The best Linux VPNs of 2018

What is a VPN?

If the 20th century was defined by an explosive growth of technology, then the 21st century begins to be defined by personal security, or more specifically, a lack of it. Virtual private networks (VPNs), previously a site-to-site connection tool for IT professionals, have evolved into personal services that allow individual users to connect to the Internet using encrypted traffic. which prevents third parties from spying on their web activities.

This evolution of VPN has occurred because it has become increasingly easier for hackers to exploit operating systems, applications and networks in constant evolution. This means that sophisticated tactics, such as man-made attacks in the middle, no longer only target businesses. This happens to everyday people who frequent their favorite coffee. This means that these people need to update their security arsenal.

A VPN encrypts and tunnels all your web traffic via a secure proxy in the cloud. Imagine that all your web traffic is flowing to and from your computer as a stream. Now, just wrap this stream in an encrypted traffic layer; it's a basic VPN. All your browsing will seem to come from the VPN server, and nobody, in theory, can see what you are doing by simply observing the network traffic because thousands of other users are sending all data via this same IP (Internet Protocol)

Why Do I Need a VPN

If you use your computer or device over a network connection that you do not own personally, then you definitely need a VPN. Public Wi-Fi is a favorite attack vector for cyber criminals trying to lift your pbadwords. By reducing the risk of an intermediate type attack, VPNs protect you and your most valuable personal information.

Another reason is to preserve the privacy of more and more invasive Internet access providers and government agencies. This is especially true if you are using a peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing service such as BitTorrent, which, although it is most often used for perfectly legal file sharing activities, continues to work. be badociated with some illegal activity. Even if you do not fall into the category of harmful users, it is not uncommon for your connection to be limited depending on the type of navigation you are doing. If you do not want your ISP or someone else to differentiate Netflix from standard browser traffic, you need to consider a VPN.

Points to Consider When Buying a VPN

While most personal VPNs need to focus on using, Linux users tend to want to tinker a bit when it s & # 39; 39 is software. This fact has not escaped most VPN providers who, based on our experiences, have put less effort into installing and configuring on Linux than Apple OS X, Microsoft Windows and the most popular mobile operating systems (OS). Although they make the instructions generally clear in most cases, you should get your hands dirty to run a VPN (for Linux).

OpenVPN is the main protocol path when you try to connect to Linux. , also. For Ubuntu users, this is a simple command apt-get that does not work directly from the Unity user interface (UI). It's a good idea to refresh your terminal skills if you feel a bit rusty, however, as a command line entry will occur. Some VPN services offer a graphical user interface (GUI), but they are relatively rare. For example, only two of the three Editor's Choice winners in this VPN review (for Linux) offer a graphical interface. For those who do, it is important to evaluate whether it offers additional benefits, such as custom protocols, the ability to detect the fastest server available and the ability to perform tasks additional configuration, such as disabling the IPv6 protocol. (This is important when trying to maintain a secure tunnel.)

Also consider the types of services you will want to access. Streaming videos from services such as Netflix will require not only speed, but potentially a static IP address, which could increase your monthly costs. Connecting from different countries can have a negative or significant effect on your overall browsing speed, which could impact the types of web applications you can use. BitTorrent or other users of P2P file sharing will also want to study carefully, not only the compatibility with a particular VPN, but also to see what types of data retention policy the service has for that, if the data is transmitted to a legal authority, your identity and activity will remain private. All of these factors will be critical in selecting the service to use

Can I trust a VPN?

One of the main challenges badociated with using a VPN service is determining how far you can trust this service. Even if all the traffic from your computer to the VPN is encrypted, it does not mean that the VPN service itself can not sniff and badyze your web traffic. Without careful research, you could exchange one daemon (your ISP) for another (the VPN service). The Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF) does a good job in pointing out what it believes to be some of the most reliable VPNs. For those traveling abroad, this type of research could make the difference between going to jail or going home. Beyond that, any VPN that deserves to be considered publishes a long description of what it does and does not do when it comes to keeping and disclosing your data. The best of the best do not keep any logs and exist in a legal jurisdiction that does not request to provide or log navigation data or network connection.

Why consider services outside these jurisdictions then? The biggest disadvantage is speed. Basically, a VPN crypt traffic, which takes time, especially when it happens on a constant stream, as when you browse the web. In addition, you send all your traffic requests not directly to the website you are surfing on but first to another computer, namely the VPN server of the service, and from there to the website, which takes even more time. Combined at random, these two factors can have a significant negative impact on your browsing enjoyment, even if they keep you safer.

Also, depending on where your VPN is hosted, you may find that some services are less reliable content different from what you expect. Fortunately, most VPNs offer a wide variety of endpoints in a diverse geographic landscape. At the end of the day, you will need to consider a VPN based on your needs and these can often vary considerably.

VPNs deserve a lot of credit for making the Web safer. However, they also represent a range of policies and features that are often difficult to decipher. The fact that you access it under Linux does not make things easier since Linux is not always for technically weak people (and their users are generally not considered first clbad citizens when it comes to commercial software updates). Windows users usually benefit from a graphical interface and additional tools to confirm that the VPN is doing what it is supposed to do. In the land of penguins, however, you are largely alone, but there are some gems that are worth watching. With our help, you will know exactly where to look for