Cyber Ghost VPN Review

 

With CyberGhost, you get all the features you might expect from a premium VPN: strong encryption, ‘No Logging’ policy, secure tunneling protocols, permission to Torrent, lack of DNS leaks, dedicated servers for unblocking Netflix and more.

While it definitely looks good on paper, does it really deliver? Read on to find out as we address the pros and cons of using CyberGhost as your VPN service.

CyberGhost at a Glance:

• Based in Romania
• Strict ‘No Logging’ Policy
• Default tunneling Protocols include OpenVPN, PSec, PPTP & L2TP
• Killswitch
• Up to 7 Simultaneous connections
• Netflix Unblocking Feature
• Close to 4000 Servers spread across 60 countries
• Torrenting and P2P
• Pricing starts off at $3.69 when you sign on to the Two Year Plan.

The Pros

Here are the things we loved about CyberGhost:

Jurisdiction in Romania

Fortunately for its users, CyberGhost is based in Romania, well out of the way of the 14 Eyes. ‘What on earth is 14 Eyes?’ you might wonder. It’s essentially an agreement between 14 countries that compels each of them to share intelligence with the rest. This includes information about their citizens as well as any user traffic data logged by any VPN companies located in any of those jurisdictions.

Since Romania has no such agreement, it is under no obligation to share information with any outside intelligence agencies. Furthermore, Romania doesn’t have strong data retention laws to begin with, which is what makes the next point on this pros list possible.

Strict ‘No Logging’ Policy

A ‘No Logging’ or ‘Zero Logging’ policy requires a VPN service to refrain from logging user traffic data. This includes things like IP addresses, metadata, destination URLs, browser histories, session times and so on. However these policies are self-enforced, meaning that no outside authority or regulator demands that this rule has to be met. Hence, technically, a VPN can claim to have a ‘No Logging’ policy and still share information with outside parties.

Fortunately, CyberGhost doesn’t engage in such shady practices. Here’s their statement on this matter, as listed on their website:

“CyberGhost has an unequivocal company policy: the strongest observance of data protection and uncompromising protection of user privacy. Therefore, when using the CyberGhost VPN, the user’s traffic data such as browsing history, traffic destination, data content, and search preferences are not monitored, recorded, logged or stored by the company. More than this, when using the CyberGhost VPN, we are not storing connection logs, meaning that we don’t have any logs tied to your IP address, connection timestamp or session duration.”

Tons of Features

CyberGhost comes pre-packaged with features that are bound to make any VPN user happy. Want a Kill Switch that cuts off your device’s access to the internet when the VPN connection is disrupted? Check. Support for simultaneous connections? Cyberghost lets you connect up to seven devices at once! What about compatibility with all major Operating Systems? CyberGhost offers that as well.

Strong Encryption Standards

Encryption methods protect your traffic data by disguising it as code. This way even if anyone sees it, they won’t know what they’re looking at. Like other top-tier VPNs, CyberGhost uses AES-256 as their encryption standard. That’s the very same protocol used by leading intelligence agencies and financial institutions around the world. Therefore you really don’t have to worry about the anonymity of your data.

Leak-Free System

CyberGhost’s system is airtight, meaning that your true IP address won’t be leaked. There are various tools available online which checks your VPN connection for DNS leaks. Hence, you can put it to the test yourself.

Ease of Use

Thanks to the user-friendly interface of its proprietary application, you don’t need to have tons of technical expertise to install and setup CyberGhost. In fact, you can be done with the entire process in less than five minutes.

The layout itself is pretty sleek and streamlined and you can find your way around pretty easily. For instance, in order to instantly access a list of servers, all you need to do is click on a yellow arrow present on the lower left-hand corner on the main page. Alternatively, you can let CyberGhost connect you to the best server location.

Torrenting

Not only does CyberGhost permit torrenting, but it also actively encourages it. Once you’ve got on the server’s menu on the application, you’ll notice a sidebar with different categories, including ‘for torrenting’. This includes a list of all CyberGhost’s servers that are specially designated for torrenting and P2P downloading.

Netflix Unblocking Feature

CyberGhost also offers servers that are specifically optimized for unblocking Netflix. These servers will keep changing your IP address if Netflix tries to crack down on it. As a result, CyberGhost helps you remain elusive to Netflix’s anti-VPN tactics.

It must be said that not all of these Netflix-optimized servers will work. However, you should easily find several that do.

The Cons

Their Parent Company is Shady

CyberGhost is owned by Kape Technologies, previously known as Crossrider. If that name sounds familiar, that’s because they’ve made news headlines before and not for a good reason. Crossider, a tech company based in Israel was accused of spreading malware and being keen to collect user data in general.

Even CyberGhost’s CEO admitted that their parent company has goals that directly oppose theirs. While CyberGhost wants to maintain the security and anonymity of their users’ data, Kape Technologies wants to profit off of it. Hence this makes for a very volatile business relationship.

It’s Quite Slow

CyberGhost is one of the slowest paid VPNs we’ve ever come across. With a download speed loss of more than 45% even on local servers, it’s definitely not suited for activities like online gaming. When connected to distant servers you’ll truly struggle to get a decent enough speed.

In Summary

CyberGhost is a VPN service that does a lot of things right. To start off, it makes an impressive effort to keep user data secure with AES encryption, a strict ‘No Logging’ policy and secure tunneling protocols like OpenVPN. In addition, it offers a variety of features for its users including simultaneous connections and dedicated Netflix-optimized servers.

At the same time, CyberGhost falls short in two main aspects. Firstly, its parent company’s history of shady business practices is a cause for concern. Secondly, the VPN is quite slow when compared to alternatives like ExpressVPN or Surfshark.

With CyberGhost, you get all the features you might expect from a premium VPN: strong encryption, ‘No Logging’ policy, secure tunneling protocols, permission to Torrent, lack of DNS leaks, dedicated servers for unblocking Netflix and more.

While it definitely looks good on paper, does it really deliver? Read on to find out as we address the pros and cons of using CyberGhost as your VPN service.