By default, PIA encrypts all connections with OpenVPN and AES 128, however, it is possible to switch to AES 256, either with the CBC or GCM block cipher modes. WireGuard, in particular, is widely considered to offer cutting-edge performance and security. Things are a bit more clear-cut in terms of security: Thanks to its integration of OpenVPN and WireGuard, PIA supports the most important VPN protocols. Its support staffers assured us that steps were being taken to do so in the near future, but that a partner needed to be selected. PIA hasn't submitted to one of these yet. Much could be done to quiet these concerns with an external, independent audit, like those that some of PIA's competitors regularly undergo. Even though the incident occurred in the past and doesn't automatically implicate PIA, it does raise some skepticism. Those who use VPNs certainly don't expect their personal data to be monetized. Under its former name (Crossrider), the company was caught spreading malware and adware. Kape Technologies PLC, which owns PIA, has something of a questionable past.

Since then, however, PIA has changed owners. This 'No-Logs' guarantee was put to the test in 2018 when PIA was unable to produce any information despite a subpoena. PIA promises not to collect any data that might provide insight into your Internet activities. The only note to this was that we needed to use the WireGuard protocol. If heading to China, PIA is more than suitable for breaking through the ' Great Firewall': During our evaluation, we were able to create a connection from China, viewing content that would otherwise be restricted in the authoritarian country. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer all gave us access to catalogs from abroad, whereas Disney+ sniffed out our tunnel. In terms of video streaming, Micky Mouse was the only bouncer who didn't let us view foreign content. Importantly, using the service's VPN tunnels didn't trigger any annoying captchas when performing Google searches. Even though PIA's speeds were only satisfactory, we also score performance on the basis of how a VPN handles surfing, streaming, and, in some cases, circumventing Internet restrictions in places like China.įor everyday usage, PIA made up some lost ground, offering stable connections with solid speeds.

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