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. • Network privacy layer: A reputable VPN can hide the destination from the local network or ISP, while moving that visibility to the VPN provider. Account, browser, recipient and billing metadata may still identify the relationship. • Email-based heartbeats: VPN doesn't affect email delivery. Email heartbeat confirmations work normally regardless of VPN usage.