Surfshark VPN

Surfshark is a relatively new VPN software created by the young company SurfShark Limited. The company has been in business since 2017 and is headquartered in the British Virgin Islands. The VPN network has been consistently expanded and now consists of more than 500 high-performance servers in 50 countries. Surfshark scores points with its fast commissioning, works on almost all platforms, and can be used on an unlimited number of devices.

Surfshark is an ideal solution for users looking for easy-to-use VPN software for multiple devices. As the company headquarters are located outside the European Union, user activities are neither recorded nor stored. All data traffic is protected by 256 bit AES encryption. Thanks to the kill switch, users do not have to worry about their data. If the secure VPN connection is lost, data transmission is interrupted immediately.

Users can contact the Surfshark customer service via email, via the contact form on the website, or via live chat. The website has a help center and an FAQ section with the most important information and answers. Thanks to the 30-day money-back guarantee, the VPN client can be tested without taking any financial risks.

Streaming

Via the streaming platforms of Amazon, Netflix, or Maxdome, films, series, and sporting events can be viewed in high quality and without advertising on numerous devices. Unfortunately, not all content is available at the same time in every country. German streaming users, for example, are often left behind, as many series initially run only in the USA. The same applies to other contents. Due to the license situation, delayed translations, or other problems, many films and series are only broadcast later or not at all in most countries. Of course, this significantly limits the streaming offer.

Users who do not want to accept the current situation and wait several months for the new season of their favorite series can take matters into their own hands with VPN software. It allows you to easily change your IP address and your virtual location. As a result, streaming platforms think that VPN users are located in the USA, for example, thereby eliminating geographical restrictions. Thanks to the VPN client, the streaming offer can be significantly expanded, and users can enjoy a much larger selection as well as new movies and series, without waiting.

With more than 500 VPN servers at 50 global locations, the young Surfshark software is very well positioned. In combination with the still rather small number of users, every user benefits from high performance and an optimal IP address. Surfshark supports an unlimited number of devices, allows unlimited concurrent connections, and does not limit bandwidth. In addition, VPN users can view any Internet content and have access to suitable mobile apps and browser extensions.

Filesharing

A variety of file-sharing platforms, such as BitTorrent, eDonkey, or uTorrent, can be used to transfer multimedia content from one computer to another. However, many audio and video files are copyrighted and may not be distributed in this way. If file-sharing users download copyrighted  music, movies, or programs via a platform, this may have severe consequences. High fines and even prison sentences are possible in the case of intensive use. The IP addresses enable authorities to find out all relevant user data and all activities.

Only with a secure VPN connection can Internet activities be reliably disguised and hidden from third parties. If file-sharing users do not connect directly to the Internet, but use VPN software instead, neither the authorities nor hackers can track the activities. The IP address is no longer publicly visible and cannot be found by third parties. All data traffic is protected from other Internet users through SSL encryption. The practical kill switch ensures that all file-sharing programs are terminated immediately if the VPN connection is lost. This ensures that all data transmissions remain hidden.

Surfshark is located in the British Virgin Islands and therefore neither in Europe nor in the USA. The young VPN provider pursues a no logging policy and neither records data nor stores user activities. The DNS servers are protected against leaks, and thanks to multi-hopping, all online activities are multiply secured. The kill switch function is extremely beneficial for file-sharing programs. Thanks to this function, Surfshark users do not have to worry about a VPN connection loss. Due to the high performance of the VPN server and the unlimited bandwidth, file-sharing users can download and upload files to their heart’s content.

Firewalls

Governments have a large influence on the Internet, and this is especially the case in Turkey, Russia , and China. In these countries, the Internet is heavily censored by the governments and cannot be used without restrictions, like it is in Germany, for example. Many well-known websites, including even Facebook and YouTube, cannot be accessed in these countries. Censorship not only affects the local population, but also business travellers and holidaymakers who spend some time in these countries. Using one or more firewalls and other technologies, governments can control the Internet and monitor users. Unfortunately, universities, schools, and numerous companies also make use of these options.

Neither residents nor travellers have to accept the censored and monitored versions of the Internet in these countries. By surfing the Internet via VPN software rather than directly, users can change their location and thereby avoid all existing Internet blockades. The secure VPN connection ensures that all data are transmitted exclusively in a secure SSL tunnel and cannot be intercepted by third parties. The blocked and censored Internet in Russia, China, and Turkey can be unblocked and used freely again with a VPN client without much effort.

Surfshark’s VPN software provides its users with a wide selection of free IP addresses at over 500 locations in 50 countries. The users immediately receive a free address at a secure virtual location and can be neither monitored nor censored. Thanks to AES encryption with 256 bit, not even experienced hackers can access the user data. The VPN client from Surfshark can be installed and used on numerous operating systems and via apps on mobile devices.

Security & Anonymity

Cybercrime has increased significantly over the years and the Internet is much less secure today than it once was. Using sophisticated technologies, authorities, companies, and criminals can access important user data and misuse them for different purposes. Companies “only” use the user data for tailored advertising. In the hands of authorities and criminals, far greater damage can be done. Hackers can gain access to bank accounts and credit cards using the data and cause immense financial damage. Authorities can gain insight into the activities of Internet users and can monitor them. As soon as the users violate a law, they must anticipate severe consequences. In the best case, the users “only” receive a warning and have to pay a high financial penalty.

Users who surf the Internet without a VPN connection therefore expose themselves to many risks. Your data can be intercepted by any other user and misused in different ways. Only with the encrypted connection that VPN software contains can users protect themselves from authorities, advertising companies, and criminals. Thanks to a secure connection to the Internet, third parties can no longer “listen in” on Internet users and no longer have access to their activities or data. This protects the user data from any misuse. VPN users are no longer unprotected in the precarious Internet, but instead only surf in a secured data tunnel. The content in the SSL tunnel is not accessible to government agencies or experienced hackers.

Table 1: Protocols

Surfshark users benefit from a secure 256 bit SSL encryption which cannot even be cracked by hackers. The no logging policy, the DNS leak protection, and the kill switch function are also on board. Thanks to the company’s chosen headquarters, the VPN provider is not required to record and store any user data. VPN users benefit from multi-encrypted, multi-hop connections that completely disguise their identity. Surfshark is compatible with all platforms, devices, and many secure protocols such as OpenVPN and IEKv2. On request, customers can pay for the VPN software anonymously with Bitcoins.

Table 2: Summary of security and anonymity features

Performance

Surfshark customers have access to more than 500 powerful VPN servers at over 50 locations worldwide. Users thereby not only receive a free address at any time, but always profit from high performance. The available download and upload rates are even suitable for streaming high-quality content in HD, and thanks to the unlimited bandwidth, the VPN software is also ideal for file sharing.

Connections are established quickly and without waiting, and Surfshark users are not restricted in any way. Since the company is a relatively young provider, there are considerably fewer users compared to the renowned VPN clients, and this naturally has a positive effect on performance. Surfshark’s offer also proved itself in long-term testing and did not show any weaknesses in practice. Unfortunately, there is no explicit information on the maximum download and upload speeds or the ping times.

Table 3: Performance data

User-friendliness

Surfshark will convince you at first glance with its user-friendly and fast setup. Even inexperienced users should be able to easily operate the VPN software. The client can be downloaded directly from the official website and installed on almost any device thanks to a huge selection of apps. There are also browser extensions for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Surfshark even runs on Linux computers.

Table 4: Device compatibility

On the Surfshark website, which is unfortunately only available in the English language, visitors will find a lot of useful content. There is a lot of information about the different functions and advantages of the VPN software, an FAQ section, and a large help section. Users can reach the English-speaking customer support via a contact form, via email, or in real time via chat.

Conclusion

The VPN software is made by a young and up-and-coming company which was founded in 2017. Surfshark is therefore considerably younger than most of its competitors. Nevertheless, the technical data are impressive and the young provider certainly does not need to hide from its competition. The VPN network has been drastically expanded in the short time of its existence and now consists of over 500 servers at more than 50 global locations. Users benefit from a secure 256 bit AES encryption, the practical kill switch function, and the no logging policy. Despite the fact that there are no explicit specifications for upload and download speed, the performance is impressive.

Surfshark is particularly suitable for file-sharing and streaming users, runs on almost any device, and is easy to use. Users can subscribe to the VPN Client for either 1, 12, or 24 months and test it for 30 days without any financial risk. Customers can securely pay for the VPN Client by PayPal, credit card,or anonymously with cryptocurrency .