VPNSecure Review
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Many Internet users want to protect their privacy and security while browsing the Internet, and they opt for a “Virtual Private Network” (VPN). VPNSecure is a VPN service operating since 2010, and it’s owned by VPNSecure Pty Ltd, an Australian company. The company claims to offer privacy and security when you browse the Internet.
Since many users prefer VPNs, there’s an intensely competitive market for VPNs out there. Many VPN providers claim to offer privacy and security, moreover, they claim to unblock geo-restricted streaming services like Netflix. Many VPNs claim to allow access to P2P/torrenting services, and some VPNs claim of bypass Internet censorship imposed by countries like China. The reality might often vary from these claims though.
Does VPNSecure deliver what it promises? Would it meet your requirements and should you buy it? In this review, we answer all of these questions so that you can make an informed decision. Read on!
What features do you get with VPNSecure?
We first examine the various features that VPNSecure offers. Note that VPNSecure offers Smart DNS and HTTP proxy services as part of its VPN products and services. We concentrate on the features of its VPN products and services in this review.
Your privacy at VPNSecure
You probably value your privacy when browsing the Internet as most people do. VPNs change your IP address so that “Internet Service Providers” (ISPs) and governments can’t track you. However, what if the VPN provider tracks your activities?
You want a VPN that practices a “no logs” policy. VPNSecure follows a “no logs” policy, and the company states that in its “Terms of services”. VPNSecure states that it tracks no information about its users when they use its VPN. It further clarifies that it doesn’t track the following:
· IP addresses;
· Connection timestamp;
· Disconnect timestamp;
· Bandwidth usage;
· DNS requests.
VPNSecure goes a step further and states that its “no logs” policy includes all of the above kinds of information, however, it’s not limited to this. The company categorically states that it doesn’t track any data about what its users do on the Internet.
VPNSecure makes an exception to this, and the company states that in its terms of services. If it believes that it needs to track your online activities to comply with legal requirements, then it will monitor your Internet activities. In our view, this doesn’t pose any privacy concerns to most of the Internet users since they are law-abiding citizens.
If VPNSecure receives any DMCA notice about any of its users then it doesn’t forward it to the user. Since VPNSecure doesn’t log any online activities of its users, it can’t identify any user from the DMCA notice.
When you sign-up for VPNSecure, the company collects your email address. It can be a temporary email address. It either generates a username for you or you create one. It securely stores this username and password. This is minimal personal information and you shouldn’t have a concern about this.
VPNSecure doesn’t collect any information when anyone visits its website using any cookies or analytics services. We confirmed this during a chat with its customer support representative.
The jurisdiction of VPNSecure is Australia. This country is part of the “14 Eyes” coalition that conducts mass surveillance. This is not the ideal jurisdiction for a privacy-focused VPN.
VPNSecure has an effective “no logs” policy. It collects minimal personal information and the company secures it. We are happy with the privacy features of VPNSecure despite its jurisdiction being Australia.
Data security at VPNSecure
You want a secure VPN. VPNSecure supports OpenVPN, which is the most secure VPN protocol. It has no known vulnerabilities. VPNSecure supports both UDP and TCP variants of OpenVPN.
It also supports the “Stealth VPN” protocol, and we will talk about it shortly. It’s a secure VPN protocol.
The VPNSecure website states that it supports the PPTP protocol too. However, a VPNSecure customer support representative stated during a live chat that the company supports only OpenVPN. We were happy to hear that since PPTP has security vulnerabilities and we don’t recommend you use it. We would like the VPNSecure websites to update the list of protocols it supports.
VPNSecure uses the following encryption techniques:
DES-CBC --> UDP port 1191, TCP port 443;
AES-128-CBC --> UDP port 1281, TCP port 109;
AES-256-CBC --> UDP port 1282, TCP port 110.
If you are dealing with sensitive information when you browse the Internet, then we recommend that you use AES-256. You can choose this when you use the VPNSecure app. VPNSecure uses the RSA-2048 handshake. This encryption solution is the strongest in the market.
VPNSecure prevents all IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. This VPN provider offers the “kill switch” feature, which blocks your Internet connection if the VPN connection terminates suddenly. This secures your sensitive personal information even your VPN connection drops unexpectedly.
We looked for the “Perfect Forward Secrecy” (PFS) feature when we evaluated the security solutions of VPNSecure. This solution changes the encryption keys regularly. Even if a cyber-attacker gets hold of your encryption key, he/she won’t be able to use it for any significant time. PFS significantly adds to your security. The VPNSecure website doesn’t explicitly mention whether it offers PFS. When we chatted with the VPNSecure customer support representative, we understood that the company offers PFS. This provider uses the OpenVPN protocol with Diffie-Hellman key exchange, and PFS is built into it.
In our review, we find that VPNSecure has implemented an excellent set of security solutions. If you prioritize security, then you can surely choose VPNSecure.
Where are the servers of VPNSecure located?
Most VPN users want good speed and you probably do that too. VPNs that have a significant number of servers across all key geographies offer good speed.
VPNSecure shows a map of its server locations on their website. This VPN provider has 80 servers in 50 countries. Its server locations cover the following geographies and countries:
· North America: USA, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama;
· Europe: UK, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Belgium;
· Russia;
· Oceania: Australia and New Zealand;
· Asia-Pacific: Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea;
· Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam;
· Middle-east: Israel and UAE;
· Indian subcontinent: India;
· Latin America: Brazil and Chile;
· Africa: Egypt and South Africa.
While VPNSecure has a good presence in North America, Europe, and Oceania, its presence in Latin America and Africa is limited. VPNSecure operates all its servers by themselves and monitors them.
VPNSecure offers good speed, however, the speed sometimes drops. If you want a great speed consistently, then explore other market-leading VPNs.
Is your device supported by VPNSecure?
You are probably shopping around for a VPN that supports all kinds of devices you have. VPNSecure supports all key platforms.
Among desktops, it supports Windows, Mac, and Linux. VPNSecure supports key mobile platforms like Android and iOS. A key advantage of VPNSecure is that it provides custom apps for the platforms it supports. It also has a Google Chrome proxy extension.
If you want to configure a VPN on your router, then VPNSecure works for you. It supports the following popular routers:
· LINKSYS E1200 DD-WRT Flashrouter;
· NETGEAR AC1450;
· ASUS RT-AC66U Flashrouter.
Note that configuring a VPN on a router requires sufficient knowledge of routers. While VPNSecure has guides to configure its VPN on a router, you need to search for it in its knowledgebase. You can also contact the VPNSecure customer support if you have questions.
VPNSecure supports all key platforms and provides custom apps. As far as compatibility is concerned, VPNSecure is an excellent choice!
Unblocking streaming services with VPNSecure
Many VPN users want a VPN that unblocks geo-restricted streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, etc. VPNSecure states on its website that it can unblock content.
Note that premium streaming services like Netflix aggressively identify VPNs and block them. As a result, many VPNs can’t unblock these sites. VPNSecure can’t unblock Netflix.
The customer support team of VPNSecure is very forthcoming about its limitations in this regard. The support representative we chatted with admitted that Netflix has identified VPNSecure and blocked it. If you want a VPN that can consistently unblock geo-restricted streaming services, then explore other market-leading VPNs.
Does VPNSecure allow for Torrenting
Do you want to access P2P/torrenting services? Note that some countries consider these services as illegal. Even if a country treats P2P/torrenting as legal, you need to be careful about using such services. Using P2P/torrenting can sometimes lead to copyright infringement. We recommend that you follow applicable laws if you such a service.
Even if you access P2P/torrenting in a perfectly legal manner, you will face challenges. Cybercriminals target users of P2P/torrenting services. Your ISP might throttle your Internet connection as soon as it detects that you are accessing such a service. Many users opt for a VPN to work around such challenges.
VPNSecure allows P2P/torrenting except in their USA and UK servers. These countries don’t allow P2P/torrenting. VPNSecure doesn’t impose any bandwidth restrictions on this. If you want a VPN that allows P2P/torrenting within the boundaries of the law, then VPNSecure is a good choice.
Using VPNSecure to bypass internet censorship
Countries like China impose stringent Internet censorship. Since many people use VPNs to bypass such censorship, these countries aggressively identify VPNs and block them. The governments of these countries use a technology called the “Deep Packet Inspection” for this.
VPNSecure uses the “Stealth VPN” protocol, and this can hide the fact that someone is using a VPN. This can bypass deep packet inspections and circumvent Internet censorship of the kind imposed by China.
How much does VPNSecure cost?
You want a reasonably-priced VPN. VPNSecure offers 4 pricing plans and each plan includes all of its features. Its pricing plans vary by their duration and associated discounts. VPNSecure pricing plans are as follows:
· Monthly: This plan costs you $9.95 per month;
· 6-months: You pay $49.95 every 6 months, which translates to $8.32 per month;
· Yearly: You pay $79.95 every year, which means that your average monthly cost is $6.66;
· 3-years: VPNSecure bills you $107.64 once every 3 years, which translates to $2.99 per month.
Note that the yearly plan is visible only when you visit the VPNSecure “checkout” page.
You can buy a VPNSecure subscription with popular credit cards, PayPal, Perfect Money, Paymentwall, CASHU, and Payza. VPNSecure also accepts Bitcoin and a few other popular cryptocurrencies. The company provides a secure webpage for your payment transaction.
VPNSecure offers a free trial for 31 days. This trial package lets you access only 1 USA server, and it comes with a 2 GB bandwidth limit.
VPNSecure offers a paid plan for trial. It costs you $2, and it’s valid for 2 days. This includes all features, unlimited bandwidth, and access to all servers.
If you can’t use VPNSecure satisfactorily, then you can get a refund. VPNSecure has a 7-day money-back guarantee. You need to fulfill a few conditions for this though, e.g.:
· You need to send your refund request via email or live chat;
· You need to contact the VPNSecure customer support team and try its troubleshooting processes.
Visit the VPNSecure “Terms of Service” page to review its refund policy.
VPNSecure is slightly expensive, however, it offers excellent privacy and security features to justify its price. It offers easy-to-use apps for all key platforms, moreover, VPNSecure provides excellent customer support. The 3-years plan of VPNSecure offers good discounts.
The pros and cons of VPNSecure
We now evaluate the pros and cons of VPNSecure. This VPN offers the following advantages:
· VPNSecure has a strong focus on privacy, thanks to its “no logs” policy. It collects minimal personal information and secures it.
· This VPN is secure. It uses secure protocols and the strongest encryption. VPNSecure offers features like the “kill switch” and PFS, moreover, it prevents all IP/DNS/WebRTC leaks.
· This VPN supports all key platforms and offers custom apps for them.
· VPNSecure is user-friendly.
· This VPN offers good speed.
· VPNSecure supports P2P/torrenting within the limits of the law. It doesn’t impose any bandwidth restrictions.
· You can use VPNSecure to bypass Internet censorship of the kind imposed by countries like China.
· The 3-years plan of VPNSecure offers good discounts.
· VPNSecure offers a limited free trial, moreover, it has a 2-days trial plan for $2 with all features.
· This VPN offers a money-back guarantee.
· VPNSecure offers comprehensive documentation and excellent customer support including 24x7 live chat support.
VPNSecure has a few disadvantages, which are as follows:
· It can’t unblock geo-restricted streaming services like Netflix.
· The speed can drop in some cases due to the fewer number of servers in some geographies.
· The monthly, 6-months, and yearly pricing plans are a bit expensive.
· Privacy enthusiasts won’t like the fact that VPNSecure has its jurisdiction in Australia, a “14 Eyes” coalition country.
· We find that the advantages of VPNSecure far outweigh its disadvantages.
A few quick facts about VPNSecure
We summarize a few quick facts about VPNSecure, which are as follows:
· VPNSecure is an Australia-based VPN, and it’s operating since 2010.
· This VPN focuses on privacy with its “no logs” policy.
· VPNSecure demonstrates a strong focus on security, compatibility, user-friendliness, and customer support.
· It can’t unblock geo-restricted streaming services like Netflix.
· VPNSecure allows P2P/torrenting except in the USA and UK.
· This VPN is a bit expensive, however, it offers steep discounts in its 3-years plan.
· VPNSecure offers a limited free trial, a 2-days/$2 trial package with all features, and 7-days money-back guarantee.
Is VPNSecure easy to use?
You want an easy-to-use VPN. VPNSecure offers ease of use. Let’s start with its website. You can easily navigate the VPNSecure website and find key options like pricing, support, free trial, etc.
The website prominently displays the features, policies, and app download pages. You can buy VPNSecure in a few intuitive steps like choosing a pricing plan, entering the required information, and selecting a payment method.
If you want to use the VPNSecure custom apps, then you can download and install them easily on your device. Advanced users can configure VPNSecure manually on their devices by following its guides. VPNSecure offers detailed guides for configuring its VPN with the OpenVPN client.
The VPNSecure custom apps are easy to use, and the company offers custom apps for all the key platforms. We find that VPNSecure is a very user-friendly VPN.
Can you rely on the customer service of VPNSecure?
Users that aren’t tech-savvy can find VPNs complex and a VPN with robust customer support capabilities appeal to them. VPNSecure custom apps are easy to install and use, therefore, users won’t need much customer support.
VPNSecure offers excellent guides on its “Support” page. This page also displays the app download option prominently.
The VPNSecure website has a searchable and comprehensive knowledgebase. You can also find a detailed FAQ section on the same page.
If you still have a question, then you can contact the VPNSecure customer support team in several ways. You can use its contact form or email the support team. VPNSecure also offers 24x7 live chat support. You can get answers to your questions very quickly if you use the live chat.
VPNSecure has a knowledgable customer support team. Its support representatives demonstrate a high degree of responsiveness, promptness, and professionalism.
We find that VPNSecure has excellent customer support capabilities. If customer support matters to you, then VPNSecure is a very good choice.
What's the jurisdiction of VPNSecure?
The jurisdiction of VPNSecure is Australia. During a live chat, a VPNSecure customer support representative mentioned that the company is considering moving to Hong Kong. However, that will be in the future. As things stand now, the jurisdiction of VPNSecure isn’t ideal for a privacy-focused VPN.
Australia is part of the “14 Eyes” coalition of countries that conduct mass surveillance. What this isn’t ideal, we have seen that VPNSecure practices an effective “no logs” policy. Therefore, common Internet users shouldn’t have a concern with the jurisdiction of VPNSecure.
What logs are kept by VPNSecure?
VPNSecure doesn’t monitor and record the Internet activities of its users. The company states in its privacy policy that it follows a “no logs” policy. VPNSecure mentions that it doesn’t track the following when its customers use its VPN:
· IP addresses;
· Connection timestamp;
· Disconnect timestamp;
· Bandwidth usage;
· DNS requests.
This VPN provider also states that its “no logs” policy isn’t confined to the above-mentioned forms of information. It tracks no online activities of its VPN users.
VPNSecure makes one exception to this, and the company maintains transparency about this exception. If it needs to track any users’ online activities due to a legal requirement, then it will log that users’ Internet activities.
We know that every VPN provider has the technical capabilities to track what its users do. However, several VPNs don’t maintain transparency about their logging capabilities. VPNSecure maintains the much-needed transparency on this count. We are happy with the “no logs” policy of VPNSecure.
The technical security of VPNSecure
VPNSecure uses OpenVPN, the most secure VPN protocol. This protocol has no known security vulnerabilities, and we are happy to see that VPNSecure uses it.
While the VPNSecure website states that the company also supports the PPTP protocol, the customer support team states that VPNSecure only supports OpenVPN. That was a welcome clarification since PPTP has security vulnerabilities.
VPNSecure also uses the “Stealth VPN” protocol to bypass the Internet censorship imposed by countries like China. That’s a secure protocol too.
VPNSecure uses the following encryption techniques:
· DES-CBC: UDP port 1191, TCP port 443;
· AES-128-CBC: UDP port 1281, TCP port 109;
· AES-256-CBC: UDP port 1282, TCP port 110.
We recommend that you use the AES-256 encryption. VPNSecure uses the RSA-2048 handshake. In summary, VPNSecure uses the strongest encryption available.
This VPN prevents all IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. Thanks to its “kill switch” feature, your sensitive information is secure even if the VPN connection drops suddenly. The “kill switch” feature blocks your Internet connection in the case of sudden termination of the VPN connection.
VPNSecure offers PFS since it uses the OpenVPN protocol with the Diffie-Hellman key exchange. This has PFS built-in. VPNSecure has a robust set of security solutions.
Our short conclusion regarding VPNSecure
VPNSecure claims to offer privacy, security, compatibility, ease-of-use, unblocking websites, speed, and customer support. It delivers on privacy, thanks to its effective “no logs” policy. VPNSecure is a secure VPN thanks to secure protocols, robust encryption, and other advanced security features.
You can use VPNSecure on all key platforms, and the company offers custom apps for all these platforms. VPNSecure offers ease-of-use. This VPN can’t unblock geo-restricted streaming services like Netflix. VPNSecure allows P2P/torrenting within the boundaries of the law. It offers good speed, however, the speed can drop in some scenarios.
VPNSecure offers excellent documentation and customer support. While some of its plans are a bit expensive, the 3-years plan offers steep discounts. We consider VPNSecure to be a good buy. You can use either its limited free trial or the $2/2-days trial package to test if it works for you.
