Are VPNs Safe? Do they Work?

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have gained popularity as a go-to solution for online privacy, security, and accessing restricted content. But are VPNs safe? And what are their limitations? We will explore that now and give you a cheat sheet to select a provider if you find they are right for you.

Benefits of VPNs

VPNs work by encrypting your internet traffic and routing it through a server, effectively masking your IP address. This encryption makes it much harder, but not impossible, for anyone — such as hackers, your internet service provider (ISP), or even government agencies — to see what you’re doing online.

Use Cases for VPNs

Here are some ways people try to use VPNs: 

• Privacy and Security: Encrypt your internet connection to prevent hackers and third parties from spying on your online activity, especially on public Wi-Fi networks.
• Bypass Censorship: Access restricted websites and services in countries with heavy internet censorship.
• Access Geo-blocked Content: Use a VPN to access streaming services and websites that are restricted by geographic location.
• Avoid ISP Throttling: Prevent your internet service provider from throttling your connection when you use data-intensive activities, such as streaming or gaming.
• Remote Work and Secure Access: Safely connect to your company’s internal network when working remotely.
• P2P File Sharing: Use a VPN to anonymize your peer-to-peer (P2P) activities and protect your identity while sharing files (where legal).

For these reasons, commercial (and corporate) VPNs have become very popular but there are potential problems. VPNs are not a fool proof tool for enhancing privacy and security or achieving these goals.

Are VPNs Safe?

Not all VPNs are created equal. The level of security and safety depends heavily on the provider’s policies, the technology they use, and whether they are actually telling the truth about what they do.

Free VPNs are particularly risky. There’s no such thing as a free lunch and there is not much incentive for free VPN services to spend the time, money and energy to offer this service unless there is some benefit. To cover costs and generate revenue, they may: 

• Collect and sell your user data, such as your browsing history, connection times, IP address, and online activities, to advertisers or data brokers
• Display intrusive ads, often in the form of pop-ups or banners injected into your browsing sessions, which can be disruptive and compromise privacy
• Inject tracking scripts that monitor your browsing behavior and collect data for targeted advertising or analytics purposes, compromising your privacy and anonymity
• Reroute users to partner websites, affiliate links, or even malicious sites, essentially manipulating your online activities for their own profit
• Install malware or adware onto your device, compromising your security and potentially stealing sensitive information

And while some VPNs are safe depending on your use case, there is nothing stopping a paid service from acting nefariously. Since free VPNs are known to be potentially dangerous, a nefarious service could simply charge a couple of bucks per month and do the same thing. 

Government Censorship

If you are using VPNs to avoid censorship in oppressive governments, you need to understand there are risks there too. There are cases in the US where it appears companies that claimed they don’t keep logs were able to provide user records or logs to law enforcement officials. These records helped law enforcement track down hackers and stalkers, so it was a good use of the information. However, it also revealed that “no log” promises from a VPN might not be honored or kept. 

In fact, many countries have data retention logs requiring that some records be kept for certain lengths of time. Other countries don’t and that’s why many VPN services set up there. While we don’t condone the use of VPNs for criminal activity such as hacking or stalking, or the FBI’s use of logs to protect the public, it’s important to understand that if you are using VPNs for freedom of speech or communication in a government setting that doesn’t support that, you might be surprised to find that an oppressive government might be able to find out what you are doing anyway. If the US government can get logs from “no log” VPNs, oppressive governments probably can as well. 

No Log VPNs

Some VPN companies do participate in independent, unannounced audits of the service to verify that their no logs promise is being kept. They will typically provide those reports on their website. Just be aware that even if a company passes these audits, that probably does not prevent law enforcement from compelling them to track a particular user, and when that happens, they will probably order the VPN company to conceal that to protect the integrity of the investigation. 

• Some VPNs may keep logs of user activity, which can compromise your privacy if that data is requested by authorities or is leaked.
• VPN providers are subject to the laws of the country they operate in, which means they could be legally required to hand over user data.

So when asking are VPNs safe for privacy, it’s crucial to choose a provider that offers a no-logs policy and has a strong track record of protecting user data. Additionally, the type of encryption matters — VPNs that use AES-256 encryption are generally considered highly secure.

Effectiveness of VPNs

Despite their benefits, VPNs have certain limitations. They cannot:

• Protect you if your device is already infected with malware or if you fall victim to phishing attacks
• Make you completely anonymous online; while they can hide your IP address and encrypt your traffic, websites may still track you through other means, such as cookies or browser fingerprinting
• Prevent vulnerabilities if their own encryption protocols are poorly implemented, which can expose user data
• Protect against DNS or IP leaks, which could inadvertently expose your real location and online activities
• Safeguard against threats like malware infections, phishing attacks, or social engineering tactics
• Get you access to any content you want. For example, someone using a VPN for general privacy might have to turn it off to watch streaming services like YouTubeTV, even if they’ve paid for it and are in the States. 

Given these drawbacks if your answer to the question ‘are VPNs safe?’ is no, you might consider proxies instead and use our step by step guide to learn more about what a proxy is and how to choose one.

VPN Cheat Sheet

Now that you understand the risks of VPNs, here’s a Cheat Sheet you can use to evaluate VPN service providers.

Factor to Check	What to Look For
Logging Transparency	Check for clear privacy policies and transparency reports that detail data retention practices.
No-Logs Policy	Ensure the VPN provider has a verified no-logs policy, ideally backed by third-party audits.
Independent Audits	Verify if the VPN has undergone independent security audits to confirm their privacy claims.
Jurisdiction	Choose a VPN located in a privacy-friendly country (not part of 5/9/14 Eyes alliances) if that is important for your use case.
Encryption	Look for strong encryption standards like AES-256 to protect your data.
DNS and IP Leak Protection	Ensure the VPN provides protection against DNS and IP leaks.
Malware Prevention	Avoid VPNs that might install malware or adware on your device, especially free VPNs.
Track Record	Review the provider’s reputation for handling user data securely and their responses to past government requests.
Speed and Performance	Consider the VPN’s server network and speed, especially if you use it for streaming or gaming.
Customer Support	Look for VPNs with responsive customer support, in case you need help. No support or poor support might be a sign of a company that is not in it for reputation.

If you want to try using proxies instead of VPNs, you can often achieve the same results. ProxyMatch lists many proxy providers that we have vetted and reviewed so you can make a good choice. It’s a free tool so try it today!

In summary, you came to find out if VPNs are safe and now understand some of the risks. VPNs are a powerful tool for improving your online security and privacy, but they are not a silver bullet. If you decide VPNs are safe for you, choosing a reputable provider, understanding their policies, and being aware of their limitations are still essential steps to staying secure.