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In August 2022, Surfshark added a manual WireGuard connection feature.<ref>{{Cite web |last=published |first=Chiara Castro |date=2022-08-18 |title=Surfshark now offers manual WireGuard connections |url=https://www.techradar.com/news/surfshark-now-offers-manual-wireguard-connections |access-date=2023-04-19 |website=TechRadar |language=en}}</ref>
In August 2022, Surfshark added a manual WireGuard connection feature.<ref>{{Cite web |last=published |first=Chiara Castro |date=2022-08-18 |title=Surfshark now offers manual WireGuard connections |url=https://www.techradar.com/news/surfshark-now-offers-manual-wireguard-connections |access-date=2023-04-19 |website=TechRadar |language=en}}</ref>

== Research ==
In 2020, Surfshark conducted research evaluating the Digital Quality of Life & wellbeing of online users. The research is updated quarterly, selecting the best-performing countries based on internet affordability, quality, electronic infrastructure, security & government.

Aside from the DQL research, Surfshark investigates worldwide social media censorship, internet shutdowns, and government surveillance. New data is added as soon as the internet connection gets disrupted in any of the countries, or strict government surveillance invades the privacy of the internet users.

During the years, Surfshark collected information about internet regulations, global data breaches, or data vulnerabilities.

== Partnerships ==
Surfshark is one of the founding members of the VPN Trust Initiative, which was established in 2020. All members must follow the VTI principles, ensuring that member companies are secure, trusted, and transparent to their users.

In August 2022, Surfshark joined forces with an internet monitoring organization — NetBlocks. The partnership started as a natural alignment of the organizations’ visions and common goals — bringing awareness and gaining more routes to spread the news of worldwide internet disruptions.

In 2022, Surfshark joined EDRi, the biggest European network defending digital rights and freedom. That same year, Surfshark joined The Global Encryption Coalition (GEC) to promote strong encryption.

Surfshark also collaborated with The Internet Society to spread awareness about Splinternet and Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) to discuss surveillance technologies.

== Awards ==

* VPN Solution of the Year at the CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards 2022<ref>{{Cite web |title=2022 Winners |url=https://cybersecuritybreakthrough.com/2022-winners/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards |language=en-US}}</ref>
* CNet Editor's Choice Oct '22<ref>{{Cite web |title=Surshark VPN Gives You Blazing Speeds at Competitive Pricing |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/surfshark-vpn-review/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=CNET |language=en}}</ref>
* CanalTech Most Popular VPN Service 2022 (Brasil)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canaltech |date=2022-03-19 |title=5º Prêmio Canaltech: conheça prós e contras do Surfshark, campeão de Melhor VPN |url=https://canaltech.com.br/canaltech/5o-premio-canaltech-conheca-pros-e-contras-do-surfshark-campeao-de-melhor-vpn-211664/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=Canaltech |language=pt-BR}}</ref>
* PCWorld Verified Product 2022 (Poland)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Editor |first=Assistant |title=Surfshark review: A versatile VPN service with great extras |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/397529/surfshark-vpn-review-2.html |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=PCWorld |language=en}}</ref>
* Surfshark Antivirus Virus Bulletin certification<ref>{{Cite web |title=Virus Bulletin :: VB100 Testing |url=https://www.virusbulletin.com/vb100/testing/surfshark/surfshark-antivirus#:~:text=This%20product%20is%20VB100%20certified,has%20earned%20its%20certified%20status. |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=www.virusbulletin.com}}</ref>
* SourceForge Fall Category Leader 2022<ref>{{Cite web |title=Surfshark |url=https://sourceforge.net/software/product/Surfshark/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=SourceForge |language=en}}</ref>
* TechRadar Work from Home Must-Have App 2021<ref>{{Cite web |last=updated |first=TechRadar last |date=2021-09-27 |title=TechRadar Work From Home Awards 2021: the best apps and gadgets for home |url=https://www.techradar.com/news/techradar-work-from-home-awards-2021-winners |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=TechRadar |language=en}}</ref>
* Trusted Review Best VPN 2022<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-09 |title=Best VPN 2023: Top rated VPN options |url=https://www.trustedreviews.com/best/best-vpn-3470328 |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=Trusted Reviews |language=en}}</ref>
* Cybersecurity Excellence Award Gold 2021<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-11-30 |title=Surfshark |url=https://cybersecurity-excellence-awards.com/candidates/surfshark-2/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=Cybersecurity Excellence Awards |language=en-US}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 06:29, 18 May 2023

Developer(s)Surfshark
Initial release2018
Operating system
  • Android
  • iOS
  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Linux
  • Amazon Fire TV
  • Chrome
  • Firefox
Platform
Available inEnglish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish.
TypeVirtual private network
LicenseCommercial proprietary software
Websitesurfshark.com

Surfshark VPN service is a digital privacy tool provided by the cybersecurity company, Surfshark. It also offers a data leak detection system, a private search tool, an antivirus and an automated personal data removal system.[1][2][3][4]

In 2021 Surfshark merged with Nord Security. However, both companies still operate independently.[5]

Surfshark’s headquarters is in the Netherlands with additional offices in Lithuania, Poland, and Germany.

History

Surfshark was launched in 2018 by introducing its first VPN application for iOS devices. In 2018, Surfshark underwent an external audit by a German cybersecurity firm Cure53,[6] but just for their browser extensions. Surfshark has 3,200+ servers in 100 countries.

In September 2019, Surfshark launched an Android app called Trust DNS. The app works as a DNS resolver that can provide access to websites in highly restrictive countries.[7] In October 2019, Surfshark became one of the first ten VPN packages to receive an official seal of approval granted by an independent IT-Security Institute AV-TEST.

In July 2020, Surfshark announced its entire server network is running on RAM-only servers, introduced WireGuard, and became a founding member of the VPN Trust Initiative.[8][9][10] Later in 2020, Surfshark was named the best VPN of 2020 by CNN.[11]

In 2021, Surfshark was named Best VPN by the Trusted Reviews Awards.[12]

In mid-2021, Surfshark began the process to merge with their competitor Nord Security, parent company of the popular NordVPN.[13] The merger was finalised in early 2022, with both brands continuing to operate independently.

In August 2022, Surfshark exclusively partnered with digital rights watchdog NetBlocks for greater reporting on internet shutdowns.[14] Later 2022, Surfshark closed its physical servers in India in response to the CERT-In's order for VPN companies to store consumers’ personal data for a period of five years.[15][16]

That same year, Surfshark released Surfshark Nexus, together with Nord Security gained the Unicorn status, released Linux GUI, reached 100 different server country locations, and was included in CNET's 2022 Best Overall VPN list.[17][18]

Technology

In December 2019, Surfshark implemented GPS-Spoofing for Android, allowing users to hide their device’s physical geo-location by changing it to one of the server’s locations.[19] In its applications, Surfshark uses IKEv2, OpenVPN and WireGuard tunneling protocols.[20] All data transferred via Surfshark servers is encrypted using an AES-256-GCM encryption standard.[21] That same year, Surfshark launched “Surfshark Alert” & “Surfshark Search.”[22]

Surfshark also added a manual WireGuard connection feature in August.[23]

Surfshark VPN service features include: Kill Switch, MultiHop, and Bypasser.[24] It also offers an ad and malware prevention feature, CleanWeb that blocks ads on the DNS level.[25] The double VPN Multihop feature routes traffic through two servers instead of one, thereby providing better security. Surfshark's Bypasser is a VPN split tunneling feature.[15]

In May 2022, Surfshark announced Linux GUI, added real-time protection to Surfshark Antivirus & added a pause feature to the VPN app.[26]

In August 2022, Surfshark added a manual WireGuard connection feature.[27]

Research

In 2020, Surfshark conducted research evaluating the Digital Quality of Life & wellbeing of online users. The research is updated quarterly, selecting the best-performing countries based on internet affordability, quality, electronic infrastructure, security & government.

Aside from the DQL research, Surfshark investigates worldwide social media censorship, internet shutdowns, and government surveillance. New data is added as soon as the internet connection gets disrupted in any of the countries, or strict government surveillance invades the privacy of the internet users.

During the years, Surfshark collected information about internet regulations, global data breaches, or data vulnerabilities.

Partnerships

Surfshark is one of the founding members of the VPN Trust Initiative, which was established in 2020. All members must follow the VTI principles, ensuring that member companies are secure, trusted, and transparent to their users.

In August 2022, Surfshark joined forces with an internet monitoring organization — NetBlocks. The partnership started as a natural alignment of the organizations’ visions and common goals — bringing awareness and gaining more routes to spread the news of worldwide internet disruptions.

In 2022, Surfshark joined EDRi, the biggest European network defending digital rights and freedom. That same year, Surfshark joined The Global Encryption Coalition (GEC) to promote strong encryption.

Surfshark also collaborated with The Internet Society to spread awareness about Splinternet and Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) to discuss surveillance technologies.

Awards

  • VPN Solution of the Year at the CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards 2022[28]
  • CNet Editor's Choice Oct '22[29]
  • CanalTech Most Popular VPN Service 2022 (Brasil)[30]
  • PCWorld Verified Product 2022 (Poland)[31]
  • Surfshark Antivirus Virus Bulletin certification[32]
  • SourceForge Fall Category Leader 2022[33]
  • TechRadar Work from Home Must-Have App 2021[34]
  • Trusted Review Best VPN 2022[35]
  • Cybersecurity Excellence Award Gold 2021[36]

References

  1. ^ "Where is Surfshark located?".
  2. ^ Williams, Mike. "Surfshark VPN review". TechRadar.
  3. ^ "Surfshark VPN Review". PCMag.
  4. ^ "Surfshark Review: 7 Pros & 2 Cons, Speed Test Results". WHSR. 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  5. ^ "Nord Security joins forces with Surfshark | NordVPN". nordvpn.com. 2022-02-02. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  6. ^ "Surfshark VPN Review". IGN.
  7. ^ Spadafora, Anthony. "Surfshark launches free Trust DNS app". TechRadar.
  8. ^ Spadafora, Anthony. "Surfshark boosts VPN security by going completely diskless". TechRadar.
  9. ^ Martin, Jim. "Surfshark scraps hard disks & is now 100% RAM in its VPN servers". Tech Advisor.
  10. ^ Mattson, Laura. "Surfshark VPN Service Review: Best Budget VPN". Owl Ratings.
  11. ^ Levin, Benjamin (5 November 2020). "The best VPN of 2020". CNN.
  12. ^ Alastair Stevenson (October 14, 2021). "Trusted Reviews Awards 2021: Surfshark wins Best VPN". Trusted Reviews. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  13. ^ "Nord Security joins forces with Surfshark | NordVPN". nordvpn.com. 2022-02-02. Retrieved 2022-04-15.
  14. ^ "NetBlocks and Surfshark join forces for greater reporting on internet freedom". NetBlocks. August 1, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  15. ^ a b Dipen Pradhan (July 22, 2022). "Surfshark VPN Review 2022: Features, Pricing And More". Forbes. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  16. ^ Vaughan O'Grady (June 7, 2022). "India says goodbye to another VPN provider as Surfshark pulls its servers". Developing Telecoms. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  17. ^ Rae Hodge; Russell Holly; David Gewirtz; Attila Tomaschek (August 4, 2022). "Best VPN Service of 2022". CNET. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  18. ^ "Lithuania's Nord Security raises $100 mln at $1.6 bln valuation". Reuters. 2022-04-06. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  19. ^ Spadafora, Anthony. "This Android VPN is now able to disguise your GPS location". TechRadar.
  20. ^ Chiara Castro (August 18, 2022). "Surfshark now offers manual WireGuard connections". Tech Radar. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  21. ^ "6 VPNs for Your Business or Side Hustle, on Sale Today". Entrepreneur. 29 December 2020.
  22. ^ "Surfshark One Review". PCMAG. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  23. ^ Chiara Castro (August 18, 2022). "'Surfshark now offers manual WireGuard connections". TechRadar. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  24. ^ Parker, Jacob. "Surfshark review: can a VPN this cheap really be good?". T3.
  25. ^ Hodge, Rae. "Surfshark VPN review: Competitive pricing and blazing speeds from this upstart service". CNET.
  26. ^ Editor, Executive. "Surfshark's new Linux app has a graphical interface". Tech Advisor. Retrieved 2023-04-19. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  27. ^ published, Chiara Castro (2022-08-18). "Surfshark now offers manual WireGuard connections". TechRadar. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  28. ^ "2022 Winners". CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  29. ^ "Surshark VPN Gives You Blazing Speeds at Competitive Pricing". CNET. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  30. ^ Canaltech (2022-03-19). "5º Prêmio Canaltech: conheça prós e contras do Surfshark, campeão de Melhor VPN". Canaltech (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  31. ^ Editor, Assistant. "Surfshark review: A versatile VPN service with great extras". PCWorld. Retrieved 2023-05-18. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  32. ^ "Virus Bulletin :: VB100 Testing". www.virusbulletin.com. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  33. ^ "Surfshark". SourceForge. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  34. ^ updated, TechRadar last (2021-09-27). "TechRadar Work From Home Awards 2021: the best apps and gadgets for home". TechRadar. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  35. ^ "Best VPN 2023: Top rated VPN options". Trusted Reviews. 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  36. ^ "Surfshark". Cybersecurity Excellence Awards. 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
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