From 5d599f80fa1ff2f51c9edf7abbc35a1759705aef Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Jonah Aragon Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2019 22:57:59 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Clarify and expand VPN criteria (#1175) * Clarify and expand VPN criteria * Update encryption criteria * Update vpn.html --- _includes/sections/vpn.html | 42 ++---------- pages/providers/vpn.html | 123 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---- 2 files changed, 117 insertions(+), 48 deletions(-) diff --git a/_includes/sections/vpn.html b/_includes/sections/vpn.html index 5c33bb18..ba6d7c83 100644 --- a/_includes/sections/vpn.html +++ b/_includes/sections/vpn.html @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@

Recommended VPN Service

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Mullvad EUR €60/Year

Mullvad is a fast and inexpensive VPN with a serious focus on transparency and security, they have been in operation since 2009. It is the only VPN provider that currently meets our criteria for recommendation. Mullvad is based in Sweden and does not have a free trial. Visit mullvad.net to create an account.

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281+ Servers
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Typically the more servers a provider offers, the better: With hundreds of servers in operation, you are far more likely to find a fast connection.

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409+ Servers
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Mullvad has 409 servers in 38 countries at the time of writing this page. Typically the more servers a provider offers, the better: With hundreds of servers in operation, you are far more likely to find a fast connection and a server geographically closest to you.

WireGuard Support

In addition to standard OpenVPN connections, Mullvad supports Wireguard. Wireguard is an experimental protocol with theoretically better security and higher reliability, although it is not currently recommended for production use.

Independently Audited
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We will reevaluate this listing at the end of 2019 or when the aforementioned report has been published, whichever is sooner.

442+ Servers
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Typically the more servers a provider offers, the better: With hundreds of servers in operation, you are far more likely to find a fast connection.

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ProtonVPN has 442 servers in 33 countries at the time of writing this page. Typically the more servers a provider offers, the better: With hundreds of servers in operation, you are far more likely to find a fast connection and a server geographically closest to you.

Accepts Bitcoin

ProtonVPN does technically accept Bitcoin payments, however you either need to have an existing account, or contact their support team in advance to register with Bitcoin.

Mobile Clients
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IVPN has undergone a no-logging audit from Cure53 which concluded in agreement with IVPN's no-logging claim. However, IVPN has not undergone a more comprehensive security audit by an independent third party, and therefore cannot be strongly recommended at this time. We have still chosen to list it on this page with the assumption that an audit will be published soon: The IVPN team reportedly plans to begin the process in September.

We will reevaluate this listing at the end of 2019 or when the aforementioned report has been published, whichever is sooner.

70+ Servers
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Typically the more servers a provider offers, the better. IVPN has a decent (but not exceptional) server count that will most likely provide adequate coverage to most users.

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IVPN has 70 servers in 29 countries at the time of writing this page. Typically the more servers a provider offers, the better. IVPN has a decent (but not exceptional) server count that will most likely provide adequate coverage to most users.

Accepts Bitcoin

In addition to accepting credit/debit cards and PayPal, IVPN accepts Bitcoin and cash/local currency (on annual plans) as anonymous forms of payment.

Mobile Clients
diff --git a/pages/providers/vpn.html b/pages/providers/vpn.html index f90fa120..5db0b47e 100644 --- a/pages/providers/vpn.html +++ b/pages/providers/vpn.html @@ -20,6 +20,118 @@ description: "Find a no-logging VPN operator who isn't out to sell or read your {% include sections/vpn.html %} +
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Our VPN Provider Criteria

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Please note we are not affiliated with any of the providers we recommend. This allows us to provide completely objective recommendations. We have developed a clear set of requirements for any VPN provider wishing to be recommended, including strong encryption, independent security audits, modern technology, and more. We suggest you familiarize yourself with this list before choosing a VPN provider, and conduct your own research to ensure the VPN provider you choose is as trustworthy as possible.

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Jurisdiction

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Operating outside the five/nine/fourteen-eyes countries is not a guarantee of privacy necessarily, and there are other factors to consider. However, we believe that avoiding these countries is important if you wish to avoid mass government dragnet surveillance, especially from the United States. Read our page on global mass surveillance and avoiding the US and UK to learn more about why we feel this is important.

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Minimum to Qualify:

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  • Operating outside the USA or other Five Eyes countries.
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Best Case:

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  • Operating outside the USA or other Fourteen Eyes countries.
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  • Operating inside a country with strong consumer protection laws.
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Technology

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We require all our recommended VPN providers to provide OpenVPN configuration files to be used in any client. If a VPN provides their own custom client, we require a kill-switch to block network data leaks when disconnected.

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Minimum to Qualify:

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  • OpenVPN support.
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  • Kill switch built in to clients.
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Best Case:

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  • OpenVPN and Wireguard support.
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  • Kill-switch with highly configurable options (enable/disable on certain networks, on boot, etc.)
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  • Easy-to-use mobile clients, especially open-source.
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Anonymity

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We prefer our recommended providers to collect as little data as possible. Not collecting personal information on registration, and accepting anonymous forms of payment are required.

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Minimum to Qualify:

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  • Bitcoin or cash payment option.
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  • No personal information required to register: Only username, password, and email at most.
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Best Case:

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  • Accepts Bitcoin, cash, and other forms of cryptocurrency and/or anonymous payment options (gift cards, etc.)
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  • No personal information accepted (autogenerated username, no email required, etc.)
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Security

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A VPN is pointless if it can't even provide adequate security. We require all our recommended providers to abide by current security standards for their OpenVPN connections. Ideally, they would use more future-proof encryption schemes by default. We also require an independent third-party to audit the provider's security. Ideally in a very comprehensive manner and on a repeated (yearly) basis.

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Minimum to Qualify:

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  • Strong Encryption Schemes: OpenVPN with SHA-256 authentication; RSA-2048 or better handshake; AES-256-GCM or AES-256-CBC data encryption.
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  • Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS).
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  • Published security audits from a reputable third-party firm.
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Best Case:

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  • Strongest Encryption: RSA-4096.
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  • Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS).
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  • Comprehensive published security audits from a reputable third-party firm.
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  • Bug-bounty programs and/or a coordinated vulnerability-disclosure process
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Trust

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You wouldn't trust your finances to someone with a fake identity, so why trust them with your internet data? We require our recommended providers to be public about their ownership or leadership. We also would like to see frequent transparency reports, especially in regard to how government requests are handled.

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Minimum to Qualify:

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  • Public-facing leadership or ownership.
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Best Case:

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  • Public-facing leadership.
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  • Frequent transparency reports.
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Additional Functionality

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While not strictly requirements, there are some factors we looked into when determining which providers to recommend. These include adblocking/tracker-blocking functionality, warrant canaries, multihop connections, excellent customer support, the number of allowed simultaneous connections, etc.

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Further Information and Dangers

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Our VPN Provider Criteria

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  • Jurisdiction: Operating outside the USA or other Five Eyes countries.
    More: Avoid all US and UK based services.
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  • Technology: OpenVPN software support with strong encryption and Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS).
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  • Anonymity: Accepts Bitcoin and/or cash as an additional payment method. No personal information is required to create an account: Only username, password and email at most.
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  • Security: Has been independently audited by a third party to validate security claims.
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  • Trust: Has public-facing leadership and/or ownership.
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We're not affiliated with any of the above-listed VPN providers. This way we can give you honest recommendations.

More VPN Providers

VPN ProviderWebsiteSinceYearly PriceFree Trial# ServersWireGuardJurisdiction
- IVPN - - WWW - 2009$ 100Yes38Yes Gibraltar