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I like to use my own VPN, or VPNFor casual activities like maintaining your privacy while browsing the Internet or Unblock streaming content From all over the world, like everyone else. But when I really need to shut down and make sure my privacy protection is optimal, I adjust some of my VPN’s default settings.
most VPN applications The default is optimal speed and ease of use to help people get started with as little friction as possible and ensure the VPN runs smoothly out of the box. But while your VPN’s default settings will usually provide adequate protection, there are usually settings you can adjust to get a privacy boost.
There are many situations where you need to improve the privacy settings of your VPN. If you are a lawyer, doctor, activist, whistleblower, journalist or anyone else involved in an activity that requires Critical privacyYou will want to get the most out of your VPN at all times. If you are in an area where VPN use is prohibited or restricted, you should be extra careful to maintain your privacy, as well as take steps to completely hide your VPN usage.
Even if you’re mostly casual VPN users who don’t fit into any of these categories, you may want to take extra precautions if you torrent or want to hide your activity from network administrators on public Wi-Fi — activities that often carry additional risks.
These are the VPN settings I enable when I need optimal privacy
Some of these settings will likely be enabled by your VPN by default, but it’s still important to double-check the settings to be sure before using your VPN for any privacy-critical activities. Also keep in mind that availability and functionality setting may vary slightly from one VPN provider to another, but in general, most of our favorite picks include the following features in one way or another in their settings menus.
Kill switch
This option is usually enabled by default, and some VPNs (e.g mole) doesn’t even let you disable it. And for good reason: Kill switch It is arguably the most important VPN privacy feature. It automatically terminates your Internet connection if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly, helping ensure your online activity isn’t inadvertently leaked to your Internet provider or network administrator. Enabling your kill switch is important at any time, but especially when the privacy of your online activity is paramount. If your VPN doesn’t include a kill switch, you should start looking for a different VPN immediately.
DNS leak protection
Not all services do this, but if your VPN has a separate setting to protect against DNS leaks, make sure it’s enabled at all times. DNS Leak Protection helps ensure that your DNS requests — attempts to access a website — are resolved through the VPN provider’s encrypted DNS servers instead of your Internet provider’s servers. If your device bypasses the VPN tunnel and sends your own DNS requests to your Internet provider, a DNS leak It happens and your online activity can be exposed. You can easily check for DNS leaks by connecting to a VPN server and checking a site like ipleak.net or dnsleaktest.com.
A secure VPN protocol such as OpenVPN, WireGuard, or equivalent
Not everything VPN protocols Equals. For optimal privacy, I recommend using OpenVPN, WireGuard, or an equivalent private VPN protocol, if available. OpenVPN is a time- and battle-tested, secure VPN protocol that offers decent speeds combined with complete privacy. WireGuard is a newer protocol that typically gives you faster speeds while providing similar privacy protection. Some VPNs like ExpressVPN and NordVPN They have developed their own proprietary protocols that also provide high speeds and top-notch privacy. NordVPN and others love it Proton VPN and Windscribe also offer custom obfuscation protocols aimed at disguising your VPN traffic as regular Internet traffic to help you avoid firewalls. Old VPN protocols such as PPTP or L2TP/IPSec should be avoided.
A VPN encrypts your internet traffic as it is routed through a secure server in a different location.
Jamming
If you’re in an area that restricts or prohibits VPN use (or if you’re using a blocked network at school or work), you’ll need to hide the fact that you’re using a VPN in the first place. Jamming It is a tool provided by many VPNs that can help you do this. Some VPN providers, like Windscribe, NordVPN, and Proton VPN, have dedicated obfuscation-focused protocols that you can use to try to hide your VPN usage. Surfshark Obfuscation is built into its OpenVPN app, and ExpressVPN automatically activates its obfuscation technology when it detects network interference. Other VPNs have specialized servers specifically designed to obfuscate VPN traffic. Obfuscation is key to getting around restrictive firewalls and bypassing censorship efforts, but if you live in a country where VPNs are illegal, keep in mind that obfuscation may not have a 100% success rate.
Post-quantum cryptography
More and more best VPNs are starting to appear Post-quantum cryptographywhich is designed to protect users from potential future threats from quantum computers. Depending on your VPN provider, post-quantum encryption may be a separate setting that you can turn on or off, or it may be enabled automatically when using a specific VPN protocol. Although we are still years away from quantum computing posing a threat to modern cryptography, post-quantum cryptography is still important now to protect against attackers who might try to intercept encrypted traffic now in hopes of decrypting it later using quantum computers.
Multi-hop
Multihop, sometimes called double-hop or double VPN, routes your connection through two VPN servers instead of just one. This popular feature gives you an extra layer of encryption and can make it more difficult to track you online. while Multi-hop That may be overkill for most VPN users, but it can add a little peace of mind for someone who has important privacy needs and needs to take extra precautions. In addition to multi-hop, some VPN providers like NordVPN and Proton VPN also include a Tor over VPN feature, which routes your VPN connection through Tor network It’s another way to add a layer of encryption and enhance your privacy.
A double VPN is an extra layer of online security, but it comes at a cost.
IPv6 leak protection
IPv6 leaks can occur when your device or website you’re visiting uses IPv6 and your VPN is not configured to handle IPv6 traffic, causing that traffic to be routed outside the encrypted VPN tunnel. This may expose your online activity to your ISP. Although some VPN providers offer full IPv6 support, many still do not support IPv6 traffic and are instead configured to either block IPv6 traffic completely or have an IPv6 leak protection setting that you can turn on or off.
Automatic connection
Especially if you’re traveling and connecting to different public Wi-Fi networks, a VPN’s auto-connect feature can be useful. This way, you can have your VPN connect automatically when you turn on your computer or launch your VPN app so you don’t risk forgetting to connect to the VPN on certain networks. Depending on the VPN, you can configure the auto-connect feature to automatically connect when connected to all networks, unknown networks, or specific networks you specify.
Threat protection features and other additions
Many VPNs offer additional features such as threat protection features that can help prevent ads and trackers from following you around the web and creating a profile of you. Threat protection can also help prevent you from connecting to known malicious sites, protecting you from potentially handing over sensitive information to cybercriminals. Other add-ons like Mullvad’s DAITA, which can protect against AI attacks, and Windscribe’s anti-fingerprinting feature can help boost your privacy even further. Check your VPN provider’s settings to reveal additional features that can boost your online privacy in new ways.
Bottom line
Although using a VPN to unblock streaming content from around the world is a common use case, VPNs are primarily designed for privacy. Your VPN app may not improve privacy right away, so be sure to take some time to go through the settings and enable the settings that give you the level of privacy you need. Keep in mind that enabling certain settings (such as multicast or jamming) can slow down your connection speeds, but if your ultimate goal is optimal privacy, a slower connection is a worthwhile trade-off.
It’s also important to remember that VPNs are only part of the equation. On top of your VPN, I recommend adding a Password manager and Antivirus software to your tool belt to improve your online privacy and security.