Surfshark VPN – Authentic Review
In today’s digital world, there is a strong demand for stable and efficient network security to protect valuable data. Fortunately, VPN technology is available to help private users and businesses reduce the risk of falling victim to data theft and sabotage.
A VPN or Virtual Private Network is a service that allows you to modify or spoof your IP address to a secure server. It tricks your device into thinking that it is in another location. VPN has been widely used as an additional layer to traditional online security. It prevents ISPs, governments, hackers, or any kinds of third-party companies from potentially prying on your online activities and stealing your sensitive information which includes passwords, bank account details, etc. These are all the basics of VPN encryption features included by the VPN providers.
With so many VPN services to choose from, it’s easy to get lost in the amount of options available. That is why we are here to make your life easier by reviewing one of the VPN solutions that you can download now – Surfshark.
Overview
Surfshark is an affordable VPN solution packed with amazing features. For one, it offers around more than 800 servers across 50 countries. It is compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux and it doesn’t limit the number of simultaneous device connections. When it comes to technical aspects, it is equipped with a robust AES-256 encryption, OpenVPN and IKEv2 support, a no-logs policy, and a kill switch to protect you if your connection drops.
Features
Surfshark has a simple, versatile interface that displays basic tools such as the connect button, status information, settings, and a list of locations. It also includes additional functionalities like the CleanwWeb (ad tracker and malware blocker) and Whitelister (split-tunneling feature for apps and websites).
To enable Surfshark on your device, you only need to tap a button and you will be notified when Surfshark connects and disconnects. Your new virtual location and IP address will be shown on your interface.
Under the Locations option, you can select among the four different types of connections. The first are physical servers or the servers that are located in the actual country mentioned. It also shows quick-connect options for the fastest server based on your location, or a server from a nearby country. Another type is the virtual server locations, which displays servers that are not actually present in the country they claim to be. There’s also the P2P server options, and the double-hop VPN connections to further confuse your actual location.
If you are into streaming, Surfshark also provides excellent method for accessing geo-restricted content on Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer.
Encryption
Surfshark’s privacy features include secure protocols (such as OpenVPN UDP and TCP, IKEv2), AES-256 encryption, and a kill switch that can restrict internet access to prevent identity leaks in case the connection fails.
AES-256 (Advanced Encryption Standard) is used by reliable VPN service providers. It is implemented by the US government and is the only publicly accessible cypher recognized by the National Security Agency (NSA). Since it’s impossible to decrypt a message encoded with AES-256, it has been considered a federal standard.
AES is a symmetric-key encryption-algorithm, which uses a similar key to encrypt and decrypt data. When your plaintext data enters a VPN tunnel, AES encodes it into ciphertext and again decrypts it to be accessed by the intended recipient.
Performance
Based on the performance tests done by several tech companies, Surfshark’s connection times turned out to be faster than average and all servers returned IP addresses for their advertised locations.
Customer Support
Surfshark has a high quality 24/7 live chat support team which is responsive, friendly, and informative.
Price
Surfshark offers various pricing plans but it can be noted that paying monthly can be a little more expensive ($11.95). If you opt for longer subscriptions, you can get it for a more affordable price. It will only cost $5.99/month for a year while the two-year plan is a bargain at $1.99 – one of the lowest prices for a full-featured VPN.
Surfshark accepts a variety of payment methods including major credit cards, PayPal, cryptocurrencies, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, and Ali Pay.
You can also avail their seven-day free trial for Android, iOS and Mac, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Conclusion
Surfshark is highly recommended for VPN users interested in casual browsing and streaming. It has a straightforward interface with some of the most advanced features. It also offers unlimited simultaneous device connections and works well with streaming services like Netflix. This is definitely a good catch for global travelers or anyone who’d prefer to keep their connection encrypted 24/7.