The use of virtual private networks (VPNs) is becoming more common for purposes such as protecting sensitive data and circumventing restrictive online streaming policies. However, the proliferation of remote work and aggressive laws and regulations regarding people's personal data and activities have also caused people to look for secure VPN services.

VPNs, which can hide online activity and location, are highly valued in terms of privacy protection. The security of such networks is seen as an important factor, especially when protecting against government eavesdropping and identity theft is a top priority. Make the right choice by following the guidance on the best VPNs presented in this article.

VPNs should not be considered a safe way to protect your digital security. In fact, there are well-known reports of VPNs falling prey to hijackers and man-in-the-middle attacks. You should also be aware of the risks associated with split tunneling. Split tunneling makes it easier for criminals to target insecure data because it may pass through the Internet Service Provider instead of the VPN. It is a very useful feature if you are an avid torrenter, but you need to remember to turn it on.

Top-quality VPNs are updated regularly and offer enhanced data protection with support for strong authentication, digital certificates, and private assignment of IP addresses.

It is especially important to be aware of the different VPN protocols that play an important role in maintaining data security. The provider selected should be covered by recently updated and secured protocols such as OpenVPN, WireGuard, and L2TP/IPSec.

A kill switch is another important feature offered by many VPN providers. It immediately disconnects you from the Internet if the VPN fails and prevents them from tracking your online activity.

DNS leak protection should also be provided as standard, so that DNS requests are routed directly to the VPN's DNS servers rather than being rerouted to your ISP without your knowledge.

The data protection and cybersecurity measures taken by your preferred provider should be thoroughly reviewed. The most secure providers share comprehensive privacy policies and provide regular updates to prevent leaks and hacking. Independent online reviews can be checked to verify claims.

Audit records should also be directly relevant to VPN selection. Ideally, the audit should be conducted by a reputable independent organization such as PricewaterhouseCoopers. All audit results should be made public, along with details of any problems noted and any follow-up actions taken to maintain data security.

The majority of VPN providers claim that they do not store any records of user activity. However, you should make sure that such claims are consistent with the VPN provider's data logging policy. It should clearly explain how your data will be handled, stored, and shared.

VPNs that maintain a strict no-logging policy will not collect user data. This means that they do not monitor the websites you visit, the content you search for or download. Adhering to such a policy also means that records of user activity will not be shared, even if such a request is made by government authorities. Nor is your data likely to be stolen in the event that the VPN provider's security is compromised.

VPNs should disclose exceptions to their policies, such as email address records. Such assurances should be verified as part of an independent audit.

Some governments have stipulated that VPNs must retain user logs for a certain period of time and share the logs in the event of legal action. Laws in such countries also allow the government to examine VPN user data.

Under the terms of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes Alliance, user data may be shared between member countries such as the UK and US. If you are at all concerned about government intrusion, it is worth choosing a VPN hosted in a country outside the alliance.

This article has outlined the main factors to consider when choosing a secure VPN provider. However, we also recommend reading more about issues such as how a VPN protects your privacy and anonymity, and creating a list of criteria that you can refer to when considering different providers.