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As the time we spend online on all our digital devices increases, so do the risks of falling victim to cyber attacks.
There were 82% more ransomware (opens in new tab)related data leaks last year and online censorship and internet shutdowns increased worldwide, according to Freedom House (opens in new tab). Yet too many big tech companies misuse users’ data.
So it’s not surprising that even the less techie among us were looking for the right security software to download – among the best VPNs and antivirus software, proxy servers and password management tools.
When it comes to surfing the web anonymously, VPN apps, proxy servers, and Tor browser are the best options out there. But which one is the most popular?
This was exactly what web hosting provider Fasthosts wanted to know. Namely, how users have changed their online privacy protection habits. What they found is that VPNs are the ones following the path forward.
Read on for all the details!
Proxies down, VPNs up
“Considering how popular VPNs have become alongside a continued growth in interest in cybersecurity, it’s not surprising that the technology has seen such a dramatic increase in searches,” said Michelle Stark, Sales and Marketing Director at Fasthosts.
Their data shows that interest in VPN companies has exploded since 2015. Virtual private network providers are reaching more and more people who want to secure their digital lives.
NordVPN has recorded a staggering 2,523% increase in searches. Its closest competitor ExpressVPN has seen a 597% increase in searches, while a 490% increase is what Surfshark has been experiencing since its launch in 2018.
At the same time, interest in proxy servers is declining. Despite a spike from last year, searches for such software fell by a whopping 62% over the same period. Among the on-and-off drops in recent years, the Tor browser also saw a 46% drop in popularity.
Fasthosts believes there are a few reasons for this trend.
The two most important factors appear to be a growing emphasis on cybersecurity all types of users and the rise of streaming services.
VPNs are generally easier to use than proxy servers. They also cater to a wider range of use cases while still providing comprehensive security features. It’s also worth noting that VPN providers’ marketing campaigns have seen a boost in recent years.
Whatever the reason behind the choice of tools, the trend shows how more and more users worldwide are concerned about their online privacy and are willing to learn how to protect their data.
“We are even seeing people using virtual private servers (VPS) to create their own VPNs for greater security, the effort people are willing to take to protect themselves in an increasingly digital world,” said Stark.
“I can’t imagine interest in these services will wane any time soon, either for security reasons or to access a slew of otherwise unavailable streaming content, so it will be interesting to see how companies adapt to this virtually invisible data blocker.”
Proxies vs. Tor vs. VPNs: Which One to Choose?
While the goal of VPNs, proxies, and Tor is ultimately the same – to protect users’ anonymity to increase their online privacy – each software’s way of doing that differs.
A proxy acts as a gateway between your device and the websites servers you access. Since all requests go through the proxy server instead, you can hide your real IP location and bypass geo-restrictions.
A VPN very similar to a proxy. It hides your IP address and makes you appear in a completely different location in the world with just a few clicks. However, in this case, all traffic leaving the device is encrypted within the VPN tunnel, so that intruders cannot access your data in transit. You can also check out our Proxy vs VPN walkthrough for more details.
The beetle browser is a volunteer-run free and open-source secure browser. It follows a practice known as onion routing. It directs traffic through it Bee least three servers, which encrypt the data every step of the way to ensure maximum privacy.
Despite being very secure, Tor has some drawbacks. For example, more encryption can slow down your connection. The service also carries the stigma of being associated with cybercrime, meaning sites often block access.
VPNs seem to be able to get around the crackdown better by using new obfuscation technology as proxies and Tor egress nodes are more identifiable. So a streaming VPN is the best choice to unlock a foreign catalog on streaming platforms.
However, all this does not mean that there are no uses for proxies and Tor.
WhatsApp’s latest update now offers unprecedented proxy support that allows users to communicate freely while shutting down the internet, for example. And even VPN providers recommend using Tor along with the VPN app when privacy is paramount.