The most secure VPN services in 2025: stay private and safe online

Every year cyber threats are becoming more dangerous to network users, with elaborate means targeting their data and personal privacy. Experts predict, that in 2025 cyber criminals will increase their attacks on national security and critical infrastructure, while AI-driven cyberthreats and constant ransomware evolution will continue to raise big concerns for private internet users. Luckily, your online security can be greatly enhanced by using a robust VPN to protect your sensitive data from hacking, data privacy concerns, and government surveillance.

In February 2025, I set out to test the most popular VPN providers in search of the most secure VPN services. I put the VPNs through rigorous testing, overlooking their privacy policies, security features, and how well they are capable of protecting you online. In this guide, you will find the help needed to make an informed choice when selecting the most secure VPN services for 2025, so continue reading to learn more.

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Top 3 most secure VPNs to use in 2025

1. NordVPN – the best overall VPN that continuously proves its dedication to user data safety. NordVPN has a third-party verified no logs policy and constantly updated security features. Your IP will always be protected by a well-functioning kill switch, while obfuscated servers will completely hide your VPN usage. Additionally, NordVPN comes with the Threat Protection feature suite to block ads and trackers for a smooth and safe browsing experience. You can try this safe VPN for free during the 7-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee period.
2. Surfshark – secure VPN that’s also very affordable at the same time. Despite being priced so low, Surfshark has a Deloitte-verified no logs policy, canary warrant for full transparency, and a whole slew of security features. Your privacy is enhanced by the Dynamic Multi-Hop feature and a Camouflage mode to hide the fact you’re using a VPN. You can try this unlimited connection VPN during a 7-day free trial or use the 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. Proton VPN – a Swiss-based, open-source, third-party audited VPN that’s known for its airtight security. Plus, it’s one of only a handful of VPN services that fully support GUI and Linux. With features such as IP & DNS leak protection, modern AES-256 encryption, and Tor over VPN, Proton VPN is one of the most secure VPNs in the industry. You can try its free version or use the 30-day money-back guarantee to test it out.

Recent updates: During the latest February 2025 update, I added renewed information on the VPN provider’s no-logs and privacy policies. Additionally, I thoroughly tested the reliability of their IP leak protection and internet censorship bypassing capabilities.

Safe VPN services in 2025: detailed list

Before compiling this list of the most secure VPN services in 2025, I set out to test over 20 of the most popular VPNs. My trials included IP, DNS, and WebRTC leak tests, auditing no-logs policies, overlooking the security features they offer, and their capabilities of bypassing internet censorship. After my tests were complete, the top 5 of the most secure VPN services in 2025 emerged. Continue reading to find my in-depth reviews of these services.

1. NordVPN – overall best VPN for security and privacy

NordVPN is the overall best VPN for security and privacy, ensuring your safety with modern encryption and tunneling protocols. Additionally, it offers a lot of useful additional security features, such as obfuscation, double-hop, and Tor over VPN. Lastly, NordVPN performed the best during my in-house security tests.

Testing NordVPN security features

Before setting out to do my tests, I evaluated the encryption and tunneling protocols used by NordVPN. Upon finding AES-256 and the proprietary NordLynx protocols, I knew the ground base was already very secure. Then, I went on to test the kill switch by manually terminating the internet connection and checking its responsiveness each time. I was glad to find that it worked in a foolproof manner.

With all of this out of the way, I headed to ipleak.net and dnsleaktest.com and checked the hardiness of the services leak protection. I tried out several servers and each time my real IP address was kept safely hidden. I also found that NordVPN has a third-party audited no-logs policy and is based in a user-data friendly jurisdiction of Panama – all of which are great news concerning data privacy.

I also inspected the additional features offered by NordVPN, such as obfuscated servers, double-hop, and Tor over VPN. I had no issue with connecting and using the obfuscated servers, which are located in 14 countries, including the UAE. The same was true with the double-hop servers; although I did experience a bit slower connections with them, that is to be expected. However, I was slightly disappointed with the Tor over VPN servers. I only found two of them located in The Netherlands and Switzerland, and I simply couldn’t get to work them properly. I asked a company representative for a comment on this and was informed that NordVPN has yet to fully develop the Tor over VPN feature. If you need a VPN for Tor over VPN specifically, I found the Proton VPN version of this feature to be in better working order.

Last but not least, NordVPN has over 7100 servers in 118 countries. Such a big fleet made sure I could always find a server close to me for optimal performance or a faraway server to unlock exotic content. Plus, I found that NordVPN has a Threat Protection Pro feature, which keeps its users safe from malicious websites, pop-ups, and even malware trying to penetrate the connection. If you’re interested to try NordVPN, the subscriptions start from $3.09/month and come with a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Who should pick NordVPN?

In my opinion, NordVPN is the overall best VPN, combining security, safety, and speed in one service. The verified no-logs policy and strong encryption cater to privacy-conscious users, while obfuscation and double-hop are very useful for those wishing to bypass government censorship. Lastly, NordVPN has the fastest connection speeds in the industry which makes it perfect for streaming, torrenting, gaming, as well as casual browsing.

For more information, read our in-depth NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark VPN – most secure VPN service with affordable price

Surfshark is the most secure VPN for users who want an affordable service that does not compromise on security features. Surfshark is famous for its stable connections, hardiness against IP leaks, and lots of additional features such as the CleanWeb and NoBorders mode. Plus, at $2.19/month it’s one of the most affordable premium VPNs which also offers unlimited simultaneous connections.

Testing Surfshark security features

Before all the security tests, I wanted to highlight the unique Surfshark Nexus innovation. Basically, this is an SDN-based technology that connects all 3200 Surfshark’s servers into one network. While at first, this sort of unification might seem opposite to safe, it actually allows Surfshark to better streamline the user connections and roll out new security features, such as Rotating IP or Multi-Hop, much more easily and effectively. This alone shows the service’s dedication to the upkeep of its security features. However, Surfshark’s security features do not end with Nexus as it also uses modern AES-256 encryption, and you can choose between OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, and WireGuard tunneling protocols, which are all known for their security.

After reviewing the above, I performed my IP, DNS, and WebRTC leak tests and was not surprised to find that Surfshark kept it all airtight at all times. Here, a kill switch also plays an important role and during my manual tests, I did not run into any issues, like lagging or ineffectiveness with the one offered by Surfshark.

Surfshark is based in The Netherlands, and while the country is a part of the Eye Alliances, the provider has a strict and verified no-logs policy. So, you can be sure all your activities are never tracked or logged while using Surfshark.

Lastly, I looked for useful, security-related additional features and found that Surfshark offers obfuscation, double-hop (called Dynamic MultiHop), and even a CleanWeb feature to block annoying adds, pop-ups, and tracker. Plus, I found out that, according to user reviews, Surfshark is one of the few VPNs that work in China, proving again that it’s great against internet censorship and geo-restrictions.

Probably my only issue with Surfshark, which I found out about with earlier speed tests, is the lower average upload speeds with some servers. However, that does not compromise this VPN security, which remains top-notch.

Who should pick Surfshark?

I recommend Surfshark to anyone looking for a robust, safe VPN that’s also very affordable and offers unlimited device connections. This VPN is also suitable for casual use, such as smooth streaming, and it’s just as excellent at bypassing internet censorship and geo-restrictions. Plus, you can use it with as many devices as you like, which makes it a great choice for a family VPN.

For more information, read our in-depth Surfshark review.

3. Proton VPN – secure VPN software with a free version

Proton VPN is a security-first VPN that offers both paid and free versions. This Swiss-based provider goes the extra mile in ensuring the safety of user data by relying on transparency and modern technologies, while its free version is the most functional and secure in the industry. However, the full-featured paid version is a bit pricier than average, starting at $3.59/month.

Testing Proton VPN security features

First off, Proton VPN is based in Switzerland, a country that is not in any of the Eyes intelligence-sharing alliances. To further prove its commitment to user data safety, the provider’s no-logs policy is reviewed by third parties at least once a year. And since we’re talking about data security, Proton VPN relies on AES-256 encryption and modern tunneling protocols, like OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, and WireGuard. Lastly, I also found an interesting detail of Proton VPN using encryption suites with forward secrecy, which means that each time you connect to this VPN, a new encryption key is generated for your session.

Proton VPN operates bare-metal servers with full-disk encryption, unlike NordVPN or Surfshark which use RAM-only servers. This means that all of the service’s 9900+ servers are non-virtual and protected against encryption keys leak. Naturally, I had to test how well these servers perform in real-life situations and put them through DNS, WebRTC, and IP leak trials. Unsurprisingly, my real IP address was kept tight under a lock, and the tests did not catch any leaks.

Besides the obvious strong encryption, IP & DNS leak protection measures, and a kill switch, Proton VPN also offers additional security features. For instance, you can choose to route your traffic through one of the Secure Core servers. Based in countries with strong privacy laws, like Iceland and Switzerland, these servers work as a middleman between you and your exit server, providing an additional layer of encryption and security. Basically, this is an enhanced double-hop version. Additionally, it has a NetShield feature to block ads, pop-ups, and trackers, and, as I mentioned before, Proton VPN has a Tor over VPN feature with lots of servers to choose from. Remember, though, that using the Tor over VPN connections significantly slows down the speeds and is generally used only in situations where top secrecy is required.

Remember, that Proton VPN is a security-first VPN and it does a great job at that. However, in my opinion, the service underperforms in connection speeds, which average at around 428 Mbps with 85% retention rate, even if you use the VPN Accelerator feature. While such speeds are still suitable for all sorts of online activities, they are significantly lower than NordVPN or Surfshark.

Who should pick Proton VPN?

I recommend Proton VPN to users who want utmost security and the highest-level of data safety. Plus, Proton VPN also has a very secure free version that is unlimited in data and bandwidth. However, if your primary use for a VPN is gaming and downloading, this service might not be the best choice due to a bit slower speeds and retention rates.

For more information, read our in-depth Proton VPN review.

4. IPVanish - safe VPN service to protect your privacy on any device

IPVanish is the best VPN for security, especially if your main activity online is torrenting due to torrenting-streamlined servers and a free SOCKS5 proxy. Additionally, this VPN is very easy to use and offers a wide server net for optimal functionality.

Testing IPVanish security features

Similar to other VPNs on my most secure VPNs list, IPVanish also relies on AES-256 encryption and offers several tunneling protocols to choose from, including OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, L2TP/IPsec, and WireGuard. While most of these tunneling protocols are regarded as very safe and reliable, I’d advise you to steer clear from the L2TP/IPsec, as it already outdated and shows vulnerabilities to cyber-attacks.

I did my IP, DNS, and WebRTC leak tests using either the WireGuard or the OpenVPN protocols and connecting to several servers in the US and across Europe. Then, I headed to my preferred testing sites and did my trials. Ultimately, I found no leaks at all, and my real IP address stayed hidden while also being protected from sudden VPN connection drops by a kill switch. However, the kill switch is currently unavailable for IPVanish iOS and Linux apps.

IPVanish is based in the US, which is not a privacy-friendly climate as the country belongs to the Five Eyes alliance. Additionally, the service had a bit of a scandal years ago, when it shared some user data with the government. However, up to today, IPVanish has a no-logs policy, which was verified back in April 2022. But, if you’re especially particular about strict no-logs policies, you may find this situation with IPVanish as not ideal.

As for additional features, IPVanish has quite a few. For starters, you can use the split tunneling feature to better distribute your network connection. As for obfuscation, IPVanish found its own solution with the OpenVPN Scramble. You simply toggle on the Scramble switch in settings, connect to any of the servers of your choice, and your traffic will be obfuscated. While I cannot comment on how reliable this version of obfuscation is, it got me into the Netflix US library but failed to unlock Hulu. Lastly, IPVanish also offers threat protection to protect your browsing from intrusive ads and pop-ups. You can get IPVanish for only $2.19/month or try it out during the 30-day money-back guarantee period.

Who should pick IPVanish?

IPVanish is the perfect choice for anyone who is mostly using a VPN for secure torrenting, if you do not mind less reliable geo-unblocking capabilities. IPVanish offers just as robust security features as any of my other top picks but is simply perfect for torrenting as all of the provider’s servers are P2P-streamlined, and every user can use a free SOCKS5 proxy.

For more information, read our in-depth IPVanish review.

5. Norton VPN - reliable VPN with the most secure VPN protocol

Norton VPN is a highly safe VPN, developed by the Norton brand, best known for its incredibly reliable antivirus software. Although this VPN is based in the US, it comes with a regularly reviewed no-logs policy and a trustworthiness stemming from its parent company’s reliability and security. This simple VPN does not lack in any base security features and is the perfect choice for casual internet use.

Testing Norton VPN security features

Norton VPN is capable of effective IP address masking and leak protection due to AES-256 encryption, robust tunneling protocols, and a kill switch. Sadly, though, macOS users won’t get to use it, as the specific app lacks a kill switch function. As for the tunneling protocols, Norton VPN offers OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, Lightway, WireGuard, and Mimic. The latter is an interesting case of a proprietary protocol that combines AES-256 and post-quantum encryption to disguise VPN traffic as regular HTTP traffic. Basically, if you want obfuscation, use the Mimic protocol.

As for my actual leak tests, I performed them in a similar way to other VPN providers. Because Norton VPN cleverly covers all ground security bases with the latest technology, I did not caught any leaks at all. Plus, Norton VPN employs additional IP & DNS leak protection features, so I was pleased to find them in a great working shape.

As for additional features, Norton VPN does not have as many of them as its competition. However, I did find the Auto VPN feature to be very useful, as it automatically connects you to the VPN the instant you get on a public WiFi network. If you tend to forget to turn on a VPN, this nifty feature is a lifesaver. Additionally, Norton VPN offers split tunneling and an Ad Blocker; both features are great for a smooth and protected online experience.

However, while Norton VPN is simply great for casual daily tasks, it sadly underperforms in terms of streaming. When I tested it, it did not unlock several of the most popular streaming platforms, and even though the average speeds are great for streaming, you might be left without your show due to less-than-ideal geo-unblocking capabilities. For the same reason, Norton VPN might not be the best VPN for countries with stringent restrictions, such as Russia or Turkey.

Who should pick Norton VPN?

Norton VPN is a secure and robust VPN, especially great for casual network users who want a simple, easy-to-use, and reliable service with a good name. While Norton VPN might not be the best VPN for streaming, its great price, compatibility with the Norton suite products, and simplicity make up for the lack of advanced features. You can get Norton VPN for $1.67/month or try it our first during a 30-day free trial.

For more information, read our in-depth Norton VPN review.

Comparison of the safest VPN services

How the VPN security was tested

At VPNpro, we have developed our own in-house process for VPN testing that is in tune with strict industry standards. For our reviews to be as thorough as possible, we review security and privacy features, test leak protection, and verify the reliability of the kill switch. Then, we also verify if the advertised speeds are real and how capable the VPN is at bypassing geo-restrictions and censorship. Below, you’ll find more detailed information on our VPN security testing process and methods.

Analyzing the most secure VPN encryptions

Strong and secure encryption is the most critical aspect of a truly safe VPN. It protects user data from surveillance, unauthorized access, and cyber threats. Among encryption protocols, AES-256 (Advanced Encryption Standard, 256-bit) stands out for its robustness and efficiency. Here’s how it compares to other encryptions:

• AES-256 vs. AES-128 vs. AES-192. AES comes in three key sizes: 128-bit, 192-bit, and 256-bit. AES-128 is still very secure and faster due to its smaller key size, but AES-256 offers superior protection against brute-force attacks while maintaining optimal speed. AES-192 is secure but less common, as it provides neither the highest security nor the fastest performance.
• AES-256 vs. Blowfish. Developed in 1993, Blowfish was once popular for its variable key length (32 to 448 bits). However, it is slower and less optimized for modern hardware, struggling with large datasets.
• AES-256 vs. 3DES. 3DES (Triple DES) encrypts data three times for added security. However, it is much slower than AES and more vulnerable to meet-in-the-middle attacks.
• AES-256 vs. ChaCha20. Both are modern and highly secure. AES-256 is a block cipher optimized for hardware acceleration, while ChaCha20 is a stream cipher designed for speed. ChaCha20 performs better on modern devices, while AES-256 excels on hardware with dedicated encryption support. Both use 256-bit keys and while AES-256 remains the gold standard, ChaCha20 is gaining popularity, especially in mobile VPN apps.

Does encryption key length matter? To hack an encryption protocol, the bad actor must find a key to it. The longer the key, for instance, is 256-bit, the more possible the keys are. Today, it is virtually impossible to crack the 256-bit key with all its possible combinations, but with advancing technologies, encryption protocols with longer codes may be developed.

Choosing VPNs with the most secure protocols

If encryption protocols protect your data, then tunneling protocols must ensure your data is safely transmitted over the network. Tunneling protocols can establish encryption methods, authentication processes, and data integrity checks. Ultimately, every tunneling protocol used by VPN services has its own pros and cons, affecting the speed, security, and compatibility of a VPN connection. Here’s a more in-depth look into some of the most popular tunneling protocols:

• PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol). Developed by Microsoft in 1999, PPTP encapsulates PPP frames in IP packets. It’s easy to configure and fast but highly vulnerable. Mostly used with legacy systems, it’s not recommended for sensitive data encryption.
• L2TP/IPsec (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol with IPsec). L2TP itself provides no security, so it’s paired with IPsec for encryption. More secure than PPTP but slower due to double encapsulation, it’s mainly used in corporate settings. However, it’s vulnerable to MITM (Man-in-the-Middle) attacks.
• SSTP (Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol). Another Microsoft protocol that uses SSL/TLS for encryption. When paired with AES, it’s highly secure and effective at bypassing firewalls. However, this is a closed-source protocol, and it’s vulnerable to MITM attacks.
• SoftEther (Software Ethernet). A multi-protocol VPN solution supporting SSL-VPN, L2TP/IPsec, and OpenVPN. It’s open-source, flexible, and widely compatible, making it ideal for advanced users and businesses. However, manual configuration is required for optimal security.
• IKEv2/IPsec (Internet Key Exchange version 2 with IPsec). A fast and secure tunneling protocol, favored by mobile users for its ability to quickly reconnect after interruptions. However, being closed-source, it lacks independent security audits.
• Proprietary Protocols. Custom-built VPN protocols optimized for performance. Examples include NordLynx (based on WireGuard) and Mimic (using AES-256 and Post-Quantum Encryption). These protocols are often highly secure and fast but may lack transparency if closed-source.
• WireGuard. A modern, open-source tunneling protocol designed for speed, efficiency, and security. With a minimal code base, low latency, and modern cryptography (AES-256, ChaCha20, Curve25519), it’s the fastest and one of the most secure protocols available.
• OpenVPN. The most secure tunneling protocol, combining AES-256 encryption, SSL/TLS key exchange, and open-source transparency. It’s resilient, flexible, and excellent for bypassing internet censorship, though slightly slower than WireGuard.

If you’re looking for the most secure VPN tunneling protocol - use OpenVPN. If you’d rather use something a bit more speedy, yet still very secure, WireGuard and its proprietary protocols, is the second best choice.

Exploring additional VPN security features for better protection

Besides secure encryption and an efficient tunneling protocol, reliable VPN services usually offer additional features to ensure the safety of your data. Such features include a kill switch, split tunneling, leak protection, and multi-hop connections, just to name a few. Let’s take a look at these security features, how they work, and their importance:

• Kill switch. A kill switch is meant to terminate your internet connection the instant your VPN connection is interrupted. If the kill switch works in a reliable way, it protects your sensitive data from leaking, further ensuring your security online.
• Split tunneling. This feature allows users to direct some of their traffic through a VPN connection while other traffic is sent through the regular network connection. This smart routing of traffic is very helpful when you want to protect just some of your online activities while the rest can be accessed faster but unencrypted.
• Leak protection. Additional leak protection measures can ensure that none of your sensitive data, including DNS queries or IP addresses, is ever accidentally exposed outside the VPN tunnel. Features with this capability include DNS leak protection and IPv6 leak protection.
• Multi-Hop Connections. Multi-Hop or Double-Hop feature reroutes your traffic via two or more VPN servers, which adds and extra layer of encryption and security to your network traffic. The use of a Multi-Hop connection makes it nearly impossible to track down your real IP address, which is especially useful if maintaining anonymity is your primary goal.
• Obfuscation. This feature masks your VPN traffic, making it look like regular network traffic, which can be achieved with specific servers or tunneling protocols. It’s particularly useful if you’re using a VPN in countries where its use is highly restricted or if you need to bypass VPN blocks and internet censorship.
• Tor over VPN. A handful of VPNs offer an integration with The Onion Router (Tor), which allows users to route their traffic via a VPN and Tor simultaneously for maximum anonymity. This feature is most often used by journalists or whistleblowers who seek to maintain the highest level of anonymity. However, using Tor over VPN slows down the connection quite significantly, thus is not often used by regular people.

Testing how secure a VPN is in different scenarios

We always test the best VPNs in real-life situations and evaluate their security for torrenting, streaming, bypassing censorship, and using public WiFi. For every situation, we have developed different testing methods:

• Torrenting. P2P file sharing requires a secure VPN connection and excellent speeds. For these tests, we download the latest Linux Ubuntu version using qBitTorrent, document the highest speed in Mbps, and mark how long it took to download the file. If the VPN performs well in this regard and shows a minimum of 75% initial speed retention rate, then we check if it’s truly leak-proof and whether it offers the WireGuard tunneling protocol, which is widely regarded as the best for torrenting due to speediness and security.
• Streaming. When we test a VPN’s suitability for streaming, we also begin with speeds and the stability of the connection. We test the connection stability by connecting to several servers at different times of day and putting the connection under stress with varying traffic loads. This way, we can get a fair idea of the functionality and stability of the servers. Additionally, streaming often means accessing geo-locked content, so we also test how capable a VPN is of bypassing it while being leak-proof enough to always hide your true IP location.
• Bypassing censorship. These tests are simple and involve us connecting to servers in the country where we want to unlock geo-restricted content and checking if the VPN can let us in on the first try or only after reconnecting to a server several times. We usually check unblocking capabilities with the most popular streaming platforms, like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer, and more; we also check news publications, social media platforms, and other websites that certain governments might censor. Of course, VPNs' hardiness in keeping your IP address safe and features like obfuscated servers are also considered when evaluating censorship bypassing capabilities.
• Using public WiFi. In this scenario, robust encryption and IP & DNS leak protection features are of the utmost importance. So, to check if the VPN is good enough to protect you while using public connections, we first evaluate if it uses strong encryption, like AES-256 or ChaCha20, and perform several IP and DNS leak tests. Additionally, we check the reliability of the kill switch by manually terminating the network connection and checking if it acts accordingly. If we’re sure the VPN will keep our data secure, we head to a local public WiFi spot, connect, and see how the VPN performs in a field test.

You can do your own IP leak tests at home by heading to the ipleak.net page to check how safe your VPN is. You can also check its DNS leak-proof qualities by performing a test on dnsleaktest.com.

Can a secure VPN effectively bypass government censorship?

Yes, a secure VPN can effectively bypass government censorship by encrypting traffic and hiding internet users' true identities. This is especially useful in countries where internet censorship is very stringent, like China, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates. VPNs can do it in several ways, including re-routing your traffic through a country where censorship does not apply, re-routing your traffic twice for greater anonymity, or making it look like you’re not using a VPN at all with obfuscation.

Obfuscation masks your VPN use by removing all VPN-related data from user traffic. This seemingly simple attribute makes it very hard for authorities to detect VPN usage and can be very handy in countries where VPNs are restricted or even illegal, like Russia, China, Turkey, and Belarus.

Double-hop, also sometimes called multi-hop, routes network traffic via two or sometimes more servers, adding extra layers of encryption and protection. Ultimately, this makes it very hard, if not impossible, for the government or censors to track down user activity to its origin.

Unfortunately, we cannot travel to any of these countries to perform in-house tests and must rely on user reviews when it comes to bypassing government censorship in Russia, UAE, and China. So far, the commenters usually favor NordVPN and Surfshark to be used in these restrictive regions naming their reliability and bypassing capabilities as their strongest suit for the task.

Bypass government censorship with NordVPN

Does a VPN protect you from your ISP?

Yes, a VPN can protect your online privacy and safeguard you from ISP (Internet Service Provider) interventions or tracking. ISPs can easily monitor your online activities, including the websites you access, the content, and the services you use. What’s even worse, some countries, including The US, UK, and most EU countries, have laws allowing the ISPs to give up their users’ data to the government if such a need arises. Lastly, ISPs can throttle your internet speeds based on your activities, with primary targets for throttling being streaming, gaming, and torrenting. This is done to enforce data limits or manage network congestion.

A VPN can easily solve this problem by encrypting your traffic and routing it through a secure server. This turns your network activities invisible to your ISP, making it impossible to spy on your activities or throttle your internet speeds.

Ultimately, by using a VPN, you’re not only protecting your data but also maintaining stable connection speeds since your ISP can no longer throttle it based on your activities. This is particularly useful if your primary online activities are gaming, streaming, or torrenting, all of which require fast and stable internet speeds.

Is there a safe free VPN?

No, most free VPNs are not safe to use. First off, free VPNs usually do not have a full package of security features, often offering outdated encryption and tunneling protocols. Using outdated technologies cannot ensure the security of your data and activities. Plus, the very same outdated technologies often mean your real IP address will be leaking and visible to anyone wishing to take a look. Additionally, free VPNs still need to make money somehow for server upkeep, and they often do so by monetizing user data. Lastly, some free VPNs may even carry malware within their apps, and using them will do absolutely nothing to protect your sensitive data.

Instead of risking it with suspicious free VPNs, I always recommend trying out premium VPN services, like NordVPN or Surfshark, and taking advantage of their free trials. Premium VPNs come with all the latest security features and verified no-logs policies and by relying on them, you can always be sure none of your data ever gets into the hands of malicious actors.

Try NordVPN for free today

Final thoughts

Chances are, you use the internet every day for various activities, including browsing, streaming, gaming, torrenting, or performing various tasks that require the use of your personal data, like shopping and banking. Because all of this sensitive data is kept online, using a secure VPN is a smart thing to do to protect it from leaks and exploitation. A VPN encrypts your network traffic, prevents your activities from being visible to ISPs or any onlookers, and protects your real IP address from falling into the hands of hackers. But, to choose a truly safe VPN, security should always be the number one priority for a VPN in 2025.

After performing in-house tests with the most popular VPN services, I found out that NordVPN is the most secure VPN in 2025. The service passed all the IP leak tests, showed great capability at bypassing internet censorship, while ensuring the safety of your data with modern encryption and tunneling protocols. Lastly, NordVPN constantly updates its security features to stay up to day with the ever-evolving cyber threats.

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Most secure VPN FAQs

How do I check if my VPN is secure?

To check if your VPN is secure, pay attention to the encryption and tunneling protocols it uses and perform IP and DNS leak tests with ipleak.net and dnsleaktest.com tools. Alternatively, you can rely on our in-house testing and recommendations and choose the most secure VPN in 2025 – NordVPN – to protect your activities and data.

Which is the safest VPN?

NordVPN is the safest VPN in 2025. The services uses modern AES-256 encryption protocol and a protprietary tunneling protocol NordLynx, which is a customized, secure version of the speedy WireGuard. Additionally, NordVPN performs well in IP & DNS leak tests while also offering features like a reliable kill switch, obfuscation, double-hop, and more – all to ensure the security of your data.

How does a VPN help you stay secure when working from home?

A VPN encrypts your traffic making it imperceptible to ISPs and any onlookers. Because your activities are encrypted, no one can intercept your traffic and steal the data you’re dealing with. I recommend choosing NordVPN to stay secure when working from home, as it is a robust, speedy VPN service that’s also very easy to use.

Can a VPN be hacked?

Although VPNs are designed to protect you from hackers, some of them can still become compromised. The most vulnerable VPNs are those that use outdated encryption and tunneling protocols that are not resistant to modern hacking attacks. However, premium VPNs, such as NordVPN, invest a lot of funds to develop and renew their security features to keep such possibilities at a minimum.

What encryption do the safest VPNs use?

Up to date, the safest VPN encryption protocols are AES-256 and ChaCha20. AES-256 is widely regarded as the safest encryption and is trusted by governments, banks, and militaries alike. ChaCha20 is also very safe and most often used for VPNs with mobile apps due to its fast performance. Anything other than these two modern encryption protocols is considered to be unsafe to use.