Articles by River Hart, Tech Software Editor

River is a Tech Software Editor and VPN expert, helping take care of cybersecurity content on TechRadar—ranging from breaking news pieces, reviews, and buying guides. Their goal is to help all our readers advocate for their digital privacy, and find the best VPN deals in the process!

After graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University with a First Class degree in Creative Writing, River bounced around the UK on a mission to craft stories. They’ve worked as a B2B magazine editor (working in an eclectic range of fields, including theme parks, VR gaming, and e-commerce), L&D [coordinator], and found their way into the world of cybersecurity in 2019, leading the writing team over at ProPrivacy. River has since been quoted in The Guardian, BBC News, and Forbes.

In their spare time, River enjoys poking around museums in their adopted hometown of Liverpool, hiking across their native North Wales countryside, and spending way too much time plugged into a PS5.

Articles by: River Hart

Kiran Desai and Salman Rushdie speak onstage at The Center for Fiction 2023 Annual Awards Benefit

Salman Rushdie's censorship interview is a reminder to use a VPN

By River Hart published 16 April 24

Censorship As Rushdie highlights the slippery slope of censorship in the US, it's never been more important to acknowledge the power of a VPN.

An illustration of a woman using a laptop and connecting to a remote server

How to set up port forwarding with PureVPN

By River Hart published 5 April 24

Port forwarding If you're looking to set up port forwarding but don't want to go through manual router configuration, PureVPN's port forwarding add-on is perfect. Here's how to use it.

A digitally created image of two backlit tunnels and a red ball

What is VPN port forwarding on PureVPN?

By River Hart published 5 April 24

Port forwarding Wondering how PureVPN's port forwarding add-on works, or who can benefit from it? Here's everything you need to know—without the jargon.

Google Incognito data to be erased—but what happens next?

By River Hart published 5 April 24

Opinion Google's recent legal battle is just the latest in a long string of privacy fails. It begs the question—is Google really doing enough to maintain our privacy?

How to use a VPN with CarPlay

By Krishi Chowdhary published 4 April 24

Best iPhone VPN CarPlay won't always work with a VPN, especially if it's missing reliable obfuscation and split tunneling. I've detailed a few methods to try to get things up and running.

A man reclining on a deckchair beside a pool, loading a VPN onto a laptop

How to use PureVPN for traveling

By River Hart published 4 April 24

On the move Whether you’re off on vacation or traveling for work, PureVPN has handy tools that’ll keep your devices secure and help you access content from back home (and everywhere else).

A group illustration of the Apex Legends cast

Apex Legends tournament disrupted by rogue RCE exploit hack

By River Hart published 20 March 24

Apex hacks RCE hacks caused chaos during last weekend's ALGS regional finals. Wondering what happened and why? Here's everything you need to know.

A close up of a face wearing glasses, with a reflection of digital information and a fingerprint reflected in the lenses

Vietnam to collect biometric information (and DNA) for new ID cards

By River Hart published 20 February 24

Breaking Iris scans, voice samples, and DNA will be used for identification purposes starting in July, as mandated by the Ministry of Public Security. Here's what you need to know.

Uber Eats and NordVPN logos side by side

Celebrate NordVPN's birthday with massive savings and a free Uber Eats voucher

By River Hart published 9 February 24

Deals Treat yourself to any of NordVPN's 2-year plans and bag a free Uber Eats voucher worth up to $30/£30—for free.

NordVPN running on a desktop, mobile devices, Apple TV, a router and a game console

NordVPN unveils new free link-checking tool

By River Hart published 30 January 24

Breaking Link Checker, developed by NordLabs, determines whether URLs are safe to visit or jam-packed with malware. Here's what you need to know.

OysterVPN running on various devices, including a TV, tablet, and a mobile.

OysterVPN review - expert opinions in 2024

By Andreas Theodorou published 17 January 24

VPN reviews Our team of experts put OysterVPN under the microscope, checking out its security tools, speeds, and unblocking power, and how it compares to the industry's top dogs.

A person holding an Xbox controller in the foreground. The background, which is blurred, shows a game on a wide-screen TV

How to protect your new Xbox

By River Hart published 1 January 24

Manage to bag an Xbox for Christmas? Here's everything you need to know about keeping your console, and your personal info, nice and secure.

Christmas VPN deals next to Surfshark VPN apps

Don't miss out on Surfshark's huge holiday discounts

By River Hart published 22 December 23

Holiday deals All Surfshark's 2-year plans are covered by the festive discount, meaning you can end the year with unbeatable digital privacy—and an extra 4 months of coverage for free.

Christmas VPN deals next to a variety of devices running VPN apps.

Holiday season VPN deals: which services aren't lowering their prices?

By River Hart published 13 December 23

Holiday deals The festive season is in full swing, but some VPNs have decided not to deck the halls with holiday deals. Here are all of the services on the naughty list.

Cyber Monday VPN deals next to Surfshark VPN apps

Grab these Surfshark Cyber Monday deals before it’s too late

By River Hart published 27 November 23

Cyber Monday deals There’s only 1 week left to claim this awesome Surfshark Cyber Monday deal, and get a 2-year plan for just $1.99 a month. Here’s everything you need to know:

Time is running out to get this exclusive NordVPN Cyber Monday deal

By River Hart last updated 29 November 23

Cyber Monday deals NordVPN's huge Cyber Monday deal ends today—so don't miss your last chance to claim 69% off and a free Amazon gift card.

Cyber Monday VPN deals next to a variety of devices running VPN apps

Cyber Monday VPN deals: which providers aren’t lowering their prices?

By River Hart last updated 27 November 23

Cyber Monday As 2023 draws to a close, dozens of VPNs are slashing their prices to end the year with a bang, but not every service is joining in the fun. Here’s what you need to know.

Save big on privacy this Cyber Monday with 83% off Private Internet Access

By River Hart last updated 27 November 23

Deal With plans starting from $2.03 a month, you can save 83% on PIA protection and take your digital privacy into the new year.

Hide.me's Cyber Monday deal gets you 27 months of protection

By River Hart last updated 27 November 23

Deal Keep all of your gadgets secure over the festive season with Hide.me's special offer—a 27-month plan for just $2.22 per month.

Featured image with "Get 10% off" next to McAfee's Ultimate security software bundle

Get 10% off McAfee with this deal - only until 15 September

By River Hart published 8 September 23

Save 10% and secure all of your devices with antivirus, VPN, password manager, and fraud protection tools. Here's how to grab this limited-time offer.

Best VPN written next to a variety of mobile devices, tablets, laptops and a TV all running different VPN software

The best VPN service in 2024

By Andreas Theodorou last updated 11 April 24

Updated I've tested hundreds of the best VPNs in 2024. Here's how NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark's apps differ in experience, features, and price.

Get PrivadoVPN for just $1.99 per month with this exclusive deal

By River Hart published 25 August 23

Deal Here's how you can check out PrivadoVPN's unblocking power, lightning-fast speeds, and full security toolkit, all while saving money with a limited-time offer.

McAfee Total Protection - Get 20% off until 4th September 2023

Get 20% off McAfee with this deal

By River Hart published 21 August 23

Save 20% and secure all of your devices with antivirus, VPN, password manager, and fraud protection tools. Here's how to grab this limited-time offer.

Save up to 80% on PureVPN with this deal

By River Hart last updated 17 August 23

Get value for money, and a whole host of extra features, with PureVPN's special 80% price reduction for TechRadar readers. Don't miss out on this VPN deal.

ExpressVPN running on an iPhone being held up in a hand

What is VPN on iPhone?

By River Hart last updated 12 January 24

Discover how an iPhone VPN can help you stay safe online—even with Apple's iOS built-in protections.

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