Software:PureVPN
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| Original author(s) | GZ Systems[1] |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 2006 |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, iOS, Android[2] |
| Available in | English, French, German, Turkish[3] |
| Website | purevpn |
PureVPN is a commercial VPN service based in Hong Kong and operated by GZ Systems.[4]
History
PureVPN was founded in 2007 by GZ-systems in Hong Kong.[5] The service started with 2 servers and gradually expanded its network of servers to 16 locations in 2008. Later in 2008, PureVPN introduced add-ons, including NAT Firewall and Internet Kill Switch.[6]
Features
PureVPN supports multiple protocols in its software such as PPTP, L2TP/IPSec and OpenVPN, additional features include DNS leak protection, IPv6 leak protection[7], Internet kill switch, access via UDP/TCP, multiple VPN gateways, unlimited bandwidth and split tunneling.[8] PureVPN has recently launched their advanced features and claims to provide 360 security solution for their users by adding anti-virus/anti-malware, IDS/IPS protection, APP/URL/content filtering. Based on the features product is rated well on Trust Pilot with a good word of mouth for the features and user interface and bad word of mouth for slower speed issues.[9]
Servers
PureVPN has servers in 140 countries with over 750 servers, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.[10]
Privacy policy
PureVPN claims that it does not keep any activity logs or other sensitive detail of any users. While the account creation process requires name, email address and phone number which they state are taken for following reasons:
- Name (required for account creation)
- Email address (needed to create an account and other offer announcements)
- Phone number (for limited users from certain regions only)[11]
However there is proof that PureVPN keeps some logs as of there is a case of a cyber-stalker been tracked down by the FBI with the help of PureVPN's logs. [12] [13] [14]
Uses
Online gamers have also used PureVPN to reduce ping issues while connecting to international gaming servers and preventing virus attacks by rival gamers. Many internet users have also showed interest using PureVPN to easily access content which was not available in their geo location, thus making it available by connecting to the required region via PureVPN software.[15] In 2016 Netflix banned PureVPN users from accessing their content via VPN from different region by stating "We protect the content and abide by licensing deals & Some providers, in fact, blatantly advertise that their service is for watching Netflix’s U.S. version". Another US based online streaming service Hulu did the similar thing in past, they tried to cut off access for users living outside the US by blocking VPNs and proxies back in 2014.[16][17] PureVPN's DNS leak issue could be the problem for users but huge choice of servers and lengthy feature list does the repair work well. [18] PureVPN also allows limited servers in few of the regions for Torrenting purposes as stated by TorrentFreak.[19]
Controversy
In 2013 PureVPN faced a controversy regarding a fake email which was sent to all the active users, that stated "Dear customer, it is to inform you that due to an incident we had to close your account permanently. We are no longer able to run an anonymization service due to legal issues we are facing". The email was later reported to be spam and PureVPN responded to it saying " It has confirmed that it was a zero-day exploit related to a vulnerability at WHMCS. The compromised data were email addresses and names for a subset of registered users, and “no billing information like Credit Card or other sensitive personal information was compromised”.[20]
In October 2017, a document related to US District Court of Massachusetts[21] shows that contrary to the company's claims, PureVPN does log user IP addresses as it was able to provide this information to the FBI.
See also
References
- ↑ "GZ Systems". http://www.hongkongcompanylist.com/gz-systems-limited-bfoocpc/#.WJslim997IU.
- ↑ "PureVPN (for Android)" (in en). https://www.pcmag.com/review/350623/purevpn-for-android.
- ↑ "purevpn review by macupdate multi-lingual website". https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/52417/purevpn.
- ↑ "Purevpn Terms of Service". https://www.purevpn.com/term.php.
- ↑ "Read about PureVPN to learn why it's the leading VPN Service - PureVPN" (in en). https://www.purevpn.com/about.php.
- ↑ "Purevpn now offers killswitch and nat firewall". https://vpnreviewz.com/purevpn-now-offers-nat-firewall-and-internet-kill-switch/.
- ↑ "video review purevpn extended". https://malwaretips.com/threads/purevpn-review-after-extended-use.68115/.
- ↑ "Purevpn Reviews by Yahoo on Features such as Split Tunneling". https://www.yahoo.com/tech/purevpn-review-230121048.html.
- ↑ "Purevpn reviews on trust pilot". https://www.trustpilot.com/review/purevpn.com.
- ↑ "Massive PureVPN Network Expansion: 450+ Servers in 87+ Countries". https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2014/11/27/686767/10110075/en/Massive-PureVPN-Network-Expansion-450-Servers-in-87-Countries.html.
- ↑ "Get a Lifetime Subscription to PureVPN". http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/168022-Get-Lifetime-Subscription-to-PureVPN-for-Only-99.
- ↑ "Massachusetts district curt - case No 17-MJ-4251-DHH". https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1001841/download.
- ↑ "The Hackernews - FBI Arrests A Cyberstalker After Shady "No-Logs" VPN Provider Shared User Logs". https://thehackernews.com/2017/10/no-logs-vpn-service-security_8.html.
- ↑ "TorrentFreak - PureVPN Logs Helped FBI Net Alleged Cyberstalker". https://torrentfreak.com/purevpn-logs-helped-fbi-net-alleged-cyberstalker-171009/.
- ↑ Hardy, Quentin. "VPNs Dissolve National Boundaries Online, for Work and Movie-Watching" (in en). https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/in-ways-legal-and-illegal-vpn-technology-is-erasing-international-borders/?_r=1. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
- ↑ "PROVIDERS ARE WORKING TO CIRCUMVENT THE BLOCK". http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/vpn-providers-vow-to-circumvent-netflix-block/.
- ↑ "Netflix VPN ban isn't good for anyone". https://www.wired.com/2016/01/netflixs-vpn-ban-isnt-good-for-anyone-especially-netflix/.
- ↑ "purevpn dns leak issue isn't a hurdle". http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/utilities/purevpn-1325640/review.
- ↑ "Traffic over Privacy Concerns". https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-providers-ban-bittorrent-piracy-concerns-140309/.
- ↑ "VPN provider hacked, fake emails scare customers". https://www.itnews.com.au/news/vpn-provider-hacked-fake-emails-scare-customers-359578. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
- ↑ "Page 22 of a US District Court of Massachusetts". https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1001841/download.
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