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What is a double VPN?
In This Article
If you’re looking to double up on privacy when browsing the web, you might be interested in going beyond a standardVPNand using a double VPN.
While this advanced security feature isn’t recommended for everyone, it offers a high level of security for those vulnerable to cyber attacks, including political activists, journalists and informants. You can also set it up on your own device in a matter of minutes.
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If you’re still yet to install a VPN on your own PC or smartphone, NordVPN is a strong choice that includes its own double VPN feature. The company is currently running an offer that makes it possible to bag the VPN foras little as £2.65 a monthby entering the codeTrustedReviewsat checkout. That’s 66% off the VPN’s usual price with three months free on top of that.
What is a double VPN?
A double VPN is an advanced security feature that involves routing your web traffic through two VPN servers instead of just one.
Unlike a standard VPN, which sends your traffic through an encrypted tunnel to a remote VPN server where it is decrypted, a double VPN sends your traffic to this first server and then re-encrypts it.
That re-encrypted traffic then passes through a second VPN server where it is finally decrypted in order to send you on to your online destination.
This process is also known as VPN server chaining, a process that can actually involve even more servers (though this comes at the expense of your internet speed).
Is a double VPN better?
In terms of privacy, a double VPN is more secure than a regular VPN. However, that doesn’t mean you need to use one.
Double VPNs are useful for those who want to ensure a high level of security when browsing the web. Individuals who might find the feature beneficial include political activists, journalists, people working with whistleblowers or informants and people living or travelling in restricted countries hoping to avoid government surveillance.
A double VPN can be useful in these situations as the feature offers an extra layer of encryption and privacy. Not only that but because your data is encrypted twice, the second server is unable to access any information on you, including your IP address.
Annoyingly, this increased privacy can come at the expense of your internet speed. After all, the more servers your traffic has to travel through, the longer it will take to reach your destination.
For this reason, you might not want to use a double VPN for everyday browsing. A standard VPN still delivers a major boost in privacy compared to surfing with no VPN, preventing your ISP and third parties from tracking your online activity or getting their hands on your IP address.
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Hannah joined Trusted Reviews as a staff writer in 2019 after graduating with a degree in English from Royal Holloway, University of London. She’s also worked and studied in the US, holding positions …
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Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
