CyberGhost Review

How CyberGhost meets the 5 criteria?

1. Main Security Features

CyberGhost takes the concept of internet security very seriously, that much is clear when we read the info presented on the corporate website. This certainly builds confidence with potential users, but how is this attitude reflected in the product itself?

Encryption
The 256-bit AES encryption CyberGhost offers its users is one of the most secure encryption methods available, used in most modern encryption algorithms, protocols and technologies. AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption uses symmetric cryptography (the same key is used for data encryption and decryption) and offers a level of security high enough for the American NSA (National Security Agency) to approve its use for the encryption of top secret information.

Connection
For most users, it will be convenient to let CyberGhost decide which type of connection to use. If you set the VPN protocol option to ‘Automatic selection’, CyberGhost will automatically detect and select the most fitting protocol for your network connection. If you prefer making your own choice, you can. CyberGhost offers three protocols to choose from: OpenVPN, IKEv2, and L2TP – each with their own advantages and disadvantages, although OpenVPN is generally considered to be the best available option. The OpenVPN type connection comes with the extra option of choosing between a UDP or TCP protocol. By default, the faster UDP option is active, but you can change this for the sake of the TCP protocol, which provides a more reliable connection but can result in a decrease of bandwidth and speed.

The OpenVPN protocol comes with an extra advantage: it automatically tests a wide range of ports to connect to, which opens up the option to use CyberGhost in airports and hotels, where internet traffic is usually limited to HTTP(S) connections. This feature is activated by default.

DNS Leak Protection
The same setting applies to the DNS Leak Protection feature, which increases privacy protection and reliability to a maximum while the VPN is connected by making use of CyberGhost’s own nameservers, of which there is 3,000 spread over 60 countries all over the world. The number is growing rapidly as CyberGhost continues to add more servers to further improve its service and connection options.

Additional CyberGhost features
Based on the OpenVPN protocol (Windows, Mac OS, and Android), CyberGhost offers a variety of additional features that add value to the product:

• One Click profiles: CyberGhost offers users VPN access through any of its 3,000 available servers, but part of their server park is specially allocated to specific purposes. Besides the general use, they offer special servers to connect to when using torrent sites and the same for when using streaming services. For each of these purposes, connecting to the VPN is just one click away.
• Fast server change: changing from one server to another is easy, you just click on the new server you want to connect to and that’s it – the system will move you straight from one to the other connection.
• SecureConnect: prevents others to hitchhike on your secure connection by establishing routes parallel to the encrypted tunnel.
• SecureDisconnect (Kill-switch): the automatically engaged Kill-switch option will immediately disconnect you from the internet to prevents data leaks when the VPN connection fails.
• Ad blocker: no more ads, banners, pop-ups, and video ads.
• Site blocker: filter and block malicious, harmful content.
• Tracker blocker: prevents tracking and storing your online behavior.
• HTTPS redirect: CyberGhost can force your connection to HTTPS to browse with the highest level of security.
• Data compression: images and other elements are automatically compressed to reduce internet usage and costs.

Smart Rules
CyberGhost offers you the option to dictate default actions for a few VPN settings:

• Auto-connect on startup: instantly connects you when turning on the VPN
• You can set the default behavior for when a new WiFi network (open or encrypted) comes available.
• Add a list of trusted WiFi networks that you would like CyberGhost to secure when you connect.

Connection logs
CyberGhost employs a strict ‘No Logs’ policy. Although log-files do serve a valuable purpose and can be of help in debugging processes, CyberGhost ranks its users’ safety and security higher in importance than other variables and therefore do not track anyone’s Internet activity. When connected to a CyberGhost VPN Server, your internet behavior is completely invisible to anyone else, and cannot be tracked even after you cut the VPN connection.

2. Resource Consumption

CyberGhost, when running and connected, does not need a big chunk of your PC’s resources to perform its service. CPU load stays basically the same, regardless of the VPN status (on or off).

Up- and download speeds are on average (based on the results of three different testing platforms (speedtest.net, meter.net, and fast.com) a bit lower with an active VPN connection: 32.9 Mbps vs. 28.0 Mbps for the download speed and 33.55 Mbps vs. 31.55 Mbps for the upload speed. Not a huge difference, hardly noticeable – if at all – when browsing the internet, but running the VPN does affect the up- and download speed. The registered PING value with an active VPN connection is low at approx. 6 ms, which indicates a fast connection, and the related jitter value of 0.1 ms hints at an extremely stable connection.

3. Connection Stability

The stability of a VPN connection depends on a variety of potentially relevant factors: device influence, mobile network influence, wireless network influence, the distance between VPN server & device, distance (server) + extra distance (content). Obviously, some of those factors (device influence, wireless network, mobile network), can influence the performance of the VPN service, but don’t say anything about the performance itself; they provide the necessary framework for the VPN to provide its service.

CyberGhost VPN has a very extensive network of servers available for its users: a total of close to 3,000 servers, divided over currently 60 countries, is available for users to benefit from. With such a large network of servers, it is almost always possible to find a server close to your physical location. Not just that, you will have plenty of different servers to choose from so you can connect to one that is furthest from being overloaded with users.

Connecting to a server close by will keep latency low and the connection stable. This doesn’t mean your VPN connection to a server far away cannot be stable, but in general, it is preferential for the connection stability to choose a server in close proximity.

The jitter score we noted during the speed test already indicated a very high level of connection stability, and after testing different server locations located in different parts of the world we can safely that CyberGhost offers users a network that excels in stability. The Kill-switch was never activated and performance never dropped to a questionable level, regardless of the server we connected to.

4. Platforms/Devices Accessibility

CyberGhost is available for all the main platforms & devices: Windows and Mac OS for PCs and laptops, and for Android and iOS on mobile devices. With those, the majority of users will be adequately served, but CyberGhost also offers dedicated clients for less widely used platforms such as Linux, Raspberry Pi/ Raspbian, and Chrome OS. Additionally, you can also run CyberGhost on Android TV (an Android version designed for digital media players), Amazon Fire TV (a digital media player developed by Amazon) and Fire TV Stick (a stripped down version in the shape of an HDMI plug-in stick).

The apps are free for download, but can only be used for free for a trial period of 1 day before you need to upgrade to a paid plan. For the desktop version of the software, the trial period covers 7 days, after which you need to purchase a subscription to continue using the product.

You can install CyberGhost VPN on as much as 7 different devices.