Information Madness

Guest Post: Unlike techno-geeks, the average consumer doesn’t have a clue how a Virtual Private Network (VPN) operates. Fortunately, knowing how a VPN works isn’t a prerequisite for taking advantage of the many benefits it can offer you when it comes to protecting your online privacy. As all VPNs are not created equally, it’s important you choose the right one.

Here are the top 5 criteria to look at when shopping around for a VPN that suits your needs:

Security

As Virtual Private Networks are designed to protect your privacy, security is of utmost importance. This means all data transferred between your computer and the VPN’s server must be encrypted. VPNs taking advantage of AES 256-bit encryption are ideal. AES features the first publicly accessible open cipher to be approved by the NSA for use with top secret information. Securing data from start to finish requires more than just encrypting data in transit though. The physical data centers where a VPN service’s computers reside must be fully protected from unauthorized access. Security staff, locks and high-tech identification systems are ideal. Make sure the VPN you choose includes network resources located offshore. Offshore network resources make it more difficult for oppressive government agencies to exploit.

The servers used by the VPN to transfer data must also be encrypted should there be a physical security breach within the VPN’s data centers. This is why it is important to select a VPN that passes CIS Security Benchmarks, the industry standard for determining whether an enterprise’s IT configuration is secure or not. These benchmarks include testing VPN technology and server encryption. When it comes down to VPN technologies, the best ones to choose are OpenVPN, IPSEC and freeRADIUS. Steer clear of VPN services that use Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP). VPN services that utilize on-disk encryption such as Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS) are ideal. On-disk encryption prevents hackers and thieves from gaining access to user data located within the VPS service’s servers. Although it’s obvious that a good VPN should not store personally identifiable information on VPN gateway servers, there is still a chance that data in-transit could remain on a hard disk during the unlikely event of a security breach.

Speed

A VPN service is useless if it is not fast enough to keep up with your traffic demands. Be sure to choose a VPN service that obtains premium bandwidth from suppliers using fast, multi-core servers linked by gigabit connections. VPN services with low subscriber-to-server ratios help ensure the quality of one’s VPN experience won’t decline during peak periods. VPN services guaranteeing minimum latency and maximum throughput by placing gateways near customers based on demand are best, as a VPN service is slower to use if its gateways are physically located far away from its customers.

Although speed is critical to a good VPN experience, it doesn’t help if speed comes at the cost of bandwidth use. VPN services that impose hard limits on bandwidth use in order to preserve speed should be avoided. Good VPN services should monitor their networks 24/7 to identify bottlenecks and improve performance.

Privacy

Maintaining privacy is what puts the “P” into “VPN.” A private network must be exactly that: private. A VPN service that requires too much information upon sign-up isn’t truly private, as this data, encrypted or not, can always be subpoenaed by law enforcement agencies. If a VPN service requests nothing more than an email address from you during registration there is less information to identify you by in the event they must surrender user data to the authorities.

Furthermore, a good VPN service should not log any user activity whatsoever. VPN services that log user data are ruining the entire purpose of using a VPN. After all, if they are going to log data they are no different than the ISP you’re trying to avoid.

Ease of Use

People generally avoid using something if it is too complex to operate. That’s why a VPN with a user-friendly interface, simple software and high reliability is desirable. Most users want a VPN “that just works,” as hassling over VPN setup is a waste of both time and money. With all else being equal, a VPN service taking ease of use into account is the one to be chosen.

Personal Support

Support is ranked equally along with ease of use. There are times when users just need a bit of help even with the easiest to use of systems. The best VPN services offer extensive knowledgebases with plenty of installation and troubleshooting articles to help their users out during any situation imaginable. They also offer personal assistance by staff members that speak English. Any good VPN service won’t outsource their support to offshore, fly-by-night call centers that don’t understand anything about virtual private networks much less privacy itself. When it comes down to receiving support, users want good support in a timely manner. Top VPN services will respond to support tickets within a matter of hours, not days.

Conclusion

VPN services of all sorts can be found almost anywhere you look online, making it difficult to choose the right one. When choosing a VPN service, don’t cut corners at the risk of losing your privacy. Make sure you put security, privacy, speed, ease of use and personal support on the top of your VPN service shopping list.

About the author: Adam Dunn writes frequently for technology blogs on a range of topics including anonymous web browsing, how to hide IP and information on personal VPN.