, it became the first VPN provider to earn the AV-Comparatives anti-phishing protection badge, a strict certification that requires at least an 85% block rate with zero false alarms on legitimate banking and related sites.

'A second pair of eyes' against scammers

Conducted between August 12 and 22, the rigorous independent evaluation pitted the security tool against 250 active phishing URLs.

Crucially, AV-Comparatives also tested the software against 250 legitimate URLs to check for false alarms. NordVPN registered exactly zero false positives, accurately distinguishing between safe websites and malicious traps every single time.

A 94% phishing detection rate and no false positives ultimately ranked NordVPN third among all tested security products, only behind Avast One Free Antivirus and Norton Antivirus Plus.

So, what does this mean for the average user?

Phishing attacks, where cybercriminals use deceptive emails, texts, or fake websites to steal login credentials and financial data, are growing increasingly sophisticated. Having an automated safety net working in the background can save you from a momentary lapse in judgment.

Domininkas Virbickas, product director at NordVPN, describes the provider's next-gen antivirus as having "a second pair of eyes."

"Anybody might slip up eventually, and when you do click on something you shouldn't, that's where we step in. Results like this are what we work for, because our users deserve protection they can count on," Virbickas added.

This latest 94% success rate continues a trend of robust independent test results. Previously, NordVPN has secured a 96% phishing block rate and a 92% block rate in similar independent testing, while also consistently outpacing competitors in speed and malware protection.

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Beyond basic VPN protection

Over the last few years, NordVPN has actively rebranded as an all-in-one app for next-generation protection, stepping far beyond the traditional bounds of IP masking.

Available on its Complete subscription tier, the next-gen antivirus — previously known as NordVPN Threat Protection Pro —runs seamlessly alongside its standard VPN tunnel to block trackers, intrusive ads, and malicious sites in real-time.

However, while software can block 94% of threats, human awareness remains your best defense against the remaining 6%. Cybersecurity experts continually advise practicing strong digital hygiene to avoid falling victim to online scams.

Always scrutinize URLs for suspicious prefixes or typos that indicate a spoofed domain, and verify that the site uses the secure HTTPS protocol rather than just HTTP.

Additionally, enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) ensures that even if a phishing site manages to steal your password, hackers still cannot access your accounts without the secondary code sent to your device.

Surfshark's latest deal shows why it's long been our best cheap VPN. Its One plan, the best-value option, is down to $67.23 for a two-year subscription, saving you nearly $10 upfront.

This is the lowest price we've seen since Surfshark adjusted its prices a couple of months ago and likely the best deal available until Black Friday.

The One plan offers several key features alongside the VPN including Antivirus, Dark Web Monitoring, and Scam Protection. At $2.49 per month, this Surfshark deal is actually $1 cheaper per month than NordVPN’s entry-level tier alone — saving you roughly $27 over the plan.

Tempted? You've only got 3 days left to claim; the offer ends on August 31, when the price will return to $2.79/month.

Surfshark remains among the best VPNs I've tested in 2026. It delivers over 1,000 Mbps download speeds over WireGuard, unblocks most top streaming services with ease, and offers plenty of extra features to protect your data online.

While the recent price hike was noticeable, it remains the best cheap VPN out there. What's more, despite its extensive feature list, the app is simple enough for beginners on any platform.

If you're after superior performance, be prepared for a higher price tag. NordVPN, our best VPN overall, starts at $94.23 for 27 months, $27 more than Surfshark. Meanwhile, Proton VPN is $83.76 for 24 months and ExpressVPN is $83.72 for 28 months, both over $16 more.

While higher-tier competitors offer minor improvements in raw speed, privacy, or unblocking capabilities, you'll rarely notice the difference during everyday browsing. So why pay the extra?

One of the worst parts about getting scammed is the shame, and that shame just plays into the hands of the crooks. If we don't spread the personal stories, then no one gets warned. So, good on Les Howard who told his story of getting QR code scammed to the BBC earlier this week.

Les, quite understandably, feel victim to what's widely known in the security industry as quishing (QR phishing). Les scanned a QR code that he thought was to pay for his parking, downloaded the app, put in his card details and then watched as chunks of cash were removed from his account day after day. Not great.

There are a number of different ways that QR scams work. Les Howard experienced the fake app routine, but it could just have easily been a link to a fake website, mocked up to look exactly like the real one. AI can work marvels these days when it comes to creating duplicate web pages.

You can just as easily get done by the QR scanner apps themselves, which will take a legitimate QR and send you anywhere it wants to, adding all sorts of other links or scraping the details that you send through.

Now, this doesn't mean that we shouldn't use QR codes. We just need to be a bit more careful about it. The two most important pieces of advice are to use the QR scanner that comes baked into your phone's camera app, if you have one, and, second, use a QR code checker app to make sure what you're scanning isn't a scam.

There are free online tools for the job, such as Is This QR Safe and DNS Checker but they also come bundled in with other tools such as antivirus and VPNs. Kaspersky antivirus has a QR code scammer. The VPN to choose to get one is IPVanish.

The IPVanish QR code checker – like all good QR code checkers – loads a live version of the destination page, rather than just relying on domain blacklists that may not be up to date.

It checks all the facets of the page for anything malicious, and follows any redirects that may be trying to throw it off the scent, until it's sure the QR code is safe. If all is well, it presents you with the page and allows you to continue. If not, you'll be told it's a scam code. Pretty simple stuff from the user end.

We rate IPVanish as solid, 4-star VPN. It's only short of the very best VPNs on features like server count and some streaming service unblocking that's not a priority for this use case.

In terms of QR code checking and other security features, it's right up there. So, if you're VPN-curious and definitely want in on a QR code checker, then give it a go.

If a QR code checker is all you want, though, then make sure to take some of those free options above for a spin, instead, before you settle on which one to use full time.

• Obscura VPN releases a native app for Windows 10 and Windows 11
• The simultaneous device limit has been upgraded from three to five
• New and existing users can grab a 25% discount using a special code

Finding the best Windows VPN is getting more exciting as emerging privacy provider Obscura VPN officially expands its reach to desktop PCs, rolling out a fully native app for Windows 10 and 11.

The move brings Obscura VPN's unique approach to digital privacy — which includes a two-party relay architecture and QUIC obfuscation — straight to the world's most popular desktop operating system. It marks a massive step forward for the service, making its modern privacy infrastructure accessible to a much wider demographic.

To sweeten the deal, Obscura is treating the launch as a milestone to reward its entire user base. The provider is bumping its simultaneous connection limit from three to five devices. This means you can now secure your smartphone, tablet, and desktop without having to manually log out of active sessions to free up slots.

Alongside the free device bump, Obscura is celebrating its desktop debut with a launch promotion. It is offering a 25% discount to users who apply the promo code WINDOWS26 at checkout.

For those outside the Microsoft ecosystem, the developer has confirmed that a native Linux application is also in the pipeline, complete with an active waitlist for early access.

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Why the Windows launch matters

Launched only as a Mac VPN when it entered the market in February 2025, Obscura then expanded to mobile platforms — first on iOS, then landing on Google Play and Obtainum for Android users.

That left desktop fans eagerly waiting for a native solution. "Windows was our most requested platform," Carl Dong, founder of Obscura, told TechRadar.

"Today we’re delivering it, a fully native app included with every subscription, and we're raising everyone’s device limit from 3 to 5, free," he added.

The decision to support both Windows 10 and 11 is a deliberate nod to accessibility. According to Obscura, roughly a third of all Windows users remain on the older operating system, with the provider noting that "privacy tools shouldn’t require a new PC."

What makes Obscura VPN different?

If you are unfamiliar with the provider, Obscura VPN promises to set the standard for the next generation of VPNs. Instead of the traditional single-server approach used by most legacy services, Obscura routes your web traffic through a dual-relay system.

This means that your IP address is kept completely separate from the websites you visit. The first server knows who you are but not where you're going, while the second server knows where you're going but not who you are. As a result, not even Obscura can tie your internet traffic back to your personal identity.

The service also employs advanced QUIC obfuscation to mask your VPN traffic, making it incredibly difficult for network administrators or strict internet censors to detect and block your connection.

Proving that it stands by these robust privacy claims, Obscura VPN just aced its first independent audit, which confirmed that its underlying infrastructure is secure and that its strict zero-logs policy holds up to real-world scrutiny.

• Surfshark's web content blocker now runs on the Dausos protocol
• The integration lets you filter risky site categories when using Dausos
• The feature is rolling out first to macOS for Surfshark One and One+ users

Surfshark has brought its web content blocker to Dausos, the proprietary VPN protocol it built in-house, meaning users of one of the best VPN services can now filter unwanted websites without switching away from the company's fastest, most future-proof connection option.

Until now, running the blocker alongside an active VPN connection meant sticking to WireGuard, since that was the protocol it supported. Bringing the tool to Dausos closes that gap, so households no longer have to trade the protocol's advantages for a safer browsing experience.

Dausos uses a hybrid post-quantum secure key exchange and delivers up to 30% faster speeds than other industry-standard protocols. Pairing that with category-based filtering means you get speed, privacy, and content protection in a single connection rather than picking two of the three.

What's new, and why it helps

The web content blocker is a filtering tool designed to keep an entire household safer without watching what anyone does online.

Unlike traditional parental-control apps, it is built to control access rather than log every click, and Surfshark says it does not record individual browsing history. You can read more on how it differs from conventional parental controls in our earlier coverage.

In practice, you pick from a set of predefined categories such as adult websites, gambling, profanity, phishing, and malware, and any site that falls under them is blocked. According to Surfshark's Karolis Kaciulis, the aim is to protect people from threats "caused by curiosity or carelessness" and to cut their exposure to a growing wave of online scams.

The headline benefit of the Dausos integration is that you keep the protocol's performance. Surfshark says users can retain up to 30% higher speeds and ultra-low latency while filtering runs, all while staying fully post-quantum secure.

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How to turn it on

While connected through the Dausos protocol, open the Surfshark app settings and toggle on the web content blocker.

From there, you choose which categories to restrict, and two-factor authentication can lock the configuration so only an approved admin can change it.

The rollout is currently limited to Surfshark One and Surfshark One+ subscribers running the latest app version on macOS. If you're on the cheaper Starter plan or a different platform, you'll need to wait or upgrade.

A quick look at the Dausos protocol

Dausos, which means "paradise" in Lithuanian, is Surfshark's first homegrown protocol, and it takes a different approach to most rivals.

Rather than pooling everyone's traffic through a single tunnel, it gives each user session its own dedicated, private data tunnel, which is where much of its speed advantage comes from.

On security, it uses a hybrid ML-KEM and X25519 key exchange plus an ML-DSA self-signed root certificate system to guard against future quantum threats, along with post-compromise security, port randomization, and AEGIS-256X2 encryption.

It has also been independently audited by Cure53, and a recent update improved its behaviour on the locked-down networks that often trip up VPNs on school and office firewalls.

• Proton VPN’s Stealth protocol has graduated to a stable release on Linux
• Users no longer need to switch to beta channels to use it
• This upgrade follows a string of major Linux-focused improvements

If you use one of the best VPN services on a Linux machine, bypassing restrictive firewalls and internet blockades just got significantly easier. After spending months in a rigorous testing phase, Proton VPN has officially moved its custom anti-censorship Stealth protocol into the stable Linux release.

Announced directly by the Proton Team on Reddit, the highly anticipated update means Linux users no longer have to opt into experimental testing channels just to disguise their VPN traffic. Instead, the feature is now rolling out to the main branch for everyday users to access out of the box.

This move marks a major milestone following the initial news of Proton VPN’s anti-censorship Stealth protocol finally landing on Linux in beta. Originally launched to help users in highly restrictive regions like Russia and Iran, Stealth works by obfuscating your connection. It wraps your VPN traffic in an extra layer of TLS encryption, making it look like completely standard, secure web browsing (HTTPS).

By hiding in plain sight, Stealth makes it incredibly difficult for network administrators, internet service providers (ISPs), and government censors to detect and block your VPN usage using deep packet inspection (DPI).

What you need to know about Stealth on Linux

Early feedback from the community has been largely positive, though a few users on specific distros, like Debian Sid, noted they temporarily had to revert to WireGuard to maintain a stable connection.

If you hit an issue, the developers request that you submit a bug report including your distro and version, app version, what you were doing, and what exactly went wrong.

While the obfuscation feature has officially graduated to the main stable release, the Proton Team was quick to note that users will still see a "beta" label next to the protocol inside the application itself.

"The beta label stays until we're confident it holds up across every distro, network condition, and edge case you throw at it, so keep the reports coming," the company explained to its Reddit community.

To try the feature, users simply need to update the Proton VPN Linux app to the latest version and navigate to the application settings to switch protocols. Because the update is actively rolling out across various mirrors, a handful of users on the Reddit thread reported a slight delay in receiving the newest patch (v4.17.2).

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Proton VPN Linux's updates recap

This stable release is just the latest in a rapid-fire series of updates for the open-source operating system. Earlier this year, Proton VPN revealed a major Linux makeover for both GUI and CLI users, bringing the Linux client much closer to feature parity with its Windows and Mac counterparts.

The Swiss-based privacy company has also been busy making the app more accessible. Recently, Proton VPN on Linux got a huge accessibility boost with 20 new languages. For those who prefer streamlined software management, Proton VPN brought official one-click installs to the Linux Snap Store as well.

With Stealth now readily available in the main client, Linux users can finally enjoy the full everyday benefits of Proton VPN, quietly unveiling massive under-the-hood protocol upgrades.

Whether you're trying to bypass a strict university firewall or secure your communications in a country with heavy internet censorship, Stealth ensures your private connection remains protected.

• The BBC is moving to dismiss Donald Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit over a 2024 documentary
• Trump’s amended complaint relies on 34 unauthorized play-starts in Florida accessed via virtual private networks (VPNs)
• The BBC argues that penalizing broadcasters for viewers bypassing geo-blocks could have "massive implications"

Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC may ultimately hinge on how a federal judge views the legal mechanics of virtual private networks (VPNs).

On Monday, the British broadcaster filed a motion in a Florida federal court to dismiss Trump’s amended complaint regarding a 2024 documentary about his reelection campaign. The core of the BBC’s defense tackles a major streaming loophole: the UK broadcaster never broadcast or licensed the program in the United States.

Trump's legal team is arguing that the Florida court has jurisdiction because the documentary was played 34 times in the state. However, those 34 alleged play-starts were initiated by just 10 users employing a VPN to bypass the BBC’s strict geo-blocking measures.

For tech experts and everyday consumers who use the best VPN to protect their privacy or access overseas content, this lawsuit threatens to open a Pandora's box.

If the court sides with Trump, it could mean that any foreign streaming service, news outlet, or online company could be dragged into foreign courts simply because a handful of users spoofed their IP address to circumvent regional blocks.

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The VPN jurisdiction battle

The dispute centers on a documentary that Trump alleges maliciously edited his January 6, 2021 speech to make it seem as though he was inciting violence, combining phrases spoken nearly 55 minutes apart.

While the BBC later apologized for the edit and pulled the documentary from its streaming platforms, it continues to aggressively fight the defamation claim and the massive $10 billion price tag.

In its motion to dismiss, the BBC took aim at the idea that unauthorized VPN streams represent the broadcaster conducting business in Florida.

The corporation argued that the 34 Florida streams represent just 0.006% of the 570,000 successful requests for the documentary, characterizing them as unconfirmed and completely unauthorized.

To enforce its UK-only streaming rule, the BBC uses third-party cybersecurity services like GeoGuard to perform technical checks and block viewers employing VPNs or proxy servers. The BBC also said it strictly prohibits circumvention in its Terms of Use.

"The unilateral activity of a third party . . . cannot satisfy the requirement of contact with the forum State," the BBC’s legal team noted in the court filing, quoting legal precedent. No court has ever established jurisdiction based on a user forcibly bypassing geographical restrictions with a VPN.

The broadcaster issued a stark warning to the federal judge, stating that validating this legal strategy would have "massive implications for foreign companies with online presences."

A threat to international streaming

If a user bypassing a digital fence is enough to establish legal jurisdiction, the wider impact on the tech and streaming industries could be devastating.

Foreign media companies might be forced to cut off international access entirely or invest heavily in draconian geo-blocking tech to avoid the risk of multi-billion-dollar lawsuits in jurisdictions where their content was never officially offered.

Despite the BBC's warnings about the dangerous legal precedent this could set, Trump's team is pushing forward with the lawsuit. The president is seeking $5 billion for defamation and another $5 billion under Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act — TheWrap reported.

The judge has yet to rule on the motion to dismiss. Unless the Florida court throws out the case based on the BBC's VPN arguments, the defamation suit is slated for a two-week trial in February 2027.

• Mullvad has debuted a new multi-hop design for its Android app
• The update makes the server globe interactive, sharpens location search
• It arrived as a beta test on Android on August 20, 2026

Mullvad is giving one of the headline privacy tools found on the best VPN apps a fresh coat of paint. In its newest Android beta, the provider has rolled out a redesigned multi-hop feature, aimed at making it easier to route your traffic through two servers instead of one.

The standout addition is a new "when needed" option. Rather than forcing you to flip multi-hop on by hand, the Android VPN app can now switch it on automatically when your current settings call for it, for example, when DAITA is enabled and your chosen server does not support it directly.

Keep in mind that this is a beta. The changes landed in the android/2026.9-beta1 release on August 20, 2026, which means they are being tested rather than pushed to everyone. We don't yet know the general release timeline.

Alongside the multi-hop work, Mullvad has also made its server globe interactive and improved how you search for locations, so there is plenty to poke at in this build.

What the new multi-hop design changes

Multi-hop is not new to Mullvad. It routes your connection through an entry server and a separate exit server, creating what the provider likes to call a "tunnel within a tunnel." The entry server sees your real IP but not where you are going, while the exit server sees your destination but not your IP, which makes your activity harder to trace.

The feature first reached Android in March 2025, following earlier arrivals on desktop and iOS. What is new here is the design and the automation. The "when needed" mode takes away some of the guesswork, and filters are now split into separate entry and exit filters that you can set independently.

That pairs neatly with DAITA, Mullvad's defense against AI-guided traffic analysis, which sometimes needs to hop through a compatible server to do its job. Letting the app handle that routing on its own is a sensible bit of polish.

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An interactive globe and smarter search

Mullvad's latest beta also makes the connection globe something you can actually play with, adding pan, pinch-to-zoom, and fling gestures so you can spin around to see where VPN servers sit and trace your connection path.

Location search gets a lift too. Results are now ranked by relevance and include fuzzy matches, so a slightly misspelled city should still surface the right server, and your search term is highlighted as you type.

Mullvad has been busy lately, from a speed-focused desktop build to more frequent Mullvad Browser updates for testers. This Android beta fits that pattern of steady, privacy-first refinement, and our Mullvad review digs into why it remains a favorite.

For now, though, the new multi-hop design is something to look forward to when it graduates from beta.

• Proton VPN is bringing native localization support to its Linux app
• The app will automatically detect your operating system's language
• This update follows a string of recent major Linux upgrades

Finding a top-tier security provider that actually prioritizes Linux users has historically been a challenge. Fortunately, one of our favorite services just announced another massive quality-of-life improvement for the open-source operating system as Proton VPN adds 20 more languages.

Proton VPN, which currently sits very high on our list of the best VPN providers on the market, is officially adding localization support to its Linux application. According to an announcement posted by the official Proton Team on Reddit, the update is slated to arrive in the next release, expected around mid-August.

This means you will finally be able to navigate the app's interface, settings, and server lists in your native tongue. Even better, you won't have to fiddle with menus to get it working, as the software will automatically detect your language based on your current OS locale.

It is a welcome addition that makes the powerful privacy tool significantly more accessible for users around the globe who prefer Linux but may not speak English natively.

Breaking down the new languages

At launch, Proton VPN will support 20 languages right out of the box.

The initial lineup covers a massive chunk of the global population, including: German, French, Spanish, Spanish (Latin America), Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Korean, Japanese, Turkish, Catalan, Czech, Romanian, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Belarusian, Greek, and Slovenian.

While that is already an impressive roster, the provider confirmed in its Reddit post that its localization team will "keep adding more over time."

Because this is a brand-new implementation, the team is actively asking the community for feedback. If you install the upcoming release and notice any visual bugs, you are encouraged to flag them.

The Proton Team specifically requested that users report issues if they encounter "a translation that doesn't fit, text that runs past its container, or a language that isn't detected correctly" via the in-app reporting tool.

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A string of recent Linux upgrades

This upcoming localization update is just the latest in a long string of improvements for Linux users. Over the past year, Proton has worked aggressively to bring its Linux offering up to parity with its Windows and Mac counterparts.

Recently, the Swiss provider expanded its Linux capabilities with a new split tunneling feature, allowing users to easily choose which apps use the encrypted tunnel and which bypass it. We also saw the official Proton VPN app land on even more Linux devices when it brought official one-click installs to the Linux Snap Store, making the installation process much smoother.

Under the hood, the company quietly unveiled a massive upgrade by rolling out its new Rust-powered Proton Protocols. On top of that, it finally brought its proprietary anti-censorship Stealth protocol to Linux, ensuring users in highly restrictive regimes can continue to bypass internet blocks.

Combined with a major GUI and CLI makeover and a prior app update that promised better stability, Proton VPN is rapidly cementing itself as the go-to privacy tool for the Linux community.

• IPVanish is inviting users to join its new beta program
• Testers can help refine new features before they reach everyone
• Opting in takes just a few taps on Android, Windows, or macOS apps

If you like being first in line for new tech, IPVanish has something for you.

The provider is inviting users to beta test its VPN apps, giving them early access to pre-release updates and features that are still being built.

Instead of waiting for a polished release, you can opt into test builds, try the newest tools, and tell IPVanish what works and what doesn't. The company says testers will be among the first to explore what's next, and that their feedback will play a key role in how features evolve.

It's a familiar move, and one that plenty of the best VPN services use to catch bugs and gather real-world feedback. IPVanish is pitching it at loyal users, privacy advocates, and tech enthusiasts who like getting hands-on, so long as they aren't fazed by the occasional bug.

What's currently in the IPVanish beta

IPVanish's beta program is an early-access scheme, and what's on offer depends on your platform.

As of August 2026, IPVanish lists a different mix across Windows and Mac (with no beta updates currently available for Android).

The headline is IPVanish Antivirus, the feature formerly known as Threat Protection Pro, available to beta users on the Advanced plan. It's a web and device protection upgrade that guards against phishing attempts, deceptive websites, intrusive ads, and online trackers, and it keeps working even when the VPN isn't connected.

The beta program is part of a busy stretch for the provider, which has recently made OpenVPN almost three times faster on Windows, rolled out WireGuard and OpenVPN on Apple TV, and expanded its server network to 150 locations worldwide.

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How to join

Any IPVanish user with an Android, Windows, or macOS device can opt in directly from their device in a few taps.

On Android, open the Google Play Store, search for IPVanish, then tap "Join" under the "Join the beta" section and confirm. You'll be prompted to update the app when a beta build is available.

On macOS, click the IPVanish icon in the menu bar, open the app, then go to "Info" in the left menu, select the "Update" tab, and check "Enable notifications for beta releases". IPVanish then checks for new builds each time you quit and restart it.

On Windows, log in, head to "Info" in the left navigation menu, click the "Update" tab, and enable the Beta option. As on Mac, the app checks for updates on each restart and offers to install them.

The Premier League is back and, watch out, because it might be sooner than you think.

The 2026/27 EPL season kicks off with Matchday 1 this Friday, August 21, with EFL Championship victors Coventry City facing EPL champions Arsenal at the Gunners' London home.

That means the FPL GW1 deadline time is Friday, August 21, 2026, at 6.30pm BST (1.30pm ET). Don't miss it!

And if you don't want to miss the games themselves, then we've got the kick off times and streaming options for all of the EPL fixtures for Matchday 1 just below.

If you're away from your regular stream and stuck in a blackout area, then don't forget that you can use a VPN to watch the match as usual.

Right now, one of the cheapest and most effective VPNs available is IPVanish and it's currently $2.19 per month.

In the States, four of the weekend's matches are available to stream on Peacock TV. It's $12.99 per month and there are no free trials. Only two of those games are airing on cable on NBC and NBCSN.

The other six games are all on cable for those who have USA Network. Cord cutters can watch those using Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream and Sling TV.

Of those, Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV have free trials for new customers, while DirecTV Stream and Sling TV offer discounts for the first month.

To watch your US EPL streams while you're traveling abroad, you'll need to use a VPN.

The EPL's blackout rules in the UK mean that none of the 3pm Saturday fixtures are televised. Instead, there are usually just four televised fixtures each weekend.

You can watch the fixtures with subscriptions to Sky TV or TNT Sports. The matches on Sky are also available to stream with one-off day passes on NOW. TNT games are also on HBO Max.

You can read the full details on how to watch the Premier League all season here.

• Proton VPN usage has spiked in Brazil as Discord gets restricted
• The block specifically targets Discord's video and 'Go Live' features
• Brazil's data protection authority issued the block to protect minors

Users in Brazil are flocking to the best VPN services in droves following a sudden regulatory block on some of Discord's most popular communication features.

According to data shared on X by Proton VPN General Manager, David Peterson, the company's free VPN app has experienced an 800% surge in sign-ups originating from the country. The surge began almost immediately after Discord was forced to suspend its video and "Go Live" streaming functionalities for Brazilian users.

The sudden spike in demand echoes similar patterns we have seen globally when popular apps face restrictions. In recent months, we saw Proton VPN usage spike in Oman amid a suspected TikTok block, as well as Proton VPN usage spikes in Turkey following new regulatory proposals.

Because Proton VPN offers a robust free tier with unlimited data, it is frequently the first port of call for users looking for an immediate workaround to sudden geo-blocks.

TechRadar has reached out to Proton VPN for official updates on the exact sign-up figures. A company spokesperson confirms that the peak in sign-ups (an 800% increase above the baseline) was reached during the initial hourly demand.

Not your usual censorship

While VPNs are frequently utilized to bypass authoritarian internet blackouts, the situation currently unfolding in Brazil is notably different. The restrictions placed on Discord are not an attempt to silence political dissent or restrict general public communication.

Instead, they are targeted regulatory measures aimed at protecting children and adolescents online. As the BBC reported, Brazil's data protection authority (ANDP) mandated the suspension of Discord's live-streaming and video tools after a teen girl was allegedly encouraged to take her own life in a broadcast on the platform.

The platform remains fully functional for standard text messaging and voice calls.

Despite the highly nuanced and protective nature of the block, the user reaction has been entirely predictable. Gamers, remote workers, and online communities who rely heavily on Discord's screen-sharing and "Go Live" features to interact have immediately sought out technical workarounds.

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By connecting to a VPN server outside of Brazil, a user can successfully mask their true IP address. This tricks the application into believing the user is located in a different country, effectively bypassing the local geo-restriction and restoring Discord's video tools to full functionality.

This incident is part of a broader, ongoing trend of netizens turning to privacy tools the moment their digital habits are interrupted. As we have previously reported, in 2025 alone ProtonVPN downloads spiked in 62 countries.

Whether it is a blanket social media ban or a highly specific feature suspension like Brazil's Discord block, it is clear that users are increasingly unwilling to accept limits on their online platforms. The incident serves as a reminder of how quickly modern internet users will adopt privacy software to maintain their normal digital routines.

• Crystal Palace has named NordVPN as its Official VPN Partner
• The partnership will feature digital activations to educate fans
• It marks NordVPN's second major Premier League sponsorship in a week

The cybersecurity world's ongoing push into top-flight English football shows no signs of slowing down. Just days after securing a spot at Villa Park, NordVPN has announced it is teaming up with Crystal Palace Football Club as its new Official VPN Partner.

The latest deal marks a growing trend of tech giants partnering with major sports clubs to bring digital privacy tools into the mainstream. For Crystal Palace, the focus is squarely on helping supporters navigate the hidden dangers of the web, particularly when logging onto unsecured public Wi-Fi networks on matchdays.

By linking up with one of the top providers on the market — currently topping our guide to the best VPN software — the club aims to educate fans on how to proactively defend against phishing, scams, malware, and online trackers.

As part of the announcement, the two brands confirmed they will collaborate on a series of digital activations. These campaigns will offer Eagles fans practical guidance on securing their personal devices and encrypting their internet connections, whether they are cheering from Selhurst Park, relaxing at home, or travelling abroad.

Educating fans on the digital pitch

A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your internet traffic, hiding your IP address and shielding your data from prying eyes. This is especially crucial in crowded environments like football stadiums, where thousands of supporters often connect to the same vulnerable public Wi-Fi networks to check live scores, place bets, or message friends.

According to the club, equipping fans with the right tools to stay safe online has become an urgent priority.

"The way supporters engage with the club and with one another is increasingly digital, making online privacy and security more important than ever," said Paul O'Brien, Chief Commercial Officer at Crystal Palace. "Through this partnership, we hope to provide our supporters with useful and accessible information that helps them better understand online risks and take straightforward steps to protect themselves and their personal information."

The move represents a rapid expansion for NordVPN within the Premier League. The provider recently made headlines by securing a partnership with Aston Villa to similarly protect matchday browsing.

Bob Brinklow, NordVPN Country Manager for the UK, echoed the importance of integrating digital education into these sporting deals.

"Crystal Palace's close relationship with its supporters makes the club an excellent partner for us," Brinklow explained. "Together, we aim to help fans better understand online security through digital activations and partnership initiatives, while supporting the club and its ambitions for success on the pitch."

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A growing playbook for tech partnerships

The broader cybersecurity industry is increasingly targeting sports fans. With major football stadiums serving as hubs for thousands of connected devices, educating users about digital safety is a logical and highly visible strategy.

Fans eager to secure their digital footprint can take advantage of the new partnership immediately, with Crystal Palace noting that supporters can claim four months free on a two-year NordVPN plan.

As football becomes more digitally connected than ever, it seems inevitable that more top-flight clubs will soon draft cybersecurity heavyweights into their starting lineups.

• UK Prime Minister was targeted by a scammer posing as a top US aide
• Personal devices bypass "national security perimeters," warns Surfshark
• GenAI tools allow low-level criminals to clone high-profile identities

The recent revelation that UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham was targeted by an impersonator pretending to be top Donald Trump aide Susie Wiles has sent shockwaves through the cybersecurity community.

While the immediate political fallout dominates headlines, security experts are sounding the alarm over a far more terrifying technical reality — elite government defenses are essentially useless if the human holding the device can be tricked.

For everyday users, the incident serves as a stark reminder that even the most powerful figures are vulnerable to the same social engineering tactics deployed against the general public. Securing your digital life with the best VPN and robust security software is crucial, but as AI impersonation scams are skyrocketing, the ultimate vulnerability remains the personal smartphone itself.

Miguel Fornes, Information Security Manager at Surfshark, argues that personal devices have become a permanent, wide-open door into the world's most protected rooms. Speaking on why Burnham was such an easy target for this impersonation scam, Fornes painted a grim picture of modern cybersecurity perimeters.

“It proves that billion-dollar national security perimeters are completely useless when every high-value target carries an unmonitored attack vector in their pocket 24 hours a day,” Fornes told TechRadar.

Hacking the human, not the firewall

The Burnham incident highlights a fundamental shift in how cybercriminals operate. Rather than attempting to break through the front door of government agencies, bad actors are simply slipping through the side window of personal communication apps.

"The attackers behind high-profile spoofing campaigns, like the recent impersonation of top Trump aide Susie Wiles to contact high-level officials like Andy Burnham, didn't waste time attempting to breach the world-class cryptographic shields of GCHQ or MI5," Fornes explained. "They simply exploited the chaotic, unmonitored environment of personal smartphones and private messaging apps."

The shift in threat models is precisely why cybersecurity providers are pivoting.

For example, Surfshark recently shifted focus to fighting scams and introduced real-time scam text protection. This evolution in consumer security mirrors the reality of enterprise and government vulnerabilities, reinforcing why scam protection now matters more than traditional antivirus.

The message is clear. As Fornes said: "Cybercriminals aren't wasting time trying to break enterprise-grade encryption; they are simply hacking the human holding the screen."

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The terrifying asymmetry of GenAI

The barrier to entry for executing intelligence-agency-level operations has collapsed, largely thanks to advancements in generative AI. With a reported $3.7B lost to deepfakes and social engineering, the landscape has fundamentally changed.

As Fornes explained, readily available GenAI has democratized state-level cyber warfare. "A random individual with a poor internet connection and a mediocre computer can now perfectly clone the voice, cadence, and mind of the world's most powerful political operatives," he told TechRadar.

This technological democratization creates a terrifying asymmetry where the barrier to entry for globally destabilizing social engineering is essentially gone, allowing low-level criminals to execute intelligence-agency-level operations.

"We should consider ourselves lucky that this time they were, again, common cyberscammers asking for money," Fornes concluded.

• Proton VPN recorded a spike in sign-ups from Oman starting on Thursday
• While some users report regaining access, VPN sign-ups remain high
• Oman did not release any official statement about the restrictions

Internet users in Oman are turning to virtual private networks in droves following widespread reports that TikTok has been suddenly restricted.

According to the latest data from Proton, sign-ups for the company's free VPN service spiked starting August 13, 2026, with a peak of 600% above the baseline recorded on Friday. This sudden surge aligns directly with a flood of complaints on Reddit and other social media platforms from Omani residents who found themselves unable to access the video-sharing app.

While the Omani government has yet to announce an official block, the sudden disappearance of TikTok has left many seeking ways to stay connected. To bypass these suspected national firewalls, thousands have turned to Proton VPN in a bid of avoiding the ban by rerouting internet traffic through servers in other countries.

Although the initial rush has slightly cooled off, the demand for privacy tools remains heavily elevated. Recent data shared with TechRadar shows that sign-ups are currently sitting consistently just above 200%.

"Some people have reported that they were able to regain access to TikTok, but our data is showing a sustained higher demand — indicating that at least some level of disruption may still remain," a Proton VPN spokesperson told TechRadar.

Why is TikTok blocked in Oman?

Oman has a history of restricting access to certain platforms, though it rarely admits to deliberate censorship. When TikTok experienced similar nationwide connection failures in April 2025, the Omani Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA) blamed technical glitches.

As noted in a recent blog post by Proton VPN, the government failed to explain to reporters why these "technical reasons" affected only TikTok and no other internet services.

Whatever the reason behind the block, David Peterson, General Manager at Proton VPN, strongly condemned the move.

"The restrictions on TikTok, and similar apps, represent an attack on the rights of Oman's citizens," Peterson told TechRadar, explaining that citizens widely use the platform also for political discussion and e-commerce opportunities.

How a VPN helps bypass restrictions

In regions where digital rights are frequently challenged, circumvention tools become essential lifelines for maintaining free expression.

That's beacuse when an internet service provider (ISP) blocks a website or app at the behest of a government, it typically does so by restricting access to the platform's specific IP addresses.

By using a VPN service, your web traffic is encrypted and tunneled to a server located outside of your physical country.

So, if an Omani resident connects to a VPN server in a country where TikTok remains available, their local ISP can no longer see what apps they are using or which websites they are visiting.

Proton VPN is particularly popular in these sudden crises because of its robust free VPN tier. Unlike many free alternatives that severely throttle speeds or sell user data to advertisers, Proton VPN Free offers uncapped data and a strict no-logs policy.

In 2025 alone, Proton VPN downloads spiked in 62 countries as a way to bypass restrictions. Just recently, we saw Proton VPN usage spike in Turkey following new regulatory proposals, too.

• The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has released security requirements for VPNs under the Cyber Resilience Act
• NordVPN and Surfshark are among the industry players collaborating to help shape these security baselines
• The new rules ensure that all VPNs sold in Europe adhere to auditable standards for encryption, authentication, and vulnerability management

The European Union is fundamentally changing how privacy tools are regulated, introducing an official security standard for VPN services on the market. Crafted under the sweeping Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), the new framework sets strict, auditable cybersecurity requirements for any virtual private network sold in Europe.

Until now, users looking to protect their digital footprint have largely had to rely on a provider's own marketing claims or third-party audits to verify encryption strength or no-logs VPN policies. Now, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has stepped in to establish a unified legal baseline known as EN 304 620.

This comprehensive standard was not drafted in a vacuum. Major industry players, like Palo Alto Networks, Cisco, Airbus, and Google, alongside industry heavyweights NordVPN and Surfshark, have actively contributed to shaping these security parameters to ensure they are both operationally feasible and technically robust.

For everyday users, this legislation is a massive win. It ensures that any VPN software you download complies with mandatory European benchmarks for data confidentiality, authentication, and secure key management.

Miguel Fornes compares this shift to the arrival of seat belts and airbags in cars. "Before crash tests and seatbelt laws, drivers simply had to hope their car was safe. Once official safety standards existed, every car had to meet them. Surfshark is helping do the same thing for VPNs."

Setting a new benchmark for VPN security

Draft standard EN 304 620 specifically targets VPN clients, servers, and gateways. It dictates exactly how these products must encapsulate and encrypt your traffic to protect data integrity as it travels across untrusted networks.

Whether a provider uses industry-standard AES-256 encryption, cutting-edge WireGuard protocols, or RAM-only VPN servers, they will need to demonstrate deterministic and testable security controls.

The standard is a vital pillar of the broader Cyber Resilience Act, which by the end of 2027, will fully require manufacturers of digital products to meet essential cybersecurity requirements.

New rules also mandate rapid incident reporting for actively exploited vulnerabilities, keeping providers strictly accountable if their infrastructure is ever compromised.

For anyone wondering, "Are VPNs safe?" this EU-wide standardization effectively guarantees a much higher baseline of protection, forcing potentially shady free VPN apps to either step up their security engineering or face removal from the European market entirely.

Not just VPNs: A wider net for software security

VPNs aren't the only software getting a major regulatory upgrade. Alongside the VPN guidelines, ETSI recently launched the approval process for 17 European standards supporting the CRA.

The expanded list covers everyday digital essentials, including password managers, antivirus software, smart home assistants, connected toys, and wearables.

As these proposals move through public enquiry and final approvals, the end result is clear: European consumers are about to benefit from a much safer, more resilient digital ecosystem by default.

VPN Super Unlimited has amassed various forms of attention. Be it the experienced lineup of executives, the boom of popularity in Australia, or the reasonable price tag, there are several understandable reasons why.

That said, there's clear room for improvement. We've put it through our rigorous processes involving proprietary testing and everyday use and it raises some concerns.

Barebones feature sets, missing security functionalities, and limited privacy policies raise the biggest alarm bells. That said, what it does have, seems to work very well for such a cheap provider. Read on to see just why it might be the VPN for you, or why you should steer clear for now.

Pricing and plans

Unlike a growing cohort of VPNs that have introduced multiple subscription tiers with varying feature levels, VPN Super Unlimited keeps things simple.

There’s just one subscription tier available, meaning your only decision involves choosing between billing durations: a one-month plan ($8.79), a six-month plan ($5.59/month billed as $33.55), and a one-year plan ($4.79/month billed as $57.50).

Depending on which plan you select, you’ll receive a complimentary eSIM offering progressively larger data allowances: 1GB for monthly subscribers, 3GB for six-month, or 5GB for annual subscribers.

VPN Super Unlimited’s one-month plan substantially undercuts most competitors. For comparison, NordVPN charges $14.99 and Surfshark $16.45 for the same duration – a difference approaching double the cost.

However, the annual pricing strategy reveals a more complicated picture. The yearly rate of approximately $57.50 puts it directly alongside these established providers despite offering considerably less functionality overall, making the price harder to justify.

The six-month option stands out as genuinely uncommon among major VPN providers. Most push binary choices – premium monthly rates or annual discounts only. This middle-ground flexibility bridges the gap between short-term commitment and a meaningful discount.

A free tier exists but carries significant limitations requiring careful consideration. You don’t need to sign up to connect to its servers. However, the service runs on ads.

During testing, my desktop experience (macOS) remained ad-free, but iOS suffered from aggressively intrusive full-screen video pop-ups nearly every time I opened the app or connected to a server. Static banner clutter occasionally appeared beneath the connection interface.

VPN Super requests consent to share personal data with over 300 third-party vendors. Collectible information includes current IP addresses, device identifiers, and browsing history unless specifically toggled off during initial setup – which I strongly recommend you do.

This VPN allows up to 10 devices under its premium subscription, but the restriction is based on registered devices, not simultaneous connections. Once your slot count fills, you’re blocked from adding more until you visit the website to manually remove existing entries – a clunky workaround most competitors have moved beyond.

Most concerning is the platform lock-in baked into the purchase model. Subscriptions bought through Google Play only activate Premium access on Android devices linked to that same Google account. This means buying through an app store effectively traps you in that ecosystem, preventing you from freely mixing devices.

The website advertises a standard 30-day money-back guarantee, which is standard nowadays, though CyberGhost distinguishes itself with 45 days of coverage. Somewhat concerning is VPN Super Unlimited’s abbreviated Terms of Service document, which does not refer to refund procedures or billing processes – a notable omission for purchase protection.

Anonymous payment methods also fail to materialize. Unlike NordVPN, Proton VPN, or Mullvad, which accept cryptocurrency or cash transactions, VPN Super Unlimited limits purchases to credit card, PayPal, and Google Pay.

Features: What can VPN Super Unlimited do?

Available on Google Play since 2020 and iOS since 2022, Super Unlimited brings significant industry credibility with over 100 million Android downloads. It enjoys strong ratings on both Google and the Apple App Store – though these likely come predominantly from free users rather than subscribers.

The executive roster includes a former Rakuten CTO as CEO, an ex-Dropbox CFO as chairman, and an Electronic Arts co-founder on the board – a lineup reflecting deep experience scaling tech products at major firms.

Yet this high-level experience makes certain shortcomings all the more puzzling. Consider the planned support for V2Ray, an open-source VPN protocol for bypassing censorship.

Announced in July 2025, a year later only a support page remains to show for it – there’s no sign of integration within any of the apps. Curiously, however, it continues to appear advertised on the website’s feature page.

Some combination of WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 is offered in the apps. For optimal speeds, WireGuard is the best choice.

What’s notably absent, however, is a native kill switch in the Windows and Mac apps. This is a significant oversight, given that a kill switch is a key security feature that cuts internet traffic if the VPN connection drops – protecting your IP address from exposure.

Most major paid VPNs now include this functionality across all major platforms. By comparison, VPN Super Unlimited’s mobile apps do offer “Always-on VPN” options.

Additional feature gaps exist across VPN Super Unlimited’s apps. Split tunneling is a welcome addition on Android, letting you choose which apps bypass the VPN connection. But this functionality is unavailable on iOS, Windows, or Mac.

Aside from a recent eSIM addition, VPN Super Unlimited remains light on features. There are no ad or tracker blockers or Double VPN servers, never mind antivirus software or a password manager, found in some of the best VPN services today.

Server Network and Locations

VPN Super Unlimited is inconsistent in reporting its server network size. The homepage claims 210+ cities across 55+ countries, yet the dedicated server list page states just 100+ locations.

Our testing counted 97 actual locations – the latter figure being far more accurate. While networks can fluctuate at short notice, claiming twice the number is misleading.

Even so, 97 locations remain respectable, rivaling smaller providers like Mullvad. Overall coverage spans 61 countries, putting it on par with PrivateVPN and VyprVPN. If you primarily need servers in the US (33 locations) or Europe (34 locations), VPN Super Unlimited offers plenty of choices. South America is fairly well represented as well, with five locations.

Asia includes servers across 17 locations. Though these cover most major countries, selection lags behind some similarly-sized competitors.

Coverage becomes sparser elsewhere. Africa receives just two locations - a notable limitation. Similarly, Australia gets only one (Sydney), which is surprising when many paid VPNs offer at least three Australian locations.

This makes VPN Super Unlimited’s rise in popularity in Australia following the country’s new age verification measures all the more puzzling, although not too surprising given its free tier.

As for VPN Super Unlimited’s free plan, it provides access to 18 countries, including nearly two dozen US cities, far exceeding offerings from most competing free VPNs.

Tests confirm servers are hosted in or near their claimed locations, which is reassuring. More unexpectedly, the Russian server appears to be hosted in Moscow itself. This is increasingly uncommon in today’s regulatory environment, given Russia’s strict data retention requirements and tightened VPN regulations.

Privacy & Security

VPN Super Unlimited provides scant information about its security features - it doesn’t even specify the encryption employed. Given that WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 protocols are offered, the service likely uses ChaCha20 and 256-bit AES encryption, which represent industry-standard security.

More concerning is a significant security flaw discovered during Windows app testing. When our researcher simulated a connection drop, the app did reconnect automatically - but not before exposing users to a brief window for potential IP leaks, with no alert indicating the drop had occurred.

A VPN’s value ultimately hinges on its no-logs policy. VPN Super Unlimited states it doesn’t “inspect or record the contents of what you are browsing, viewing, or doing,” noting that since it collects no information related to your browsing activities, it has nothing of significance to provide even if compelled.

The concern, however, is that unlike most major VPN providers such as ExpressVPN, VPN Super Unlimited has undergone no independent audits to substantiate these claims. That said, there are no publicly reported data breaches or major security incidents associated with it.

The service does automatically collect certain information during use: your IP address (VPN Super Unlimited says this is not stored long-term) and approximate location, app usage patterns, and anonymized usage data.

For free-tier users, additional considerations apply – the version includes ads, and unless opted out, advertisers may collect your device/mobile advertising identifiers alongside your IP address.

As for the privacy policy itself, it’s lengthy and not particularly accessible. However, it is thorough, including coverage of regional rights – a rare plus compared to some competitors’ offerings. Overall, there are no major red flags to be found.

Speed & performance

VPN Super Unlimited proved challenging to test under ideal conditions: the app refused to log in on our data center cloud PC, preventing standard server-location speed testing. We pivoted to 5G home broadband Windows laptop testing instead.

Despite these constraints, the results were encouraging. Against a baseline connection of 135 Mbps, VPN Super Unlimited delivered 118.5 Mbps via UK-to-UK connections and 120 Mbps over UK-US routes - retaining approximately 87.8% of original speeds.

This performance exceeded FastestVPN and held its ground impressively against Mullvad, one of the fastest VPNs in our benchmark tests. Long-distance routes told a different story. Speeds became noticeably less consistent across greater geographic distances, suggesting network capacity strain during peak usage times.

For casual streaming or light browsing, performance remains adequate, though bandwidth-intensive tasks or cross-continent connections may encounter more variance depending on where you connect.

Streaming unblocking

VPNs often struggle with streaming unblocking, yet VPN Super Unlimited excelled here despite lacking dedicated streaming servers. It seamlessly accessed multiple major platforms right out of the gate.

Tested libraries included various Netflix, Disney+, and DAZN regional catalogs, alongside Prime Video and YouTube. Country-specific services also proved reliable – BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and 9Now all streamed without issue.

Nearly everything worked on the first attempt. The UK’s Channel 4 required switching servers once before connecting successfully.

However, two Australian broadcasters posed persistent problems: 7 Plus returned a MEDIA_ERR_ENCRYPTED error we couldn’t bypass, while Channel 10 threw a login error. Both streams functioned properly on competing VPNs during our tests, pointing toward a limitation on VPN Super Unlimited’s end.

A few notable failures round out the picture: Prime Video and YouTube (US), YouTube and Channel 5 (UK), plus TVNZ+ remained inaccessible. Performance isn’t flawless - but very few VPNs achieve perfection when tackling geo-blocking restrictions head-on.

P2P and Torrenting

As for torrenting, we successfully downloaded a test torrent via VPN Super’s Edinburgh location – it worked without issue. This is promising, given that the provider’s support pages do not refer to P2P, while the website ambiguously mentions access to “P2P networks.”

However, significant caveats remain. Beyond the lack of clear information, there are no dedicated P2P servers optimized for file sharing. More critically, VPN Super Unlimited doesn’t offer port forwarding – an important consideration for serious torrent users.

Without port forwarding, your client can’t accept incoming connections from other peers, which typically slows download speeds and hampers efficient seeding. For casual downloading only, this limitation matters less; for regular heavy-duty torrenting, it’s a notable drawback.

Usability & Accessibility

VPN Super Unlimited is available for Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS - downloadable directly from app stores and straightforward to install within minutes. Just be careful: several similarly named VPN apps exist on both platforms.

It doesn’t help either that VPN Super Unlimited operates under two different developer entities on Android and iOS. It’s listed in the Google Play and Apple App Store as “VPN - Super Unlimited Proxy. It’s just that for Android, you’ll want to make sure it’s from VPN Super Inc, whereas on iOS, the company behind it is Mobile Jump Pte Ltd.

However, significant gaps exist elsewhere. There’s no native Linux app, no support for Amazon Fire TV or Apple TV, and no browser extensions. Router compatibility is also absent - a notable omission that may prove limiting for whole-home network protection.

Make no mistake: VPN Super Unlimited’s apps are super simple – and super limited. The conventional interface centers on a convenient quick-connect button and an expandable location menu. Users can scroll through available servers, though there’s neither a search function nor the ability to favorite frequently used locations.

A “Recents” tab helps locate previously-connected servers. You can also see each server location’s latency and sort servers by speed – useful for when you need optimal speed for streaming or torrenting.

Feature parity, unfortunately, varies considerably across platforms. Both Android and iOS support OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols, though only the Android app offers split tunneling. Windows supports WireGuard and OpenVPN, while Mac is limited to OpenVPN alone - neither includes split tunneling either.

The settings menus are similarly sparse. iOS and Mac offer just “Always-on VPN”; Android adds split tunneling; and Windows provides five options (most of which offer only marginal utility).

Whereas the Windows app can automatically connect on launch, the Mac, Android, and iOS apps have no such option.

A further tablet consideration: apps lock to portrait mode without rotating to landscape. This wastes larger screen real estate on larger displays.

Website accessibility scored 71% via AccessibilityChecker - excellent relative to most VPN competitors tested. Some structural issues remain, however, which could hinder screen reader comprehension across sections.

More disappointing was Windows app keyboard navigation: technically functional, yet lacking visible focus indicators, which significantly reduces usability for keyboard-only users.

In-app help varies by platform. Mobile and macOS versions include built-ins covering connection troubleshooting, billing, and FAQs - with screenshots included for key steps.

Windows lacks this integration; instead, a link redirects to the external support site. While helpful, these web-based guides are less detailed and text-only.

Customer support exists but operates slowly via email only, sometimes taking several days to get a response. Live chat isn’t offered, which is a limitation compared to industry standards.

Verdict

VPN Super Unlimited suits mobile-first users prioritizing streaming on a budget. The annual plan ($57.50) is competitive, with solid speed plus reliable unblocking of Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+.

However, desktop users should avoid it. Having no kill switch on Windows and Mac creates genuine IP leak risks if connections drop. Multi-platform households face similar hurdles with missing Linux, Fire TV, and Apple TV apps and an absence of router support or browser extensions, limiting flexibility. Split tunneling is Android-only while V2Ray remains unimplemented a year post-announcement.

For true cross-platform support, consider Private Internet Access instead. It delivers broader device coverage - including Linux and Fire TV apps - maintains audited no-logs privacy verified by third parties, and ensures consistent security features like kill switches across all platforms. These differences matter when you need reliability beyond budget-conscious streaming.

The new Pixel 11 series may be introducing several software improvements to Google's flagship phones, but there's little to be said about online security.

Pixel VPN by Google has been around for years but no major changes have been released recently. So which tool should you pick instead?

The best VPNs are often expensive and have lots of features you might not use. IPVanish, by contrast, is among the cheapest VPNs available, and offers exactly what you need to protect your data online.

It's only $2.19 per month over two years, paid as $52.56 upfront. For that price, you get unlimited simultaneous connections, solid WireGuard connection speeds, and even 3GB of eSIM data to help you travel securely over the summer months.

Having tested IPVanish several times recently, it remains among my favorite Android VPNs to use and recommend to beginners.

The app looks like it could be something out of a Bond movie with its green and black military-like design. You're greeted with a large connect button, easy access to other tools, and VPN settings that are clearly laid out for beginners

If you're after supreme speeds, there may be better options. It achieved 740 Mbps over WireGuard in our May 2026 testing cycle, which is fast enough but slower than the very fastest VPNs.

As a streaming VPN, IPVanish performed solidly. However, we did encounter some issues with Prime Video, US YouTube and Disney+ Canada. That said, it performed far better than many others.

For the absolute best experience right now, your best alternatives are NordVPN, Proton VPN, or Surfshark, though be prepared to pay considerably more for these right now.

• Proton VPN's new Rust-based Proton Protocols is in beta on all major apps
• It replaces WireGuard-go for better stability, speed, post-quantum readiness
• It includes an Advanced Kill Switch and Linux Stealth support

Following up on recent teasers, Proton VPN has officially rolled out a massive under-the-hood update across its consumer apps. Powered by a new custom-built architecture dubbed Proton Protocols (known internally as ProTUN), the update is now live in beta across Windows, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and Linux GUI.

This overhaul aims to improve connection stability and censorship resistance. It's a significant upgrade that further solidifies the provider's spot as one of the best VPN services on the market for privacy purists.

Alongside the stealthy new engine, the beta launch brings a host of highly requested functional tweaks. These include persistent ad-blocker statistics across app sessions, a new interactive globe map for visual server selection, and the highly anticipated Advanced Kill Switch.

The team at Proton VPN notes that the shift to this new protocol resolves multiple quality-of-life issues, paving the way for faster, more reliable connections and noticeably more responsive apps across all supported ecosystems.

What is the Advanced Kill Switch?

A standard VPN kill switch is a failsafe that cuts your internet connection if your VPN server unexpectedly drops, preventing your real IP address from leaking. Made possible by the new architecture, the Advanced Kill Switch takes this a step further by operating as a strict, permanent firewall.

As Proton explains, the Advanced Kill Switch functions like a regular failsafe if your connection drops, but it additionally blocks all internet access entirely unless you are actively connected to the VPN. This strict block remains active even if you restart your device.

Platform compatibility for the new feature is currently slightly fragmented. As of the current beta, the Advanced Kill Switch is strictly supported on Windows, iOS, and Linux GUI. It is not available for macOS, Linux CLI, Android TV, or Apple TV.

Android users have a slightly different setup. Google's operating system features built-in "Always-on VPN" and "Block connections without a VPN" toggles. Because of these native OS settings, Android operates very similarly to the Advanced Kill Switch out of the box, even if it isn't utilizing the exact same backend code.

Crucially, Proton has also fixed a long-standing annoyance with regular kill switches. You can now reliably connect to local LAN devices, like network printers, and use Apple CarPlay even with the standard or Advanced Kill Switch enabled.

A Rust-based core to beat censorship

The shift to Proton Protocols is a fundamental rewrite of how the apps operate. Historically, Proton used the standard wireguard-go implementation. While secure, that code didn't integrate seamlessly with the native languages used to build the provider's mobile apps, like Kotlin for Android and Swift for iOS.

To fix this, Proton has built a new framework in Rust. At its core is libpvpnclient, a platform-independent WireGuard implementation that makes it easier to deploy updates and debug issues consistently across desktop and mobile.

This unified approach gives Proton much more flexibility to dodge roadblocks set up by authoritarian regimes. The update has immediately brought the provider's anti-censorship Stealth protocol to the Linux GUI app.

The shift to ProTun also lays the critical groundwork for a future networking layer called muon, which will eventually hide VPN API connections from internet service providers to defeat SNI snooping, and sets the stage for post-quantum cryptography.

Antonio Cesarano, Product Lead at Proton VPN, explains that libpvpnclient and muon together form a new platform that gives engineers far more flexibility.

"This allows us to experiment safely with improvements in connection stability, battery usage, and resilience, and prepares the groundwork for future technologies, like stronger anti-censorship techniques and post-quantum cryptography," said Cesarano.

Users who want to test the new architecture can opt into the beta program via the settings menu in their respective apps.

• Surfshark unveils scam text protection against SMS-based phishing
• The AI-driven tool screens texts in real time on iOS and Android
• The feature is available for Surfshark One and Surfshark One+ subscribers

If your phone is constantly buzzing with suspicious package delivery updates or urgent bank alerts, you aren't alone. Americans received an average of 19.2 billion spam texts per month in late 2023, a near-threefold increase since 2021. To tackle this growing epidemic, one of the best VPN providers on the market, Surfshark, has launched a dedicated real-time tool to fight back against SMS fraud.

Following the company's recent decision to shift its focus to fighting scams, the new scam text protection feature is designed to safeguard mobile users from "smishing" (SMS phishing). Using AI-driven technology, the tool screens incoming messages to detect dangerous URLs, suspicious sender numbers, and fraudulent content before you can accidentally click on them.

With SMS scams now accounting for 35% of all phishing attempts globally, blocking these threats at the source is becoming essential for mobile security.

“Recently, we have introduced a scam protection hub, a unified space to make it easier for users to defend against modern, human-centric cyberthreats like scams, phishing, or identity fraud," explained Dominykas Simkus, Senior Product Manager at Surfshark. "Scam text protection is our newest feature to be introduced to face these online threats and help users fight increasingly sophisticated SMS-based scams.”

How Surfshark’s scam text protection works

The new feature handles threats differently depending on your mobile operating system.

For iPhone users, it works entirely in the background. Once a scam signature or suspicious pattern is detected, the iOS native Messages app automatically moves the fraudulent text to the Spam folder. You won't even receive a notification, effectively removing the temptation to open the message.

On Android, the approach is more transparent. Users receive a warning notification from Surfshark alerting them to a detected scam. Clicking the notification opens the message in a controlled, risk-free environment within the Surfshark app, allowing you to examine the contents safely without accidentally triggering a malicious link.

Users also gain access to an in-app dashboard detailing their blocked suspicious messages. In a unique addition for US citizens, the dashboard even calculates an estimate of how much money they likely saved by avoiding each fraudulent text.

For those worried about privacy, Surfshark explicitly states that the feature does not retain your messages, monitor your phone generally, or use any private data to train its AI models.

"While traditional cybersecurity focuses on malware and hacking, modern scams increasingly target human behavior through social engineering techniques that exploit trust, urgency, and exposed personal data," said Simkus, explaining that SMS-based sophisticated scams are very difficult to spot.

"Our tool is built to spot mistakes or suspicious patterns in order to avoid any interaction with bad actors," Simkus added.

The Scam text protection feature is rolling out now for users subscribed to the premium Surfshark One and Surfshark One+ plans. To get immediate access, Surfshark recommends manually updating your app via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

• Surfshark recorded nearly 6 times as many malware detections on Windows
• While trojans mostly target Windows devices, phishing lands harder on Mac
• A "Macs are safe" mindset may leave users more at risk of social engineering

New data from Surfshark shows a stark split in how malware finds its targets: Windows users are hit at nearly six times the rate of macOS users.

The headline number is eye-catching, but the full story is more interesting. While Windows soaks up the vast majority of traditional malware, Mac users face a very different kind of threat, one that a locked-down operating system does little to stop: phishing.

Antivirus software paired with one of the best VPN services remains a sensible layer of defence, whatever you run, but Surfshark's findings are a useful reminder that while risks change depending on the platform, they never disappear.

The six-times gap, by the numbers

Surfshark analysed 391,305 malware detections logged by its antivirus between 1 January and 31 July 2026. Windows devices made up 66% of the active user base but accounted for a striking 92% of all detections, while macOS users represented 34% of the base yet just 8% of threats.

That works out to nearly six Windows detections for every one on a Mac.

"Windows' popularity has always made it the biggest target for cybercriminals," said Gabrielė Sinkevičiūtė, Head of Product at Surfshark, pointing to the scale of malware built around Windows' dominant market share, along with differences in how each platform handles third-party software and permissions.

Surfshark's equivalent research from last year yielded similar results, so the trend appears to be consistent.

Trojans dominate Windows, while phishing surges on Mac

The threat mix differs sharply by platform. Trojans (malicious software hiding inside safe programs) were the top danger on Windows at 46% of detections, versus 25% on macOS, while riskware (legitimate software that can pose security threats) sat at 19% and 17% respectively. Viruses were level at 9% on both, and adware (software that puts unwanted ads on your device) trailed at 4% on Windows and 3% on Mac.

Phishing is where Mac users lose ground. It ranked third on macOS at 15% of detections, but only sixth on Windows at 3%. Because phishing exploits trust rather than software flaws, a hardened operating system offers little protection, and Surfshark argues a false sense of security can make Mac owners slower to question a suspicious message.

Other research backs this up. Microsoft reported in early 2026 that infostealer campaigns are expanding beyond Windows onto macOS using social-engineering tricks such as ClickFix prompts and fake installers, and Malwarebytes has tracked Mac infostealers becoming a mainstream threat rather than a rarity. TechRadar has likewise reported that the "mythical" security status of macOS is fading.

How to stay safe

The core advice is the same on both platforms: treat unexpected links, attachments and login prompts with suspicion, keep your operating system and apps patched, and only install software from official sources.

Never paste a command into Terminal or PowerShell because a website told you to, as that single step drives many recent Mac infections.

Running reputable antivirus software helps on either system, but the biggest fix for Mac users may be a change in attitude. Dropping the assumption that Apple hardware is inherently immune is the first real step toward not becoming the softer target.

Despite the heatwaves, the back-to-school season is fast approaching. Thankfully, ExpressVPN's latest price drop gives you the security you need for longer — and for less — in time for the fall semester.

ExpressVPN's two-year plans now start at only $2.99/month (previously $3.49), equivalent to $83.72 in total. It also now comes with 4 months extra included, saving you $14 over the 28 months.

ExpressVPN ranks as the most secure VPN we've tested, perfect if you're looking to keep yourself safe while diving into research for your latest project.

With a more expensive plan, you can also access secure AI, identity defense tools, password management, and email spoofing capabilities.

The deal means ExpressVPN is currently cheaper than NordVPN and on par with ProtonVPN, both of which are normally cheaper.

That said, this isn't ExpressVPN's best-ever deal. In the past, its price has dropped as low as $2.49/month. However, there's no guarantee these deals will return. The current sale is available until September 9.

I've tested VPNs for years and think ExpressVPN is one of the best options for your studies. Here are a few features you should make sure to check out:

• ExpressKeys: Password management, password health checks, and secure notes storage. Perfect if you need to remember logins for research sites, internal systems, and more.
• ExpressMailGuard: Alias email domain creator. Ideal if you need to sign up for websites for research purposes and don't want to worry about the spam emails once you leave college.
• VPN protection: A secure, encrypted tunnel to the internet. Access servers in 113 countries, stay protected from malicious sites, and protect all your devices, no matter if its for working, gaming, or streaming.

• NordVPN is now Aston Villa's Official Digital Security Partner
• The deal aims to protect fans using public Wi-Fi on matchdays at Villa Park
• It echoes a broader trend of top VPNs securing major sports partnerships

Aston Villa has officially named NordVPN as its new Official Digital Security Partner. The deal is designed to enhance data security for supporters attending matches at Villa Park, ensuring fans have access to safer internet browsing when connecting to crowded, public networks.

If you have ever tried to check live football scores, stream highlights, or message friends from a packed stadium, you know that public Wi-Fi can be incredibly vulnerable to snooping. By teaming up with the best VPN provider on the market, Aston Villa hopes to mitigate these everyday cybersecurity risks. A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your internet traffic, actively keeping your personal data safe from prying eyes when connected to unsecured stadium networks.

According to a statement released by Aston Villa, securing fan data is becoming a growing priority for the club. "In the modern age, where internet usage is such a cornerstone of everyday life, online security is paramount, and this exciting partnership allows our supporters to engage with the club and with each other on matchdays in a fast and protected environment," an Aston Villa spokesperson explained.

Expanding the sporting footprint

This latest partnership is not just about selling software; it is heavily focused on digital education. Bob Brinklow, UK Country Manager for NordVPN, noted that the company's goal is to help fans better understand online privacy through dedicated digital activations.

"At NordVPN, we believe that strong partnerships are built around shared values, trust, and meaningful connections with communities," said Brinklow. "Together, we aim to help fans better understand online security through digital activations and partnership initiatives, while supporting the club and its ambitions for success on the pitch."

NordVPN has been highly active in the English football pyramid this month. Just days prior to the Villa announcement, NordVPN became the Official Cyber Security Partner for the National League, aiming to boost cyber resilience across all 72 clubs in the division.

The cybersecurity industry is clearly seeing the immense value in football sponsorships, though these high-profile deals can sometimes cause a stir.

Rival provider ExpressVPN inked major deals of its own, becoming the official partner of Tottenham Hotspur and making headlines as an official supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026. That latter move actually sparked fury from major European broadcasters over piracy concerns, highlighting the occasionally complex relationship between football broadcasting rights and VPN software.

A string of high-profile partnerships

It isn't just sports stadiums where VPN brands are eager to tap into passionate, highly engaged fanbases.

NordVPN has also teamed up with cybersecurity heavyweight CrowdStrike to bolster its Threat Protection Pro suite, delivering enterprise-level security to everyday users.

Over the past few months, the provider has also announced that Klarna members can claim a free NordVPN subscription, while Mastercard integrated the VPN into its lifestyle perks. The company even found time to partner with Marvel on a digital comic book to teach younger audiences about online safety.

As technology brands increasingly seek to normalize everyday privacy tools, expect to see more VPN logos popping up on pitch-side advertising boards. For now, Aston Villa fans can rest a little easier knowing their matchday browsing is being taken seriously.

• NordVPN's antivirus blocked 99.1% malware in latest West Coast Labs test
• Artifact Security ranked NordVPN first out of five providers for performance
• The tests confirm connection times of just 1.8 seconds and zero data leaks

Users looking for the best VPN want the perfect balance of security and speed. According to two newly released independent evaluations, NordVPN is currently delivering exactly that on a global scale.

Over the summer, testing firm West Coast Labs (WCL) awarded NordVPN's built-in antivirus tool its highest AAA certification. Back in June, London-based Artifact Security crowned the vendor as the fastest and most reliable provider in a comprehensive global performance test, proving NordVPN continues to score all-positive results on independent audits.

For everyday users, these results are incredibly reassuring. It means you don't have to sacrifice your browsing speeds to stay safe online. The evaluations simulated real-world conditions, proving the app can swiftly block malicious sites and high-severity threats and handle high-speed downloads without breaking a sweat or leaking your personal data.

Top-tier malware protection

Under its WCL Validated methodology, West Coast Labs threw 934 malware samples at NordVPN's next-gen antivirus. The software successfully detected 926 of them, achieving an impressive 99.1% detection rate, well above the 95% threshold required for certification.

This latest achievement builds on the tool's previous successes, having already aced independent testing for its high phishing block rate in past assessments.

Crucially, the testing evaluated the product using its default configuration, meaning no custom tuning or vendor-supplied exclusions were used to artificially boost the score. NordVPN passed all 22 Core and 12 Augment lifecycle requirements across six stages, including deployment, functionality, and removal.

Because a single Core failure results in instant disqualification, this sweep earned NordVPN the highest available AAA certification rating.

"These results tell us the product is doing its job where it matters," said Marijus Briedis, chief technology officer at NordVPN. "What we’re most proud of is that this was tested under default configuration with no exclusions applied. That’s how most users actually run it, and that’s the standard we hold ourselves to."

Unmatched speed and reliability

Security is only half the battle; a VPN must also be fast. Artifact Security's 2026 VPN Performance World Tour evaluated five major VPN providers (NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, Proton VPN, and Mullvad) across five origin regions (Germany, Singapore, US West, US East, and the UK) spanning 55 route-pinned highways.

NordVPN dominated the field, finishing first with an overall score of 91 and taking home the test's only Platinum award. On its Windows VPN, the provider led the pack with an average download speed of 271.9 Mbps and a peak download median of 568.4 Mbps. It also proved highly responsive, averaging just 1.8 seconds to establish a working tunnel with a 98% success rate.

Most importantly for privacy advocates, all tested providers, including NordVPN, passed every standard and advanced leak scenario. Across IP, DNS, IPv6, WebRTC, server-switch, and split-tunneling tests, no traffic escaped the encrypted tunnel.

"Performance testing at this scale is a much harder standard to meet than a single-location benchmark," said Briedis. "Coming out first overall and winning three regions outright gives us confidence that the infrastructure improvements we’ve been making are translating into something users can actually feel, regardless of where they connect from."

• Klarna has partnered with NordVPN to include a free VPN subscription
• Only Klarna Premium and Max members can redeem one NordVPN plan
• The perk is bundled into existing memberships

Buy now, pay later giant Klarna has a new perk for its paying members, and this one is all about your privacy.

The company has partnered with NordVPN to add encrypted connectivity as an included benefit for Klarna Memberships subscribers, folding a digital security tool into a subscription that was previously focused on cashback, travel protection, and lifestyle rewards.

It's the latest example of a payments company bundling in one of the best VPN services as a membership sweetener, and it follows hot on the heels of NordVPN's tie-up with Mastercard earlier this year, as well as other collaborations with companies such as CrowdStrike and Marvel.

The idea is simple. If you already have a Klarna membership, you can now activate a NordVPN subscription at no extra cost. Which tier you get depends on your membership level.

What the Klarna and NordVPN partnership involves

The structure is tied directly to Klarna's membership tiers.

Klarna Premium members will receive access to NordVPN Basic, while Klarna Max members will receive access to NordVPN Standard, both included within their existing membership subscription.

It's worth mentioning that NordVPN Standard — which Klarna's membership page described as "secure VPN access with enhanced security features" — doesn't exist within NordVPN's usual offering. A company spokesperson clarifies to TechRadar that this is an offering tailored only for certain partners.

Regarding the partnership, NordVPN argues that VPN protection has become relevant infrastructure for both professionals and consumers, supporting secure connections on public and shared networks, such as those found in coffee shops, airports, and hotels.

Klarna describes the move as part of a strategy focused on offering tangible, valuable benefits at scale, giving members more control over aspects of their digital activity, and positioning its memberships to compete on overall value.

How to claim your free NordVPN subscription

Because the VPN is bundled into your Klarna membership, the first step is simply making sure you're on an eligible tier (Premium or Max).

With NordVPN's comparable Mastercard partnership, once users activate their NordVPN subscription, the service asks them to set up their Nord account and download the NordVPN app. We can likely expect the Klarna flow to follow the same rough path: confirm eligibility, activate the benefit, create or sign in to a Nord Account, then install the app on your devices.

If you're unsure whether your specific plan includes the perk, it's worth checking directly with Klarna, since availability can vary by region and membership level. Once it's live, you'll have the full NordVPN app to set up across your phone, laptop, and other devices.

NordVPN Basic vs NordVPN Standard: what's included

While users can use both plans on up to 10 devices simultaneously, features offered slightly differ.

As the name suggests, NordVPN Basic is the entry-level tier, and the main feature is the virtual private network (VPN) itself, using the same core software found across every NordVPN plan.

You get access to all NordVPN's server network — 211 locations in 135 countries— which TechRadar's reviewers found to be larger than any rival we test. You also get NordVPN's fast, secure NordLynx protocol, a reliable kill switch, and post-quantum encryption already baked in.

NordVPN Standard expands on the Basic offering by adding Threat Protection — now known as NordVPN's next-gen antivirus suite. The tool filters your traffic through NordVPN's DNS servers to block ads and malicious sites, while blocking malware before reaching your device in real-time.

Governments worldwide are racing to deploy and enforce digital IDs to enhance data privacy and national security. As adoption accelerates, it’s estimated that more than two-thirds of the global population, 5.6 billion people will own a digital wallet by 2029. Yet these credentials remain largely confined to national borders due to the lack of global interoperability.

This is a challenge for today's digital economy and is becoming even more complex with the rapid rise of agentic commerce as autonomous AI agents are increasingly executing cross-border transactions on behalf of users. This interoperability gap forces platforms to reject foreign digital credentials, forcing users to upload their physical IDs to complete global purchases—the exact security risk digital IDs were designed to eliminate.

Digital IDs locked behind borders brings vulnerabilities

Without clear global frameworks, a digital ID issued by one nation is completely unreadable and untrusted by digital services based in another. This creates a gap between privacy, security, and convenience as consumers interact with cross-border digital services.

This could include booking an accommodation at a hotel, completing a global transaction, or deploying an AI agent to negotiate a corporate purchase. This mismatch brings severe vulnerability risks for all parties, the enterprise, the nation who deployed the digital ID, and the consumer.

When consumers are forced to upload their passport, just to complete a routine transaction, the government that spent millions building a secure digital ID ecosystem now completely lost control over its citizens' data sovereignty.

While image-based verification methods are secure and functional for localized onboarding, there are challenges that arise when users must repeatedly share sensitive documents across multiple organizations and jurisdictions to then be stored in a foreign database.

It expands the enterprise attack surface by multiplying the number of disparate databases where a user's personal identifiable information (PII) is stored and can become a target for data breaches and identity attacks.

The technical debt of fragmented standards

Without clear standards for digital IDs, enterprises are forced to navigate a patchwork of identity protocols. This creates security blind spots that make it easier for fraudsters to steal passport images and other personal data to open fraudulent accounts at scale.

Beyond security risks, IT leaders are facing technical debt with the fragmentation of digital IDs. In order to accommodate new digital ID variations, institutions would have to completely re-file pre-approved processes for regulatory approval. Since this is a complex and exhaustive process, organizations stick to their approved legacy workflows. However, this leaves them more vulnerable to emerging threats.

This challenge only gets worse when you take into consideration that some countries are heavily restricting their digital IDs. 31% of OECD countries do not provide any form of cross-border digital identity recognition, meaning roughly 3 in 10 countries still cannot use foreign digital identities to access public services. However, it’s not a lack of technical interoperability that prevents the cross-border use of digital IDs; rather, governing bodies are actively forbidding it.

For example, Under the EU’s upcoming EUDI wallet (eIDAS 2.0), only businesses established within an EU Member State have a clear path to register and accept verified citizen digital identities.

Similarly, processing the Philippines' PhilID is strictly restricted to companies incorporated and headquartered locally. Even if relying parties would be willing to deal with the non-standardized fractured technology of digital IDs, these protective regulations shut out international organizations from consuming them, forcing a reliance on legacy verification processes.

The security promise of digital IDs

Digital identity does have major benefits when it’s allowed to act at its full cross-border potential. When recognized and accepted by other organizations in other jurisdictions, consumers can establish trust without oversharing their personal information.

This limits the vulnerable information that organizations have to store in their databases and safeguards citizen’s privacy. Since only the specific data required to confirm authorization is transmitted, both organizations and sovereign nations can finally operationalize true data minimization.

As agents start executing actions on behalf of humans, reusable identity is the missing layer that makes the agentic ecosystem safe. Rather than forcing users back into a manual verification process, a standardized digital ID framework would allow an agent to present a pre-verified, universally trusted digital token.

This token could verify both the agent's authorization and the user's identity without exposing raw login credentials. This allows AI agents to fulfill their promise of true, autonomous automation.

The trust required for a borderless digital economy

Creating global interoperability for digital IDs isn’t just about ensuring a seamless digital economy; it’s about fundamentally shifting how we build and maintain trust in digital systems. While standardized cross-border frameworks are essential for the initial onboarding with digital IDs, true security with reusable identity requires moving beyond static, point-in-time checks.

This is especially true as AI agents begin navigating global platforms and executing transactions on behalf of users. As these agents are designed to operate continuously in the background, identity verification can no longer be a single, one-time event.

To make the digital ecosystem more secure and resilient for both humans and machines, trust must be re-established throughout the entire user lifecycle.

By deploying continuous monitoring through real-time behavioral and device pattern signals, enterprises can allow authentic users and their authorized AI agents to interact seamlessly beyond borders. Friction with identity verification would then only enter the equation when suspicious behavior is detected.

But spotting these subtle anomalies means fraud can no longer be addressed in isolation. By adopting an identity intelligence solution, organizations can layer multiple authentication and identity signals to build a more complete picture of risk. This intelligence can then be shared across organizations and even governments to detect fraud patterns and threats in real time, before they become widespread.

This unified knowledge is essential because the purpose of digital IDs was never meant to end at national borders. Governments must stop restricting international organizations from accepting their digital IDs because, when implemented correctly, enabling cross-border access creates a fundamentally safer environment for citizens.

We are living in a truly borderless digital economy, and our frameworks for digital trust must evolve to match this reality. Global interoperability and continuous trust are the foundation for a more secure, privacy-centric ecosystem—one where individuals, enterprises, and autonomous AI agents can interact with total confidence anywhere in the world.

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• NordVPN 5.3.0 for Linux automatically installs the GUI app alongside the command-line daemon
• A new NordVPN diagnostics command bundles troubleshooting info into a single shareable file
• CLI commands are now case-insensitive, and older operating systems like Ubuntu 20.04 are no longer supported

NordVPN has rolled out version 5.3.0 of its Linux app, marking a notable shift in how the provider approaches the notoriously command-line-heavy operating system. Starting with this August 2026 release, the provider’s graphical user interface (GUI) will now install automatically alongside the standard daemon.

The best VPN on the market according to TechRadar's testing, NordVPN has spent the last couple of years steadily improving its Linux offerings. While the company first launched a full GUI for Linux to make securing open-source systems as simple as clicking a button, it previously required a separate installation step.

Now, by making it part of the default setup process, NordVPN aims to increase its usage among Linux users who may have skipped or missed the extra package entirely.

"The GUI app now installs automatically alongside the daemon," the provider noted in its latest release notes. "It's been around for a while, but we figured it deserved a little more visibility."

This change ensures that all Linux users immediately benefit from visual features like light and dark mode, server maps, and easy toggles for post-quantum encryption, without ever having to touch the terminal. The integration comes just a year after NordVPN made its Linux GUI app open-source, allowing the community to inspect the code for complete transparency.

Simpler troubleshooting and broader changes

While the automatic GUI installation is the most visible change, version 5.3.0 brings several major quality-of-life improvements to the Nord's Linux VPN.

First is a brand-new diagnostics command. In the past, Linux users troubleshooting connection issues had to manually run a series of complex commands to pull network information, system specs, and firewall rules.

The new tool consolidates this process, gathering all necessary data into a single file that can be securely shared with the support team. However, NordVPN clarifies that "this command is not yet available for Snap package installations."

The command-line interface (CLI) has also received an overdue tweak: commands are now case-insensitive. As the company jokingly explained in the notes, users can "feel free to shout in ALL CAPS if the need ever arises."

Additionally, the NordVPN pause command has officially made its CLI debut, and the system tray app now includes a highly requested “Open NordVPN app” button. As the provider states, it "does exactly what the label suggests, which is always reassuring."

Under the hood, a few technical adjustments were made to improve networking. For users struggling to find local devices, mDNS traffic is now allowed by default when LAN discovery is turned on, meaning printers and local servers will no longer remain "impressively undiscoverable."

However, users running older setups should take note before upgrading. To keep up with modern standards, NordVPN has raised the minimum glibc version to 2.35. As a result, the 5.3.0 update officially deprecates support for older operating systems, including Ubuntu 20.04, Debian 11, and Fedora 32 through 42.

During our latest tests of Turbo VPN's Windows client, we identified active IP leaks and misconfigured protocols that put users' privacy at risk.

Owned by Singapore-based Innovative Connecting Pte. Limited, Turbo VPN boasts over 500 million downloads on Android.

Although the provider issued a patch after receiving our initial technical findings earlier this week, version 3.6.0.0 continued to leak IPv6 addresses across its proprietary protocols (Lepus and LinkSentinel) as well as standard OpenVPN connections.

Following further technical evidence provided by TechRadar, Turbo VPN has deployed a second update (version 3.7.0.0) for Windows to patch the persistent IPv6 leaks. Our testing confirms that this latest build now successfully blocks unencrypted IPv6 traffic.

However, information regarding the app's proprietary protocols remains scarce, and one protocol (V2Ray) was quietly removed during the recent updates. When asked about its removal, the company told TechRadar it is "still checking" the protocol.

Intermittent IP leaks

Concealing your IP address is a VPN's primary objective. However, when we began testing Turbo VPN's proprietary protocols earlier this week on an IPv4-only connection, we found that our real IP address wasn't being hidden at all.

Despite the app displaying that we were "connected," every online IP lookup test we ran showed our real IPv4 address. We rebooted our machine, reinstalled the app, and used multiple independent lookup tools, but the issues persisted.

To confirm our findings, we installed the app on a second machine on a separate dual-stack IPv4/IPv6 network. Testing on this setup revealed a distinct failure: while our IPv4 address was masked, our genuine IPv6 address remained exposed.

Subsequent follow-up tests on our IPv4-only connection also saw IPv4 masking stabilize, which highlights the intermittent nature of the initial build.

After we shared these technical findings with the team, Turbo VPN issued an update (version 3.6.0.0). In our testing of this build, the app successfully masked IPv4 addresses consistently but IPv6 addresses remained exposed on proprietary protocols and standard OpenVPN connections.

Given that most modern operating systems and web browsers favor IPv6 connections over IPv4, failing to tunnel or block this traffic left users on dual-stack connections exposed by default.

Following a subsequent update issued today, the Windows app is now blocking unencrypted IPv6 traffic while masking IPv4 addresses consistently.

Lepus: a VPN or Shadowsocks proxy?

Lepus is listed alongside Turbo VPN's standard VPN protocols. It is described as providing "excellent camouflage with equally outstanding speed and stability built for highly restricted networks."

However, during our initial tests Lepus operated in ways distinct from standard VPN protocols. Rather than creating a system-wide encrypted tunnel, it executed a local ShadowsocksR (ssr.exe) process that toggles Windows settings (ProxyEnable: 1) to run a local proxy on port 46288.

That means any non-browser data sent from your device — including background OS traffic, desktop messaging apps, and command-line utilities — did not benefit from an encrypted tunnel and was instead routed over a standard connection.

We asked the team at Turbo VPN how long this behavior may have been present for, but they did not reply to that specific question.

In our subsequent tests, version 3.6.0.0 successfully protected all outbound traffic in an encrypted tunnel and successfully operated as a system-wide tunnel for IPv4 traffic.

However, its configuration still allowed for IPv6 leaks, which means users on a dual-stack connection were left exposed. This is because the app did not enable any IPv6 virtual interfaces, assigned zero IPv6 gateway routes, and set no firewall rules to block outbound IPv6 traffic as shown below.

The official response, and what comes next

After sharing multiple rounds of technical feedback with Turbo VPN, the Windows app (version 3.7.0.0) appears to have fixed the remaining IPv6 leak issues.

Rather than attempting to create a full IPv6 infrastructure, the latest version appears to have implemented IPv6 blocking at the client level. This forces all web traffic down the encrypted IPv4 tunnel.

However, detailed information about the proprietary protocols remains conspicuously absent both within the app and on Turbo VPN's website — a search of the company's official website yields no results for Lepus or LinkSentinel.

Beyond a brief descriptor on the protocol-selection tab, users are given no technical context about how these protocols route traffic or what security mechanisms they employ. Combined with the silent removal of V2Ray, users are left with little information on how best to secure their connection.

The company did not respond to questions about the lack of information regarding the app's proprietary protocols. In response to our initial findings, the company said: "The behavior observed in the Windows client arose only under certain network configurations, appearing to occur in a limited number of network environments.

"Following the points you raised, our technical team carried out a thorough review and implemented the necessary improvements in the latest Windows build within a short timeframe."

We will continue to test the product and update our full review in the coming weeks.

• PIA has added 22 streaming-optimized VPN server locations
• No update, reinstall, or plan change is needed to access new servers
• Countries getting the label for the first time include France, Spain, Brazil

Private Internet Access (PIA) has more than doubled the size of its Streaming Optimized network, growing from 13 dedicated streaming locations to 35 with the addition of 22 new countries.

The expansion spreads across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East, giving users a far wider spread of servers picked out specifically for watching online content.

For a provider already regarded as one of the best VPN options for value and customization, the change is less about adding raw server count and more about making the right servers easier to find.

Most of these countries already had standard PIA locations. What's new is a dedicated Streaming Optimized label sitting alongside them in the app. The new options show up automatically across PIA's apps without any updates required.

What PIA has actually added

PIA's Streaming Optimized locations are servers the company monitors and regularly tests against a range of streaming services, rather than general-purpose servers that may or may not work. The idea is to give users a reliable starting point instead of leaving them to guess which location to try.

France, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, New Zealand, and South Africa are among the countries picking up the label for the first time, with further additions across Central and Eastern Europe. The full list of 22 new locations spans the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.

According to PIA, the rollout was made possible as more of its locations became "technically ready to support the setup," part of a broader run of network upgrades the provider has been pushing out through 2026, as well as bringing its app to the Google-alternative app store, F-Droid.

Why streaming-optimized servers matter

Streaming platforms restrict content by region, checking your IP address against a database of known ranges and serving a different catalog depending on where you appear to be.

A virtual private network (VPN) sidesteps that by routing your traffic through a server elsewhere, so the platform sees the server's location rather than yours.

The catch is that services actively block IP addresses linked to VPNs, which turns finding a working server into a guessing game. Dedicated streaming servers exist to cut down that trial and error, with providers monitoring and refreshing them to keep the success rate up.

It is worth noting that performance still varies by service and account, and using a VPN this way may run against a platform's terms.

How to use the new PIA's streaming-optimized servers

Getting to the new locations takes seconds. Open the PIA app, head to the location list, and type "streaming" into the search bar.

The new countries appear alongside PIA's existing streaming picks. Choose the one you want and connect as usual.

Because everything is included with existing subscriptions and rolls out automatically, there is no separate plan or toggle to hunt for. PIA says it plans to keep expanding the network over time.

It’s official: TechRadar readers want VPN pricing to change. In a recent set of polls, 54% of TechRadar readers said price jumps were the most annoying part of VPN subscriptions, while a whopping 97% said they’d rather pay a flat fee than a discounted rate that rises later on.

The problem is that many of the best VPNs don’t work this way. Most opt for a reduced rate that increases at the end of the fixed plan. And while some providers offer an end-of-plan offer, it isn’t guaranteed.

One VPN that breaks this mould is Mullvad VPN. It costs €5 per month, every month.

Its price hasn't changed since it launched way back in 2009. What’s more, if you’d like to keep your payment anonymous, it allows cash payments, which require no identification whatsoever.

Mullvad's single price does mean it is more expensive per month than options offering an initial discount. NordVPN, for example, costs $3.49/month initially, over a dollar less, but you're faced with a $80+ price rise at the end of two years, and you pay the whole fee upfront.

Mullvad gives you greater control of your payments; no price rises, and performance that rivaled the very best VPNs in our March 2026 testing.

It achieved 2,308 Mbps using WireGuard in our speed testing, second only to PrivadoVPN. It also proved to be reasonably effective with streaming services. It struggled with Disney+ and Prime Video in some regions, but was flawless with global Netflix libraries and local services such as BBC iPlayer.

Compared to other VPNs, Mullvad does fall short on additional security features. It lacks capabilities such as antivirus, password management, or dark web monitoring to secure you outside of the VPN. For these features, you'd need to look to VPNs such as NordVPN or Surfshark.

Wanna have your own say? The polls are still open, so feel free to leave your vote and let us know why in the comments below.

• IPVanish has updated its Apple TV app to widen its VPN protocol choice
• Beyond IKEv2, the app supports WireGuard and OpenVPN (with Scramble)
• Both existing and new subscribers can unlock everything with a single step

IPVanish has given its Apple TV app a notable upgrade, adding support for the WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols in addition to the current IKEv2.

For anyone who streams from the sofa, this is a meaningful change. Protocol choice affects speed, stability, and how easily a VPN slips past networks that try to block it, so having multiple options is much better than a single default.

The update also comes with a bold competitive claim. IPVanish argues it's now the only provider offering WireGuard, OpenVPN (with Scramble), and IKEv2 together on Apple TV, building on its early arrival as one of the first premium services on the platform.

Subbu Sthanu, IPVanish's General Manager of Consumer Cybersecurity, framed the launch around the living room, saying the provider wants to give Apple TV owners "the ultimate balance of speed, security, and customization."

If you're shopping for the best VPN for your living-room setup, more protocol flexibility is exactly the kind of feature that separates a bare-bones tvOS app from a properly capable one.

What's new in the IPVanish Apple TV app

The refreshed app, rolled out in late July 2026, brings two of the most widely used VPN protocols to Apple TV for the first time, sitting alongside the existing IKEv2 option.

WireGuard is the headline addition. Built on a lean codebase with modern encryption, it's designed to deliver fast connections and low latency. This makes it well suited to streaming and gaming on a big screen.

OpenVPN is the other new arrival. As one of the oldest and most battle-tested protocols around, it's prized for flexibility, supporting both UDP and TCP connections and editable port settings.

Crucially, OpenVPN ships with IPVanish's Scramble feature. Scramble obfuscates VPN traffic so it looks less recognizable to networks that try to detect and limit VPN connections, which can help you stay connected on fussier Wi-Fi.

Why the VPN protocol choice matters

The value of multiple protocols comes down to fit. No single option is best for every network, so being able to switch lets you match your connection to the situation.

WireGuard offers the best balance of speed and security for most people, and it's the one to reach for when you just want smooth 4K playback. OpenVPN is the more configurable fallback, handy when a network is being awkward or actively blocking VPNs, especially with Scramble turned on.

Apple has allowed Apple TV VPN apps for a few years now, but many providers still ship fairly basic living-room clients. Adding genuine protocol choice puts IPVanish a step ahead of rivals.

How to change protocols on IPvanish Apple TV app

There's no complicated setup involved. All existing and new IPVanish subscribers can access the protocols simply by updating to the latest version of the app from the tvOS App Store.

Once updated, open the app, head into its settings, and pick your protocol before connecting. New to the app entirely? Our guide to installing IPVanish on Apple TV walks you through it.

• Private Internet Access has rolled out its VPN for Android on F-Droid
• It provides de-Googlers with an alternative to sideloading
• It reinforces PIA's commitment to maintaining its open-source status

Open-source Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN has rolled out its Android app on the digital store F-Droid, a privacy-focused alternative to the Google Play Store.

The move comes to the delight of VPN users who don’t trust Big Tech and its notorious track record of privacy violations, but are also fed up with more old-school, DIY de-Googling alternatives.

From now on, PIA users will be able to safely download the Android VPN app directly from the community-run store dedicated to open-source Android apps. This ensures that the version is free of Google dependencies without users having to manually source and upgrade new versions themselves.

The best VPNs often benefit from independent third parties to prove their reliability, including through commissioning security reports or independent audits.

With PIA now available via F-Droid, PIA users can now rely on a community of privacy-conscious individuals instead of having to blindly trust a binary file provided by the VPN directly. "We pride ourselves on being a VPN where anyone can read the code we actually ship — landing on F-Droid is a natural extension of that commitment," said the company.

What is F-Droid?

To install a VPN, Google Play Store is usually the common way. However, some users steer clear of the tech giant, which has faced countless legal cases relating to privacy and is known for collecting vast amounts of user data, including for targeted advertising.

A breath of fresh air, F-Droid's catalog of free and open-source Android apps is run by a group of volunteers that builds every app from the public source code rather than from a file provided by the developer, and makes it available on its Google-alternative store.

Because all apps on F-Droid are open-source and compiled independently, users can be sure that the binaries are tamper-free builds of the listed source code.

What’s more, F-Droid volunteers carry out these checks on users' behalf by auditing the open-source code, inspecting the code to check that it contains no spying or any sort of malicious behaviour — so you don’t have to do it yourself.

Why a native PIA's F-Droid app matters

The digital store offers a far more reliable alternative to the more traditional method of sideloading your VPNs. This involves changing the device's security settings to allow the installation of apps from sources outside the Google Play ecosystem, including the VPN's website or alternative sites.

However, compiled binary code is opaque and has to come from somewhere, often the developer themselves. And by relying on the developer you are implicitly trusting their word — something that is easily abused.

Furthermore, with sideloading, you won’t receive the automatic notifications and pop-up messages from the official app stores that you would get via Google Play, which means you’ll need to monitor and install the APK manually to keep the app up to date — something that F-Droid takes care of.

To download the F-Droid app, you can visit f-droid.org in your browser and download and install the F-Droid APK; then install PIA once you've found it in the list of downloaded apps.

Ultimately, you are always relying on a third party unless you install the software yourself. But between a profit-driven company and a group of volunteers with a privacy policy that guarantees no shared accounts, no installation tracking and no adverts, we are sure the choice for many will remain a no-brainer.

• AdGuard VPN arrives in the Meta Horizon Store as a standalone app
• The new app encrypts all VR activity rather than just browser traffic
• It joins NordVPN, ExpressVPN in offering dedicated Meta Quest apps

Diving into virtual reality has often felt like stepping into a privacy blind spot, but the tools to protect yourself are finally catching up. Following the release of its VR browser extension in March, AdGuard VPN has now officially launched a standalone app for Meta Quest headsets.

Available directly from the Meta Horizon Store, the new dedicated app brings system-wide privacy and security to Horizon OS.

This marks a significant upgrade for users who previously relied on AdGuard's browser-only extension. Now, whether you're battling friends in multiplayer games, streaming Netflix, or simply exploring virtual worlds, your traffic is encrypted across the entire headset.

"AdGuard VPN for Meta Quest works just like our mobile apps: it encrypts your traffic, hides your IP address, and secures your personal data, giving you a safer, unrestricted, and completely private virtual reality experience," the company explained in its official blog post announcement.

AdGuard joins a growing — albeit still small — number of providers offering dedicated Meta Quest apps. So, if you are looking for the best VPN to secure your headset, your options just expanded.

Why AdGuard VPN's Meta Quest app matters and how to get it

Until recently, securing a VR headset required frustrating workarounds. Users had to configure a virtual private network (VPN) on their router, share a connection from a PC, or sideload an Android app using developer tools. The arrival of native apps eliminates these technical hurdles.

While the AdGuard browser extensions for its VPN and ad-blocker tools launched earlier this year were a welcome addition, it was limited in scope.

As Vladimir Ozersky, Lead Product Manager at AdGuard, notes: "This isn't just another platform for us, it's a leap forward in bringing distraction-free, secure browsing into immersive environments."

The new standalone VPN app takes that leap further by encrypting your IP address in gaming lobbies and dedicated streaming apps, where browser-level protections simply don't reach.

Installing the new app is just as simple as downloading any other Quest title.

Users can navigate to the Meta Horizon Store on their headset, search for AdGuard VPN, and install the app directly.

Once installed, you can simply sign in to your account to connect to one of its 80+ server locations. The app is compatible with the Meta Quest 2, Quest Pro, Quest 3, and Quest 3S.

The growing list of VPNs on Meta Horizon

AdGuard isn't the first provider to recognize the need for better VR security. The Meta Quest ecosystem has rapidly transformed from a privacy desert into a highly competitive space for cybersecurity firms.

ExpressVPN paved the way in February, launching an "industry-first hybrid" browser extension alongside a dedicated Meta Quest app. This launch made ExpressVPN the first major provider to offer full-device encryption directly on the platform, specifically pitching it as a way to combat ISP throttling during bandwidth-heavy VR gaming.

NordVPN then landed on Meta Horizon in June with its own native application. Much like ExpressVPN and AdGuard, the NordVPN app allows users to encrypt all data leaving the headset without resorting to complex router configurations.

For privacy-conscious users, this growing trend is excellent news. With three major players now offering frictionless, native applications, securing your digital footprint in the metaverse is finally as straightforward as protecting your smartphone.

• Windscribe has released deGDID, a free tool that targets a hidden Windows identifier that VPNs cannot mask
• The identifier surfaced in a US court case where it helped trace a suspect's PC across VPNs and three countries
• Blocking the identifier can break Microsoft account features like Xbox, Outlook, and the Store

Windscribe has built a new tool that takes aim at a form of Windows tracking that even the best VPN cannot switch off.

The tool, called deGDID, targets a little-known Microsoft identifier called the Global Device Identifier, or GDID. It is a server-assigned code tied to a Windows installation.

The GDID burst into public view in July after it appeared in a US federal complaint against an alleged member of the Scattered Spider hacking group, where Microsoft gave investigators logs that correlated a Windows GDID with IP activity. Investigators traced the machine through VPN obfuscation across multiple countries over roughly eight months.

What Microsoft's GDID is, and why a VPN won't help

A Microsoft representative described the GDID in the complaint as a persistent, device-level identifier designed to uniquely identify an installation of Windows on a device.

It survives Windows updates but not a clean reinstall, which generates a fresh one. The privacy risk appears when that stable ID is tied to telemetry, Edge browsing data, Microsoft Store records, and IP addresses, letting Microsoft reconnect the same machine across sessions and services.

A virtual private network (VPN) protects your traffic by masking your IP address and encrypting your data. The GDID sits outside that tunnel, at the layer where Windows talks to Microsoft's cloud, so it ties every session together no matter which IP the traffic came from.

Switching to a local Windows account doesn't fix it either. Windscribe found its test machine still created a GDID even as a local account, and after manually deleting the value from the registry, it reappeared after a reboot.

How Windscribe's deGDID works, and how to use it

Windscribe's deGDID uses hosts file modifications and firewall rules to block the registration paths Windows uses to fetch a GDID, and wipes known local identity artifacts.

To run it, download the degdid.ps1 script from GitHub and run it in PowerShell with administrator rights. Use the -Status flag for a read-only check, or -Protect for the full block, verify, and wipe routine, with an -Unprotect option to reverse the changes.

The tool deliberately refuses to run on managed, domain-joined, or corporate machines.

This is not a clean opt-out. In hands-on testing, the script ran without errors, but then broke logins to Xbox, Outlook, and the Microsoft Store because the firewall rules also cut off the connectivity those services depend on.

Windscribe warns it may also affect OneDrive, passkeys, and Windows Hello, cannot guarantee it catches every GDID pathway, and does not erase records Microsoft already holds server-side.

For most people, this is just another reminder of what it means to be a Windows user, but if you want to inspect or reduce the identifier, deGDID is currently one of the only tools that tries. And if you want a more comprehensive solution, Windscribe suggests giving Linux a go.

• Surfshark is retiring its private Search tool, blaming a lack of usage
• Already begun on mobile, the full shutdown is expected by the end of 2026
• The company says the move frees up resources for its Antiscam Hub

Surfshark is preparing to shut down Search, its built-in private search engine, for the simple reason that not enough people were using it.

In a note to TechRadar, the company confirmed that the tool, which is bundled with its One and One+ plans, will be wound down over the coming months.

Surfshark framed the decision as a way to free up resources for the areas its customers care more about, chiefly its Antiscam Hub.

The move is a notable trim for one of the best VPN providers around, a company that has spent recent years bolting extra privacy tools onto its app. Search was one of them, offering ad-free, tracker-free results with the option to switch regions.

Why Surfshark is retiring Search

The problem, by Surfshark's own admission, is that hardly anyone used it. The company told TechRadar that adoption stayed limited to a very small slice of its user base, and that retiring the tool lets it pour resources into higher-demand areas instead. Chief among those is the Antiscam Hub.

It's a pragmatic call. Standalone private search engines face stiff competition from established names like DuckDuckGo, Startpage, and Brave Search, and a search tool tucked inside a VPN app was always going to be a hard sell against them.

The wind-down is staggered rather than immediate. Search has already been pulled from iOS, and it will disappear from Android with the next app release in early August. For now, it survives on Surfshark's web app, so anyone who relies on it there has some time to choose their new alternative.

Surfshark says it will retire Search everywhere else by the end of the year, and tidy up any lingering mentions of it across its website.

Where the resources are going: the Antiscam Hub

In May, the company launched its Antiscam Hub for iOS, a dedicated section of the app that pulls five existing tools into a single interface: Personal Email Masking, Alternative Number, Dark Web Monitoring, Unsafe Site Blocking, and Identity Theft Coverage.

At launch, the hub didn't so much add new features as reorganize existing ones, and Surfshark billed it as the starting point for a roadmap of increasingly sophisticated security features.

That roadmap is now taking shape: the company told TechRadar it will soon reveal a completely new addition to the Antiscam Hub for both iOS and Android users.

It won't reach everyone, though. The new feature "will be part of the Surfshark One and One+ bundles," Gabriele Sinkeviciute, Head of Product at Surfshark, told TechRadar, adding that the company will assess future releases individually.

"The VPN is our foundation, but our focus is on building an all-in-one security product," Sinkeviciute said.

That tracks. Rivals including NordVPN have been consolidating their security tools into unified suites, as VPN providers push beyond simple traffic encryption. It also reflects a grim reality: US consumers reported losing about $15.9 billion to fraud in 2025, the highest on record and up roughly 27% from $12.5 billion in 2024, according to the FTC.

For now, the takeaway is straightforward — Search is on its way out, scam protection is the priority, and Surfshark says there's more to come.

• Proton VPN silently issued a major client-side rebuild of the existing WireGuard codebase
• Proton Protocols introduces automatic network conflict detection, quicker server connections, and an in-app connection rating system
• The upgrade is currently in beta on Windows, Android, and Linux

When choosing the best VPN to protect your digital life, the underlying architecture is just as important as the server count. Now, Proton VPN has quietly delivered a massive under-the-hood upgrade designed to turbocharge performance and bypass online restrictions more effectively.

Discovered in the version 5.1.5 release notes for its Windows application, the Swiss-based privacy giant has officially introduced Proton Protocols. Described as a complete client-side rebuild of the provider's existing WireGuard codebase, this new architecture entirely overhauls how the application communicates with Proton's global network of servers.

For everyday users, this translates to immediate, noticeable improvements in the app's responsiveness. The update promises quicker, more stable connections, alongside new smart tools designed to eliminate frustrating connection errors.

Notably, the update introduces automatic network conflict detection, which can identify when other software on your device — like a strict firewall or third-party antivirus — is interfering with your VPN tunnel.

The rebuild also serves a crucial purpose for users navigating restrictive digital environments. By overhauling the underlying code, Proton is actively boosting its anti-censorship capabilities, ensuring journalists, activists, and everyday citizens can maintain safe, unrestricted access to the open web.

Why Proton Protocols matters

The shift to the new Proton Protocols codebase isn't just a simple bug-fixing patch. It represents a foundational shift, originally teased in the provider's recent Spring/Summer 2026 roadmap, designed to unify performance and features across all operating systems.

A Proton spokesperson explained to TechRadar that the new codebase is easier to integrate with all the languages natively supported and can be deployed across platforms, while adapting to different environments and bringing improved feature parity.

"For example, it has allowed Proton VPN to bring the Stealth protocol to Linux, improve anti-censorship capabilities, and lay the groundwork for post-quantum encryption," said Proton's spokesperson.

In other words, by standardizing the codebase, the company can deploy complex features to operating systems that are traditionally left behind. And, beyond preparing the platform for next-generation security threats like quantum computing, the rebuild makes life significantly easier for the development team.

"Issues within our apps will be easier to diagnose and fix, and it unlocks the next generation of Proton VPN performance," the spokesperson added.

What else is new in version 5.1.5?

While the new architecture steals the spotlight, the 5.1.5 Windows release also packs in several important quality-of-life updates aimed at refining the user experience.

If you occasionally run into issues where a sudden app or device crash leaves your DNS rules active, potentially blocking your regular web browsing after disconnecting from the VPN, this update officially fixes that bug. It also patches a known reconnection flaw specifically impacting users with IPv6 connectivity.

Furthermore, Proton is leaning on its community to help fine-tune future updates by introducing a direct connection feedback tool. Users can now instantly rate their connection quality with a simple thumbs up or thumbs down directly within the interface.

While the 5.1.5 update brings these features to Windows users today, the wider deployment of the new architecture is still ongoing.

"The update is currently in beta on Windows, Android, and Linux, with Apple coming soon," the company confirmed to TechRadar.

• Post-quantum encryption is now live on Norton VPN's Mimic and WireGuard
• Rebuilt iOS and Android apps have slashed connect times by more than 50%
• Norton has added 12 new countries across Asia and Africa

Competition for the title of best VPN is fiercer than ever, and Norton is making a strong case for the crown. The cybersecurity veteran has just unveiled the final releases from its first-half 2026 roadmap, delivering a robust mix of future-proofed privacy tools, significantly faster mobile applications, and an expanded global footprint.

The standout feature of this latest rollout is the introduction of post-quantum encryption. This comes alongside improved Software Development Kits (SDKs) for its mobile apps and an expanded server network across Asia and Africa.

At first glance, these releases may appear to be separate features. But for the provider, they all address the same need — customers must count on Norton VPN, wherever they are.

As Himmat Bains, Product Lead at Norton VPN, told TechRadar, post-quantum encryption is crucial to protect users' data from future threats. Faster, more reliable mobile connections mean VPN protection is there exactly when they need it. And coverage in 12 new countries means that more people can connect locally.

"Different problems, same answer — we want this to be the VPN you can simply trust and forget about," said Bains.

Post-quantum encryption lands on Norton's Mimic and WireGuard

As quantum computing advances, cybersecurity experts have increasingly warned of "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks. This is a tactic where cybercriminals or state actors steal encrypted data today, hoarding it with the intention of cracking it when quantum computers become powerful enough to break traditional encryption standards.

To combat this long-term risk, Norton VPN has upgraded its proprietary Mimic protocol to utilize the ML-KEM-1024 encryption algorithm by default across all platforms.

The company is also rolling out the exact same post-quantum protection to the popular WireGuard protocol on both desktop and mobile devices, ensuring that user traffic remains fully secure against tomorrow's technological threats.

Turbocharging mobile performance

While future-proofing encryption is crucial for long-term privacy, everyday users will immediately feel the benefits of Norton’s revamped mobile experience. The provider has entirely rebuilt its iOS and Android SDKs, the underlying code architecture that powers its mobile applications, from the ground up.

The performance gains are impressive. According to Norton's release notes, the new mobile architecture reduces connection times by more than 50% and connection errors by over 60%. For mobile users who constantly hop between home Wi-Fi, public hotspots, and cellular networks, this means a much smoother, almost instantaneous protective shield.

Just as importantly, this rebuilt framework will allow Norton to ship bug fixes and new features much faster going forward. The overhaul has already paid immediate dividends, leading directly to a rebuilt mobile widget that patches previous usability issues users had been facing.

"

A broader network and a busy 2026

Beyond the apps themselves, Norton is continuing to scale up its physical infrastructure. The provider has added 12 more countries to its network, specifically targeting underserved regions across Asia and Africa.

This expansion brings Norton's total reach to an impressive 102 countries and more than 140 global locations, seamlessly building on the momentum of previous network upgrades earlier this year.

This latest announcement caps off a remarkably busy start to the year for the Norton VPN team.

The provider brought a native Amazon Fire TV app (Fire OS 8 and newer) in March and introduced the industry's first AI-native VPN for Agents in April. It also successfully added Split Tunnelling on Mac in June, joining its Android and Windows counterparts.

Furthermore, WireGuard is now live across Mac, iOS, and tvOS, with a new Pause VPN feature on iOS closing the platform's last functional gap. The company also rolled out 25 Gbps servers across busy cities and added Manual IP Rotation.

"Our goal is simple: deliver a VPN for the masses," Bains told TechRadar, arguing that these releases weren't about shipping a longer list; "it was about closing the gaps customers actually feel."

Looking ahead, Bains confirmed that Norton's second-half roadmap pushes even further, noting that "we'll have third-party audits for the third year launching later in the summer, along with meaningful updates coming to our streaming and performance.

Trust your VPN software updates keep you safe? Believe that downloading the latest release protects you from most known threats?

You might be surprised to learn that there could be a set of invisible vulnerabilities lurking inside your state-of-the-art VPN. That's because more than half of Windows VPNs we analyzed include OpenVPN code that hasn’t been updated in over a year — potentially leaving you exposed to a wide range of security and performance threats.

OpenVPN is a protocol that determines how data is encrypted and routed between a user's device and a VPN server. Thanks to its open-source status, it became the industry's de facto standard, serving as the foundation for many commercial VPN services.

Because OpenVPN is developed as a separate open-source project, however, VPN providers often update their apps while leaving the bundled OpenVPN component unchanged. New interfaces, bug fixes, and major features may arrive regularly, but the code responsible for the fundamental VPN connection may be severely out of date.

Cracking the kernel

This July, we audited 32 Windows VPN clients ranging from established, multinational companies to smaller, older and free apps, to check the OpenVPN version included in their latest release.

The results were shocking. A massive 56% (18 of 32) use an OpenVPN version that is more than a year old, 41% (14) use configurations that are over two years old, 22% (7) rely on code more than four years old. And a terrifying 12.5% (4) use code that is at least five years old.

Not all providers were equal. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of the best VPNs — including NordVPN, Windscribe and Proton VPN — use OpenVPN releases as recent as April 2026. At the other end of the scale, Turbo VPN and VyprVPN continue to use OpenVPN 2.4.7 from April 2019.

It might seem logical that companies with greater commercial resources are the ones investing more into keeping the app's codebase up to date. But having significantly older versions of the OpenVPN protocol raises significant privacy and security concerns regardless.

A variety of hidden risks

So is this really a big deal?

Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN, tells TechRadar: “Because OpenVPN — like any project — regularly patches vulnerabilities, hardens its codebase, and improves performance, running a version that’s years behind might miss security components that current up-to-date versions offer.”

Jason Xu, senior app developer at Windscribe, argues that previously disclosed vulnerabilities could actually be more serious, precisely because they have been documented. “An attacker doesn’t even need to find a new bug; they can just read the changelog,” he notes.

Indeed, OpenVPN regularly releases Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs): six vulnerabilities were registered in 2025, six in 2024, one in 2023, and one in 2022. This means providers with older versions likely did not adopt the upstream releases containing those fixes.

Of course, the risks have nuances. Running an older version does not necessarily mean an application is vulnerable to every newly discovered flaw. For example, if an older build does not include a feature which later caused a vulnerability, it is unaffected.

Briedis stressed that security can be maintained through other means, including backported patches, vendor fixes, configuration mitigations and/or removing vulnerable functions. However, he said the real concern is when none of those measures are in place and when there’s no visibility into whether they are.

The issues involved can be broad and numerous. Outdated dependencies, like running an older version of OpenSSL, are just some of the potential issues.

There is also a broader maintenance cost. According to Dr. Peter Membrey, Chief Research Officer at ExpressVPN, older versions can become increasingly difficult to integrate with current operating systems and cryptographic libraries. “Being several years behind can indicate a growing body of security, compatibility, and operational debt,” he says.

Ultimately, “the further behind you fall, the harder each upgrade gets,” Xu adds. “That’s the trap. Nobody decides to be five years behind; they just keep saying ‘next quarter’”.

A question of stack

Adopting a new OpenVPN release is a fundamental change requiring compatibility testing across platforms, regression checks, staged rollouts, and validation that nothing breaks in the software stack — a process which often takes months to complete.

Because of that, VPN providers say they are not obliged to adopt every upstream release.

NortonVPN, which is in the process of moving to the cutting-edge OpenVPN version at the moment, explains that each update needs to be assessed and tested carefully to make sure it delivers clear benefits without introducing stability, performance, or compatibility issues for customers.

Indeed, Karolis Kaciulis, Leading System Engineer at Surfshark, agrees that a six-to-18-month delay can be reasonable provided critical vulnerabilities are addressed promptly.

Some VPN providers whose updates date back more than two years have cited specific reasons to justify the delay.

StrongVPN, for example, states that work on its proprietary internal protocol has postponed the planned update to OpenVPN 2.7. Meanwhile, ClearVPN claims to ensure security by applying its own security patches.

Finally, PureVPN states that it is staying with OpenVPN 2.6.12 because it has developed custom technologies based on that version and because OpenVPN 2.7 removes support for the Wintun driver.

Time to DIY

So what can you do? Is it time to shun anyone not using the most recent version of OpenVPN?

Not necessarily. Many providers now use newer protocols like WireGuard by default, which generally benefit from more active maintenance.

In fact, several providers are in the process of phasing out OpenVPN support for faster, more agile protocols.

Proton VPN is one of the providers keeping pace, running one of the most recent OpenVPN builds on its Windows app. However, a spokesperson said that over time, the company "will start to phase out OpenVPN support in our client apps" while retaining the protocol on servers for legacy routers and older devices.

The spokesperson also noted that the protocol is "slow and bloated" in comparison to Proton VPN's Stealth and WireGuard protocols, though OpenVPN remains "robustly secure."

So whether you're using an app with the latest OpenVPN configuration or not, it might be worth switching protocols anyway.

But if you really want to know, you can audit your VPN by checking the client settings, diagnostic logs, or official release notes to confirm which version of OpenVPN your provider is using and when it was last updated.

A key red flag is protocol dependencies that are more than 12 to 18 months old without a documented security or compatibility reason as it may suggest that critical security updates have been delayed.

If you're still unsure, you can always contact your VPN provider's support team to receive more transparent info about timelines for protocol updates and security patches.

Ultimately, the risk to your security may well be limited. However, in the world of VPNs — where attention to detail in regards to security is the currency of providers — one might well ask: “Why not simply support the latest and most secure option?”

Why not indeed…