Introducing Surfshark VPN
The creation of Surfshark dates back to July 2018 but its recent development has not prevented it from competing in the big leagues. Surfshark wants to make internet protection accessible to everyone. This is why it offers attractive prices, while maintaining a high quality service. Its VPN service has undergone numerous security audits, including by Cure53, a benchmark in cybersecurity.
To date, this provider offers a network on 6 continents with more than 3,200 servers in 100 countries. This VPN is able to hide the IP address of users and provide them with a virtual IP address. Data passing through its servers is end-to-end encrypted. The connection is therefore anonymous and secure.
Surfshark VPN never stops innovating. Recently, it has made available its own search engine called BlindSearch to guarantee even more secret browsing. This is further proof that he does not take confidentiality lightly. To start our Surfshark review, let’s see how to install it.
How to install Surfshark VPN?
It only takes a few quick steps to install Surfshark VPN on your computer, tablet or smartphone. While this may seem trivial, it is still an important point. While a third of French people now have a VPN, the service must be easy to use. Not everyone is a computer expert, and Surfshark understands that.
First, you will need to create an account by subscribing to one of its subscriptions. Then you can download the app from the Surfshark website, from the App Store or Play Store depending on your device (iOS or Android). If you download the file from the website, you will need to move the file into your applications (on Mac). Otherwise from the App Store, this step is done automatically and the application will be found directly in your applications.
When opening for the first time, you will have to accept the terms of use. Then, all you have to do is enter your credentials (e-mail address and password) and authorize the VPN configuration. You are already ready to use your first VPN. And to already give you a first spoiler: our opinion on Surfshark is very positive.
How to use Surfshark?
Its application is attractive and very simple to use on a daily basis. It is modern and robust at the same time, it is very easy to navigate. And, something quite rare, the Surfshark application is available in 7 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Chinese. If you don’t speak English, you won’t be lost. Many VPNs do not make this effort, and you have to be able to understand English to use such software.
The interface is intuitive on MacOS, iOS, Windows and Android. On the left you will find a list of servers and countries, and on the right the login (and logout) button. After choosing the desired location, simply click on “Connect” and wait about 10 seconds. In less than three clicks, you will be connected to your VPN. Your real IP address will be masked and you will get a new one located in the chosen region.
Our review of the Surfshark app is very positive because it’s quick to learn and universal to use, including first-time VPN users. Whether you are a cybersecurity expert or a computer novice, this VPN will be very easy to pick up. Simplicity is in appearance since the product itself is ultra secure.
Safety, at the heart of Surfshark
When using a VPN, security definitely comes into play. To learn more about how Surfshark VPN protects user data, let’s take a look at its privacy policy, stance on logging, and features of its application. Let’s start our Surfshark test and review with the data privacy policy.
VPN Privacy Policy
Surfshark is very transparent and this shows up in its privacy policy. It is not yet translated into French but with summaries in a few sentences of each part, understanding is easier. Otherwise, feel free to use an online translator. The latter will allow you to understand the details of its policy.
We have retained a few major points about this provider, which attaches particular importance to confidentiality. Surfshark collects very little data about you – knowing that you don’t have to prove your identity. In fact, it is limited to the information essential to the creation of an account by retaining only:
- Your email address
- your encrypted password
- some basic billing data (the amount paid, the currency used, the date of payment and the chosen subscription)
Note that the provider offers crypto-currencies (Bitcoin, etc.) in its payment methods in order to benefit from even greater confidentiality. If you don’t want to make yourself known, all you have to do is put an ephemeral email address and pay for your purchase in cryptocurrency. Surfshark VPN is not there to monitor you, you will have complete freedom.
Apart from this few personal information, he also retains technical information aimed at improving the use of his VPN, namely:
- global performance data
- how often you use your VPN
- the number of reported crashes
- the number of failed logins
This information is collected with the aim of providing the most efficient tool possible. They are collected globally in order to respect the anonymity of its users. This information is primarily about VPN usage, not your internet activities. They are not linked to your account and therefore will not put your privacy at risk.
In our opinion, Surfshark is at the top level when it comes to privacy. If you go to him, you can expect the highest level of security for your data. It does not communicate any information in case of request, you are totally protected. He himself does not know what is happening on his servers, he instantly erases all information. This is what we will see below.
The VPN’s “no-log” policy
The company that publishes Surfshark VPN is registered in the British Virgin Islands (like ExpressVPN). There is no data retention law there. Additionally, VPN providers are not subject to surveillance and information laws in this state. Surfshark therefore takes advantage of the jurisdiction in place and can therefore guarantee a “no-log” policy, that is to say without keeping connection logs and activity logs. Its security audit confirms it.
Not keeping logs is useful for recognizing a truly reliable VPN. This point must be really essential in your research. Moreover, our opinion on Surfshark necessarily takes this aspect into account. Here, you will therefore have no worries about your personal data. So far, it’s a “no-fault” in our Surfsark test and review.
Reinforced online protection at Surfshark
Now let’s move on to practicality. Rather than just relying on what the VPN says, we decided to find out what it offered to deliver the online security and protection it talks about. Below we have listed a number of useful features that make surfing the web safe with Surfshark.
Strong encryption
Surfshark encrypts the internet connection received and sent from your device using the AES-256 key. This key is so robust that even the most powerful computers would not be able to decipher it. This encryption is crucial to protect your internet traffic and not let anyone have access to your online activities. Surfshark VPN uses the same standards as ExpressVPN and other CyberGhost.
Hide IP address
Anonymity goes through the camouflage of your IP address since it is this number that allows websites to identify you and even know where you are located. By connecting with Surfshark VPN, this cannot happen as your IP address will be immediately masked. The one that will be visible on the internet will be that of one of the VPN servers. And given the number of IP addresses it has, you will be guaranteed to be completely anonymous, regardless of the site visited.
Kill Switch
The Kill Switch feature of VPNs is very useful for all Internet users. It is the Kill Switch that will be able to stop your internet traffic in the event of a VPN disconnection. Your data and identity will never be exposed to your ISP through this safety net. If the VPN stops responding, then you no longer have access to the internet. That said, our opinion of Surfshark is that it’s stable enough not to have this issue. It really is a spare wheel.
Surfshark has this Kill Switch, otherwise it’s clear that our Surfshark review wouldn’t have been so good. Normally, the Kill Switch is activated automatically. To check it, you can go to the settings to check if it is enabled or not. If this is not enabled, we urge you to do so, so as not to jeopardize your security efforts.
In this window, you can also view the IP address assigned to you.
MultiHop
The Surfshark app has a feature called MultiHop aimed at adding an extra layer of security. Thanks to MultiHop, your traffic will be redirected by two separate servers located in two different countries. Your data will therefore be double encrypted, thus considerably strengthening your protection. You can activate it from time to time, when your activities are considered “at risk” or if you are handling very sensitive information.
In addition, bear in mind that you will be located at the place of the final server and not the intermediate server. MultiHop is a very practical and quite rare tool among VPN publishers. It’s a clear advantage, and it reinforces our opinion of Surfshark – which is again very positive.
CleanWeb
In the settings of the Surfshark application, it is also possible to activate the CleanWeb function. It will block all advertisements, malware and avoid phishing attempts. It’s a mix between an ad-blocker and an antivirus. You can surf the internet with peace of mind from A to Z. Now let’s move on in this Surfshark review to the speed of the software.
VPN Speed Analysis
It goes without saying that a quality VPN must have fast and reliable servers. This is one of the criteria to take into account in your choice. To find out what you can expect from Surfshark VPN, we ran extensive speed tests.
We first performed measurements under normal circumstances, i.e. without any VPN connection. Our ping was 10 ms, our download speed 228.32 Mb/s and 208.06 Mb/s upload.
We then connected to the “France – Bordeaux” server on the Surfshark interface. Our ping jumped from 10 to 18 ms and as far as speeds go, we were recording 150.10 Mb/s download and 112.16 Mb/s upload. According to the results, internet traffic is therefore lower. In fact, we don’t really feel this drop and our navigation still seems as fluid as ever, which is a good sign.
This time we chose to connect to a more distant server located in the United States. Our ping went to 120 ms and our speeds dropped to 43.17 Mb/s download and 50.72 Mb/s upload. Given the geographical distance, this is normal and our connection remains very correct. We don’t notice any major slowdowns and the loading of streaming movies is still going well.
Conclusion: Surfshark, one of the best choices in 2023
Now it’s time to wrap up with our Surfshark review. Surfshark VPN has many advantages that we have highlighted throughout this article. This provider is serious and offers a very high level of online protection and privacy. Its performance is very good and its application offers a pleasant experience.
