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CyberGhost VPN is an internet anonymization service that CyberGhost S.A. is operated in Bucharest, Romania. The service is used via in-house developed software clients for Windows, Android, Mac OS and iOS or alternatively via native VPN protocols such as IPSec, L2TP / IPSec, PPTP or OpenVPN. After a limited trial period, the service becomes chargeable, either on a subscription basis or as prepaid through Bitcoin or offline purchases. In 2017, the formerly German / Romanian company was sold to the Crossrider Group, a controversial step in which the Crossrider company was critically discussed. The London-based company based on the Isle of Man changed its name to Kape Technologies PLC in March 2018. Kape Technologies operates branches in London and Nicosia, among others, with the group's headquarters now located in Israel in Tel Aviv. Kape Technologies is also the owner of other VPN providers (brand strategy), such as "ZenMate" or "PIA - PrivateInternetAccess".

CyberGhost VPN sets up an encrypted virtual private network. The user logs into the VPN network with the unique IP address assigned to him by his provider and then receives the address of an anonymization server, so that the selected VPN server appears as the addressee for the websites subsequently visited by the user.

The connection from the user to the server of the service is encrypted with 256 bit AES. The connection of the service's servers to the Internet is anonymous in order to protect privacy and protect against espionage and surveillance. Protection is based on the exchange of the user's IP address. On the server side, the service promises to block analysis websites with AdBlock Plus community filters and websites with malware.

The selectable anonymization servers are located in Western and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, Canada, South America and the USA. This gives customers access to websites and content that is blocked according to geographic criteria (see also geo-targeting).

The provider operates its own Domain Name Server (DNS). Regional censors should not be able to access these servers of the service provider.

According to the provider, each intermediate server has a firewall that blocks incoming traffic in order to prevent certain attacks from the Internet using "proxy servers".

On the servers of the service, the IP address of the user is replaced by an IP address of the service, which is shared with all users of the selected server. The service's IP address should not be retroactively linked to any real identity of an individual user. The account opening as a prerequisite for participation in the service is completely anonymous by arbitrary specification of any user data.

CyberGhost VPN is primarily offered as a proprietary client with its own installer for Microsoft Windows (Vista, 7, 8, 10 32- and 64-bit), Mac OS X, iOS and Android. For other platforms and users who prefer native protocols, OpenVPN, IPSec, L2TP (with IPSec encryption) and PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) are available for manual configuration. It should be noted that PPTP has been compromised in the past [2].

The seventh version is available for macOS devices. This differs visually from the previous sixth version for other platforms. The versions for Windows, Linux and macOS were carried out in a uniform design.

As with all VPN services, users of CyberGhost VPN rely on the assurance that they will not track user activity, do not collect, store and disclose personal information on request. The service counteracts this distrust with the anonymous account creation and the willingness to be checked by independent network and civil rights organizations and to be checked for compliance with the commitments.

CyberGhost advertises, "We don't track user web activity," "We don't collect and store data," and "You instantly go undetected. No ISP, no website, and no government can record your digital traces!" as well as "Prevent tracking: Enjoy surfing online without fear of hackers, mass monitoring and recording your web habits."

Value Pricing

In some ways, VPN pricing should be simple and straightforward. You pay money for access to a network of servers who route your Internet requests to NetFlix, local newspapers, or whomever. You should be able to compare 'apples to apples' - and get what you pay for. Sometimes that is true, but sometimes it's not.

That is because not everyone uses every VPN feature (i.e., not everyone needs a network in The Gambia or access on a Roku) AND not every company runs their support or servers in quite the same way.

Among all the VPNs that I've tried so far, CyberGhost is one of the few that not only offers excellent pricing, but also offer excellent value for price.

In other words, they are affordable AND they give you lots of features. Additionally, you can lock in a lot of savings when you commit for a while. This is huge if you are running a business and use a VPN everyday (compared to a one-off user catching a big boxing match).

Security and Encryption

CyberGhost features AES 256-BIT Encryption with a 2048-BIT RSA Key and MD5 for HMAC authentication.

CyberGhost utilizes perfect forward secrecy as an additional security measure. The tool randomly generates a new private key each time you log in to further protect your online history if your connection is somehow compromised.

OpenVPN is the default protocol but can be switched manually to L2TP or PPTP.

CyberGhost claims not to keep logs of user information or activity. They state clearly on their website that they don't observe, track, or record anything.

There have been some issues with this claim in the past. A past issue regarding a root certificate installed when using certain privacy features calls the company's claim that they don't monitor user activity into question.

However, CyberGhost has directly addressed these issues. They fixed them in subsequent versions of their software.

CyberGhost's transparency and willingness to engage with the public about security and privacy issues is uncommon among VPN providers (and is much appreciated by VPN users).

To me - the transparency is the most important part of security. There are real benefits to logging some to balance traffic and such - but there's also the trust issue with logging. The main point is to be open with whatever you are doing and stick with that.

Since Romania is part of the European Union, CyberGhost as a company has plenty of strict requirements to live up to.

Caveat - Note that no VPN is 100% secure. Your traffic is still routing through a company. Any company can go out of business or go rogue. If you are trying to avoid your American ISP - then you are simply replacing distrust of Comcast/Charter with the trust of your VPN. If you are a political activist where trust is a life or death situation, you need to be using something like Tor. This highlights this section of CyberGhosts's unique features, but the point remains using a VPN does not instantly create security/privacy. That is something you do via aligning company incentives (ie, paying for companies who maintain security) & being proactive.

User Interface & Features

In addition to account setup, CyberGhost VPN does well with intuitive user interfaces and features.

It's beautifully laid out and easy to navigate. Everything from installing the client to connecting to an IP address is easy. CyberGhost requires you to select why you're using the VPN after logging in. Your options include:

• Surf anonymously
• Unblock streaming websites
• Protect my Internet/Wi-Fi connection
• Torrent anonymously
• Unblock basic websites

Knowing why you're using a VPN helps CyberGhost connect to the IP address in the region best suited for your specific needs.

It's also possible to manually select the region and IP address you want to connect to.

Additionally, CyberGhost bundles a range of complementary privacy-related tools such as a do not track tool, ad blocker, and force HTTPS tool. All these tools are generally free to use via browser extension (ie, uBlock Origin) anyway.

Performance / Settings

Without fast, reliable performance, a VPN service is all but useless.

Of course, all VPNs that use OpenVPN create a slight lag in Internet speed. This is just par for the course, and not solely an issue with CyberGhost.

And it's important to note that the speed drop can range from horrible to not noticeable.

My typical VPN testing wasn't possible with CyberGhost due to the fact their US servers block P2P connections, which (I'm educated guessing here) look like testing tools. But I was able to use a different testing tool to judge latency and how much the extra trip takes off my bandwidth.

Here's my baseline speeds & latency with CyberGhost OFF.

Website / Transparency

Though it's not a 'feature' necessarily, the actual CyberGhost website is worth a mention.

Like the user interface of the service itself, CyberGhostVPN.com is well-designed and user-friendly. It's easy to find the information you need.

The CyberGhost Server Overview gives you a real-time look at the number of servers they have online, which country each is located in, their total bandwidth, and the number of users currently online.

Potential new users can see exactly what each of the VPN service's features do. You can also easily compare the Free, Premium, and Premium Plus versions side by side.

VPNs have a scary, daunting, technical sounding name, which can turn many people (who should be using the service) off from actually using it.

A perfect VPN that you never use is worse than a good VPN that you actually do. And on this area - CyberGhost does well.

Additionally, CyberGhost VPN that stands out to me is their transparency. It's rare for a VPN provider to be so upfront.

The public transparency report page outlines malicious activity on CyberGhost servers. It also lists DMCA requests, law enforcement notices, and government requests.

VPN aficionados often get into deep debates about the merits of jurisdiction and country of origin. This is because some countries have data sharing, retention, and discovery laws -- and others don't. For those people who have a strong reason to protect their tracks (or just the inherent paranoia to think they're important enough to be watched) countries who do not participate in data sharing treaties are quite appealing.

CyberGhost is headquartered on Strada Baratiei in the historical center of Bucharest, Romania, a country that doesn't participate in either the Quadripartite Pact (better known as Five Eyes or UKUSA) or SIGINT Seniors Europe (or SSEUR, better known as Fourteen Eyes).

These are signals intelligence sharing agreements between certain nations that allow for data sharing. For VPN users concerned about government access to communication, the fact that a VPN provider isn't subject to either of these agreements is a plus.

Unfortunately, while we found a lot to like in CyberGhost, if you're trying to protect your online tracks from a nation state observer, you're probably going to be disappointed. Our testing showed CyberGhost does protect anonymity (at least as much as we could test), but it does not hide the fact that you're using a VPN.

CyberGhost not only allows you to pick the country for your server, but gives you the option to either ask for best connection or even specific servers in specific metropolitan regions.

The application also allows you to favorite servers at either the country or the specific server level, as well as servers that, for example, will allow you to watch movies from your Netflix account when traveling abroad.

Beyond the US, I tested connections to Sweden, Taiwan, Australia, and India. I wanted to test a connection to Russia, but unlike some other providers, CyberGhost does not have connections to Russia.

While I was connected, I also ran DNS and WebRTC leak tests (to make sure that DNS and IP are secure) using DNSLeak.com, ipleak.net, and dnsleaktest.com. These tests are basic security tests and not much more. If you're planning on using CyberGhost (or any VPN service) to hide your identity for life and death reasons, be sure to do far more extensive testing.

At first glance, it appeared CyberGhost failed the dnsleak.com DNS leak test:

However, looking up the IP 23.82.201.76 using the ARIN Whois service resulted in a listing for an Internet service provider, Nobis Technology Group:

It's important not to read too much into individual ISPs like Nobis. For a small VPN provider to provide worldwide service, they're going to have to contract with ISPs all across the world to provide transmission services.

On the other hand, dnsleaktest.com immediately determined not only that I was using a VPN, but that the VPN was provided by CyberGhost:

While none of the leak tests presented my home IP address, they did clearly indicate that I was using a VPN.

When connected to Australia, it looks like dnsleak.com was able to identify both that I was using a VPN and that I was originating from the United States. The report included both red blocks below:

Interestingly, the connection to Taipei seemed completely secure. According to all the testing I was able to perform, my connection was originating from somewhere in Taichung City.

So what should you take away from this discussion of leaks? It's simple, really. Our basic testing shows that CyberGhost takes good steps in preserving your anonymity. But if you're trying to hide the fact that you're connecting through a VPN or hide your originating country, it's possible that information will get through.

For most people, this won't matter. But for those of you who need that added layer of protection, you might want to do your own careful testing before making a life and death decision.

We were glad to see that CyberGhost does offer a strong collection of VPN protocol connection options, as well as a number of other options to protect your tracks.

I tried testing with DNS Leak Protection both on and off, and regardless of the setting, some leak test reported I was using CyberGhost servers.

All-in-one security kit

Many VPN vendors provide basic traffic re-routing services and anonymity protection. Oh, sure, they'll wrap their VPN connection process in a pretty app and user interface, but they're selling VPN services and not much more.

CyberGhost takes a different approach. They realized they're distributing software as well as the VPN service. As such, they've expanded their client software to offer more than just connection features. They have, essentially, built an all-in-one security kit with the following key features in addition to basic VPN services.

Ad blocking: CyberGhost provides ad blocking. Now, I'll be honest. I'm of mixed-mind when it comes to ad blocking software. Operating any large service requires a lot of expense and something has to pay for it. If all ads are blocked, then there's no revenue, nothing to pay for the servers, services, and salaries. On the other hands, some ads are intrusive and others can be malicious. By blocking ads at the network level, CyberGhost prevents those malicious ads from ever touching a browser.

Malicious website blocking: CyberGhost also blocks access to malicious websites. As with ad blocking, the barrier happens at the network interface, not somewhere in the browser. As a result, the browser is effectively protected from malicious sites before ever encountering them.

Online footprint blocking: CyberGhost helps you be a ghost online. Your IP address is not the only way to track you. Websites often leave cookies and other hints to help them track where you've been. CyberGhost blocks those online footprints, so no website will ever know what other websites you've visited.

Force https redirect: Very much like the hugely popular Https Everywhere plugin for Chrome, CyberGhost forces connections to sites over the secure https protocol. While desktop users can add the Https Everywhere plugin, device and mobile users don't have the ability to add plugins. The ability of the network connection to force a secure link is quite valuable for those users.

Data compression: CyberGhost compresses "images and other elements" to reduce bandwidth usage and keep costs under control.

Performance testing

I installed the CyberGhost application on a fresh, fully-updated Windows 10 install. To do this kind of testing, I always use a fresh install so some other company's VPN leftovers aren't clogging up the system and possibly influencing results. I have a 1 gig fiber feed, so my baseline network speed is rockin' fast.

To provide a fair US performance comparison, rather than comparing to my local fiber broadband provider, I used speedtest.net and picked a Comcast server in Chicago to test download speed.

For each test, I connected to each server three times. The number shown below is the average result of all three connections.

In looking at these numbers, it's possible to get carried away by the difference in the baseline speed compared to the VPN speed. That's not the best measurement, mostly because I have broadband over fiber so my connection speed is extremely high.

When you use a VPN service, it's natural for performance to drop. After all, you're running all your packets through an entirely artificial infrastructure designed to hide your path. The real numbers you should look at are the download speed and the ping speed. Are they high enough to do the work you need to do?

For all connections, CyberGhost download performance was really quite good. CyberGhost provides connection speeds similar to what many home broadband plans offer to consumers. The only difference, of course, is ping speed. While watching a video would be fine at these speeds, I'd be a bit concerned that lag could cause me to lose a match in a first-person shooter style game.

Ping speed is an indication of how quickly a response gets back after a network request is sent from your computer. The lag limitations here are due to actual physics. If you're sending a packet across the planet, it will take longer to hear back than if you're sending a packet across town.

Smart rules

There's one particularly slick feature we saved for last: smart rules. While most VPN applications offer some basic startup rules, CyberGhost allows you to specify automatic connection rules for Wi-Fi networks, including what to do when connecting to known Wi-Fi networks -- on a network-by-network basis.

CyberGhost also allows you to selectively exempt certain websites from the VPN tunnel. This can be powerful if you have corporate connection rules or, for example, if you know that a service blocks VPN connections and you're okay with them seeing your connection information. This can be set up on a website-by-website basis, providing a very helpful level of smart automation, particularly for folks regularly moving between a number of known locations.

The bottom line

Going back to our mantra that everyone's needs are different, we can't tell you which VPN service to choose. We like what we've seen of CyberGhost and appreciate the very well thought out app and with its deep, but easy-to-use, capabilities.

The bottom line of my basic performance tests is that -- at least for the countries I tested -- you can almost undoubtedly get your job done while using CyberGhost's VPN. If you have a specific country you want to connect to, it's a good idea to take advantage of the company's solid 45-day refund policy and just try it out.