ExpressVPN's Black Friday deal has dropped its Basic plan to just $2.99 per month. That's the same price as NordVPN's festive offer but with the bonus of ExpressVPN's new private AI and tracker-blocking tools included – not something you get for the same price with NordVPN.

Both VPNs now cost around $80 in total, with ExpressVPN's plan covering 28 months of protection and NordVPN's lasting 27 months.

We rate NordVPN as the best VPN right now but little separates the two regarding performance. ExpressVPN is faster. NordVPN is fractionally better for unblocking streaming services, but we tested both to find them equally secure.

ExpressVPN's premium plans are also discounted right now. If you want password management, identity defense, or secure eSIM access, an Advanced plan is currently $4.49/month ($125.72 in total).

Alternatively, a Pro plan, which adds a dedicated IP (something few VPNs include in plans), is $7.49/month ($209.72). Both plans come with even more credits for ExpressAI plus more storage on ExpressMailGuard, which also comes with Basic.

These two other ExpressVPN plans – Advanced and Pro – are, however, pricier than their NordVPN counterparts. In fact, unless you're set on a dedicated IP (included with Pro), it's difficult to recommend either over NordVPN's equivalents.

If you are just simply after a VPN, without paying for all the trimmings, then the ExpressVPN Basic deal has the edge right now, though. You can take a look at the rest of the Black Friday VPN deals here.

A VPN with nearly 10,000 weekly Reddit visitors has launched a Black Friday deal cheaper than even some of the many of the very top products on the market.

Private Internet Access (PIA), is now just $2.03 per month, nearly a dollar per month less than the likes of ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Proton, and it's got a trick up its sleeve that few other VPNs.

PIA supports port forwarding; it also offers customisation for everything from encryption methods to packet sizes. That gives torrent users everything they need to create highly efficient, secure connections that most other VPNs cannot match.

PIA is also a bit of a bargain at less than $60 for two years. Right now, the only good VPNs cheaper are PrivadoVPN ($1.11 per month) and FastestVPN ($27 for lifetime access).

PIA has a good blend of speed, stream unblocking and security thanks to some recent, much-needed updates, broadening its server network and improving connection speeds in the process.

All the same, PrivadoVPN is probably a better choice for pure speed and IPVanish does a better job on the streaming front.

The final thing to note is that this PIA's price isn't entirely new. It regularly drops to $2.03 per month. For the big VPN discounts this Black Friday you might want to take a look at the half-price deals from Windscribe and on Proton Unlimited too.

• Mozilla removes Firefox's free VPN data restrictions until January 31, 2027
• Firefox users get unlimited VPN data without purchasing another subscription
• Firefox's free VPN protects browsing activity on shared Wi-Fi networks

Mozilla has removed the monthly data restriction on Firefox's free VPN, giving desktop and Android users unlimited browsing protection through January 31, 2027.

The temporary offer began November 10, 2026, and requires only a Mozilla account, without asking users to purchase an additional subscription.

Mozilla is trying to make Firefox more attractive as it competes with Chrome and Edge, which held 68.79% and 5.36% of the global browser market, respectively, in October 2026.

Firefox removes restrictions on its free VPN service

The extended allowance gives Firefox users an opportunity to browse through shared Wi-Fi connections without exhausting their monthly VPN data allocation during the promotional period.

This matters particularly during holiday travel, when passengers frequently depend on airport terminals, hotels, restaurants, and other public internet connections.

Mozilla says its integrated free VPN conceals browsing activity from operators of shared networks while making it harder for websites to determine someone's location.

The service also obscures users' IP addresses, reducing opportunities for websites to associate separate browsing sessions through their network addresses.

“Most importantly, you’re not trading your browsing data for that protection,” said Mozilla, explaining its approach to privacy within the free VPN service.

The company also says it does not monetize users' browsing information through advertising or maintain records identifying the websites they visit.

However, unlimited data should not be confused with complete anonymity, because websites can still recognize visitors through cookies and accounts.

Firefox's built-in protection also does not erase browsing records stored locally, meaning users must consider Private Windows for additional privacy.

Availability comes with some limitations

Availability is limited by platform and geographical restrictions, so users must check regional eligibility before expecting access.

The complimentary service currently supports Firefox desktop and Android installations, but the company says iOS support is coming.

Another restriction concerns application coverage, since the complimentary VPN protects internet activity inside Firefox rather than every application installed on devices.

Mozilla directs customers seeking device-wide protection toward its separate Mozilla VPN product, which requires a paid subscription.

Getting started requires signing into a Mozilla account, selecting the VPN control in Firefox's desktop toolbar, and completing the activation instructions.

Android users can access the feature through the browser's three-dot menu, followed by Settings and the VPN configuration section.

The timing allows Mozilla to attract privacy-conscious users, although a temporary allowance alone cannot guarantee sustained growth against established rivals.

Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge retain substantial advantages through their established user bases, existing services, and integration with their respective technology ecosystems.

Mozilla therefore needs more than a temporary privacy promotion if it expects dissatisfied Chrome and Edge users to consider switching browsers.

Removing the data ceiling makes Firefox's complimentary protection more appealing, particularly for people who regularly depend on shared connections.

However, whether those users remain after the promotional period depends partly on the service's future restrictions and Mozilla's ability to maintain interest.

• NordVPN's new tool scans open-source data to show where your details are visible online
• Digital footprint tracks forgotten accounts, leaked location data, and more
• Users get personalized tips to reduce exposure, though it won't completely erase your web presence

NordVPN is rolling out a new tool called Digital footprint to show users exactly what information about them sits in plain sight online. Rather than just alerting you when a database gets hacked, the scanner pieces together old accounts, web browsing trails, and exposed location records.

Most people assume that changing a leaked password keeps them safe. Yet data brokers still buy and assemble personal profiles based on ordinary internet use, which banks and employers can then use to evaluate you.

The release arrives as the best VPN brand continues to turn its core tunnel into an all-in-one security app. By combining the new tool with its built-in dark web monitoring, the provider wants to help users spot their exposed records before scammers can exploit them.

What NordVPN's Digital footprint checks

Data leaks grab headlines, particularly after global data breaches jumped 13 percent. But forgotten message boards, unmanaged apps, and location breadcrumbs leak just as much personal information.

"People know about data breaches, but that’s only part of the picture. Your data is also out there because of accounts you forgot about, profiles that were built about you, and everyday browsing. Digital footprint shows you the full extent of your exposure and tells you what to do about it,” said Domininkas Virbickas, product director at NordVPN.

To find that material, the system scans open-source intelligence across the web. It flags lingering profiles you abandoned years ago, highlights exposed geographic data, and maps out what a curious stranger could dig up on you in minutes.

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Does it actually remove my data?

In short, no, it doesn't remove data.

NordVPN is clear that you cannot scrub your past from the internet with a single click. The scanner does not act as an automated takedown service. Instead, it grades your overall exposure, guides you through manual steps to minimize your profile, and monitors whether your trail shrinks or grows over time.

Trimming those public scraps still matters. Fewer public records mean data brokers have less to trade, which cuts your risk of identity theft. It also stops automated scoring systems from misjudging your credit score based on scattered online footprints.

Because the tool focuses on guidance rather than automated removal, the legwork ultimately falls on you. You still need to manually shut down abandoned accounts, adjust privacy settings, and ask data brokers to delete your files. Think of the feature as an audit: it shows you where the leaks are, but you have to do the manual cleanup yourself.

The addition also highlights how standalone VPNs are shifting their priorities. Basic connection encryption is no longer enough to win over subscribers on its own. For existing NordVPN users, the Digital footprint checker adds a helpful diagnostic layer, provided you are willing to spend the time following through on its recommendations.

• KPMG confirmed Surfshark does not log browsing traffic or IP addresses
• The evaluation covered standard, static, and multi-port servers
• While single snapshots, regular audits still set a clear privacy benchmark

Surfshark has once again called in outside experts to inspect its infrastructure. Independent Big Four accounting firm KPMG examined the provider’s server setup and confirmed that its systems follow its strict no-log claims.

For anyone shopping for the best VPN, privacy commitments can sound like empty marketing phrases. Almost every service advertises that it leaves no digital trace. Independent checks help bridge the gap between promises and actual technical proof, which is why Surfshark regularly opens its doors to outside inspectors.

This latest verification confirms that the provider does not store browsing histories, IP addresses, connection timestamps, or outgoing traffic. According to Surfshark's official announcement, the audit specifically tested whether user traffic can be monitored or retrieved from live server memory.

Surfshark's no-log audit: what KPMG actually inspected

Auditors reviewed the technical configuration of Surfshark's production servers, covering standard nodes, static IP locations, and multi-port routing setups. The inspectors assessed whether operational practices matched the guarantees outlined in the service's no-logs policy.

The final assessment found no discrepancies. Surfshark's infrastructure runs entirely on RAM-only servers. Because these machines lack traditional hard drives, all temporary operational data is wiped clean the moment a server reboots or powers down.

This is not the company’s first trip through the review process. Last year, Surfshark cleared an independent audit with Deloitte, following an earlier review that verified its first no-logs audit years ago.

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What an independent VPN audit actually mean for your privacy?

It is worth asking the hard question: does an audit guarantee absolute anonymity? No, it does not.

An audit provides a point-in-time assessment. It proves that on the days KPMG tested the network, the configurations complied with stated policies. It cannot monitor changes an engineering team might make months later, nor does it turn a VPN into a magic shield against online fingerprinting, account tracking, or malware.

Still, routine testing remains the gold standard for consumer privacy. When providers make full audit findings public, users can verify that their personal internet traffic is not quietly sitting in a log file.

You can read the specific methodology and findings directly in the full KPMG audit report, and learn more about why VPN audits matter in our detailed guide.

Windscribe's latest VPN deal has landed, and it's a worthy repeat of last year's rock-bottom bargain. With over 50% hacked off the usual price, Windscribe Pro is down to just $29 for the year.

Normally, Windscribe Pro, the only paid version of Windscribe, is $69 for 12 months of full use, so that's a very significant $40 saving if you buy this month. Unlike many other VPNs, this price also doesn't change on renewal, so you keep paying $29/year, rather than the full whack $69, for as long as you choose.

Unlike VPN providers such as NordVPN and Surfshark, Windscribe has a 'one-plan-fits-all' approach, so you get all of its features with Windscribe Pro at what is by far and away its lowest price all year. These include the R.O.B.E.R.T. ad, tracker, and malicious link blocker, as well as full access to its 69-country-plus server network.

The only Black Friday VPN deal cheaper than Windscribe Pro is the FastestVPN lifetime deal, which gives you lifetime access to FastestVPN and a password manager for just $27. But Windscribe is a far, far better VPN than FastestVPN, so we'd very much advise you to choose Windscribe Pro instead.

Windscribe is much faster than FastestVPN. Its 2054 Mbps WireGuard download speeds were only beaten by Mullvad (2308 Mbps) and Norton (2406 Mbps) in our most recent tests.

It's also a reliable streaming VPN, comfortably unblocking Netflix and Disney+ libraries, and working well with local services like BBC iPlayer too.

Apart from the half-price Proton Unlimited offer, we've not seen a better Black Friday VPN deal, so far, than Windscribe Pro and we're doubtful that we will.

To keep fully up to date with the latest offers, check out our dedicated guide to the best Black Friday VPN deals.

• Amnezia VPN has published a three-step guide to protect self-hosted servers from a critical Linux kernel flaw
• Servers running the Xray protocol face the highest risk
• Amnezia Premium, Free, and Business users don't need to do anything

Update [November 13]: Following the publication of this article, Amnezia VPN reached out to clarify that anyone running their own Linux server with Xray is exposed until they update, regardless of which app they used to set it up. We made some small edits to include the provider's comments.

Amnezia VPN has warned people who run their own servers that a critical Linux kernel flaw leaves them exposed, and those using the Xray protocol need to rebuild their setups to stay safe.

The bug, tracked as CVE-2026-98432, sits in the code Linux uses to accept new IPv4 TCP connections and has been present since Linux 4.4. The kernel's security team gave it a severity score of 9.8 out of 10.

Even the best VPN is only as secure as the server it runs on, and that's the problem here. Amnezia VPN says its Premium, Free, and Business services are unaffected because the provider has already updated and audited its own infrastructure. Self-hosted users, however, have to act themselves.

The problem isn't just for users of self-hosted Amnezia VPN either. A company spokesperson explained to TechRadar that anyone running their own Linux server with Xray is exposed until they update, regardless of which app they used to set it up.

Why Xray servers are most at risk

The flaw is what's known as a race condition — a software bug that tricks an operating system into mishandling its own memory during an internet connection. It was reported by Anthropic researcher Xinyang Ge, and on October 27, Anthropic said an unreleased Claude model had written a working exploit for it.

With zero user interaction and no passwords needed, the exploit could fully take over a vulnerable server in roughly 53 minutes.

The attack targets servers using an advanced networking feature called MPTCP (Multipath TCP) — and that is where Xray comes in.

Xray is the engine behind censorship-resistant protocols like VLESS, and Amnezia rates it as high risk. Because Xray is built with a programming language called Go, it automatically enables MPTCP by default. As a result, server administrators could be leaving this vulnerability wide open in the background without ever realizing it.

As the Founder of Amnezia VPN, Mazay Banzaev, pointed out, this vulnerability should come as a bigger lesson for software developers. He told TechRadar:

"Tools people rely on to get around censorship are built on the same shared open-source components as everything else. A default setting several layers down can put them at risk, so how fast small teams can react really matters."

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What self-hosted users should do

Amnezia's fix takes three steps and requires version 5.1.0.6 or later of the app.

That release adds a button to update packages on the server directly, which Amnezia says it built in response to this flaw. It follows the provider's Xray-core refresh in September and an earlier mandatory update for Premium and Free users.

In the app, go to Settings, then Servers, select your server, and remove Xray from the Protocols tab.

Next, open the Management tab, choose Update server packages, and reboot when prompted. The reboot is what loads the patched kernel.

Return to the Protocols tab and install Xray again, which now uses the patched version 26.10.31.

Your server will go offline during the reboot, and existing Xray connections will stop working, so you'll need to share access with your users again.

The update button also doesn't guarantee a fixed kernel, and on some Ubuntu versions the patch is still only in the "-proposed" testing channel. Until a future app release fixes it, any later reboot leaves the server vulnerable again until you repeat the Xray reinstall.

If you can't patch the kernel yet, Amnezia suggests a firewall rule that blocks IP options, or removing Xray and switching to the UDP-based AmneziaWG.

• IPVanish has added post-quantum encryption (PQE) in latest iOS update
• PQE protects your data against "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks
• The release notes don't yet reveal how IPVanish's PQE works

Update [November 11]: Following the publication of this article, IPVanish responded with some additional information. We made some small edits to include the provider's comments.

IPVanish has rolled out post-quantum encryption (PQE) in its iOS app, becoming the latest VPN provider to prepare for a future where quantum computers can crack today's encryption.

Version 4.33.2 of the IPVanish app landed on the App Store on Monday, and its release notes confirm in a single line that PQE has been added to the WireGuard protocol.

The move puts IPVanish alongside a growing list of best VPN providers already offering quantum-resistant protection, including NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and Mullvad.

What we know about IPVanish's post-quantum upgrade

Right now, the facts are limited. According to the App Store listing, PQE applies to WireGuard on iOS. The notes don't mention OpenVPN or IKEv2, and there's no word yet on Android, Windows, macOS, or IPVanish's TV apps.

Several key questions remain, including which algorithm IPVanish is using, whether the setup is hybrid or fully post-quantum, whether it's switched on by default, and when other platforms will follow.

We've contacted IPVanish with these queries, and a company spokesperson confirmed that while the latest IPVanish iOS app with PQE began rolling out on Monday, it will take 7 days for all users to receive the update. "During that seven-day rollout, we plan to add PQE to other IPVanish apps."

The company also told TechRadar that it will provide more details about the PQE implementation and all supported OSs once the rollout is completed, in roughly two weeks.

That said, the upgrade has been in the works for a while. Back in September 2025, IPVanish's Chief Commercial Officer Subbu Sthanu told TechNadu that post-quantum readiness was a major focus for its R&D team, which was exploring hybrid encryption for both WireGuard and OpenVPN.

At the time, Sthanu said the team was "building custom implementations rather than relying on off-the-shelf patches."

The rollout also caps a busy few months for the provider, which recently passed its third independent no-logs audit and continues to expand its RAM-only server network.

Hybrid or full? Why the details matter

WireGuard isn't quantum-safe out of the box, as its key exchange relies on elliptic-curve cryptography. Providers usually fix this by running a separate post-quantum handshake, typically with the NIST-standardized ML-KEM algorithm, and feeding the result into WireGuard's pre-shared key slot.

Most VPNs, including NordVPN, take a hybrid approach that layers post-quantum protection on top of classical encryption, so a flaw in the newer algorithm wouldn't leave your data exposed.

Some providers are now pushing further. In October 2026, Surfshark added ML-DSA authentication to WireGuard, claiming full post-quantum coverage of encryption, key exchange, and authentication. Without quantum-resistant authentication, a future attacker could, in theory, impersonate a VPN server. NordVPN is also working on post-quantum authentication.

Knowing where IPVanish sits on this spectrum will tell us how complete its protection really is.

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Why post-quantum encryption matters for you

Quantum computers aren't yet powerful enough to break modern encryption, but experts expect that moment, dubbed "Q-Day," to arrive eventually.

The risk is already here, though, as bad actors are already deploying so-called "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks to collect encrypted traffic today and store it until they gain the tools to unlock it.

For most people, this isn't cause for panic. But if you send sensitive information that needs to stay private for years, such as financial, medical, or work data, PQE adds a valuable layer of future-proofing.

• Anti-censorship bridges auto-reroute connections on restrictive networks
• Battery life, connection reliability, account controls all see meaningful gains
• QR code support, auto-connect, lockdown mode are up for future releases

NymVPN has rolled out version 2026.15 of its apps, headlined by anti-censorship bridges designed to keep the service working on networks that try to block VPNs outright.

The update lands on every platform — Android/F-Droid (v2026.15.1), iOS, macOS, Windows and Linux —and is the decentralized VPN’s latest push to stay usable wherever VPNs are unwelcome.

From hotel and airport Wi-Fi to corporate networks, university campuses, and even national firewalls, VPN connections are routinely blocked at the ports and protocols they depend on.

This is the kind of problem the best VPN services are increasingly looking to solve. Version 2026.15 of NymVPN takes that problem head-on, arriving alongside longer battery life, tighter account controls, and a series of reliability fixes.

Getting past the block

Leading the latest update is the new anti-censorship bridges feature.

Bridges are adaptive tools: when a network attempts to shut down VPN traffic, an ordinary connection simply fails, leaving users stranded on an unprotected network — or offline entirely. The new bridges detect the interference and re-establish the connection through whatever route is still open.

Users have three options:

• Auto: the sensible default for most, starts every connection on standard WireGuard and switches to a bridge if the network interferes;
• On: forces a bridged connection everywhere, useful for anyone traveling through heavily censored regions;
• Off: disables bridging entirely.

Nym pitches the feature for restrictive Wi-Fi and censored countries — anywhere a straightforward VPN connection stands little chance of surviving.

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Practical improvements across the board

Away from censorship work, the update tackles the annoyance of battery drain. NymVPN previously checked a user’s remaining fair usage data over the network frequently enough to take a noticeable toll on battery life. That accounting now happens locally, and the app checks in with the network sparingly as a result.

Connection statuses have been made more trustworthy as well. Notifications now track the true state of the tunnel, putting an end to false "connected" flashes and ensuring error states persist only for as long as the underlying problem does.

On Android, the server list now opens instantly from cache and updates quietly in the background, while SOCKS5 connections shut down cleanly on disconnect.

Account control gets a boost as well.

Android users can now delete their account from inside the app. Across all platforms, the pre-expiry notice for plans and free passes has been upgraded from a passive heads-up to a full dialog with the option to renew directly.

The momentum continues

The pace of development is telling. Earlier this year, version 2026.12 brought one-click connections, reworked WireGuard handshakes for steadier mobile use, expanded split tunneling, and added a new six-month pricing tier — while retiring the two-year plan.

More is close behind. The next release promises QR code support for faster account setup, auto-connect, and country exclusion for finer control over where traffic travels. Further out, an optional lockdown mode will block every connection whenever the VPN isn’t active.

Nym is also letting users steer the NymVPN roadmap directly: feature proposals and votes on nym.com determine what rises to the top of the development queue. For a young, decentralized VPN finding its feet, that open-door approach may prove just as important as any single update.

• ExpressVPN’s browser extension now blocks malicious, phishing, and scam sites without the VPN
• Full URL-checking blocks single harmful pages, unlike DNS tools that block whole domains
• The update extends ExpressVPN’s 2026 strategy of bundling security tools into all paid plans

ExpressVPN has added a new layer of security to its browser extension, and it doesn’t require you to switch the VPN on.

The feature, Web Protection, screens each page as it loads, matching it against continuously refreshed databases of sites known to host malware, scams, or phishing attempts, and stops them before they appear.

It’s available now on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, and other Chromium-based browsers, and comes at no extra cost to subscribers on the Basic, Advanced, and Pro plans, as well as ExpressVPN for Teams.

Browsers are where most people encounter online threats in practice – often via a single link to a convincing fake login page. Web Protection places the check at the point a page loads, catching the threat before the user ever sees it.

What makes it different

One of the more notable aspects of Web Protection is how precisely it blocks. Rather than judging an entire domain, it inspects the full web address.

That means a single fraudulent page – a fake login form tucked inside an otherwise legitimate site, for instance – can be shut down while the rest of the site stays accessible. Domain-level filters, which are the norm for DNS-based tools, can’t make that distinction.

Users also get more visibility than typical network-level blocking offers. When a page is stopped, the extension steps in with its own notice spelling out which site was halted, and why.

Users can maintain their own block and allow lists directly in the extension, and a weekly count on the home screen shows how many items Web Protection has flagged, with fuller statistics available in the account portal.

The feature sits alongside, rather than replaces, Advanced Protection, ExpressVPN’s device-wide system that operates inside the VPN tunnel.

The older tool covers all traffic across apps, but only while the VPN is connected and only at the domain level. Web Protection works in the browser with or without the VPN, and the two are designed to complement each other.

Part of a bigger push

Web Protection is the latest addition to the hybrid browser extension ExpressVPN rolled out earlier this year.

The first VPN-proxy hybrid of its kind, it can protect browser traffic on its own or hand control to the desktop app for full-device coverage, complete with Smart Routing rules and WebRTC leak protection.

It also fits into a broader strategy. In February 2026, ExpressVPN rebuilt its plans around a suite of security tools, including an email protection service and a personal data checker, and this week brought tracker blocking to its entry-level Basic plan.

The timing is apt. A recent TechRadar investigation found 369 fake VPN extensions on the Chrome Web Store, including impostors of ExpressVPN itself, collectively installed by more than 218,000 people.

With shady add-ons and phishing pages multiplying, it’s a logical step for ExpressVPN: meet users where the threats actually are, whether or not the VPN is switched on.

• Schellman Compliance’s latest audit of IPVanish has confirmed no traffic, metadata, or session logging
• The audit is the third since 2022, and marks the second audit since IPVanish committed to annual audits
• It follows IPVanish’s recent RAM-only server rollout and expansion to a 150-location network

IPVanish has announced the results of its third independent no-logs audit, and once again its privacy claims have a clean bill of health.

The audit was completed by Schellman Compliance, a leading provider of attestation services, on September 25, 2026.

Following two previous third-party audits in 2022 and 2025, the review is the latest in what's become an annual tradition for the VPN provider: inviting an outside firm to poke holes in its no-logs policy.

According to the results shared, the policy is accurate and fully aligned with IPVanish’s public privacy commitments – with its zero-logs promise strictly enforced across the company’s global server network.

Proof, not promises

The evaluation was comprehensive. Schellman’s auditors were given unrestricted access to IPVanish’s systems, configurations, and teams.

Interviews were conducted with engineering and operations staff, and company workflows were reviewed alongside infrastructure, internal documentation, and the administrative procedures governing the VPN app itself.

They also ran test traffic exercises – simulating real-world scenarios and watching closely for any evidence of VPN logging, including DNS queries, VPN metadata, and server responses.

The conclusion: no records of browsing traffic, session history, or connection metadata are collected or stored on active servers. Further, any real-time systems used to detect network abuse operate purely in memory, leaving nothing behind.

The auditors also checked IPVanish’s internal safeguards, confirming that any changes to how its servers work need sign-off from multiple people. This makes it much harder for logging to be quietly switched back on.

“A no-logs policy is only as credible as the evidence behind it,” said Subbu Sthanu, General Manager, Consumer Cybersecurity at IPVanish.

“People shouldn’t have to rely on promises when it comes to their privacy. By committing to annual independent audits of our no-logs policy, we’re making transparency and accountability an ongoing practice, not a one-time exercise.”

Customers who want to dig deeper can download the full report themselves via the Security Reports page in the My IPVanish account portal.

Part of a bigger picture

The audit doesn’t arrive in isolation. IPVanish has spent the past year restructuring its plans – Essential, Complete, and Advanced – around a suite of security extras, while growing a server network that now spans more than 150 locations.

Meanwhile, the company is midway through migrating its infrastructure to RAM-only servers, which wipe all data on every reboot and eliminate the possibility of storage-based logging; it has pledged to complete that transition by 2027.

Taken together, the picture is of a provider treating privacy less as a marketing slogan and more as something baked into how it operates.

In a market where rivals like NordVPN and ExpressVPN have made repeat audits their own baseline, the third-party stamp of approval is now a must-have rather than a nice-to-have. IPVanish seems intent on keeping up.

• AmneziaVPN's latest update adds location sorting, favorites, and a browser proxy for desktop
• At a more technical level, the update brings log separation, server patching, and design tweaks
• Roadmap hints at seamless location switching and domain-based split tunneling

Amnezia VPN version 5.1.0.6 is now available, bringing location sorting to the forefront of its Premium service. For users comparing it against the best VPN options, this update addresses one of the most frequent user requests as the number of available server locations continues to grow.

With over 50 Premium locations now active, the previous flat list had become difficult to navigate. The new version introduces filtering options that let users organize countries by geographic region or alphabetically.

Navigation features

The latest update places a “Filters” button to the right of the search field, offering two organization modes.

Users can group countries by world region – with alphabetical ordering within each section – or maintain a single alphabetical list spanning all locations. A search bar enables quick lookup by country name.

Users may also mark up to 15 frequently used locations as favorites by tapping a star icon. This feature works across both the main location screen and the Config Files section.

However, favorites are stored locally on each device and tied to the subscription key. This means favorite selections made on a phone will not sync to a desktop computer, though the settings persist through app updates and device restarts.

Browser proxy for desktop users

Amnezia has also introduced a local proxy option for Premium subscribers using Windows, macOS, or Linux. The Xray proxy runs at 127.0.0.1 on port 10808 by default, routing browser traffic through Premium servers without establishing a full system-wide VPN tunnel.

The feature requires the CensorTracker browser extension to function. It operates for a single subscription at a time and automatically stops when the main VPN connection activates. This suits users seeking selective browser routing without affecting other applications on their machine.

Additional improvements

The update also separates app logs from tunnel logs, giving users clearer visibility before sending diagnostic data to support.

Connection handling for Self-hosted servers using XHTTP and XMUX protocols has been refined, alongside fixes for mobile operator connectivity.

The Switzerland P2P location now supports bidirectional traffic, with Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) protocols enabled there – handy for hosting game servers, for example. Self-hosted users also gain a one-click button for updating server packages, and some interface tweaks lay groundwork for a redesign due in the next release.

What comes next

Users can check for updates within the app under Settings > About Amnezia VPN. Desktop installations apply the update automatically, while mobile users can download from the App Store or Google Play.

Looking ahead, Amnezia has outlined several planned improvements. These include seamless location switching without disconnection, domain-based split tunneling for desktop users, better stability when managing large domain lists, and more transparent Self-hosted server management.

As internet restrictions evolve around the world, tools like Amnezia VPN continue iterating to remain effective. This update signals a focus on usability alongside security – a balance that’s particularly important for users relying on these services for daily access to information.

• ExpressVPN has added tracker blocking to its Basic plan, a tool previously limited to Advanced and Pro plans
• ExpressAI is also now included with 50 daily credits, 1 model, and 100MB of storage
• The change follows the February 2026 shift to three plans offering its new spread of tools

ExpressVPN has expanded what its entry-level Basic plan includes, adding two features that were previously reserved for higher-priced tiers.

Subscribers on Basic now get tracker blocking alongside access to ExpressAI, the company’s private AI assistant.

Until now, that level of protection started with the Advanced plan, while ExpressAI was exclusive to Pro. Here’s what’s changed, and why it matters.

Tracker blocking comes to Basic

The Basic plan already blocked ads, malicious sites, and adult content – a package ExpressVPN calls Lite Protection.

It lacked tracker blocking: the ability to stop scripts that follow you around the web and quietly build a profile of what you browse. That capability used to start at the Advanced tier but is now part of Basic.

For a plan that already sits at the cheaper end of the market, at just $2.99/month, that narrows the gap between budget and mid-tier subscriptions considerably.

Advanced keeps its other perks – 12 simultaneous connections versus Basic’s 10 and a more generous email protection allowance.

ExpressAI arrives on the lower tiers

The bigger addition is ExpressAI, a private AI assistant built on confidential computing. In plain terms, that means conversations are processed inside a protected environment that even the provider itself can’t read – a pointed answer to the growing unease over how much consumer AI chatbots actually see.

Basic subscribers get 50 credits a day, 1 AI model, and 100MB of storage, with web search included. Advanced bumps that to 100 credits daily, the same single model, and 500MB of storage. Pro – still the home for power users – retains the fullest version, with 500 credits per day, six AI models, and 2GB of storage.

Whether 50 credits and 100MB is enough depends on how heavily you lean on an assistant; it’s best thought of as a taste of the full service rather than a replacement for it. Yet for anyone curious about private AI who was put off by the Pro price, there’s now a much lower barrier to entry.

Part of a bigger push

The update extends a strategy ExpressVPN kicked off in February 2026, when it rebuilt its plan lineup around a suite of tools: the ExpressAI assistant, the ExpressMailGuard email shield and the Identity Defender monitoring service, which was limited to US users at launch.

ExpressKeys, the provider’s password manager, moved from the main app to a standalone one as part of the same shake-up. At the time, TechRadar’s Rob Dunne called the restructure “the biggest expansion to ExpressVPN’s portfolio since its eSIM launched in December 2024.”

Even then, Basic users missed out on much of it – no ExpressKeys, no Identity Defender, and no tracker blocking either. That’s what makes the current update notable.

With Black Friday landing on November 27, VPN providers are already dangling enticing offers: Surfshark was one of the first out of the blocks, dropping the price of its mid-tier plan to match its entry-level one. Against that backdrop, ExpressVPN’s richer Basic plan looks well positioned for the sales season.

• 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.

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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.