I’m quite new to VPNs in general and have just downloaded Proton to try it out, I wanted to ask how the VPN works and do they keep logs of your websites etc as I’m unsure how it works.
do they keep logs of your websites
No.
This has also been verified by regular audits:
A VPN is a way to create a secure, encrypted connection between your device and a remote server before reaching the internet. This changes how your internet traffic is routed, making it appear as if you’re accessing the internet from the VPN server’s location rather than your own.
How It Works:
1. Encryption & Secure Tunneling:
• When you connect to a VPN, it establishes an encrypted connection (often using protocols like OpenVPN, WireGuard, or IPSec) between your device and a VPN server.
• This means that even if someone intercepts your data, all they’d see is encrypted gibberish rather than your actual activity.
2. Changing Your IP Address:
• Normally, when you browse the internet, websites see the IP address assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), which is tied to your approximate location.
• A VPN replaces your IP address with one from the VPN server, making it seem like you’re connecting from a different location.
3. Routing Your Traffic Through a Remote Server:
• Instead of your device connecting directly to websites or services, your internet traffic goes through the VPN server first.
• The website or service you’re accessing only sees the VPN server, not your real IP.
Practical Benefits:
• Network Security: Encrypts traffic, reducing the risk of interception, especially on public Wi-Fi.
• Privacy from ISPs & Third Parties: Prevents ISPs from logging browsing activity (to a certain extent).
• Access Control & Remote Work: Used by companies to allow employees to securely connect to internal systems.
• Bypassing Network Restrictions: Can help evade censorship or local network rules (e.g., school/work firewalls).
Limitations:
• Not Full Anonymity: VPNs mask your IP but do not make you anonymous. The VPN provider can still see your traffic.
• Speed Reduction: Encryption and rerouting can slow down your connection.
• Trust in the VPN Provider: A VPN provider could log your data, depending on their policies.
A VPN is useful in many situations, but it’s just one piece of a broader approach to security and privacy.
Proton does not log your data. Others might.
You downloaded something to try out without reading Proton’s own info on what it is and does? Not a good habit to fall into.
No, they don’t keep logs on what you do.
When you run it, do an ip test (there are a whole bunch of sites to choose from) and you’ll see that your working ip address is not your own–as in the one from your isp–so that wherever you go online, that’s the ip that those places will see, not the one that your isp assigns.