Today we’re checking out how to help protect your privacy.

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If you’ve been following for any length of time you probably don’t need to be reminded of the fact that we tend to think privacy is a big deal and something worth protecting. However, as we well know, to do this successfully we’ll often need plenty of tools and software to help bring it all together. And while there are plenty of free tools to help you along the way, often companies use you as leverage, drawing you in with the freebie and hoping you’ll be enticed to open your wallet to spend some money on their latest product.

While some things are worth paying for, sometimes an all-in-one solution is one of the best ways to go for efficiency and productivity purposes. Today, we’ll be taking a look at one of those all-in-one packages and seeing what we get for our money as well as how it might improve our security. In fact, this company is one of our favourites, so today, we’re happy to do some shilling to help you get your security upgrade started. Let’s go!

Proton Who???

Coming from a humble beginning in Europe, Proton has grown to be one of the world's renowned privacy-focused companies and is a trusted name to many of us who spend a bunch of time in the cyber & information security domains.

Started in 2014 by a bunch of CERN members, Proton came from a vision that placed a value on both data and privacy. With its founding principles placing a value on privacy, open-source software and emphasizing support to its customers, Proton aimed to recapture the privacy-focused crowd by providing useful and usable tools at a reasonable price.

Interestingly enough, in the early days, the focus on these issues nearly cost Proton their business entirely. After establishing their core business, PayPal placed a hold on an account that contained a large amount of the Proton financial safety net. While the funds would eventually be unfrozen, this decision would affect Proton more than many would realise, influencing decisions made over the long term.

It was so influential that eventually, Proton would release its own self-custody cryptocurrency wallet and even today, Proton still holds part of its reserves as cryptocurrency, isolating some of its finances from traditional payment providers.

The Tools

Starting with “just” a VPN, the Proton suite would eventually expand to include a large array of privacy-focused tools for nearly everything you could possibly need. This includes an encrypted Proton drive, encrypted email, a password manager that's capable of both generating aliases and passwords, VPN servers across the globe and the most recent release provided its customers with a secure Bitcoin wallet, enabling people to self-custody their own BTC and transact with minimal fuss.

While there are plenty of other VPN providers worth supporting, there aren’t too many that are willing to provide the array of tools that are available through the Proton suite. Even the free accounts provide a significant security upgrade to those willing to make the change.


Proton has made it ridiculously easy to get started as well. So easy in fact, that Android users won’t even need to sign up for an account to use it, as the ProtonVPN app allows Android users to access VPN servers as guests.

There are also apps and software packages provided for pretty much any platform you care to think of. Mac, Windows, Linux or Android, Proton has the tools you need to get started quickly and easily.


If you’re going all in and are planning on using all of the available packages, you’ll find browser extensions that allow you to get started quickly and easily. VPN servers are available worldwide meaning you can have your privacy without sacrificing the speed of your connection.


One of the great things about Proton is that while they take care of their paid customers, free account holders aren’t forgotten either. The free VPN will give you a choice of servers in up to 4 different countries, while Proton Mail will give you encrypted email (under certain conditions) at no cost.

It’s also worth mentioning that while Proton will comply with requests from global law enforcement agencies, their no-logs policy will often mean that minimal information is usually obtained. While we wouldn’t be encouraging people to break the law, a no-logs policy can be a good indication of the attitude a company might have towards their user’s privacy.

Why Upgrade?

Even if you have little interest in protecting privacy a privacy reboot is still worth considering for a number of reasons. Firstly, many people will find a VPN advantageous, despite the penalty that’s often incurred with connection speeds.

However, one of the best reasons to upgrade isn’t the VPN or email package at all. It’s the free access to Proton Pass that most will find useful.


In a world full of breach data and poor security, Pass makes it quick and easy to stay on top of your password management. Sporting a fully featured password generator, email alias tool and live monitoring, Pass makes protecting your privacy during signups ridiculously easy and this feature alone makes a Proton account worth signing up for.

While none of these features are revolutionary in a single app, when paired with the rest of the Proton services, it provides a significant upgrade to the average internet user's security. One that integrates easily and is so user-friendly that you don’t have to be an infosec pro to configure and use it.

Final Words

It’s fair to say that even five years ago, carrying out a privacy upgrade was a laborious task that would often even make experienced folk shudder. However, it’s also fair to say that with regard to this, we’ve come a long way in a short period of time. Now, it doesn’t have to be hard and it certainly shouldn’t be intimidating.

The reason this has changed is that providers like Proton have taken the time to make suites of tools that enable everyone to dig as deep as they need. Use one or use them all, the choice is entirely yours.

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