What a VPN Does

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and a VPN server. All your internet traffic passes through this tunnel, meaning:

What it hides: • Your internet activity from your ISP (who can otherwise see every website you visit) • Your real IP address from websites (they see the VPN server's IP instead) • Your traffic on public Wi-Fi networks (protecting against eavesdropping)

What it doesn't hide: • Your activity from the VPN provider (you're trusting them instead of your ISP) • Your identity from services you log into (Facebook still knows who you are) • Your browsing from your device (malware can see everything before encryption) • DNS leaks if not properly configured

A VPN shifts trust from your ISP to the VPN provider. Choose wisely.

Choosing a VPN Provider

Key criteria: • No-logs policy: Independently audited, not just claimed • Jurisdiction: Ideally outside Five Eyes / Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing alliances • Open-source clients: Allows independent verification • WireGuard or OpenVPN protocol: Modern, audited encryption protocols • Kill switch: Blocks internet access if VPN connection drops

Recommended providers: • Mullvad: No-account sign-up, accepts cash payments, independently audited • ProtonVPN: Swiss-based, integrated with ProtonMail, open-source • IVPN: Transparent, independently audited, privacy-focused

Avoid: • Free VPNs (they monetize your data — you are the product) • VPNs with flashy marketing but no independent audits • VPNs headquartered in China, Russia, or countries with mandatory data retention

VPNs and Security Services

When using dead man's switches and other security services with a VPN:

• Heartbeat check-ins: VPNs don't interfere with heartbeat confirmation. ZeroLatch works normally through VPNs. • IP-based rate limiting: Some services rate-limit by IP. VPN users share IPs, which could theoretically trigger rate limits. ZeroLatch is designed to handle this gracefully. • Anonymity layer: Using a VPN when accessing your ZeroLatch account adds an additional privacy layer — your ISP can't see that you're using a dead man's switch service. • Email-based heartbeats: VPN doesn't affect email delivery. Email heartbeat confirmations work normally regardless of VPN usage.