An external audit confirmed that ProtonVPN does not log user data, Andy Yen from ProtonVPN said in a statement today. Security experts from leading European security auditing company Securitum did not uncover any significant issues during the audit, showing that Proton’s culture of secure software holds true, Yen wrote.
“It is Not Just a Claim”
Switzerland-based Proton Technologies AG’s VPN has proven itself with these audits, according to Yen. “Now, when we say we are a no-logs VPN, it is not just a claim: it has been double-checked by independent experts,” Yen said. The company explained that it was founded by scientists who met at CERN and that they believe in transparency and peer reviews, supported by an honest and fair Swiss legal framework. Furthermore, Proton Technologies AG’s apps are open source for those exact reasons, Yen said. Adding to the firm’s commitment to transparency, peer reviews and open-source culture is their bug bounty program, which further consolidates the security of the apps, Yen wrote.
Securitum Executed the Audit
In addition to internal audits, ProtonVPN regularly submits its apps to third-party security audits and posts the results for the public to see because “everyone can get an independent expert’s opinion of our apps’ security,” the statement read. The most recent security audit that covered all of Proton’s apps was conducted by security specialists from Securitum, which oversees over 300 security testing projects every year. Other top-tier VPN vendors such as NordVPN (Panama) and VyprVPN (Switzerland), among others, have had independent audits conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC). ProtonVPN does not have any “forced logging obligations,” however, the possibility remains that incorrect server configuration or flawed system architecture could cause logs to be accidentally stored, Yen wrote. For these reasons, the company had experts review VPN configuration files, servers, assess operating procedures, and interview staff.
More VPN Users Than Ever
The community of people that use VPNs has skyrocketed in the past few years, for several reasons. The pandemic and ensuing lockdowns that took hold in 2020 were a major driver of VPN usage, for one, as people worked from home and cybercrime spiked. Internet searches for VPNs also peaked during that period. Secondly, the demand for increased security and data privacy is constantly growing, in that people are more aware of cybercrime and are more cautious with their data and online privacy. People are now also more aware that they can bypass geo-blocking with a VPN, such as with Netflix and other streaming platforms. Third, people are becoming aware of how to circumvent censorship that is instated in certain countries by default. For instance, a difficult situation like the Ukraine-Russia conflict has shown that people need uncensored internet access.
The Future of No Logs and Security Audits
There are now approximately 1 billion people who use VPNs all over the world, with the highest saturations being in highly populated countries (some of them repressive) such as China, India, the U.S., and Indonesia. The number of users signing up for premium VPNs is also growing, so the industry is developing quickly and VPN vendors are competing for a chunk of a very promising market. For these reasons, it is expected that transparent security audits and proof of no-logs will become a requisite for VPN vendors that want to do business properly. Find out more about ProtonVPN by visiting the official ProtonVPN website. Also, have a look at the cream of the crop of “no-log” VPNs in our best no-log VPN for 2022 guide.
