Did you know that a hacker attack occurs every 39 seconds in the United States? If you’ve heard the horror stories of hackers prying into the PCs of unsuspecting users and getting away with sensitive information, you’ll want to check out this list of the best VPN in 2022. As the new decade unfolds, cybercriminals are only going to get bolder and a more digitally-connected world raises the risk of everyday users becoming victims of cybercrime.
So, what’s the best VPN that will keep you safe in 2022? This is a legit question because installing a VPN that’s littered with flaws will give you the impression that you’re protected when you’re not. Also, you’ll want to get the best value for money when subscribing to a good VPN.
Features of a Good VPN
VPNs aren’t made equal, yet those providing the best security always have a few things in common. Look out for the following features when choosing a VPN.
1. Impenetrable Encryption
To prevent hackers from listening to the data exchange between your PC and web servers, a VPN encrypts the communication. There are various types of encryption with different strengths. A good VPN uses at least AES-256, which is the same encryption used by banks and governments.
2. Fast and Secure Protocol
A VPN sends data from your PC by encapsulating the information with a communication protocol. Most VPNs stick to OpenVPN and IKEv2 as they are proven to be secure and reliable. These protocols are also optimized for speed to minimize latency when passing through VPN servers. Avoid outdated protocols like L2TP, as there are known flaws that can be exploited by hackers.
3. No DNS Leaks
The job of a VPN is to keep your identity private online. This means masking your IP address and DNS server of your ISP with those of the VPN provider. However, some VPNs may suffer from DNS or IP leaks, which gives away your real IP. Stick to VPNs that don’t have issues with DNS leaks.
4. Safe Jurisdiction
You’re trusting the VPN provider to protect your browsing history at all costs. Therefore, you’ll want to choose a VPN that is headquartered in a safe jurisdiction such as the British Virgin Islands, Switzerland, and Panama. A safe jurisdiction refers to a country that does not belong to the Five, Nine, or Fourteen eyes alliances. These alliances are countries that have an agreement to share intel amongst the members and can usually be subpoenaed for data stored by VPNs situated in these countries.
5. No Logs Policy
You’ll need a further guarantee from the VPN provider that no information that could be linked to you is stored in its server. Check out the logging policy and ensure that information like IP addresses and browsing histories are not stored. VPNs do, however, keep basic information like email for billing and support.
6. Fast
Your VPN shouldn’t rob you of lighting speed internet access. The underlying tech, server count, and the number of active users can affect VPN speed. Therefore, it’s best to choose a VPN that has thousands of servers spread over a large number of countries.
7. Responsive Customer Support
Great customer support can mean choosing one VPN over the other. By great, we’re talking about a responsive live chat that’s available 24 hours. Some VPNs still have an old-school ticketing queue which wastes much of your precious time and doesn’t solve the problem if your issue is urgent.
8. Kill Switch
A kill switch is no longer an optional feature. It’s mandatory if you want to be safe online. This feature disconnects your PC from the Internet should the connection to the VPN drop. Some VPNs allow you manually turn on the kill switch while others have it built-in on the app.
9. Number of Devices
Does it matter if a VPN supports 5 concurrent connections while another offers 7? The difference can be a deal-breaker if you’re sharing the same account with your family members. Some VPNs can also be installed on a router, which essentially removes the limit of devices that can access the VPN from the router.
10. Extras
A good VPN can mean different things to various individuals. If you’re watching Netflix on PC, you’ll want to get a VPN that unblocks the content. Some VPNs have torrent-friendly servers, which are optimized for speed which is ideal if you are into torrenting. If you’re overly anxious about online stalkers, get a VPN that supports multihop servers.
Free Vs Paid VPN
It’s tempting to sign up for a free VPN to save on the recurring fees. But, in our experience, you’ll get what you’ve paid for. Free VPNs are inferior in terms of speed, encryption, privacy, and support. In addition, some are covered with ads that may link you to sites that harm your PC. The cost of subscribing to a VPN far outweighs the cost you can occur if your sensitive information is hacked.
The only way to ensure proper peace of mind is to subscribe to a good VPN. The fees for our recommended VPNs are reasonable, and you can get generous discounts at times. Also, most of them allow you to try their service risk-free as there’s a money-back guarantee clause.
What is the Best VPN for 2022?
Here’s a comparison of top-rated VPNs that deserve your attention in 2022.
FEATURES | NordVPN | Cyber-Ghost | Assguard | Surfshark |
| Kill Switch | ✅ | ✅ | No | ✅ |
| High-Speed Servers | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| AES-256 encryption | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Number of countries | 58 | 89 | 50+ | 61+ |
| No-logs policy | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| 24/7 Customer support | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| No of devices | 6 | 7 | 6 | Unlimited |
| Supports chain VPN connections | Yes (Double VPN) | No | Yes | Yes |
Summary
In an age where privacy is nothing but an illusion, you don’t want to take your online security for granted. Subscribing to a VPN is a wise move, and we’ve shown you the best in the industry to keep your PC safe.
Browsing online without sufficient protection is risky! Download a VPN for your PC now.
