• Proton VPN has published iOS 8.0.0 on GitHub, but the update is yet to reach the App Store
• Its primary focus is Proton protocols, a new Rust-based VPN engine aimed at stability and censorship resistance.
• An advanced kill switch, an interactive globe map, and better CarPlay support are also on the way.

Proton VPN users on iPhone have a big update to look forward to. The provider has published iOS 8.0.0 on its GitHub releases page, and it could be the most significant change to the app in years.

The biggest addition is Proton protocols, a new VPN architecture that Proton says is designed for improved stability and censorship resistance. It also makes the advanced kill switch possible on iPhone and iPad, a feature that has so far only been available on iOS in beta.

Proton VPN already sits among the best VPN services we've tested, climbing to third place in our latest round of re-testing. Anything that tightens up its iOS app is good news for privacy-minded iPhone owners.

What's new in Proton VPN 8.0 for iOS

The biggest change is one you won't see. Proton protocols, known internally as ProTUN, swaps out the standard wireguard-go code for libpvpnclient, Proton's own WireGuard implementation written in Rust.

Proton says wireguard-go never integrated well with Swift, the language it uses to build its iOS app, which made development and debugging harder.

For users, Proton promises faster updates, fewer platform-specific bugs, and a quicker response when censors change tactics.

The new core also lays the groundwork for post-quantum encryption, which Proton lists as a planned feature. Antonio Cesarano, Product Lead at Proton VPN, says it lets the team experiment with "connection stability, battery usage, and resilience".

A stricter kill switch for your iPhone

A standard kill switch cuts your internet if the VPN connection drops. Proton's advanced kill switch goes further, blocking all internet access unless you're connected to Proton VPN, and it stays active even after you restart your device.

That's a notable step on iOS, where Apple's network restrictions have long made a true kill switch difficult. Proton itself once said a kill switch as it defined it wasn't possible on iOS. Even now, Proton warns that some DNS requests from Apple services can bypass the VPN with the kill switch on.

Version 8.0 also fixes a common frustration. You'll be able to reach LAN devices, like printers, and use Apple CarPlay with either kill switch enabled.

When can you get Proton VPN 8.0?

Proton hasn't announced a release date. However, with the final 8.0.0 build now tagged on GitHub, the App Store rollout could land any time now, though Apple's review process can add a delay.

FastestVPN has launched its exclusive Black Friday offer for TechRadar readers: a lifetime of VPN access and password management for just $27.

FastestVPN usually rolls out a discount to its Lifetime Plus Plan each November but this is the cheapest and best we've ever seen it. In previous years the exclusive has cost $30 and only included two years of the family password manager. Now, the price is lower, and access to both is free for life.

You'll need to use the code FUTUREBF2026 at checkout to make sure you secure the extra $10 discount. Otherwise you'll find the price stuck at $40.

We don't rate FastestVPN as highly as the likes of others on our Best VPN list but it's hard to ignore at this price, when most cost upwards of $60 for 2 years and don't come with a password manager.

FastestVPN still comes with many of the features you'd expect of a VPN, such as a kill switch, P2P optimized servers, an ad-blocker and some malware protection too. It has servers in over 49 countries worldwide and will allow you to stream from BBC iPlayer, Netflix and free regional services such as 7Plus and 9Now in Australia.

Unlike the name suggests, it's not as quicker as many other VPNs, such as Mullvad and VPN Super Unlimited, as we found in our tests. But FastestVPN is private and secure enough for most use cases.

If you're more focused on VPN performance, the best alternative VPN deal right now is Proton VPN. It's $2.49 per month on a two-year plan, and brings sturdier security, faster speeds, and far more reliable unblocking performance with streaming platforms.

There are also other Black Friday VPN deals from top performers like Surfshark and NordVPN too.

• Proton says it will not ‘re-interview’ some employees about how they use AI.
• The company promises "use of AI will never be at the expense of security".
• Proton CTO publishes internal AI manifesto on company blog.

Privacy-first software provider Proton appears to have rolled back on a decision to re-interview staff members about their AI use, after admitting that it hadn't "lived up to the high standard you ought to hold us to" in an announcement on social media.

The Swiss-based company outlined three promises to its community, which includes users of Proton Mail and Proton VPN, in a reaction to the leaked story that AI will be forced through the company with threats of job losses should staff not comply.

Alongside stating that it would not, in fact, re-interview staff and that there would be no AI-use related job losses, Proton also promised that its "use of AI will never be at the expense of security" and that it "does not install tracking software on employees' laptops to measure how much AI-generated code they produce".

In the statement on X, Proton also promised to publicly release and open source several of its internal tools as well as publish how code reviews and security reviews are done, to provide transparency and evidence that it delivers on its word.

The announcement comes alongside a wave of support from current staff members on Reddit and X all outing themselves by name and refuting much of what the initial leaked email had stated. Although many commenters on these platforms have suggested that this could instead be part of a coordinated PR response.

Proton's AI manifesto

What is certain is the company's commitment to using AI to drive itself forward. On Sunday 1 November, two days after the leak story was published, Proton CTO Bart Butler published the details of a company memo on AI use, the "AI @ Proton, Engineering Manifesto" which he had sent round to staff a month before the incident.

In it, Butler makes Proton's position on how its software engineers should be using AI crystal clear.

"Your job has fundamentally changed. It is no longer to write code, and LLMs are not here to help you write better code faster," he writes in bold. "Your job is to help the LLM write better code faster. Every engineer is now a team leader, a manager, and your direct reports are the models and agents you use.”

Perhaps not a huge leap, then, to thinking that there might well have been some credence in the leaked reports on staff re-interviews given how important and specific this requested use of AI was, regardless of whether or not jobs may or may not have been on the line.

Butler continues later in the manifesto, which you can download and read in full here, by underlining his vision of the importance of his staff and where their value lies.

“This is not the death of expertise. The LLM is fast. You are slow, but you carry with you a lifetime of experience, judgment calls, and understanding.”

While that might be comforting to those engineers with that lifetime of experience, it might make harder reading for graduates looking for their first jobs in the industry.

“Programming” is dead. Engineering is not

“It is also not the death of good engineering practices," he continues. "Maintainability and velocity is better on well-architected codebases. Documentation and tests remain crucial.”

The manifesto finishes with a rallying cry that speaks to a changing world that Proton intends itself and its employees to keep up with.

“The bottom line is that we are in a new world. “Programming” is dead. Engineering is not, nor is expertise. Your old job is gone. Your new job as a builder will let you do more and have more impact than you ever have, if you seize the opportunity.”

While it's not certain how heavy handed Proton had originally intended on being with this suggested audit of AI practices, its reactionary social media statement certainly speaks from a place of regret over some part of the matter. Whether that's the treatment of its employees, the suggestion that product code might be less secure through the use of AI, or both, is hard to tell.

From a customer side, though, there is one other more solid and very interesting outcome: expect to see an improvement in Proton's privacy-first AI, Lumo, sooner as a result.

As part of its promised transparency of internal tools, the company will lift the hood on "more advanced versions of Lumo with greater capabilities, which have never been made available outside of the company" – a handy distraction for the the rest of us while Proton fixes its in-house issues.

• PrivadoVPN has added SmartRoute, its multi-hop routing feature, to its iOS app in version 4.1.0.
• You can choose to double-hop only your web browsing or all of your traffic, and pick where it exits.
• The extra hop adds privacy, but there are trade-offs to weigh before leaving it on all the time.

PrivadoVPN has brought SmartRoute to iPhone and iPad in its latest iOS update, letting you route your data through two VPN servers instead of one.

Android users have had SmartRoute since the summer, when it arrived in version 4.1.13 of the Android app. This update brings iOS in line, and also adds status indicators to the main screen so you can see which features are switched on at a glance.

How PrivadoVPN's SmartRoute works

SmartRoute connects your device to an entry server first, then relays your encrypted traffic to a second server that acts as the exit point. Websites and online services only see the exit server's location and IP address.

You choose the exit location, while PrivadoVPN picks the entry server automatically based on network performance.

That's a different approach from many traditional double VPN setups, which often rely on fixed server pairs and give you less say over where your traffic leaves the network.

The point of chaining two servers is separation. As our double VPN explainer notes, a second server makes correlation and timing attacks much harder, and the exit server never sees your real IP address.

Web, all traffic, or just this once

SmartRoute's flexibility comes from its options, which are the same on iOS and Android.

All Traffic sends every app's data through both servers. This is the setting for maximum separation, such as when you're on untrusted public Wi-Fi or researching something sensitive.

Web Traffic puts only your browser traffic on the two-hop route, while other apps keep using a standard single-server VPN connection.

Exit location lets you choose the country your traffic appears to come from. That's handy if you need a specific region, but still want the fastest possible entry server.

Default or one-off is the final choice. You can make SmartRoute your default across all devices, or you can create a one-off session.

Is SmartRoute worth switching on?

For everyday use, probably not all the time. PrivadoVPN itself says a regular single-server connection is usually better when speed and low latency matter most, because the extra hop adds a routing step.

That's worth bearing in mind with Privado in particular. In our PrivadoVPN review, we measured noticeably higher latency than most rivals, and its mobile apps lagged behind its desktop clients. We also flagged that its no-logs policy hasn't been independently audited.

• IPVanish has launched a dedicated IP, a feature reviewers have long flagged as missing.
• It gives you a fixed VPN IP address that no other user shares, with five locations at launch.
• It's aimed at people who need reliable logins and remote access, but there's a privacy trade-off to weigh up.

IPVanish has launched a dedicated IP, an optional add-on that fills one of the most noticeable gaps in its feature list.

Until now, the provider only offered shared, dynamic IP addresses. Reviewers have repeatedly pointed to the missing option as a weak spot, particularly for remote workers and small businesses, and as recently as last week, rivals were still listing it as something IPVanish couldn't do.

NordVPN and Surfshark have offered dedicated IPs for years, so the launch brings IPVanish closer in line with the best VPN services on the market.

How IPVanish's dedicated IP works

When you connect to a VPN normally, you share an IP address with everyone else on that server, and you might get a different one each session. A dedicated IP flips that: it's a unique address assigned to a single user, and it stays the same every time you connect.

This stops you from getting locked out of your accounts when service providers get suspicious of your ever-changing IP address, and you can also add it to your allowed lists for remote work networks, staging servers, or a home NAS.

The add-on launches in five locations: New York, London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Tokyo. It supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2, and works across IPVanish's Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, and Apple TV apps.

You buy and manage it through the IPVanish account portal, after which it appears under a Dedicated IP tab in the app's Locations menu. You're not locked in, either. You can switch between your dedicated IP and the regular shared servers at any time, so you only use the fixed address when you need it.

The privacy trade-off

This isn't an always-on feature, however. Shared IPs let you blend into a crowd, while a dedicated IP makes it easier for trackers to build a profile of your activity.

For everyday browsing, a shared IP remains the more private choice, which makes the option to easily switch back a welcome touch. But if endless verification checks or locked accounts have been driving you up the wall, the new feature is worth a look.

It also rounds out a busy year for the provider, following the launch of Threat Protection Pro and its ongoing move to RAM-only servers by 2027.

• ExpressVPN's latest Android update adds three new ways to sign in: an email code, a login token, and a passkey.
• Login tokens expire after a short time and are replacing ExpressVPN's old, never-changing activation codes.
• The options are rolling out gradually, and ExpressVPN expects every Android user to have them by the end of the year.

ExpressVPN has released a fresh version of its Android app, and it adds three new ways to sign in to your account directly in the app.

Users can now choose between a one-time code sent to their inbox, a login token copied from the ExpressVPN web portal, or a passkey.

The same options are already available on iOS, and ExpressVPN told TechRadar it's using the switch to gradually retire activation codes altogether.

Three new ways to sign in to ExpressVPN on Android

The first option is the simplest. Enter the email address linked to your account, and ExpressVPN sends a verification code to your inbox.

The second option, a login token, is the bigger change. You generate one from the setup page of the ExpressVPN+ web portal, then paste it into the app or scan it as a QR code. Unlike the old activation code, which stayed the same and never expired, a new token is created each time you ask for one and expires after a short period.

The third option is a passkey. If you created one for your Android device when you signed up, you enter your email and follow the on-screen prompt to authenticate.

Email and password login isn't going anywhere for now. You'll still find it among the "legacy" options by tapping the ExpressVPN icon on the app's welcome screen.

Activation codes, however, are the "first to make way for these newer methods," according to an ExpressVPN representative.

Why this is good news for Android users

Passkeys are a big win, as they're both more secure and easier to input than traditional passwords.

ExpressVPN's version follows the FIDO2/WebAuthn standard, so a passkey synced through a passkey manager should work across your devices, while one saved on a hardware security key stays on that key.

The company is also encouraging users to store passkeys in its own password manager, ExpressKeys, which it says makes them available on iOS, Android, Mac, and in the browser.

Login tokens are also an improvement on the old activation code. Only someone already signed in to the portal can generate one, and because they're time-limited, a token that's lost or exposed simply stops working once it expires.

ExpressVPN still advises treating a token like a password: "don’t share it or post screenshots of it, and only scan the QR code on a device you own." They're handy, too, as setting up a new phone no longer means pecking out a long password on a touchscreen.

Proton's 'Unlimited' plan is now just $1, offering anyone one month of access to its VPN and entire suite of privacy tools.

It's a great deal, given that Proton Unlimited is normally $12.99 for 30 days. It means that people looking to ditch ad- and tracking-heavy Big Tech software providers, can dip their toes into a privacy ecosystem for almost no cost at all.

Proton Unlimited brings full access to Proton VPN, one of the best VPNs available, together with its Drive, Docs, Calendar, and the much-loved Mail as well. All of these are encrypted, offering the perfect privacy-first alternative to Google's cloud-based tools.

Once you sign-up, do make sure to deactivate auto-renew on your Proton Unlimited account or you'll be charged $12.99 for each month that the subscription rolls on.

If you do like what you get, then the sensible move for value is to renew after your $1 month on the 12-month plan to Proton Unlimited instead.

If you pay monthly, it's $12.99 per month, but if you're happy to shell out for the whole year at once, then it drops to $6.49 per month instead, right now, as per the other part of Proton's Black Friday VPN deals. It's the lowest price that the 12-month plan has ever been.

If you prefer a different privacy software provider, then there are Black Friday VPN deals elsewhere.

NordVPN, our best VPN overall, is now $13.50 less over two years on its Complete and Prime Plans. Surfshark, one of the fastest VPNs available, is offering two years of its top-value 'One' plan for just $67.23.

Neither of the above has the same complete breadth of private and encrypted software alternatives to Google that Proton has, though. Take a look at our reviews of Proton Mail, Proton Drive and Proton VPN if you want some more details.

• Amnezia VPN has opened up Amnezia Pulse, its in-house tool for tracking internet shutdowns, to the public.
• The map uses anonymized data from Amnezia's VPN servers to flag outages by region and provider.
• Russia is the main focus for now, but the team is already spotting disruptions further afield.

Censorship-resistant provider Amnezia VPN has launched Amnezia Pulse, a public map that tracks internet outages, slowdowns, and "whitelist" restrictions as they happen.

The tool began life as an internal project, powering the company's monthly digests on Russian internet blocking. Now, anyone can check the live map to see which regions are having problems.

That's a big deal in a country where even the best VPN can struggle to stay connected. Russian authorities have spent well over a year cutting mobile internet across entire regions, often letting only a government-approved list of services load.

What is Amnezia Pulse?

Amnezia Pulse maps disruptions on both mobile and home networks, and is updated daily. In Russia, it monitors the four most popular mobile operators (MTS, MegaFon, Beeline, and T2) alongside home broadband providers Rostelecom and Dom.ru.

Each region is color-coded by severity. Green means no disruptions, yellow signals problems, and red marks a serious outage. Clicking a region opens an hour-by-hour graph of the incident.

The tool is already making headlines. Newsweek reports that Amnezia Pulse logged 80 incidents across 36 Russian regions between September 15 and October 20, 2026, with Krasnodar Krai hit hardest.

Amnezia also told the outlet it has begun seeing synchronized shutdowns hitting several regions or operators at once.

How does it work?

Rather than relying on user reports, Pulse reads the traffic passing through Amnezia's own VPN servers, each of which counts incoming and outgoing data and the number of active connections.

The system builds a 14-day baseline of "normal" activity for each region and operator, split into five-minute intervals. It flags an incident when several warning signs coincide, such as a drop lasting over an hour, multiple operators going quiet together, or several regions being hit at the same time.

Amnezia says the data is anonymized. It doesn't collect IP addresses and only processes the region, provider, and connection speed.

Coverage isn't limited to Russia, either. Amnezia has spotted traffic anomalies in Gabon linked to long-running social media restrictions, and plans to expand into Africa and Latin America.

Who benefits?

For everyday users, Pulse answers a simple question: is the problem on my end, or has the internet been cut? That could save time otherwise spent restarting routers or cycling through VPN apps.

Researchers and rights groups stand to gain even more. Amnezia plans to launch an open API for researchers, human rights organizations, and technical experts.

Maria Xynou of the censorship measurement project OONI called the tool "a valuable resource for both the Russian and global internet freedom communities."

There is a catch, though. Pulse's accuracy depends on how many Amnezia Free and Premium users are connected in a given region.

The project has also faced pushback, with Amnezia telling Newsweek it was forced to pause the tool earlier this year following what it described as an attack by Roskomnadzor. The provider has since reinforced its apps against blocking and says it will keep improving Pulse's accuracy and reach.

• Proton will ‘re-interview’ some employees about how they use AI at work between November 4 and 11.
• A leaked email says the results could affect roles, responsibilities, and “continued employment.”
• Proton denies it is using AI as an excuse for layoffs, but the move mirrors a growing trend of AI-first workplace mandates.

Proton, the Swiss company behind Proton Mail and one of the best VPN services around, has told staff it will ‘re-interview’ employees about how they use AI in their jobs.

The plan was revealed in an internal email obtained by 404 Media. It describes the interviews as “consequential,” warning that assessments will feed into a wider review that may lead to “changes in roles, responsibilities, and continued employment.”

From the outside, it's a somewhat jarring move from a company built on pushing back against Big Tech. But it also puts Proton in step with a growing list of tech firms that now treat AI fluency as a job requirement.

What Proton told its staff

According to the email, CEO Andy Yen began the process by interviewing more than 40 senior leaders across Engineering and Product. Those interviews are now being extended across the company, although not everyone will be called in.

The selected staff will be assessed by someone outside their own team and reporting line, drawn from a pool of leaders who “demonstrate strong AI capability.” The interviews run from November 4 to 11, and employees have been told to bring concrete examples of how AI has changed their work and what results it produced.

Proton has since responded to the leaked email publicly on Reddit, saying it is “not doing layoffs and using AI as an excuse.” The company claims it's facing a talent shortage, is hiring across the organization, and wants to identify who needs extra support.

Proton's general relationship with AI is a reluctant one. It does have an AI product, the Lumo chatbot, but Yen told Wired in August that he sees AI as a form of surveillance and that Proton was reluctantly drawn into building it once it was clear AI is here to stay.

Part of a wider AI-first push

Proton is far from the first tech company to tie AI skills to job security. In April 2025, Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke told teams they must show why AI can’t do a job before asking for more headcount. Duolingo followed with its own AI-first memo, saying it would stop using contractors for work AI could handle.

Others have gone further, adding AI into performance reviews. Meta made “AI-driven impact” a core expectation for every employee from 2026, while Google has started factoring AI use into reviews for its software engineers.

These policies have not always gone to plan, though. In September, Meta told staff it would no longer use AI adoption dashboards or token counts to judge performance, after employees began gaming usage leaderboards.

There's another problem: cost. Many companies have been using AI for a while now, and the bills have been racking up.

AI is a tool like any other, having both effective and ineffective ways to use it. Ineffective use incurs a lot of cost and produces little to no value, giving companies another reason to investigate how it's being used—to weed out people spending loads but contributing very little.

Either way, for Proton VPN and Proton Mail users, nothing changes for now.

Proton has announced its Black Friday VPN deals and they are good, with the best of the bunch the 50% saving on the full Proton Unlimited privacy suite.

Normally up at $12.99 per month, Proton has slashed its luxury package to $6.49 per month instead. That brings the total price over 12 months down to a considerably more affordable $77.88.

That makes Proton Unlimited the cheapest it's been since Black Friday 2025, and, as low as we've ever seen it.

Proton Unlimited combines the company's top performing VPN with its privacy-first cloud software alternatives to Google. That's docs, photos, spreadsheets, email, cloud storage and more – all encrypted, all ad free.

Proton has also dropped the price of its standalone VPN product as part of its Black Friday offer. You can now pick up Proton VPN for $2.49 per month instead of $2.99 on the two-year deal. Again, that's the best price you'll see all year.

In fact, Proton's offers are the first Black Friday VPN deals we've seen this year to match last year's prices – everyone else's, so far, are more expensive.

Several of the best VPNs have actually increased their price this year or introduced new plans, resulting in their Black Friday offers being far less appealing than usual.

Proton has spent much of 2026 steadily improving its VPN rather than by adding on a bunch of features that you might not want. It has grown its server network, introducing its own version of WireGuard, and focused heavily on performance.

In fact, it's done such a good job of this that, earlier this year, we moved Proton up to to third in our overall VPN rankings.

So, if you are looking for a plain, high quality set of VPN savings for Black Friday, then we highly recommend Proton VPN and Proton Unlimited.

There's no multi-plan confusion, no smoke and mirrors price fluctuations. Just a great price on a quality product that offers a big upgrade to your digital privacy and security. Go give it a try.

• Greece’s parliament has passed a law banning children under 15 from social media, starting January 1, 2027.
• Platforms must verify users’ ages, and the government is pointing to its Kids Wallet app as the privacy-friendly way to do it.
• Greece follows Australia’s lead, while France’s attempt was struck down and the UK is preparing its own rules.

Greece has passed a law banning children under 15 from social media, making it one of the first European countries to turn a teen social media ban into law.

The restrictions take effect on January 1, 2027, and cover platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Lawmakers approved the bill late on October 22 after a debate lasting more than 16 hours. Only the governing New Democracy party voted in favor, while PASOK abstained and five other opposition parties voted against.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis first announced the plan in April, calling it a “difficult but necessary measure,” and blaming social media for rising anxiety, poor sleep, and addictive design.

As with similar laws elsewhere, the job of checking ages falls on the platforms. That has privacy advocates worried, and it’s likely to spark the usual surge of interest in the best VPN apps.

How Greece’s ban will work

The law is short but strict. Parents can’t give their children permission to sign up, and accounts created before January won’t be exempt.

Which services are covered depends on how they work rather than what they’re called, with LinkedIn named alongside the big three. Messaging apps remain available to under-15s.

When a platform can’t confirm a user’s age, it will display a QR code to be scanned with Kids Wallet, a government app.

The app only tells the platform whether the user is over or under 15; it doesn't reveal the age of the individual or any other personal information. “We do not give platforms any of our children’s personal data whatsoever,” said Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou.

Greece’s broadcasting council and data protection authority will supervise compliance, with the European Commission handling the largest platforms under the Digital Services Act.

When the plans were announced in May, 25 organizations warned that, in practice, everyone in Greece could have to prove their age, chipping away at online anonymity.

This criticism likely doesn't bother the Greek government, however, since it is also considering plans to end anonymous social media profiles altogether. While online anonymity is important, the situation does change depending on the type of online activity: private or public.

Greece joins a growing list

Australia’s under-16 ban took effect on December 10, 2025, the first of its kind. France passed its own under-15 ban, but its Constitutional Council struck it down in August on freedom of expression grounds.

The UK plans to ban under-16s from social media from spring 2027, though it has ruled out restricting VPNs to enforce it. Slovenia, Spain, and Austria are working on similar measures, and the EU is drafting its own Kids Act, which Greece says it will adapt to.

• NordVPN 6.0.0 for Linux moves its obfuscated servers onto the in-house NordWhisper protocol.
• OpenVPN connections should get faster on newer kernels, and P2P now works on every standard server.
• Several legacy commands have been retired, so anyone relying on scripts should check before updating.

NordVPN has pushed out version 6.0.0 of its Linux app, dated October 22, 2026, and the jump to a new major version number feels earned.

The update reworks how obfuscation works, speeds up OpenVPN on newer kernels, and trims a handful of legacy commands from the CLI.

It’s the latest in a long run of Linux upgrades from the provider. Back in August, version 5.3.0 began installing the GUI app automatically alongside the command-line daemon.

NordWhisper takes over obfuscation

The biggest change is that NordVPN’s obfuscated servers now run on NordWhisper rather than OpenVPN XOR. Choosing NordWhisper switches obfuscation on automatically, so the old nordvpn set obfuscate command has been removed entirely.

NordWhisper is NordVPN’s own censorship-resistant protocol, launched in January 2025 and aimed at networks that actively block VPNs, such as some workplaces, schools, public Wi-Fi, and heavily censored regions. Until now, using obfuscated servers meant switching to OpenVPN.

The nordvpn set protocol command now picks the technology and protocol in one go; for example, nordvpn set protocol openvpn_udp.

Faster OpenVPN and P2P everywhere

OpenVPN has been bumped to version 2.7.7, and Data Channel Offload (DCO) now works out of the box on Linux kernel 6.16 or newer.

DCO hands OpenVPN’s data handling to the Linux kernel itself, avoiding slow transfers between kernel space and user space, and the driver was upstreamed into the 6.16 kernel.

The dedicated P2P server group has also gone, because every regular server now supports P2P, so torrent users can simply pick a location. NordVPN has stopped labelling virtual servers too, explaining that “sometimes a server is just a server."

Check your scripts before updating

The cleanup is where power users should pay attention. The outdated threatprotectionlite, tplite, tpl, and cybersec aliases have been removed, along with the old whitelist alias for allowlist. Real-time protection is now enabled with nordvpn set protection on. Auto-connect also can no longer target a specific server number, so you’ll need to choose a country, city, server group, or the fastest server instead.

On the fixes front, port forwarding on dedicated servers now works with Meshnet and LAN discovery enabled, nordvpn set defaults properly restores every setting, and the tray Pause menu on Linux Mint works again. LAN discovery also gains multicast and SSDP support, and screen reader navigation has been improved further.

Unlike NordVPN’s other apps, the Linux version doesn’t update automatically. On Debian-based distros, run sudo apt-get update followed by sudo apt-get install nordvpn. If you’re shopping around, our best Linux VPN guide has more options.

It's iPhone Duo launch day! While many questions have been raised over the device's availability, it has also become clear that many of your favorite apps might not be optimized for the new layout at launch.

For apps to scale seamlessly across the iPhone Duo, they need to be built on the iOS 27.1 software development kit (SDK). This SDK provides the tools required for apps to stretch effectively across the Duo's new 1:4.1 aspect ratio inner screen.

Without using the updated SDK, apps render with varying sizes of black bars across the unused display area, depending on which legacy SDK version they were built on.

For top-tier VPNs, a lack of display compatibility can be frustrating even if it doesn't impact their functionality. We reached out to major providers to find out if your favorite VPNs are compatible on day one.

Which VPNs are compatible?

Which VPNs are fully compatible with the iPhone Duo?

These VPNs offer the best iPhone Duo experience right now. They are fully compatible with both the inner and outer displays, using the full screen area without letterboxing or black sidebars.

Partially compatible VPNs

Which VPNs aren't compatible?

Which VPNs aren't compatible with the iPhone Duo right now?

These VPNs currently run an SDK older than 27.0, meaning you'll see large black spaces when using the service on both the inner and outer display. This doesn't necessarily impact the performance of the VPN itself, but could become extremely annoying nonetheless.

NordVPN has released its Black Friday VPN deals. That brings the price of its more premium Complete and Prime plans down by $0.50 per month. That's a saving of $13.50 over 2 years, or $7.50 over 1 year.

Both NordVPN Complete and NordVPN Prime include the company's Next Gen Antivirus, 1TB of secure cloud storage with NordLocker, NordPass password management, call and text protection, and dark web monitoring. The Prime plan adds the CoverOn data removal tool.

With these reductions, a Complete plan on our best VPN overall is now $107.73 for two years, or $89.85 for one. Prime plans come down to $188.73 and $134.85 over the same length plans.

You're not alone in thinking neither reduction seems enticing. It's also disappointing that there's no deal on the Basic plan. But with a Complete plan especially, it's worth considering the sheer number of tools included for the price.

NordVPN remains our best VPN overall for 2026. But, if you're looking for value, its recent price increase would rightfully raise an eyebrow.

It has, in recent months, made several key improvements to its service. Next Gen Antivirus is the headline improvement, expanding its protective focus from just phishing and malware, to scam and spam protection also. Call and Text protection has furthered this too, with the latter recently being added to its iOS offering.

But these improvements aren't why I'd suggest reconsidering your concern at its price. Instead, it's the added functions you should prioritise.

Complete and Prime plans include both password management and secure storage, which most VPNs would only offer one of. Choosing a Prime plan also adds data removal services, something that few VPNs offer whatsoever.

So, while VPNs such as IPVanish and Surfshark might be cheaper Black Friday VPN deals right now, it's worth considering the tools you need before making your final decision.

• Hide.me VPN has introduced a completely redesigned dashboard for both its Android mobile and Android TV applications.
• The powerful SmartGuard feature, designed to block intrusive ads, trackers, and malicious websites, is also now available on the Android TV app.
• This update also brings stability improvements to the WireGuard and SSTP protocols, alongside new speed indicators to help pick the fastest servers.

Hide.me VPN has just rolled out a major update for its Android users, focusing on making its applications cleaner, faster, and much safer to use on the big screen.

The update introduces a completely redesigned dashboard, available across both Android mobile and Android TV. This visual overhaul makes it significantly easier to navigate your connection settings and find the optimal server for your needs with just a few taps.

But the biggest news for avid streamers is the arrival of SmartGuard on the Android TV app.

Previously limited to other platforms, SmartGuard is Hide.me's comprehensive online security tool built specifically to block intrusive ads, stop hidden trackers, and keep you away from malicious websites that can compromise your privacy.

Smart TVs and streaming boxes are notorious for tracking user behavior and monitoring what you watch to serve heavily targeted advertisements. With this update, Android TV users finally get the same robust ad-blocking power that mobile users have enjoyed. It makes it much harder for third-party snoopers and malicious actors to steal your information while you sit on the couch and stream your favorite shows.

WireGuard tweaks and IPv6 support

Hide.me has also bundled several vital technical enhancements into this release to keep your connection as stable and fast as possible.

For starters, fans of the lightning-fast WireGuard protocol will benefit from new stability enhancements and MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) optimization.

In simple terms, this ensures your data encryption remains rock-solid even if your mobile connection is unstable. If you regularly switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data networks while gaming or browsing, these tweaks will help keep your connection drop-free.

Hide.me has also improved its SSTP protocol support by adding hostname and IPv6 global address compatibility. To top it off, the update brings new speed indicators to the dashboard so you can easily identify the fastest servers at a glance, plus the addition of the Korean language to the app's supported list.

How to get the update

If you already have Hide.me installed on your Android smartphone, tablet, or Android TV, this update should roll out automatically depending on your device's auto-update settings.

For new users looking to take the revamped application for a spin, you can download the latest version directly from the Google Play Store. The provider also offers a robust free tier, meaning you can test out its strict no-logs policy and robust encryption without handing over your credit card details.

• A Windscribe update from July 2026 credits AI engine Fable for identifying necessary fixes
• The AI audit successfully spotted complex vulnerabilities across the provider's Windows, macOS, and Linux applications.
• While this marks a major step in the incorporation of AI with VPNs, Windscribe confirmed the tool won't place traditional third-party audits.

Windscribe appears to have found a way to harness AI to improve its apps, protocols, and service-wide security.

Looking at the changelog for release 2.32.11, deployed on July 6, 2026, the company mentions that the update includes security fixes stemming directly from an AI review by Fable 5, an advanced AI model developed by Anthropic.

Should this be true, it’d be the first instance of a commercial VPN provider incorporating a large language model into its development process, even if not quite to the extent of a traditional third-party audit.

What did the Fable 5 audit find?

A closer look at the release notes shows that the Fable 5 audit successfully identified highly technical areas for improvement, helping developers secure the app against potential local attacks and data leaks.

According to Windscribe, the update includes "App hardening from the Fable 5 audit, including WireGuard key validation, Control D API key log redaction, IPC exposure hardening, safer logging, installer argument redaction, and package/dependency handling fixes."

In simpler terms, the audit identified several ways to secure how the VPN handles encryption keys for the popular WireGuard protocol and ensure that sensitive API keys aren’t accidentally saved in the software's error logs.

It also identified how Windscribe could tighten up how different parts of the application communicate with each other (known as IPC exposure), which stops bad actors from exploiting the app locally on your device.

The changelog also lists a staggering number of accompanying fixes deployed in this same update. Windscribe patched a "DLL planting vulnerability" in its Windows bootstrapper, a flaw where malicious code could be loaded in place of a legitimate file, and resolved a local privilege escalation vulnerability on Linux.

How can AI support VPN development?

Historically, VPN providers undergo independent, third-party audits to prove they do not keep logs of user activity or harbor hidden security flaws.

While an AI like Anthropic's Fable 5 can process vast amounts of code rapidly, it's as yet not ready to take on the full role played by the likes of Deloitte and Cure53 - the latter of which has historically audited Windscribe's product extensively.

Speaking exclusively to TechRadar, a Windscribe spokesperson clarified that Fable 5 was strictly deployed to review the parts of the desktop application running as an admin.

"Windscribe uses AI-assisted review as an additional security and code-quality tool, not as a replacement for human engineering review or independent third-party audits," the spokesperson explained.

Traditional audits still matter, they noted, because they bring "external accountability, human judgment, adversarial testing, and a level of independence that an internal tool does not provide."

Ultimately, Windscribe used the AI because it served as a "useful extra set of eyes, not because we think AI replaces security engineers or independent auditors."

As the industry continues bolstering protections against advanced threats, AI auditing to any extent represents the next major evolution in digital privacy.

• Andy Yen, founder and CEO of Proton, takes the 27th Liberal Award
• JFZH cites his record on privacy, start-ups, and tech sovereignty
• The November 12 ceremony coincides with Switzerland’s second surveillance consultation

Andy Yen, founder and CEO of Proton, has won the 2026 Liberal Award.

The prize is handed out each year by the Jungfreisinnige Kanton Zürich (JFZH), the Young Liberals of the Canton of Zurich, to someone judged to have made a significant contribution to a liberal society.

His company is best known for its privacy suite: Proton Mail, Proton VPN – one of the best VPN services on the market – along with Proton Drive and Proton Pass. The JFZH credits Yen with building a European alternative to the major US tech platforms, and with making the case for privacy at a time when Swiss surveillance rules are back in play.

From CERN to a 100-million-user company

Yen’s route into tech ran through physics. He holds a PhD in particle physics from Harvard and worked as a research scientist at CERN in Geneva before turning to building Proton, which is headquartered in the same city.

The company now employs more than 700 people, 60 of them in the Canton of Zurich, and says it serves over 100 million customers worldwide. It’s majority-owned by the non-profit Proton Foundation – a structure Proton presents as a safeguard against the pressures that typically come with venture capital.

“Andy Yen stands up for what matters to us as well: the right to privacy and the presumption of innocence instead of blanket suspicion,” said Mikhail Shalaev, president of the JFZH. “He champions better conditions so that start-ups can grow from Switzerland. And Proton is building in Europe the key technologies that will allow our continent to remain self-determined in the future.”

An award tied to a surveillance debate

The JFZH is explicit about the timing. Switzerland’s Federal Council plans to revise the Ordinance on the Surveillance of Postal and Telecommunications Traffic (VÜPF), a move critics warn could introduce indiscriminate mass surveillance through mandatory data retention.

The revised ordinance was overwhelmingly rejected in the first public consultation. The Federal Council has since commissioned a regulatory impact assessment and scheduled a second consultation for November 2026.

“The Federal Council must protect privacy instead of risking an exodus of our most innovative tech companies,” Shalaev added.

What happens next

Yen joins past recipients including media entrepreneur Roger Schawinski, former federal councillors Pascal Couchepin, Kaspar Villiger, and Guy Parmelin, the Swiss Institute for Economic Policy (IWP), and Argentina’s deregulation minister Federico Sturzenegger.

The ceremony takes place on Thursday, November 12 2026 at Westhive in Zurich.

For Proton, the timing matters as much as the recognition. The company has spent years arguing that Europe needs its own privacy infrastructure rather than relying on US providers – a case the JFZH is making, and one that lands harder while the Federal Council debates data retention.

• A draft of Russia's national AI plan proposed using AI to analyze 70% of blocked VPN services and lift blocking effectiveness to 95%
• The Digital Development Ministry says the measure is absent from the current draft, but Roskomnadzor's separately budgeted and arguably crucial ML filtering project remains
• The 95% is an effectiveness target, not accuracy, and sources expect AI to raise false positives, with corporate VPN, cloud and voice traffic most exposed

Russia's Digital Development Ministry considered using artificial intelligence to push the effectiveness of its VPN blocking to 95%, according to a front-page report in Kommersant.

The measure appeared in a draft of the country's national plan for implementing AI through 2030; the ministry now says it is not in the current version.

This isn't the first time such a move has been reported, but some earlier coverage might have been overzealous, to say the least, when it reported that "Russia Eyes AI-Powered VPN Crackdown With 95% Blocking Accuracy." The problem with that headline is that not only was that proposal dropped, but the 95% accuracy figure was never actually in play.

A draft that proposed AI use

None of the above reporting should reassure an estimated 57 million Russians who rely on circumvention tools.

Roskomnadzor (the Federal agency tasked with "Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media") has its own machine-learning filtering project budgeted outside the national AI plan, and the money for Russia's blocking infrastructure is set to double next year.

Kommersant, which reviewed the draft, reports that the ministry wanted AI to analyze the characteristics of 70% of all the VPN services Russia blocks. The drafters reckoned that would lift blocking effectiveness to 95%.

Asked about it, the ministry said the current draft of the plan "contains no such information," in Meduza's translation. A source familiar with the discussions told Kommersant that agencies had pitched a range of measures for the plan, some of which may never be implemented, and that the traffic-analysis algorithms already in service are a form of intelligent analysis but do not count as AI.

An AI layer would behave fundamentally differently; rather than matching known signatures, models would weigh packet sizes and timing, session length, and the balance of inbound to outbound traffic, then flag likely VPN servers from indirect clues: how a node behaves, which host it sits on, and what its neighboring IP addresses look like. The payoff is speed, catching new servers before they reach any blocklist.

Kommersant uses the word effectiveness, and the distinction matters: a blocking-effectiveness figure describes how much targeted traffic it stops. It says nothing about how much legitimate traffic gets stopped with it, and that is what the catch is; the solution proposed does not account for any mistakes, just how effective it would be at its job of blocking out VPN traffic.

The 95% target is also less of a leap than some headlines suggest, because Russia already has 92% on paper, at least by its own estimates. A Roskomnadzor subsidy decision for its Main Radio Frequency Center (GRChTs), dated January 2025 and surfaced in May 2026 by journalist Maria Kolomychenko, sets an "average level of effectiveness" of 92% for restricting VPNs via signatures by the end of 2030. Verstka reports that the AI proposal was meant to lift that same indicator to 95%.

The more consequential point is that striking a line from a draft strategy does not strike the capability. Forbes Russia reported in January 2026 that Roskomnadzor planned to spend 2.27 billion rubles (around $29 million) in 2026 on a machine-learning-based traffic-filtering mechanism, a project we flagged when Windscribe saw a roughly 90% drop in its Russian traffic that same month.

The false-positive risk is not hypothetical in Russia, because the government has already learned how hard it is to separate good VPNs from bad ones. When the ministry ordered major platforms in April to block users with VPNs switched on, its guidance promised a whitelist for corporate VPNs.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov claimed the crackdown had "triggered a massive banking failure," and outage-tracking data showed bank disruptions on April 3 2026. A source told RBC at the time that no reliable technical method existed to tell permitted corporate VPN traffic from the rest.

For now the picture on the ground is unchanged: blocking is intensifying with or without an AI mandate. At least 10 VPN providers reported tighter restrictions in the week after September's State Duma elections, and VPN Guild chairman Alexey Kozlyuk described it to Meduza as "a continuation and gradual intensification" of a campaign that began in August.

The Kommersant report also landed a day after RBC revealed a draft ministry order requiring phones on Russia's 5G networks to support the FSB-developed Kuznyechik cipher from March 1, 2032.

Providers keep adapting. "In Russia, VPNs face pressure almost every month; it is a new norm," an Amnezia VPN spokeswoman told TechRadar Pro. But Sarkis Darbinyan of RKS Global and the VPN Guild warned TechRadar that for users, the end result is "an ever-shrinking number of services that actually work."

The 95% target may be gone from one document. The infrastructure, the money, and the intent behind it are not.

• AdGuard VPN's v2.17 update improves both iOS and Android platforms simultaneously.
• iOS users get revamped Shortcuts, allowing one-tap connections, Home Screen widgets, and Siri voice commands.
• Android users can now spot promotional discounts directly inside the app, while both platforms benefit from expanded non-Latin script domain exclusions.

AdGuard has just launched version 2.17 of its virtual private network app, and this time, the privacy company is taking a unified approach.

For the first time, the release rolls out simultaneously for both iOS and Android devices. Moving forward, the provider says it will "keep updates for both platforms in sync to bring you key features and improvements faster."

For iPhone and iPad users, the standout feature is a revamped Shortcuts integration that lets you control your secure connection with just one tap or a simple voice command.

Meanwhile, Android users are getting a streamlined way to snag cheaper subscription deals, alongside improved split-tunneling exclusions for international websites across both operating systems.

Speeding up your connection on iOS

If you regularly toggle your VPN on and off to use local services, the process can quickly become tedious.

As AdGuard points out in its official release post, jumping between your privacy tunnel and restrictive local services can be a chore: "You start the day with AdGuard VPN on. Then you need it off for a few minutes to check your bank account, so you open the app, tap Disconnect, open the banking app, close the banking app, open the AdGuard VPN app again, and tap Connect."

To bypass this daily annoyance, version 2.17 introduces improved Shortcuts for iOS. Users can now place a Connect, Disconnect, or Toggle button directly on their Home Screen or within their phone's Control Center.

You can even set up background automations to ensure the VPN turns itself on the moment you open a specific application or connect to an unfamiliar public Wi-Fi network.

If tapping a widget is still too much effort, the update also brings full Siri integration to the table. By diving into the app's settings menu, you can record custom voice triggers, such as "Hey Siri, connect to AdGuard VPN", to control your privacy completely hands-free.

While we noted in our latest AdGuard VPN review that the service had room to grow against industry giants, quality-of-life updates like these certainly push it in the right direction.

Smarter exclusions and easier savings

While Apple users get the flashy widgets, the Android camp hasn't been entirely left out.

Finding a good deal on a digital privacy subscription usually requires hunting through promotional emails or constantly refreshing a provider's website. Now, AdGuard VPN will display active promotions and discounts directly on the purchase screen inside the Android app.

Finally, the v2.17 update brings a highly requested technical tweak to both the iOS and Android platforms. AdGuard's Exclusions feature, which allows you to choose which websites automatically bypass the encrypted tunnel, now fully supports domains written in non-Latin scripts. This means users can seamlessly whitelist domains like *.рф for Russia and *.中国 for China without the application returning an error.

The version 2.17 update is available to download right now. If you spot any bugs, the provider encourages users to submit feedback directly through its social media channels or via its GitHub repositories.

• A vulnerability in NordVPN's Windows app allowed local attackers to stop unprotected system services.
• The flaw, officially tracked as CVE-2026-106030, does not affect NordVPN version 8.12.0.0 or later
• Experts label the bug "clumsy," but the actual impact on users is minimal, requiring a device to already be compromised by malware.

Nord Security has rolled out an important security update for its Windows application to address a vulnerability that could allow a hacker to stop unprotected Windows services.

The flaw allowed a local, low-privileged attacker to act as a trusted process. From there, they could potentially stop unprotected Windows services or change their startup types to manual, leading to a denial of service for those specific applications.

When a top-tier provider, frequently ranked as the best VPN on the market, flags a security patch of this nature, it naturally turns heads. However, cybersecurity experts stress that while the coding error shouldn't have happened, the real-world danger to users is incredibly low.

The issue, officially tracked as CVE-2026-106030, was responsibly reported to CERT Polska by IT Security Expert Marcin Ressel. NordVPN appears to have fixed the vulnerability in version 8.12.0.0, and users are simply advised to ensure their app is fully up to date.

How the vulnerability works

To understand the bug, you have to look at how Windows applications talk to each other using a feature called "named pipes."

According to an intelligence brief published by Mallory, the vulnerability allowed an attacker to connect to a specific NordVPN named pipe and invoke methods to stop services or change their start types without proper authorization.

Mike Williams, Technical Editor at TechRadar, explains the core of the issue: "Named pipes are a common means for Windows processes to communicate with each other. One process might send a message to another asking it to carry out some task."

Because this communication channel is incredibly powerful, it is a frequent target for threat actors. "Because named pipes are so sensitive, hackers often try to abuse them, to run these tasks without permission," Williams notes. "That means it's important to secure them, and make sure that only messages from legitimate processes are accepted. Any good developer knows this: it's a fundamental aspect of using named pipes."

Unfortunately, the NordVPN Windows app, specifically versions earlier than 8.12, fell short of this standard. "NordVPN has failed to do that, which makes this a clumsy bug. It should never have happened," Williams adds.

Why the real-world impact is minimal

While the technical details of the flaw, which carries a CVSS v4 base severity score of 6.8, sound alarming, the practical implications for the average user are far less dramatic.

In a LinkedIn post, the researcher who discovered the flaw, Marcin Ressel, described it as "a local privilege escalation with limited impact" that he found while "playing around with NordVPN for Windows."

Crucially, this exploit can't shut down critical, system-protected security services. Built-in defenses like Windows Defender and processes guarded by Windows Tamper Protection are entirely immune to this specific attack.

"But the impact of the bug is very small," Williams clarifies. "All an attacker can do is change the status of non-critical Windows services. That is, it can't turn off Windows Defender, but maybe it could disable something related to media playback. But even if it did that, it's only flipped a Windows setting, and once you understood the cause, you could just flip it back."

Furthermore, this vulnerability cannot be triggered remotely over the internet. An attacker would already need to have a local foothold on your machine to exploit it. There has also been no active exploitation of this flaw reported in the wild.

"In other words, there's no impact on the VPN itself, and you would have to have malware running on your PC to even cause the issue," Williams concludes. "(And if there's malware running on your device then you've much bigger problems than this.)"

If you are running NordVPN on Windows, your best defense is simple: open the app and confirm you are running version 8.12.0.0 or later.

Your social media profiles are a goldmine for scammers looking to harvest personal information for phishing, social engineering, or identity theft. Between birthday posts and family photos, you’re essentially building a detailed dossier that cybercriminals can weaponize against you.

Here’s the good news: with just a few adjustments, you can dramatically reduce your attack surface without losing the convenience and fun of socializing online.

This article is the fourth in a series of content relating to Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2026, which runs throughout October. The previous articles have covered VPN dark web alerts and free alternatives, VPN protection when using AI, and the benefits of dedicated antivirus over packaged solutions.

Less is more

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) emphasizes that privacy settings exist for a reason: they keep your personal information “inaccessible to anyone but you.” Their guidance focuses on using each platform’s settings to control who can see your posts, contact you, or find your profile.

Scammers can piece together seemingly harmless details to craft highly convincing, targeted phishing attacks. Even a pet name or tagged location – innocent on their own – can become ammunition for someone trying to impersonate you or guess your security questions.

Platform-by-platform quick hits

Here are the most impactful privacy switches to flip on each major platform:

• Facebook: Set your profile to “Friends only” for posts, limit past posts visibility, disable search engine indexing, and restrict who can look you up using your email address or phone number.
• Instagram: Switch to a private account in Settings > Privacy. This prevents strangers from seeing your posts or stories. Disable activity status, restrict tag approvals, and turn off location sharing on posts.
• Snapchat: Enable “Ghost Mode” in Snap Map settings to hide your location. In Privacy Control, set who can contact you and view your story to “Friends Only.” Review your “Find Friends” settings regularly to control whether your account is suggested to other users.
• TikTok: Go to Privacy settings and toggle “Private Account.” Disable “Suggest your account to others,” restrict direct messages, and set duet/stitch permissions to “Friends” or “Off”.
• YouTube: In Settings > Privacy, mark your channel and subscriptions as private. You can also disable video recommendations showing your watch history and turn off location data on uploaded videos.

Universal security settings

Regardless of which platforms you use, two actions should be at the top of your list:

First, enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) everywhere. Even if someone guesses or steals your password, they can’t get in without the second factor – ideally an authentication app.

Second, audit your connected apps. There may be games, quizzes, and other services logged in that you haven’t touched in years. Head to each platform’s third-party app settings and revoke access for anything unused or unfamiliar.

In summary

Spending just five minutes adjusting these settings across your apps reduces your visibility to bad actors and can help keep your data out of the hands of cybercriminals. You don’t need to delete your accounts or leave social media behind – just be intentional about what you share and who can see it.

IPVanish has launched its Black Friday deals for 2026, but despite claimed savings up to 85%, the devil is in the details.

Plans now cost $2.19, $2.79, and $3.29 per month for the Essential, Complete, and Advanced plans, respectively, but the eagle-eyed will notice two of these prices are familiar.

That's because these deals are, in fact, a return to the original Essential and Advanced plan prices from before IPVanish’s recent plan restructure, earlier in October 2026.

The new plans do, however, bring some improvements. The most notable is IPVanish's Next Gen Antivirus, which is added to the prior benefits of 1TB of cloud storage, 5GB of eSIM data, and a secure browser on the Advanced plan. Plus all the VPN features that have long put IPVanish in the mix as one of the best VPNs.

IPVanish is among the few VPNs to ever top our best VPNs list. Now, it's taking a new approach in the hope of returning to #1.

The US-based provider's new mission is to help users 'Control Your Digital World', and at its heart is that new Next Gen Antivirus.

It's built with the same engine used in VIPRE AV products. AV-Comparatives testing in March saw the VIPRE Advanced Security engine achieve a 99.91% protection rate against 10,000 malware samples.

IPVanish has also recently completed a ground-up rebuild of its server network which it claims will increase speeds by up to 41% at peak times. While we haven't re-tested it yet, this would be a welcome upgrade after IPVanish only managed 742 Mbps download speeds using WireGuard in its last run out in our labs.

Regardless of its testing results, or its lack of savings compared to earlier this year, an IPVanish Advanced plan is still one of the cheapest VPN deals you'll find that include so many added extras.

It also offers the most cloud storage of any VPN plan we recommend, plus it's one of the few VPNs to offer eSIM data too.

So, while we recommend caution in picking up this deal too soon, it's certainly one to consider once we have a broader idea of this year's Black Friday VPN deals.

PIA has launched Halloween savings on its two-year plan, dropping its price to under $50 for 24 months of protection, with two extra months included.

That makes it $1.89 per month which is 30 cents cheaper than it'd normally cost at $2.19. It also makes it even cheaper than Surfshark ($2.49/month), which is our usual recommend best cheap VPN.

PIA is among the most customisable VPNs available, perfect if you're a tinkerer looking to refine your VPN connection. But, it also hosts an interface simple enough that any beginner could use it on their phone, tablet, or TV, without risk of confusion.

Only CyberGhost ($1.99/month) and PrivadoVPN ($1.11/month) offer reliable VPN experiences for as little or less over two years. But neither of those has unlimited device connections like PIA, nor do they have anywhere near PIA's 166 server locations – handy for both streaming options and speed of connection.

After what felt like years without improvement, PIA raised the bar in recent weeks by adding 22 new streaming-optimized servers and 15 new locations to its network.

That might not quite match the extra malware, phishing and other scam protection features getting added by the likes NordVPN and Surfshark, but it's a welcome reminder to users that PIA remains an active player in the privacy software market.

Plus, unlike many of these other VPN providers, PIA has never found itself in any hot water to taint its longstanding and trusted reputation.

PIA has also kept its price nice and low year on year. This Halloween special makes it an even better time to give it a ghoul.

• A Reddit user has discovered that NordVPN now offers official WireGuard config file downloads in their Nord Account.
• Until now, manual WireGuard setups relied on unofficial scripts and API workarounds.
• The change could be a major speed upgrade for router VPN users stuck on OpenVPN.

NordVPN appears to have silently added a feature that router owners and tinkerers have wanted for years: official WireGuard configuration files you can download straight from your account.

The change was spotted by a user on the r/nordvpn subreddit. They shared steps for downloading a WireGuard .conf file from the Manual configuration section of Nord Account and confirmed it worked. NordVPN’s support documentation now describes the same process.

However, there’s been no announcement. In fact, at the time of writing, NordVPN’s blog post about config files still says it doesn’t offer WireGuard files at all. But for anyone running our pick for the best VPN on a router, this could be a big upgrade.

How to get NordVPN’s WireGuard files

According to NordVPN’s new support pages on the files, you log in to Nord Account, select NordVPN, then go to Advanced Settings and choose Set up NordVPN manually.

From the Server recommendation tab, pick a server and click Get setup configuration. Then select WireGuard from the dropdown and hit Download config. NordVPN recommends picking servers marked with a “Verified” badge.

The company also has guides for importing these files into the official WireGuard app on Windows and Linux. That means you can connect without the NordVPN app at all.

Why this is a big deal for router users

NordVPN rolled out NordLynx, its own WireGuard-based protocol, across its apps back in 2020. NordLynx adds a double NAT system so it doesn’t need to store user identities on its servers. However, NordLynx doesn’t work with standard WireGuard clients. Anyone setting up NordVPN manually was left with older protocols like OpenVPN.

This has been a serious bottleneck for manual users. In our best router VPN testing, NordVPN hit 950+ Mbps over NordLynx but peaked at just 173 Mbps on OpenVPN. Until now, the only official way to get NordLynx on a router was to buy one specific FlashRouters model, the Privacy Hero 2.

Enthusiasts did have a workaround, but it wasn’t pretty. Guides like LazyAdmin’s took several steps, including installing both the NordVPN and WireGuard clients, generating an access token, pulling a private key from NordVPN’s API, and stitching a config file together with PowerShell. The guide’s comment section is full of users wrestling with script errors along the way.

Now, anyone with a WireGuard-capable router should be able to import a file and connect. That includes Asus models, UniFi gateways, and OpenWrt builds. NordVPN is already one of the fastest providers we’ve tested, and this makes it a far more practical choice for protecting every device in your home.

• Surfshark's latest iOS update completely redesigns the home screen, bringing all of Surfshark’s security solutions into a single view.
• Core VPN controls sit alongside built-in scam and identity protections, eliminating the need to hunt through menus.
• Earlier updates introduced the sleek "Liquid Glass" design and standalone features; version 5.0.0 unites them into one cohesive hub.

Surfshark has rolled out version 5.0.0 of its mobile application to iOS, introducing a completely redesigned home screen. The milestone release is the latest step in a deliberate shift for the company, moving from a standalone virtual private network into an all-in-one cybersecurity suite.

For regular users of what we consider to be one of the best VPN services available, interface clarity is essential. While earlier updates laid the groundwork, introducing the smooth "Liquid Glass" aesthetic alongside standalone features like SMS screening, version 5.0.0 finally brings all these tools together in a single, cohesive dashboard.

The goal is simple: eliminate app friction and ensure you can see your security status immediately without digging through sub-menus. Instead of jumping between tabs, the new interface gathers your primary protections on the main screen so you can toggle them on with minimal effort.

A unified mobile security dashboard

The centerpiece of the version 5.0.0 update is a reorganized Home tab that serves as a central command hub for your digital privacy.

According to Surfshark, the aim of the redesign is to let users check their protection status at a glance rather than guessing what is currently running in the background. The primary VPN controls now share the main screen with direct toggles for the provider's wider security tools.

From the unified home view, users can instantly access several built-in protections:

• Text message protection: Designed to screen incoming messages for scam links, protecting against SMS phishing attacks.
• Web content blocker: A built-in filtering tool that prevents unsafe websites and malicious domains from loading on your device.
• Data leak monitoring: Automatically scans for breaches to alert you if your email or sensitive personal details are exposed.
• Personal data masking: Powered by Surfshark's Alternative ID system, allowing you to generate substitute email details for online sign-ups to keep your real inbox private.

The bottom navigation bar keeps things tidy with straightforward access to Home, Solutions, News, and Settings.

For everyday users, this consolidation is a significant quality-of-life upgrade. Rather than treating SMS filters, identity protection, and VPN tunnels as separate products, Surfshark is laying everything out in plain view, turning its mobile app into a genuine, one-stop digital security hub.

On the update, Gabriele Sinkeviciute, Head of Product at Surfshark, said:

"Placing these key solutions for securing connections, preventing scams, and protecting identity on the home screen allows users to stay safe online effortlessly, without navigating multiple settings menus."

This latest iOS update mirrors Surfshark's v3.32 Android update, which rolled out the new design to Android devices in August this year.

Now, with both operating systems sporting the streamlined design, Surfshark's suite of additional tools can expand or be optimized as required, without hampering how quickly a user can access them.

• TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) have been restricted on multiple internet providers in Azerbaijan.
• The digital blackout follows growing citizen protests over the regulation of hijabs in local schools.
• Data from Surfshark reveals a 29% global increase in internet blackouts, with 81 new restrictions implemented across 21 countries last year

Citizens in Azerbaijan are experiencing severe social media restrictions today as the government cracks down on digital communication amid escalating protests.

Internet monitor NetBlocks confirmed that access to TikTok, Instagram, and X has been blocked across multiple internet service providers in the country.

The incident comes as citizens protest the regulation of hijabs in local schools. By restricting access to major social networks, authorities appear to be attempting to stifle the flow of information, making it difficult for protesters to organize and share on-the-ground footage with the rest of the world.

A growing history of digital censorship

While this latest shutdown is alarming, it is not an isolated incident. According to data from Surfshark's Internet Shutdown Tracker, this is the fourth restriction incident in Azerbaijan over the past six years.

Notably, this marks the first time an internet disruption in the country has been directly triggered by protests. The previous three cases were tied to broader political turmoil, encompassing three service-based restrictions targeting social media and Voice over IP (VoIP) applications, as well as one regional network disruption.

This worsening track record places Azerbaijan 14th in Asia for internet restriction incidents. According to Surfshark, this puts the nation alongside countries notorious for heavy-handed internet censorship, such as China, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

The global censorship epidemic

The outage in Azerbaijan mirrors a devastating broader trend. From Surfshark's 2025 global overview, it is clear that worldwide internet censorship is accelerating at a frightening pace.

Governments imposed 81 new internet restrictions across 21 countries last year, a staggering 29% increase compared to the previous year. Asia remains the undisputed leader in digital blackouts, responsible for 56 new restrictions that impacted approximately 2.2 billion people. India secured the top spot in the region with 24 new restrictions alone.

Social media platforms are increasingly finding themselves in the crosshairs. Surfshark data reveals that Telegram was the most frequently blocked platform globally last year, facing restrictions from seven different governments on nine occasions.

Meanwhile, 51 of the 81 new global restrictions were directly linked to political turmoil, while six countries imposed blackouts specifically in response to protests.

The sheer volume of these outages is reshaping how the world communicates. "Internet shutdowns, including long-term, systemic censorship, affected 4.6 billion people in 2025, more than half of the world’s population," said Luís Costa, Research Lead at Surfshark.

Costa highlighted that these tactics are spreading to new regions. "Despite growing global recognition of internet access as a fundamental human right, the scale and reach of digital restrictions continue to expand year after year."

"In 2025 alone, two new countries—Albania and Panama—implemented internet restrictions for the first time, highlighting how government-mandated shutdowns are no longer confined to a small group of repeat offenders, but are becoming an increasingly used tool of control worldwide," he explained.

As governments tighten their grip on free speech, privacy tools are transitioning from optional privacy enhancements to critical lifelines. If you find yourself in a region facing sudden censorship, understanding how a VPN works is the first step toward reclaiming your right to a free and open internet.

• The Tor Project is maintaining its technical collaboration with Mullvad despite intense community pressure to sever ties.
• The backlash stems from a recent political donation made by a Mullvad co-founder to a controversial Swedish populist party.
• Tor is pausing all "proactive co-branding" and joint promotional activities to ensure its human rights mission isn't compromised.

The Tor Project has confirmed it will not terminate its relationship with Mullvad following intense community pushback over a political donation made by one of the VPN's co-founders. Instead, the privacy-focused nonprofit is setting "clear boundaries" on its ongoing collaboration.

The controversy began earlier this year when it was revealed that a Mullvad co-founder had made a financial donation to a controversial Swedish populist party.

The move sparked immediate debate within the cybersecurity community, leading some users to demand that Tor, an organization deeply rooted in human rights and anti-censorship, sever ties with what many consider to be one of the best VPN providers on the market.

However, in a statement published on October 9, the Tor Project explained that while it strongly opposes rhetoric that threatens human rights, it must balance its principles with pragmatism.

Ending the partnership, the organization claims, would do more harm than good to the communities that rely on its privacy tools.

"We are continuing our technical collaboration with Mullvad to sustain work that Tor users and contributors depend on," the statement reads. The Tor Project highlighted that this joint effort has significantly improved the Tor Browser's codebase and created a safer environment to test new features.

Drawing the line on co-branding

While the technical work behind the scenes will continue, including ongoing development of the privacy-centric Mullvad Browser, the public-facing relationship between the two entities is being actively scaled back.

To distance itself from any implied political alignment, the Tor Project announced it has "paused proactive co-branding with Mullvad."

This means any joint promotional activities will be halted, and the language used on Tor’s owned channels has been updated to describe the relationship more accurately and "avoid notions of implied endorsement" of Mullvad’s leadership or values.

"We recognize that the potential benefits to Mullvad of such a collaboration are difficult for some in our community to accept," Tor stated, acknowledging the difficult trade-offs behind the decision.

"Our responsibility is to ensure that this collaboration does not compromise our mission or the Tor Project's independence."

Why the partnership matters

The collaboration between Tor and Mullvad has been highly fruitful for internet privacy advocates.

By working together, the two organizations successfully built an open-source browser that delivers the anti-tracking and anti-fingerprinting perks of the Tor network without requiring users to actively route their traffic through Tor's slower onion nodes.

Maintaining this complex codebase requires vast resources, something that the Tor Project notes is severely lacking in the broader fight for digital privacy.

"The work to promote and preserve the human right to privacy, free speech, and free access to information online is severely under-resourced," Tor explained, adding that advancing these goals often requires making difficult compromises.

While the Tor Project admits that this decision will not satisfy everyone and carries a "cost to trust" for some of its community members, it ultimately believes the technical benefits of keeping the internet safe for vulnerable users outweigh the political fallout.

• NordVPN's Call and Message Protection toolkit is now officially available on iOS
• The provider has also launched HangUp, a standalone iOS app that blocks spam calls and is entirely free to use without a VPN subscription.
• In an exclusive to TechRadar, NordVPN explained the tools are designed to give users "a second to think" before reacting to high-pressure phishing attempts.

After a brief period of speculation sparked by a mysterious app release note, NordVPN has confirmed to TechRadar that its highly anticipated Message Protection feature is now on iOS.

Alongside bringing full SMS scam screening to its main Apple app, the provider has also launched HangUp on iOS, a free, standalone app designed to eradicate spam calls on your iPhone.

NordVPN, our current best VPN overall, has been expanding its focus beyond the VPN for months now, most notably with its Next Gen Antivirus developments which aim to tackle traditional malware attacks.

Now, these new releases squarely aim to tackle the growing epidemic of social engineering, where hackers target the user rather than the device.

The new Call and Message Protection toolkit resides on a single screen within the main NordVPN iOS app. Whether your VPN connection is actively switched on or running quietly in the background, the tools work continuously to keep your inbox and call log safe from fraudsters.

Giving you a second to think

Phishing via text, often called "smishing", relies entirely on panic. Scammers regularly impersonate delivery companies, tax agencies, or banks, hoping you will click a malicious link in a rush. Message Protection directly combats this by acting as a digital filter for your iPhone.

The tool checks every SMS from an unknown sender against phone reputation databases, running deep URL analysis and content categorization. If a text is deemed suspicious, the app fires off a push notification detailing the specific threat type.

Crucially, the flagged message then opens in a dedicated safe view. This barrier prevents you from accidentally tapping the malicious link while reading the text. For privacy-conscious users, NordVPN guarantees it does not store the content of any calls or messages.

"A scam only works if you react before you think. They're all built to rush you, a failed payment, a parcel stuck somewhere, someone saying your account has been compromised," Domininkas Virbickas, product director at NordVPN, told TechRadar exclusively.

"We put something on the screen before that moment, a label on the call or a flag on the message. It doesn't decide for you, it just gives you a second to think. People shouldn't need to be security experts to use their own phone."

HangUp: A free weapon against robocalls

Alongside the feature launches for iOS, we also saw HangUp arrive on the platform, having launched on Android in July. While the core Call and Message Protection features are included in the main NordVPN app, HangUp is a completely standalone application.

You don't need an active VPN subscription to use it; you only need to sign up for a free Nord account. Once installed, HangUp screens incoming calls in real time, matching unknown numbers against known scam databases.

It sorts unknown callers into specific categories, such as scam, telemarketing, survey, or debt collection, so you know exactly who is ringing before you answer.

Users can even configure the app to automatically block known scams and telemarketers, meaning those fraudulent calls will never make your iPhone ring. A localized call log keeps a secure record of what was blocked and why.

"Everyone gets scam calls, so everyone should be able to see them coming," explains Virbickas. "HangUp is free because the quickest way to cut down the damage these calls do is to put a warning in front of as many people as possible."

Both tools are live right now. You can read the full technical breakdown of the new features on NordVPN's official blog.

Surfshark has announced its Black Friday VPN deal for 2026, becoming the first of our top VPN recommendations to do so.

As of now, Surfshark has dropped its mid-tier Surfshark One plan down to the same price as its lower level Starter plan. So, you'll pay the same as a subscription to the bottom-tier Surfshark Starter but get all the extras that One brings instead.

So, instead of just getting VPN access alongside Alternative ID, you also get Surfshark's Scam Protection, Antivirus, and dark web alert tools.

The discount is currently available across Surfshark's '12 month'- and '24 month'-plans. Both plans have an extra 3 months at the moment, which turns them into 15-month and 27-month subscriptions.

On the 15-month subscription, Surfshark One costs $2.99 per month (instead of the usual $3.59) or you can sign up for 27 months and pay $2.49 per month (instead of $2.79).

That's savings of $9 and $8.10 for the two plans respectively which, interestingly, makes the shorter plan the one with the bigger discount. Monthly subscribers don't benefit from any discount at the time of writing.

Note: All prices are in US$ but are available globally. Your local currency will be displayed on Surfshark's website.

Surfshark One – the plan I always recommend

Surfshark's One plan is the tier I recommend to friends and family, regardless of whether it's on sale or not.

That's because you get the best of Surfshark's tools without paying too much.

The advantage of the top tier Surfshark One+ plan is the Incogni data removal service but that bumps the price up to $3.99 per month, or $107.73 in total, making it over $40 more expensive, and many people simply won't need it.

A Surfshark One plan is also cheaper than the equivalent plans from other providers. For example, NordVPN Basic costs $94.23, while ExpressVPN starts at $83.72, and neither has the range of features you'll find in Surfshark One.

That said, both NordVPN and ExpressVPN offer more robust security than Surfshark. So, it's worth considering what your priorities are before choosing between the various VPN deals currently available.

It's also worth noting that this isn't actually the best Black Friday deal we've seen from Surfshark in the past. In fact, a Surfshark One plan has already been down at this price in 2026.

So, it's worth keeping an eye on the best Black Friday VPN deals in case larger savings arrive closer to Black Friday on November 27.

All the same, if you're already a Surfshark customer, and you like this VPN, it's worth resubscribing while this deal's on and adding more cheaper time to your contract. You won't find a lower price for a long time.

Surfshark has said it is proud to have backed Disinfo2026 after the EU’s diplomatic service, Canada and Lithuania pulled out of the event following political pressure.

On Thursday, the VPN issued a statement explaining its decision to continue sponsoring the annual event, which tackles disinformation and online deception, despite government sponsors withdrawing their support.

As further evidence of its commitment to intellectual freedom, the VPN – one of the best on the market – emphasised the importance of safeguarding the free exchange of ideas. “Open debate must never be silenced. It is essential for building a safer internet,” stressed the VPN.

A diplomatic issue

Organised by independent Brussels-based non-profit EU Disinfo Lab and held at a hotel in Vilnius, Lithuania, the two-day conference brought together hundreds of researchers, journalists, technologists and policymakers to collaborate on countering disinformation.

As reported by the Guardian, the Trump administration had pressured several countries to withdraw their sponsorship from the conference, prompting Canada, Lithuania, and the EU’s diplomatic service to retract their backing a few days before the event took place.

According to documents seen by the newspaper, the pressure centred on a panel discussion in which the US was reportedly regarded as “a foreign information threat.” The debate focused on how the European community, committed to combating disinformation, can strengthen its resilience without Washington; three US speakers took part in the debate, including a former CIA official.

After the countries said in a statement that the conference programme “didn’t align with their official views on the US role in disinformation,” a series of logos – including those of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and Global Affairs Canada, the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – were taken down from the event website.

The logos were removed from the event’s signage at such short notice that organisers had no time to replace it and had to improvise a quick fix, with official conference materials being left bearing white stickers covering the logos of the departing sponsors, as photos circulating online show.

Lithuania, Canada, and EEAS pulled out of #Disinfo2026 at such short notice they didn't have time to redo the signage.

— @eliothiggins.bsky.social (@eliothiggins.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-10-09T14:03:51.262Z

Supporting independent research

However, Surfshark’s logo remained visible. The VPN provider said that independent research and open debate are essential to its mission of protecting people’s digital lives. “We will continue supporting the communities working to keep the internet open and secure,” it said.

During the event, the VPN presented research carried out in collaboration with students from Malmö University. The study revealed that over half of those surveyed are unable to identify bots or distinguish between social media accounts generated by AI and those managed by real people, leaving them vulnerable to digital threats. It also highlighted how false content contributes to creating a climate of mistrust, disinformation and hostile and malicious online environments.

Recent research by Surfshark also found that more than 6.3 billion fake accounts are removed from major social media platforms annually, and AI only exacerbates the problem, facilitating scams involving identity theft, fraudulent calls, financial fraud and disinformation spreading.

In this context, Surfshark emphasised that fostering open debate remains crucial for raising public awareness of these issues, regardless of diplomatic complexities. “We believe that independent forums examining digital threats must continue to exist – regardless of geopolitical sensitivities – because cybersecurity concerns everyone, and digital risks know no borders,” the VPN said.

It’s pretty unusual to find yourself at a cybersecurity event playing basketball in Times Square. Add in NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal as the host, and you'd be describing the stuff of dreams.

Yet that’s what a lucky crowd got at NordVPN’s latest event on Thursday. The provider went big on online defence with its ambassador Shaq on hand to teach Americans about digital threats.

At the event, professional basketball players also challenged members of the public to slam dunk, echoing how the VPN’s next-generation antivirus intercepts and blocks malware and phishing attempts before they can even reach a user’s device.

More than shots blocked

The NBA Hall of Famer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist has been NordVPN’s official ambassador since September. The collaboration focuses on raising awareness of digital threats while also boosting NordVPN’s marketing efforts as the company transitions from a simple VPN to a comprehensive, all-in-one security suite.

A key part of this is NordVPN's 'Next Gen Antivirus', which scans 12 million unique URLs daily and blocks an average of 130,000 malicious pages. It blocked nearly 5 million malware attempts in the US in the first months of 2026, NordVPN says.

At the event, the VPN drew parallels with sport and digital security, using pro-basketball players to showcase what real defence in action means and presenting malicious activity as slam dunks on a court.

The audience was invited to try to score against experienced players, only to have professionals with years of experience in the field block their attempts, much like how NordVPN defends against digital risks.

But why?

The poetic parallels are timely, as NordVPN recently warned that Americans are suffering from a delulu-clash over their cybersecurity knowledge.

Frighteningly, recent research by NordVPN found that 71 per cent of respondents believe that common sense is simply enough to navigate digital threats.

What’s more, almost three-quarters of respondents believe they are perfectly capable of spotting online scams in spite of evidence to the contrary.

Findings revealed that 74 per cent of Americans were unable to spot a fake URL and 82 per cent failed to recognise a fake CAPTCHA, while less than half correctly identified a phishing email disguised as a job recruitment message.

More than half – 51 per cent – reuse the same password or similar passwords across different accounts. Unsurprisingly, it is the users who are most confident in their own abilities who tend to do this, says NordVPN.

It is therefore even less surprising that 73 per cent of Americans have already fallen victim to a scam recently, with nearly a quarter having suffered or being at risk of suffering a financial loss.

Shaq’s profile arguably makes the case better than any cyber-security expert: “These scammers are getting smarter, and sometimes all it takes is one click or sharing one piece of information. You don’t have to be a cybersecurity expert. You just have to stay alert, make smart choices, and use the right tools to protect yourself.”

Check out the event here

AmneziaVPN has unveiled new discounts to celebrate its sixth birthday, but they come with a twist.

Unlike a regular discount like you might see from some of the best VPNs, AmneziaVPN is giving you the opportunity to save up to 30% via its spin-the-wheel offer. There's also a chance to win up to 14 days of free Amnezia Premium.

For an even better prize, sign up to the Amnezia Hub Telegram Bot to get the chance to win 6-month Amnezia Premium gift subscriptions. There are 500 up for grabs.

Want to know your odds? According to the company, you've got a one in four chance of getting a 15% discount or a 14-day complimentary subscription, and a 16.67% chance of winning a 20%, 25%, or 30% discount.

What's more, if you open the Amnezia website in Incognito or across multiple devices, you can make multiple attempts to get the discount you want.

Six years, what's changed?

AmneziaVPN began as a self-hosting solution that gave people a quick and easy way to spin up their very own VPN. Now, it's considered among the top VPNs for people experiencing high levels of internet censorship, like in Russia.

Its proprietary protocol, AmneziaWG, is built on WireGuard and tackles Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) through several complex means of obfuscation, such as ever-changing header and packet sizes. This helps ensure VPN traffic appears as regular internet traffic both at the point of connection and while data is being transmitted.

AmneziaWG is completely open-source and, since it's proven to be an effective solution, has been adopted by other hyper-privacy-focused VPNs such as Windscribe and NymVPN.

AmneziaVPN has expanded. Alongside its paid VPN service, it now also offers a free VPN for people in regions with extreme internet restrictions. The service restores access to specific apps and websites with no fee needed.

The company has focused on security and unrestricted access to the internet, so in its six-year lifespan, it hasn't built the additional bells and whistles you'd expect from other top VPNs.

Instead, its protocol selection and advanced obfuscation technologies mean that should you enter countries such as China or Russia, you'll still be protected.

How to claim

To access the discount giveaway, head to Amnezia.org, and you'll see the spin wheel appear in the bottom corner of your screen.

To enter the six-month giveaway, head to the birthday announcement, click the link to the Telegram hub, and follow the instructions.

Hurry though — you've only got until October 31 to get one of the new discounts.

• IPVanish has announced a swathe of changes as it embarks on a broader mission to help users outside of its VPN
• Key changes include an improved antivirus, alongside 3 new subscription tiers.
• The new antivirus product is being integrated across Windows and Mac

IPVanish has announced how it plans to transition from a traditional VPN to a comprehensive digital security solution.

The move aims to address the growing reality that modern cyber threats require a multi-layered defense. While a VPN is excellent for hiding your IP address and encrypting your web traffic on public Wi-Fi, it cannot stop you from accidentally downloading a malicious file.

"A VPN was never meant to be the whole answer," explained Subbu Sthanu, General Manager of Consumer Cybersecurity at IPVanish. "It protects your Internet connections and your privacy, but does not shield you from malicious downloads, fake login pages, and other threats."

Next generation protection

At the heart of this revamp is a brand-new, next-gen antivirus integrated seamlessly into IPVanish desktop clients for both Windows and macOS. Rather than users juggling multiple dashboards or downloading separate software, the new malware protection lives directly inside the existing VPN app.

According to the announcement, the new antivirus suite goes far beyond basic scanning. It offers robust Device protection, letting users run full malware scans on their hard drives and external devices, either on-demand or on a set schedule.

Crucially, the software also includes Real-time protection. Using AI-driven technology, this feature actively guards against ransomware, monitors file downloads for unexpected changes, prevents malicious software exploits, and blocks hostile background tasks.

Additionally, the suite's Web protection will block ads, trackers, and malicious websites, monitoring network activity for threats even when the VPN connection is turned off.

The antivirus is powered by the same engine used in VIPRE-branded AV products. In the March 2026 Malware Protection Test conducted by independent lab AV-Comparatives, the VIPRE Advanced Security engine achieved a staggering 99.91% protection rate against 10,000 recent malware samples, earning the lab's highest Advanced+ ★ ★ ★ rating.

New pricing structures

To accommodate the expanded feature set, IPVanish is restructuring its plans into three distinct tiers, giving customers more flexibility over their cybersecurity toolkit.

• Essential: This is the traditional VPN package. Starting at $2.39 per month, it includes the core VPN service and Threat Protection.
• Complete: The mid-tier plan adds the new next-gen Antivirus to the Essential package. On a two-year plan, this tier costs just $3.09 per month (an extra 70 cents).
• Advanced: The premium tier gives you everything in the Complete plan, while adding 1TB of Cloud Storage and the company's proprietary Secure Browser solution.

The expanded lineup marks a significant step forward for the brand, perfectly aligning with its new tagline, 'Control your digital world'.

By bringing high-tier antivirus and cloud backups under the same roof as its reliable VPN, IPVanish is making it easier than ever for users to secure their entire digital footprint.

You need far more than a VPN to protect your data online. Password managers, antivirus software, and secure cloud storage are also key to ensuring your personal data doesn't end up in the wrong hands.

Unfortunately, many of the best VPNs only offer a couple of these necessities, while those that do them all, like NordVPN, charge a lot for the additional access. Luckily, TechRadar's exclusive deal with Norton VPN solves this.

A Norton VPN Plus plan starts from $3.49 per month — the same price you'd pay for basic NordVPN access. But with Norton, you get its antivirus, password management, dark web monitoring, and 10GB of cloud storage included alongside the VPN.

The only VPN that rivals Norton for value right now is Surfshark. However, at $2.79 per month, a Surfshark One plan doesn't include password management and secure storage like Norton does.

What's more, Norton VPN is one of the fastest-evolving VPNs on the market today. Twelve months ago, it offered only 5 device connections, had several bugs on iOS, and only included a few additional features. Now, you get a full security suite for less than $3.50 per month, and we expect the improvements to keep coming.

That means by signing up now, you could pay $3.49/month for a VPN that looks and feels even better by the time your plan ends. Plus, it'll likely still be cheaper than NordVPN.

If you're unsure, Norton VPN also comes with the benefit of a huge 60-day money-back guarantee. That means you have the best part of two months to decide if you're entirely happy, and if not, you can get your money back, risk-free.

• Surfshark has integrated ML-DSA certificates into WireGuard to achieve full post-quantum security.
• The upgrade focuses on server authentication to prevent future session takeovers.
• The feature is currently live for users on iOS, macOS, and Windows.

Quantum computers might still sound like science fiction, but cybersecurity experts are already preparing for the day these super-powered machines can effortlessly crack today’s encryption. Now, Surfshark has taken a massive step toward quantum-proofing your daily browsing.

The popular provider has announced the completion of its full post-quantum WireGuard implementation. By tackling the incredibly tricky challenge of server authentication, the company claims it has secured every pillar of a private connection against future quantum threats.

While many tech giants and rival VPNs have begun integrating basic post-quantum key exchanges, fully securing the authentication process remains incredibly rare. Surfshark's latest update ensures bad actors armed with futuristic quantum tech can't impersonate VPN servers and hijack your connection.

The 'forgotten' pillar of quantum security

Earlier this year, Surfshark rolled out post-quantum encryption and key exchanges (known as ML-KEM) to the WireGuard protocol. Other providers have made similar moves recently, with rivals like NordVPN extending post-quantum protection across its applications.

However, Surfshark has now added the final critical component: certificates using ML-DSA (digital signature algorithm) for authentication.

"A truly full post-quantum secure VPN rests on three pillars: encryption, key exchange, and authentication. While the industry has widely adopted quantum-safe encryption and key exchange (like ML-KEM), authentication remains the 'forgotten' step," explained Karolis Kaciulis, Leading System Engineer at Surfshark.

"Many, including Big Tech, hesitate here because certificates for authentication are difficult to scale and currently lack a global public infrastructure for post-quantum certificates.”

Beating Big Tech to the punch

So, why does authentication matter for the average user? If an attacker uses a quantum computer to break a VPN's authentication layer, they can perform a session takeover, essentially pretending to be the secure server right as you connect, intercepting all your data.

“However, ignoring this last step creates a vulnerability when quantum computers become accessible," Kaciulis said. "At Surfshark, we took the ML-DSA standards and integrated them with our certificates into a protocol to make the authorization fully quantum-resistant. By using the ML-DSA certificates, we have completed the final pillar, achieving the first full post-quantum WireGuard implementation."

This technical milestone stems from the launch of Dausos, Surfshark’s proprietary VPN protocol engineered with complete post-quantum security from the ground up, which paved the way for this WireGuard upgrade.

Remarkably, Surfshark is deploying a level of security rarely seen in the consumer space. An evaluation by the company of 15 major tech platforms found that only two, AWS KMS and Google Cloud KMS, have actually deployed ML-DSA, and both are cloud key-management services, not consumer applications.

While giants like Apple and Microsoft have access to ML-DSA, neither has enabled it by default in primary user-facing software like Safari or Edge.

“It comes as no surprise that industry peers prioritize implementing ML-KEM key exchange before placing authentication on their engineering roadmaps," Kaciulis noted.

"Although quantum computing poses no immediate threat today, delaying authentication security until these machines emerge leaves connections vulnerable. That is why Surfshark is taking proactive measures to deliver complete post-quantum defense ahead of potential quantum threats.”

If you're eager to test out these proactive protections, Surfshark's fully post-quantum WireGuard implementation is currently accessible to users on iOS, macOS, and Windows. The company plans to bring support to additional platforms in future releases.

Or to read more about this Surfshark upgrade, read its blog post outlining the move to post-quantum.

• Psiphon says it has started planning a move out of Canada over Bill C-22
• The provider warns the law would undermine its open-source trust
• The bill has cleared the House of Commons and now faces Senate scrutiny

Psiphon has become the latest tech provider to threaten to leave Canada over Bill C-22, the government's contentious lawful access bill.

The Toronto-based company told The Globe and Mail it has started drawing up plans to move its operations out of the country. It says the bill would force it to compromise the safety features protecting users in authoritarian countries like Iran, Russia, and China.

Psiphon joins Signal, NordVPN, and Windscribe, all of which have warned they could pull out of Canada. For Canadians relying on the best VPN to protect their privacy, that list is getting uncomfortably long.

NEW: Leave No Trace — A weekly newsletter on digital privacy and online surveillance.

Leave No Trace investigates the companies and governments putting our digital freedom at risk — and the people fighting back.

📩 Subscribe now to get every edition delivered to your inbox every Friday, launching this September.

Psiphon says open-source code can't hide a backdoor

Psiphon began as a Citizen Lab project at the University of Toronto in 2006 and now has around 20 million monthly users, many of whom rely on the tool to circumvent state censorship.

Unlike many VPN providers, Psiphon publishes all its code, but Bill C-22 could require it to change its systems to enable law enforcement's access, while keeping those changes secret.

Vice-president Kenzie Elsworthy said Psiphon is trusted thanks to the open-source model, and that it would be impossible to add a secret back door into a system that's completely public. "That is not lawful access. It is a published vulnerability," Elsworthy said.

Elsworthy stressed that the company doesn't want to leave, but if the law passes unchanged, relocating would be the only option. That would be awkward for Ottawa, which gave Psiphon about $600,000 in National Research Council funding this year.

What is Bill C-22?

Introduced on March 12, 2026, Bill C-22 would require telecoms, internet companies, and other electronic service providers to build surveillance capabilities for police and CSIS. Its backers argue Canada lags behind its Five Eyes allies without such powers.

The definition of "electronic service provider" is broad enough to cover messaging apps and VPNs. The government amended the bill before it passed the House on June 18, adding protections for end-to-end encryption and cutting metadata retention to six months instead of a year. It now heads to the Senate.

Tech companies are preparing for the worst

Because the bill won't define exactly who faces obligations until after it passes, all "ESP" companies are being forced to prepare for the worst.

Last month, 23 companies, including Windscribe, Nord Security, and ExpressVPN's parent company Kape Technologies, urged the government to fix the bill. Citizen Lab founder Ron Deibert warned that, as written, it would make it impossible for many vital privacy tools to operate in Canada.

With the Senate now in charge and European privacy groups also raising concerns, Psiphon's warning is hard to ignore.

• Muse is the most data-hungry chatbot, warns Surfshark
• It is surpassed only by Meta AI
• The VPN reiterates caution about entrusting your data to Big Tech

Meta’s Muse has been out for barely a month, yet it has already won the competition for the title of the most data-hungry chatbot.

The warning comes from Surfshark, one of the best VPNs, which recently conducted research ranking the most privacy-invasive AI chatbots. In its findings, Meta’s AI agent Muse, embodied by Jolly, the Labubu-style character that promises to execute tasks on your behalf, has already outperformed all its competitors when it comes to data harvesting.

Only another AI tool stands between Muse and the top spot: the older sibling, Meta AI, remains the undisputed data-harvesting front-runner.

Hungry for data

“Meta is unbeatable in data collection," stresses Surfshark. In its latest analysis, the VPN makes its case by comparing 13 widely used AI chatbots and the types of data they collect, as listed on the Apple App Store.

Indeed, Meta's Muse and Meta AI collect almost twice as many types of data as their competitors: 31 and 33 out of 35 types, respectively.

Next comes Google Gemini with 24 types. The trio uniquely collects highly sensitive information including ethnic data, sexual orientation, trade union, political opinion, genetic and biometric data.

ChatGPT comes fourth with 17 data types - a number that has alarmingly increased by 70 per cent since last year, with the chatbot now extending its data snatch to health and fitness, audio recordings and search history.

Gemini, Meta AI, Muse and Perplexity also capture location data, while ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Claude and Copilot retrieve approximate location information.

The winners of the ‘least intrusive’ title are Pi, Duck.ai and Mistral Vibe, with Pi remarkably collecting only user ID, product interaction and crash data.

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My data to Meta? I’ll think about it

While Muse is marketed as a tool capable of understanding users’ objectives and pursuing them autonomously, Surfshark points out that the large-scale data collection practices employed by the agentic AI app represent a frightening concern for online privacy.

Indeed, Muse’s invasive nature enables it to collect an extraordinary amount of highly sensitive information from calendars, emails, and bank accounts. It then combines this with the contextual data gathered from the user’s interactions, thereby managing to draw up an exceptionally accurate profile of your digital identity.

This information can then be merged with other datasets for advertising or training purposes, leaving users with very little control over how their data is stored, sold, potentially leaked, or corrupted.

Indeed, a security researcher has already warned that Muse can be manipulated into sending your voice recordings to a hacker’s server. Users have also reported instances in which the tool allegedly read their personal messages without permission and then lied about it, as well as cases in which its severe execution faults backfired on users, exposing sensitive information.

And while there’s debate over whether Muse is genuinely useful for what it claims to offer or whether it truly helps users perform better rather than merely wasting their time, others describe growing unease at the prospect of giving the keys to their digital life to a company that never showed any remorse for monetising user data.

Indeed, Meta is currently also facing hefty fines ranging from $18 billion relating to addiction amongst minors, to €1.2 billion for the improper handling of user data in 2023. This is also the same company known for its ‘pervert glasses’, which can record people without their consent and which have sparked widespread controversy as they have reportedly been used for harassment and stalking.

Given all this, steering clear of this major data collector for a while longer might simply be a marvelous idea.

Better enforceability is needed

Additionally, while these fines may seem exorbitant, it is worrying that the financial impact of such punishments rarely acts as a deterrent to these large technology companies, whose market capitalisation runs into the hundreds of billions of dollars.

In its research, Proton previously found that the $7.8 billion in privacy and competition fines imposed on Big Tech in 2025 could be collectively paid by these firms in less than a month.

However, Costa argues that the issue is more complex and regulators might be working toward targeted changes. "First, regulators are escalating the financial stakes, shifting toward massive penalties like Anthropic's $1.5 billion and Meta's $1.4 billion settlements."

Additionally, a major challenge right now is actually enforceability — particularly as some companies have already been exploiting loopholes to avoid paying fines. Clearview AI, for example, managed to avoid paying $105 million in fines imposed by four different European regulatory authorities by arguing that it did not fall within European jurisdiction.

"Even if these early fines are manageable for tech giants, their real value lies in establishing the firm legal precedents that will govern how AI must operate in the future," Costa concludes.

• PIA adds 15 locations, bringing its network to 170 locations in 104 countries
• The update targets the Caribbean, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia
• Some new locations are virtual and include some that rivals don't offer

Private Internet Access (PIA) has added 15 new server locations to its VPN network, taking it to 170 locations across 104 countries and territories, up from 91 countries.

The expansion covers 13 countries and territories PIA didn't serve before, including Cuba, Belarus, Myanmar, Pakistan, and the Cayman Islands. It also adds new city-level servers in Naples and Tottenham.

If you're shopping for the best VPN, network reach is usually one of the first things to compare, and this update fills some notable gaps on PIA's map. It follows a recent wave of network upgrades and comes shortly after PIA more than doubled its streaming-optimized network, from 13 locations to 35.

Where PIA's new servers are

PIA says it targeted underserved regions where demand is highest: the Caribbean, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Here's the full list:

• Americas: Cayman Islands, Cuba, Jamaica
• Europe: Belarus, Jersey, Naples (Italy), Tottenham (UK)
• Asia Pacific: Bhutan, Brunei, Guam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand
• Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia: Pakistan, Uzbekistan

You don't need to do anything to access them. The new locations appear automatically in every PIA app, with no reinstall or plan change required.

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What the expansion means for you

More locations mean more choice. Connecting to a VPN server closer to your real location can help cut latency, and extra options make it easier to switch away from a congested server. You also get local IP addresses in more places, which helps when reaching local websites and services at home or abroad.

The Naples and Tottenham servers go a step further, letting your connection appear local to a specific city rather than just a country. PIA says this can help with regional content and reduce lag in busy metro areas.

However, nearly all of the new locations are virtual (except Tottenham), meaning your IP address matches the country you pick while the physical VPN server is hosted elsewhere. PIA says it does this where local infrastructure or laws don't meet its privacy standards, and it flags virtual locations in its apps.

How PIA's network compares with rivals

International reach has long been a weak point for PIA. Our PIA review found its US coverage strong but its wider international network less impressive.

At 104 countries and territories, PIA now edges past Surfshark, which advertises 4,500+ servers in 100 countries. However, it still trails behind ExpressVPN at 113 countries, Proton VPN at 148, and NordVPN at 150.

PIA does have a couple of unique selling points. At the time of writing, neither NordVPN's nor Surfshark's public server lists include Cuba or Belarus.

Raw numbers aren't the whole story, either. NordVPN and Surfshark have both argued that capacity, speed, and reliability matter more than server count. The real test for PIA's new locations will be how they perform in everyday use.

Celebrity Traitors Season 2 arrives October 1, but if you're travelling and at risk of missing out, you needn't worry.

BBC iPlayer is the free home of the popular UK series, meaning if you're a UK resident on holiday, you'll be stuck without due to the BBC limiting access to only those on home soil. Thankfully, a VPN can fix this, and I've found the cheapest way to ensure you don't miss out on the chaos: PrivadoVPN.

PrivadoVPN ranks among the fastest VPNs we've tested and offers the best free VPN alternative too. But, more importantly, it's also a top streaming VPN for BBC iPlayer.

When I tried using PrivadoVPN to watch the last series of Celebrity Traitors, it was flawless. I connected to a UK server quickly, and never experienced any buffering or dropouts.

What's more, unlike alternatives such as NordVPN, PrivadoVPN costs only $1.11 per month. This means you can get two years of stress-free streaming access for only $30. That's over $60 less than an equivalent NordVPN plan.

PrivadoVPN's streaming performance excels beyond iPlayer too. We put it through rigorous testing with global Netflix libraries, Prime Video, Disney+, and more, and, compared to far more expensive alternatives, it proved effective.

Its biggest hurdle was Prime Video which, like many VPNs, it failed with altogether. Aside from that, it worked with all the global and local streaming services we tested it with, despite its budget price. This is helped by its servers in 49 countries being regularly optimized for streaming.

• Proton VPN sign-ups soared in the Philippines amid a brief Discord block
• The ban disrupted the gig economy of an estimated 15,000 freelancers
• Proton VPN usage remains high due to inconsistent network restorations

When the Philippine government abruptly blocked access to Discord last week, millions of users found themselves cut off from their digital communities overnight. The controversial move didn't just frustrate gamers; it severed the financial lifelines of thousands of remote workers, prompting a frantic rush toward privacy tools to circumvent the restriction.

Proton VPN saw hourly sign-ups from the Philippines explode by more than 1,400% compared to the previous week. Daily sign-ups also surged by nearly 300% as citizens scrambled for the best VPN software to bypass the sudden digital blackout.

Following public backlash and a hurried agreement with the platform, authorities have since reversed the ban. However, the story doesn't end there. Proton VPN’s usage data shows that sign-ups have remained significantly above the normal baseline, proving that users are refusing to log off their newly installed virtual private networks.

A messy ban leaves workers stranded

The chaos began on September 21, 2026, when the Philippines' Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Discord and Reddit.

The agency demanded that both platforms designate local representatives following a tragic string of school shootings in the country. While Reddit successfully negotiated an extension, Discord's initial response fell short. By September 23, local telecom operators began enforcing a network-level block.

In the Philippines, Discord is far more than a gaming chat app; it functions as a critical infrastructure hub for the nation's booming remote-work economy. Former DICT Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy estimated that the shutdown jeopardized the livelihoods of at least 15,000 Filipino freelancers and virtual assistants.

The technical reality of the block was also chaotic. Because the ban appeared to have been enforced network by network, Discord disappeared for some users while remaining fully active for others.

This same fragmentation haunted the reversal. When Discord finally agreed to the CICC’s terms and the ban was lifted, some internet service providers (ISPs) were excruciatingly slow to restore access.

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Proton VPN usage still high

This patchy technical rollout is exactly why Proton VPN's numbers haven't dropped back to normal. Users who were left entirely in the dark are now keeping their VPNs active as a reliable failsafe against unpredictable ISP behavior.

A Proton VPN spokesman confirmed to TechRadar that sign-ups were still high because of delays in the rollback, and that usage also remains "elevated."

"This is suspected to be due to a combination of ongoing uncertainty and privacy concerns around Discord's rollout of ID scanning there," the spokesman said.

For now, the message from the Philippines is clear: when a government proves it can sever access to essential communication tools overnight, citizens won't easily give up the software that helps them keep the lights on.

• NymVPN is upgrading its decentralized system
• Users stuck on older app versions could have connection problems
• Nym has also shared what's coming next, and how users can have their say

NymVPN users have a small job to do — update their apps.

The provider has announced a scheduled upgrade to part of the network that keeps NymVPN private, and while nothing will look different in the app, it's asking everyone to make sure they're running the latest release.

The upgrade touches the system that keeps your VPN access separate from your identity. That's the core promise that sets NymVPN apart from most contenders for the title of best VPN.

Nym hasn't confirmed an exact date yet, but says there's no reason to hold off, since updating now means you'll be ready whenever the switch happens.

What is NymVPN changing?

When you pay for NymVPN, your payment is converted into NYM tokens, which are used to issue an anonymous credential called a zk-nym. Your app uses that credential to access the network, and nobody, including Nym itself, can link your payment details to your activity.

Those credentials are signed by a group of independent operators rather than a single company. Each operator only holds part of the signing key, so none of them can reconstruct the full key and de-anonymize you. The technical documentation describes this as threshold issuance, where only a set number of signers need to take part.

The upgrade will rotate this system's signing keys and refresh the operators who run it, which Nym says will give its credentials a more robust and more decentralized foundation.

Key rotation is standard security hygiene. Replacing cryptographic keys on a regular schedule limits how much damage can be done if any single key is ever compromised.

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What's next for NymVPN, and how to have your say

Nym has also published a fresh roadmap. Coming up next are saved profiles for entry and exit server combinations, QR code support for faster free-pass activation, geo-exclusion for Russia, and more languages.

Further ahead, Nym plans to decentralize the network's remaining controls, merge NymVPN with its Nym wallet, and expand residential IP coverage for stronger censorship resistance. It's also working on per-app split tunneling between NymVPN's dVPN and Mixnet modes.

Perhaps most interesting is that users can have their say on what the team builds next.

The roadmap page includes a feature request board where anyone can vote, and faster speeds across all modes currently sit at the top of the list and are marked as in planning. Optional automatic server rotation and destination address routing, for services like Tor, follow close behind.

It's another sign of a VPN that's developing quickly, with other recent updates including its pay-as-you-go option and post-quantum protections as standard.

• Bitdefender launches privacy tool built specifically for autonomous AI agents
• Each agent task gets a disposable, temporary connection that deactivates when the task is done
• VPN for AI Agents runs on a Model Context Protocol server architecture entirely

Bitdefender has introduced VPN for AI Agents, a standalone privacy tool built specifically for the autonomous software agents now browsing, researching, and transacting on behalf of everyday users.

The company says this public beta is a direct answer to the growing anxiety over machine-driven data exposure.

Unlike a conventional privacy tool that stays connected at all times, this tool activates only when an AI agent needs it, then deactivates once the task is done.

Why agents need their own privacy layer

Cybersecurity researchers have increasingly warned that autonomous agents occupy an ambiguous identity space, often borrowing a person's own credentials or shared workload logins to complete tasks online.

Without a clear separation, every website an agent visits and every transaction it completes remains traceable back to a single household IP address.

Recent Pew Research Center data found 71% of adults in the United States believe wider AI adoption will make their personal data less secure, a fear that extends well beyond American borders.

Bitdefender's new offering, built on a Model Context Protocol server architecture, spins up a disposable digital workspace for each prompt and discards it when the task is done.

Each prompt opens its own encrypted tunnel and exits through the VPN server's IP address, so no cookies, cache, or session state carries over to the next task.

The tool covers network transport and IP masking only, leaving the actual content of a prompt exchanged directly between the user and whichever AI provider is running it.

"AI agents are quickly becoming an extension of the people who use them, showing up in both our workdays and our personal lives," said Ciprian Istrate, senior vice president of operations, Consumer Solutions Group at Bitdefender.

"That means security can no longer stop at protecting the person behind the screen; it has to extend to the agent itself acting on their behalf."

This approach treats each agent like an independent team member requiring its own security boundary rather than inheriting the user's existing protections wholesale.

Bitdefender also describes this as clean-IP browsing, useful for QA checks on pages that display different content depending on the visitor's country.

The tool supports up to four simultaneous exit locations, or eight under the recommended testing configuration.

Access remains limited during the beta period

For now, the tool works only on macOS devices, though Bitdefender has confirmed plans to expand to additional operating systems after beta testing.

The beta specifically requires macOS 13 or later and an Apple silicon processor, meaning Intel Macs are not supported.

Bitdefender recommends macOS 15, 16 GB of memory, and roughly 10 GB of free disk space for smoother testing.

Once installed, it operates automatically across several popular AI platforms, including Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex, and OpenCode, without requiring manual configuration from the user.

Bitdefender lists several practical use cases, including letting an agent compare prices across regions or complete multi-country research in one session.

The company frames these tasks as a productivity gain too, since they would otherwise need manual, country-by-country effort from a person.

Bitdefender is explicit about the tool's limits as well. It does not protect a device's other apps or browser.

It also does not hide prompts from the AI provider running them, and does not override a site's terms of service, rate limits, or an existing IP ban.

"With Bitdefender VPN for AI Agents, we're giving students, workers, and everyday consumers the confidence to let their AI agents work freely, knowing their identity and activity stay protected," Istrate added.

VPN for AI Agents public beta is currently available for free, but whether the free offering continues after the beta testing remains to be seen.

• Fight for the Future is running its 2nd annual Defend VPNs Day of Action
• VPN restrictions are increasingly being tucked inside new internet laws
• Utah, Michigan, the UK, Russia are among those targeting VPNs this year

Digital rights advocates are once again asking people around the world to stand up for VPNs, as lawmakers increasingly treat privacy tools as a loophole to be closed.

September 25 marks the second annual Defend VPNs Day of Action, organized by digital rights group Fight for the Future. The campaign asks users to sign an open letter and call their representatives, urging them not to ban or restrict VPNs.

Whether you rely on the best VPN on the market or a free app to stay safe on public Wi-Fi, the rules around how you can use it are changing fast.

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What is the Defend VPNs Day of Action?

The campaign launched in 2025, when Fight for the Future says it engaged around 20,000 people. This year, the group wants to build on that number.

Supporters can sign a letter to government leaders at DefendVPNs.com, which calls VPNs an essential tool for privacy and access to information. The site can also connect users directly to their lawmakers' offices by phone, and it provides a suggested script.

VPN providers are getting involved, too. Amnezia VPN and IPVanish have already announced their support and are encouraging users to sign the petition, while Surfshark is also listed as a supporter.

Why VPNs need defending

According to Fight for the Future, VPN bans and restrictions rarely appear on their own. Instead, they are most often bundled into age verification bills, or "online ID checks," that require people to prove their age before accessing certain sites.

Advocates argue the stakes go far beyond adult content. Fight for the Future says the most vulnerable people rely on VPNs to reach loved ones, seek healthcare, and find information that is increasingly locked behind ID checks and biometric scans.

"Using VPNs is not criminal," said Sarah Philips, Campaign Director at Fight for the Future, adding that "Using VPNs is a right that must be defended at all costs from governments who are doing their best to break down what little privacy we have in the current tech landscape."

A year of attacks on VPNs

Here's a quick look at the biggest threats since last year's Day of Action.

Despite lawmakers in Wisconsin scrapping a provision forcing sites to block VPN users after widespread backlash, SB 73 made Utah the first US state to target VPNs in an age verification law.

A proposed "public morals" bill in Michigan would make ISPs block VPNs, with fines of up to $500,000 for promoting them. It remains in play.

In the UK, Ministers ruled out age-gating or banning VPNs, but platforms are now expected to stop users from circumventing age checks themselves.

Australia's officials explored ways to block age verification workarounds, while the EU has signaled VPNs could be next in line after announcing a social media ban for teens.

In Brazil, VPN use became an aggravating factor in crimes, Reclaim The Net reported.

In Russia, Human Rights Watch reported this week that at least 469 VPNs had been blocked by February, with authorities now turning to bulk IP blocks and app store takedowns. Amnezia VPN itself was targeted in June and needed around six weeks to fully recover.

With youth social media bans spreading to Indonesia, Malaysia, and the UAE, Fight for the Future warns that VPNs will only face more scrutiny.

Anyone who wants to add their voice can do so at DefendVPNs.com.

• Opera's free built-in VPN can now switch itself on public, unsecured Wi-Fi
• The opt-in feature is rolling out to users in the US and France first
• Opera VPN Free still only protects your browser

Opera browser is making it harder to forget about your VPN.

The company's free, built-in VPN for desktop can now turn itself on when you connect to a public or unsecured Wi-Fi network.

The feature is opt-in, so you'll need to enable it in settings first, and it's rolling out to desktop users in the US and France starting today.

Even the best VPN can't protect you if it isn't switched on, and Opera is betting that removing that manual step will get more people covered on risky networks.

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Opera VPN Free goes on autopilot

Opera has offered its built-in VPN since 2016. It's free, doesn't require an account, and has no fixed bandwidth cap. Its no-logs policy has also been independently audited by Deloitte. Until now, though, you had to remember to switch it on yourself.

With this new setting, however, the Opera browser turns the VPN on automatically when it spots a public network. So, working from a café, studying on campus, or browsing at an airport no longer means activating the VPN manually every time.

The option first surfaced in testing earlier this month, when release notes for Opera Developer 137 listed an option for the VPN to connect automatically on public networks.

Arjan van Leeuwen, Head of Opera One Engineering, said VPNs "are a vital part of users' digital hygiene".

The company also notes that competitors like Chrome and Safari still don't offer built-in browser VPN features by default. It also cites We Are Social data showing that only 23% of internet users worldwide used a VPN as of Q4 2025.

Why public Wi-Fi is a risk

Public Wi-Fi is convenient, but open networks can be joined by anyone nearby, who can then snoop on or inject malicious traffic.

A trustworthy VPN encrypts your traffic, which makes it much harder for attackers to intercept and steal your data.

Automating that step closes the gap between knowing you should use a VPN and actually doing it.

Opera VPN Free vs Pro: a quick overview

Opera VPN Free is built into the browser and costs nothing. However, it only protects traffic inside Opera, so apps like Spotify, Steam, or a standalone email client still use your regular connection.

Opera VPN Pro, which launched as a paid tier in 2022, is a system-wide VPN. It covers up to six Windows, macOS, or Android devices, and it has run on ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol since mid-2025, with 48 server locations.

Lightway also brings post-quantum protection by default. Opera lists Pro from $4 per month, and new users can try it with a 7-day free trial.

If you mainly want to keep your browsing safe on the odd café hotspot, the free VPN with auto-connect is an easy win. If you want every app on your device protected, you'll need Pro or a dedicated VPN app.

• Obscura VPN has released a native Linux app, with both GUI and CLI
• Official packages cover Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, and other derivatives
• The provider has also switched to an open-source GPLv3 license

Obscura VPN has finally arrived on Linux. The privacy-focused provider has launched a native desktop app for the platform, meaning Linux users no longer need to set up the service manually.

This rounds off a busy year for the newcomer, which only recently landed on Windows. With this release, Obscura now supports macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux.

For privacy-minded Linux fans hunting for the best VPN for their setup, Obscura's unusual two-party design makes it one of the more interesting options.

The company is also relicensing its code under GPLv3, which will appeal to open-source purists.

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What's new in Obscura's Linux app

Obscura's Linux app ships with a full graphical interface, alongside an experimental command-line interface for users who prefer the terminal. Until now, Linux users had to rely on a manual WireGuard setup guide to connect. The native app means no more juggling configuration files, making the service far more accessible.

Obscura offers official packages for Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora (including Atomic Desktops like Silverblue), and Arch, as well as derivatives like Linux Mint, RHEL, Silverblue, CachyOS, and Omarchy. Minimum requirements include Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 13, Fedora 44, and RHEL 10, and the app is installed through Obscura's own package repository.

The Linux client also supports Obscura's QUIC-based stealth protocol, which makes VPN traffic look like ordinary HTTP/3 web browsing. This can help you get past networks that block VPNs.

To mark the launch, Obscura is offering 25% off for a limited time with the promo code LINUX26. The service normally costs around $8 per month, with no free tier.

Obscura goes GPLv3

Alongside the launch, Obscura has moved from the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0 to the GNU General Public License v3.0, which it says furthers its commitment to open-source software.

Obscura's code has been public since day one, but GPLv3 is a true open-source license, giving the community more freedom to inspect, modify, and share it. It's the same license Mullvad uses for its own apps.

What is Obscura VPN?

Obscura was founded by Carl Dong, a former Bitcoin Core contributor, and first launched on macOS in February 2025. It promised to set the standard for next-gen VPNs, and has since expanded to iOS, then Android, Windows, and now Linux.

Its big selling point is a two-party relay. Obscura acts as the entry node and sees your real IP address, while Mullvad VPN handles the exit node and sees the websites you visit. This means no single provider knows both who you are and what you browse.

That design has already been tested. Security firm Cure53 audited Obscura and found no major security vulnerabilities, as we reported last December.

• ExpressVPN has released version 14.3.1 for its Windows, Mac, and Linux apps
• Advanced Protection's ad and tracker blocking now works beyond the Lightway protocol
• The update also brings a rebuilt speed test, stronger screen reader support, and fixes for each platform

ExpressVPN has pushed out another update for its desktop VPN apps, and this one packs in more than the last few. Version 14.3.1 landed on Windows, Mac, and Linux on September 22.

The biggest change is that Advanced Protection, ExpressVPN's set of ad, tracker, and malicious site blockers, now works across all VPN protocols. There's also a rebuilt speed test, smarter split tunneling, and plenty of reliability fixes.

It's the latest in a busy year for one of TechRadar's best VPN recommendations, following a visual makeover and a stable MCP server for AI tools in June.

Advanced Protection finally works on every protocol

Until now, Advanced Protection on ExpressVPN's desktop apps only functioned with the VPN switched on and the Lightway or Automatic protocol selected.

Version 14.3.1 lifts that restriction, so you can now block ads, trackers, and harmful sites while using OpenVPN or WireGuard.

That's a welcome change for anyone who switches protocols to cope with tricky networks, since you no longer have to give up those protections to do it. ExpressVPN notes the feature is rolling out gradually, so not everyone will see it straight away.

Faster speed tests and smarter split tunneling

The built-in speed test has been rebuilt to run faster and deliver more precise results, which should make choosing the quickest server an easier job.

Split tunneling is more reliable for apps you exclude from the VPN, and the setup guidance has been refreshed. On Windows, the feature no longer keeps scanning for new apps when it's switched off, which cuts CPU usage. On Mac, split tunneling now leaves DNS traffic alone, so it can run alongside Advanced Protection.

On the accessibility side, screen readers can now navigate the location list, protocol settings, split tunneling, and auto-connect rules. The app also announces connection status and settings changes. That builds on the accessibility push in version 14.1.0, an area where our review rated the app just three out of five.

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Fixes for every platform

Mac users get a fix that stops Docker containers from disrupting networking while connected, and the app now launches even when there's no network after waking or booting.

On Windows, the VPN stays connected when your screen turns off on Modern Standby PCs, and installation is more reliable on ARM64 devices.

Linux users benefit from improved Lightway routing and DNS configuration on systems that use resolvectl, including Pop!_OS, along with native desktop notifications. It's another step forward for ExpressVPN as a Linux VPN option, following the arrival of its rebuilt Qt-based Linux app in late 2025.

If you already use ExpressVPN, the update should install automatically. Otherwise, you can download the latest build from ExpressVPN's website. To confirm you're on 14.3.1, check the app version, which now sits at the bottom of the sidebar.

• Apple's latest iOS update has been found to undermine NordVPN's anti-phishing tool
• The feature that causes the issue, Connectivity Assist, is turned on by default as part of the update
• According to NordVPN, the issues could have been prevented

Apple's new iOS 27 operating system update is undermining NordVPN’s anti-phishing tool, leaving users exposed to privacy vulnerabilities, the VPN has warned.

Connectivity Assist, a Wi-Fi Assist feature included in Apple’s twentieth operating system release, conflicts with NordVPN’s real-time protection, preventing it from working properly, the provider has found.

What’s worse? The tool is enabled by default, meaning users may not even know. What's more, other privacy tools on your phone may also have been compromised.

The problem with Connectivity Assist

Connectivity Assist optimises your Wi-Fi connection by supplementing slow or unreliable Wi-Fi connections with mobile data, detecting connection issues, and redirecting requests to your mobile operator’s DNS servers instead.

However, when NordVPN’s anti-fraud protection blocks a phishing site, Apple may also interpret the failed connection as a Wi-Fi issue and switch to mobile data—outside the VPN’s protection—thereby compromising the functionality of the NordVPN tool.

The only option currently available to ensure full protection is to disable Connectivity Assistant, so it can’t switch to mobile data when real-time protection blocks a website.

Alternatively, you can choose only to enable real-time protection when using a VPN by disabling NordVPN’s ‘always on’ option - but this still leaves them unprotected when using mobile data - just now by choice.

“People are being made to choose between two things they shouldn't have to choose between, and there's no good way for us to fix it,” Laura Tyrylyte, Head of Public Relations at NordVPN, tells TechRadar.

Can this be prevented?

Could Apple have helped resolve these issues before the release? Perhaps, according to the VPN representative. “Apple knew the feature interferes with DNS-based filtering before it shipped,” Tyrylyte notes. “Their own support page tells people running an ad blocker to switch Connectivity Assist for that network. Somebody spotted the conflict, it just didn’t get fixed.”

Users of Pi-hole, Firewalla, and other DNS-based filtering tools had previously reported the same behaviour, and Cloudflare's WARP also stopped blocking malicious sites following the update, NordVPN stressed.

Apple engineers have suggested alternative solutions in the forums, but these only work if users configure the DNS settings themselves, notes Tyrylyte.

“Deciding to treat deliberate filtering as a failed connection is a choice somebody made. They could have written it the other way: if a user-installed DNS service decides to resolve or block the query, leave that judgement alone,” Tyrylyte adds.

“Instead, the problem got handed to users, who now need to end up fielding the support tickets for something we can’t change,” she stresses.

NordVPN states that this is not the first time a change made by Apple to the network has compromised a security feature on iOS, with the VPN having to inform users.

In 2023, Apple’s VPN API contained vulnerabilities that disrupted NordVPN operations. “Both times users ended up having to pick between an Apple feature and their own protection, and both times Apple was the only one who could have prevented that,” Tyrylyte says.

“Apple makes the call, and we find out what the call was when the release lands, she stressed.

Whoever’s responsibility this is, one thing is for certain: it is users who stand to pay the highest price when tools quietly stop working. And reporting the issue in the press as a solution seems a poor substitute for preventing the problem in the first place.

Apple is yet to respond to a request for comment.

NymVPN's latest update has shaken up its entire pricing structure. Two-year plans are completely gone, and, oddly, some prices have gone up, but, with the product better than ever before, it may be time to take notice.

NymVPN has rapidly been maturing. Most recently, its v2026.12 update added improved connection stability on WireGuard and a simpler onboarding experience to its deliberately complex VPN architecture.

All the best VPNs use complex security methods to ensure your data is never at risk, but NymVPN's mixnet takes this one step further.

Data you send from your device bounces between five different servers, and is encrypted at each, before exiting at the designated end server. In short, it adds five times the number of steps of additional security to your connection before sending you where you desire online. The idea is that it makes you next to impossible to identify and track.

Before subscriptions to NymVPN were for 1 month, 1 year or 2 years but they company has now switched that around by axing the 2-year plan and adding in a 6 month version.

Monthly plans are comparatively cheap for the VPN industry at $8 per month. That's about half what you'd pay for NordVPN, for example. Equally, at $4 per month, the 1-year plans are also good value.

And the 6-month plan is smack in the middle at $6/month.

Is NymVPN only good for security?

NymVPN's security technology is among the most sophisticated available. There are no other VPNs that run a decentralized noise-generating mixnet, but that doesn't mean that it lacks any of the more consumer-friendly features.

It offers over 70 server locations, split tunnelling capabilities, kill switch protection, obfuscation technology, and streaming unblocking.

When we completed our NymVPN review, back in 2024, at the time of its launch, far fewer of these capabilities were deemed possible. Now, its combination of security and functionality makes NymVPN a must-watch VPN over the coming months.

If you want a more mature product right away, then one of the very best VPNs might suit you better.

NordVPN, for example, performs best for overall performance. Surfshark is the best cheap VPN available, and Proton VPN is the next best thing if you're looking for privacy.

Either way, Nym is a sure-fire up-and-comer, and not a VPN to ignore.

• NymVPN has launched a new version of its app - v2026.12
• It introduces a host of speed-focused improvements, alongside improved usability, better onboarding, and new anti-censorship capabilities
• Alongside the technical changes, a new pricing structure has removed the 2-year plan entirely

NymVPN's latest update marks its latest move to put the best VPNs in its crosshairs. The provider has launched version 2026.12, bringing a massive wave of usability improvements, anti-censorship tools, and a brand-new pricing structure across its desktop and mobile apps.

According to the Nym Core Team, this release is laser-focused on "getting the safest connection to more people, in more places, with less in the way."

To that end, NymVPN has completely reworked its WireGuard handshake to deliver faster, more stable cellular connections. This means your VPN is far less likely to drop when switching from Wi-Fi to a spotty mobile data network. It also introduced a new onboarding experience to help you get started smoothly with the VPN's unique, decentralized mixnet.

One-click routing and smarter split tunneling

The most immediate change users will notice is the introduction of one-click connections. NymVPN has introduced a "Safest" default setting that automatically picks a strong-performing server in a country next to yours, ensuring your entry point sits safely outside your home jurisdiction. Users can also select "Random" to constantly break traffic analysis patterns, or rely on "Favorites" and "Recents" for instant access to trusted nodes.

NymVPN is also expanding on its earlier beta tests by officially launching geo-exclusion alongside traditional split tunneling for desktop (macOS, Windows, Linux).

While basic split tunneling lets you send a whole app outside the VPN, geo-exclusion is far more precise. It splits a single app's traffic by destination, allowing you to route local services (like a banking app) outside the tunnel while keeping international traffic protected. The team notes this feature is currently available for Chinese IPs, with more countries coming soon.

Beating censorship on the go

For users in restrictive regimes, simply having a VPN app visible on your phone can be dangerous. Following earlier iOS icon disguises, NymVPN has now brought a camouflage icon feature to Android, allowing users to hide the software behind a discreet alternative logo in their device settings.

The provider is also expanding its global accessibility, launching five new languages: Traditional Chinese, Traditional Chinese (Hong Kong), Japanese, Italian, and Indonesian. As the developer noted in its release, "for people living under censorship, a VPN they can actually read is a necessity, not a nicety."

Pricing shake-up and what's next

NymVPN is tweaking its subscription model to reflect the app's growing feature set. The provider has introduced a new six-month plan at $6 per month, while maintaining a standard monthly tier at $8.

However, the company is retiring its two-year subscription tier. The best value is now the one-year plan at $4 per month. NymVPN confirmed that existing two-year subscribers will keep their current plan, but it will automatically renew as a one-year plan when it expires.

The provider claims it remains one of the most affordable options on the market, adding that its "privacy is guaranteed by design, not by a promise a centralized VPN structurally can't keep."

Looking ahead, the NymVPN roadmap promises QR-code support for faster activations, expanded geo-exclusion for Russia, and customizable entry-and-exit server profiles.

• Surfshark has split the iOS locations tab into two views
• The browser extension gets a visual refresh
• The update is a design change rather than a new security feature

If you open the Surfshark app on your iPhone right now, something might look a little different. The provider has rolled out a redesign of its iOS locations tab, with the goal of speeding up server selection.

If you use Surfshark (one of the best VPN services out there) every day, small friction points in the user interface add up. Hunting through a single long list of countries every time you connect is exactly the kind of thing Surfshark says it wanted to fix. The company has redesigned the locations tab on its iOS app to make it easier to use.

This is not a new security tool or protocol. It's a usability update, and it lands alongside a refreshed browser VPN extension that gets its own visual makeover.

What's changed in Surfshark's iOS app

The main change is that the locations tab is now divided into two clear sections.

The Recommended view brings together your most popular country options, recently used servers, and your dedicated IP if you have one set up. The design surfaces the servers you use most first, so you don't have to search over and over. The Advanced view is where the more specialized options live, namely static IP servers and Multi Hop.

Multi Hop, Surfshark's version of double VPN, routes your traffic through two separate VPN servers at once for an extra layer of protection.

Static IP servers, meanwhile, hand you the same address every time you connect, which is handy for services that get suspicious when your IP keeps changing.

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Changes to Surfshark's browser extension

The redesign for the browser extension is more significant. The home view now shows how many ads and trackers Surfshark has blocked on the site you're visiting, and it gathers all your protection tools in one place: the ad blocker, cookie pop-up blocker, malicious site warnings, data leak alerts, and email scam checker.

As Surfshark has added more features over the years, from category-based web filtering to the ability to block specific websites, its interface has grown busier. This redesign is about stripping out some of the resulting clutter and making the app feel effortless to use.

It fits a wider pattern, too. In our Surfshark review, we noted the provider keeps its apps well maintained, with a clean and consistent experience across platforms.

How to use the new layout

Open the app and tap the Locations tab at the bottom, and you'll land in Recommended by default, with your most-used servers ready to go.

If you want the specialized options, tap Advanced at the top to reach Static IP and Multi Hop, then switch back to Recommended whenever you like.