CyberGhost Review
CyberGhost VPN Review – Best VPN for Safe Access
Short Information | |
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Number of servers | 5700+ |
Server locations | 112 |
Maximum devices supported | 7 |
Logs | No Logs |
Support | 24/7 Live Chat |
Supported Client Software | Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows |
Block Ads | Yes |
The VPN offers Internet users an affordable, fast and easy way to use the Internet without having to reveal their true identity and location. In addition to allowing them to change location, the service is designed to encrypt the user’s data, ensuring that content remains unknown. Today, many of them offer these services on the market.
Most often, they give themselves various names in order to impress their potential buyers. CyberGhost VPN is one of those VPNs on the market that promises great value to its many users worldwide. The question is whether this service is worth the price we give it. Well, we will discuss all of this and detail other essential features that you will find either awful or fascinating.
Based in Bucharest, Romania, CyberGhost is the developer of a brand of VPN products. The company, founded in 2004, focuses on online privacy and security. It is essentially a creation of Robert Knapp. In 2015, the company began working with other companies in the industry to develop privacy techniques. Later, in 2017, Kape Technologies PLC acquired the VNP software developer.
Today, it has moved its development base from Romania to Germany. And it has more than 30 million users worldwide. The company believes that it has a responsibility to defend human rights. Hence the development and sale of a service that provides free access to the Internet.
It will later launch version 7 of the CyberGhost software, which runs on all established operating systems (to be discussed shortly). Today, Kape Technologies PLC has embarked on the development of products and services based on blockchains.
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Key Features of CyberGhost VPN
One of the factors that make CyberGhost VPN unique is that it has many additional features. Basically, it has a dedicated IP address, a shutdown switch and 7 devices that can be connected at the same time. At the time of writing, the VPN has already deployed 5,700 servers at 112 sites worldwide.
Its main operational bases are the United States, the EU zone, Asia and the United Kingdom. As far as Asia is concerned, CyberGhost appears to have a strong footprint around Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. It is interesting to note that the company manages and operates its domain name servers, making them inaccessible to regional censors.
Server Network
CyberGhost has more than 5700 servers worldwide, making it the world’s first VPN with the largest server coverage. In the United States alone, it has more than 1142 servers. Guess what, some VPNs don’t even have that number of VPNs. The United States has more CyberGhost servers than any other country in the world.
In North America, CyberGhost has 259 servers in Canada and 24 in Mexico. A look at South America shows that this VPN based in Romania also has a strong footprint on the continent. For example, Brazil has 26 servers on its territory. Venezuela and Panama each host 72 servers.
On the other hand, Europe has the highest distribution of CyberGhost servers per continent. Apparently, this is a tradition. An overview of the server network on the continent shows that Germany has 660 servers, the United Kingdom 480, France 440, Switzerland 150, Romania 59 and Poland 60. This VPN has servers in all major European countries. Similarly, Asia and the Middle East are not to be outdone.
An overview of the distribution of CyberGhost servers shows that Hong Kong SAR (China) has 106 servers, while the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have 72 each. Finally, sub-Saharan Africa is fully covered by the CyberGhost network, with Nigeria leading the way with 72 servers. It should be noted that CyberGhost is one of the few VPN providers to have a strong presence in Africa with a significant number of servers deployed in sub-Saharan Africa.
You may wonder why it is crucial for a VPN provider to have a large deployment of servers when they can actually connect to one country from the server located in another – thanks to virtual servers. You see, a VPN provider with a large server deployment offers better services than one without one. The reasoning is that a service provider with a wide distribution of servers will experience less congestion around its servers.
This implies that a provider that boasts more servers will have better speed because the bandwidth will not be shared. In addition, a VPN provider with only a few servers may have to limit the number of users to satisfy everyone. There is another reason for this.
You know, your actual location will always affect your speed every time you access a VPN server. Of course, the closer you are to a VPN server, the better the speed of your network. That’s why it’s commendable to see CyberGhost making efforts to extend its server coverage everywhere.
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Security and Privacy
One of the main reasons people subscribe to a VPN is to increase the security of their online activities. Let’s take a look at the measures that this VPN has put in place to ensure that users get real value for their hard-earned money.
- Kill Switch
You probably know that the Kill Switch is a feature that allows users to stop their traffic as soon as they sense that something is wrong with the VPN. In other words, it ensures that data doesn’t leak out every time the VPN shuts down abruptly. If you are using a VPN that is not equipped with an Internet Kill Switch, you are simply making a big mistake.
Yes, all Windows, Android and iOS users benefit from this service. Although all VPN companies promise 100% uptime, you can’t exclude the possibility that a VPN may have a technical problem. That’s why you need a Kill Switch in your VPN to be safe.
- Encryption protocol
Regarding the encryption standard, this VPN offers 256-bit AES encryption. Known as “military-grade encryption”, 256-bit AES encryption is an industry standard because it is difficult to decipher. More importantly, it is the same encryption technology used by the U.S. Secret Service for the dissemination of high-level classified information.
It works with the OpenSSL library of both control and data transmission channels. Note that OpenSSL supports a wide range of algorithms, including 3DES, AES, Blowfish with 128 and 256 bit keys. On the other hand, CyberGhost works with a number of VPN protocols. For example, using OpenVPN, you can connect to CyberGhost using encrypted TLS.
Besides OpenVPN, other VPN protocols available to CyberGhost subscribers include L2TP/IPsec, IPsec and PPTP. You should keep in mind that these protocols have their merits and drawbacks. In general, these VPN protocols allow your intelligent device to communicate effectively with CyberGhost through a secure channel. That being said, OpenVPN is by far the most popular VPN protocol in the industry as it is often the most recommended.
- Split tunneling
Known as the “split-include/exclude” option, CyberGhost’s split tunneling allows you to decide which applications should be routed through VPN and which ones would go through the ISP. By doing so, you get almost two results: increasing your network speed and improving the security of your online footprints. If you choose the Split Exclusion option, you can select the websites you want to use the VPN for and the sites you don’t want to use it for.
On the other hand, the “Split Include” option allows you to select the applications you want to pass through your VPN and those you do not want. You can specify a different server location for each of the applications running on your device.
- Leak protection
This is another measure used in the industry to keep your identity sealed. We have performed two major leak tests. These are WebRTC and IPv6 leak tests. The WebRTC leak test determines whether or not your real IP address is actually being securely routed. On the other hand, IPv6 testing is a process of determining whether IPv6 traffic is exposed to eavesdropping while connected to a VPN.
We have performed these tests on CyberGhost to determine if you are at risk of suffering from any of these leaks. We used relevant web tools to perform these tests. Yes, this VPN passed our tests because the results show that the VPN is not leaking at all. You should try to disable IPv6 connections when you are not using this VPN.
- Ads blocker
If you are surfing the Internet all the time, you will always notice unusual ads appearing from time to time. Basically, some of these could be normal advertisements from companies promoting their goods and services.
The problem is that when you see ads that make promises that are too good to be true, they are not always what they seem to be. Chances are they may be something else. If you’re a regular Internet user, you know that it can be scams, malware, spyware, etc., and it can be something else.
If you click on it by mistake, it will redirect you to a site where the sender’s true intent will be fully executed. But then, you don’t have to worry because CyberGhost blocks all those malicious pop-up windows. You just need to connect to the VPN and then activate the adblocker from the Connection Features. As soon as you do that, you won’t see any more ad bombings.
- Wi-Fi protection
Wi-Fi protection is one of the security features you get when accessing the Internet from the CyberGhost network. It is important that you understand how important it is. You see, at a typical gas station, airport, or hotel, your smartphone can detect free Wi-Fi. More often than not, many users try to access the internet via the hotspot because it is free. Guess what, hackers with criminal tendencies may also be on the network.
You are vulnerable when you share such Wi-Fi with them. That’s because they usually linger on these facilities looking for unsuspecting Internet users to steal from. They scour the network for victims and attack them as soon as they become aware of their vulnerability.
However, here is some good news: CyberGhost asks you if you should activate your Protection once a Wi-Fi connection is detected. In order to keep these cybercriminals away, you need to activate your Wi-Fi protection. This way, you will be able to enjoy an internet connection without having to look over your shoulder.
- TOR compatibility
CyberGhost is without a doubt in the world apart when it comes to VPNs that offer excellent security features. In case you don’t know, TOR stands for “The Onion Router”. Basically, TOR is another network that allows users to access the Internet securely via its encrypted web browser. You can connect CyberGhost and the TOR network to enhance your security when accessing the Internet. To do so, you need to connect to the VPN and then to the TOR browser.
Yes, it is very similar to using this VPN with any other proxy. To route your traffic through both networks, you will have to use CyberGhost on port 443 while you will use TOR on port 9001 or 9050/9051. Remember that the TOR entry will display your CyberGhost IP address.
However, when you use them together, you must first start with CyberGhost and then connect to an anonymity server to keep your information hidden. Then, access the Internet using the TOR browser. At this point, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.
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Logging Policy
Regarding the “no log” policy, many VPNs on the market today are generally considered insufficient. This is because these companies are based in countries that share signal intelligence. Also known as Five Eyes (FVEY), this is an association of five English-speaking countries that have entered into an intelligence-sharing agreement with each other. These countries are Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand.
Despite the barrage of criticism that the international monitoring alliance has attracted worldwide, FVEY remains one of the most formidable alliances in the world. This 5-member organisation spies on activities in their various territories and links their findings to each other.
With regard to this service, potential users may fear that the authorities in these countries will use a court injunction to order cybersecurity companies to disclose user information in their possession. However, many VPN companies do not log data, which allows them to stay ahead of the game.
This Budapest-based VPN is one such VPN service provider that has made it clear in its privacy policy that it does not store connection data of its subscribers. Indeed, this is a plus when it comes to user anonymity and security.
Speed of CyberGhost VPN
Server Location | Download Speed | Upload Speed |
New York | 18 Mbps | 7 Mbps |
Amsterdam | 51 Mbps | 21 Mbps |
London | 5 Mbps | 15 Mbps |
Hong Kong | 4 Mbps | 4 Mbps |
In addition to security, VPN speed is another factor to consider in your ideal VPN. The reasoning is that you need speed to do everything online. From streaming to chatting, audio to video calls, uploading to downloading, all these online activities require good speed to give great results. In keeping with our tradition of always testing VPN speeds, we used servers from 4 different CyberGhost sites. We have compiled our results for you to see. However, we will discuss them briefly.
As always, we started the speed test with the New York server. The server showed poor performance with a download speed of 18 Mbps while the upload speed was 7 Mbps. The truth is that these results are not impressive at all, as you need excellent speed to do a lot of things online.
Given this result, subscribers accessing the World Wide Web from the New York server will experience average speed when downloading files. But the situation is much worse when they download files via the server.
In addition, we performed the same test on the Amsterdam server, leaving the settings intact. Unexpectedly, the Amsterdam server did much better than the New York server, as we recorded a download speed of 51 Mbps download and 21 Mbps upload. To put it bluntly, these results are truly superb as they give users an impressive experience when accessing the Internet from within Europe.
We then moved on to another European city, London. When we tested the speed of the London server, we saw a massive drop in speed. Indeed, this is really usual for a London server. As you can see on the table, we got 5 Mbps and 15 Mbps in download speed and upload speed respectively. There is no doubt that the speeds are anything but great.
Finally, we tested the server in Hong Kong. According to our previous speed tests, the Asian city still has very poor speed performance. Guess what, we were right about the server in Hong Kong. You see, we got an upload and download speed of 4 Mbps each. For some reason, Hong Kong servers don’t always have amazing speeds. And when we tested the CyberGhost server in Hong Kong, it did not disappoint because the results were appalling.
- Speed Summary
Based on our speed results, we can say that CyberGhost doesn’t really have a high speed. From New York to Amsterdam, from London to Hong Kong, CyberGhost has never been impressive. Maybe we should be fair enough to give it to the server in Amsterdam that had the best speed of all. It would have been much easier to deduce that CyberGhost has impressive speed in Europe if the London server had had excellent performance. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
Considering the average speed of the four cities we sampled, the average download speed was 19.5 Mbps while the average upload speed was 11.75 Mbps. Based on these calculations, it is clear that CyberGhost’s speed is simply correct – nothing too bad! But in all honesty, you can still do a lot of fascinating things with these speeds.
That being said, there are some facts you need to understand about the speed of a VPN. The fact is that you will probably see a reduction in speed when you connect the CyberGhost VPN. Well, this is not unique to CyberGhost, as other VPNs experience it as well. In fact, this is quite normal, as VPNs usually slow down the speed of your entire network as soon as a connection is established. However, what makes one VPN better than another is the disparity between the speed before and after the connection.
In other words, the best VPN will have a smaller speed difference, especially if the speeds are great. It’s very important that you keep this in mind so that you are not surprised when you notice it. In conclusion, other factors that can affect the speed of a network are the speed of the source, the location of the user and the processing speed of the computer. Here is our verdict, CyberGhost has fair speeds.
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Customer Service
Customer Service | |
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24-hour support | Yes |
Type of support | Live Chat |
Free trial period | 24-hour |
Money-back guarantee | 45-day |
Here is another criterion to evaluate the performance of a VPN. Indeed, just before subscribing to this VPN service, you must inquire about the efficiency of its customer service. To be clear, you can’t do without the team.
Here’s why: Have you figured out who to talk to when your VPN starts to get out of hand? It probably never crossed your mind before, did it? Anyway, the answer is simply customer service. With the customer service team at its best, you’re sure to interact with knowledgeable agents who will help you overcome the challenges of using a VPN.
The fact is that you may occasionally encounter problems. Of course, you can tell them about your technical problems or questions, and they will immediately suggest solutions. The next question you should ask yourself is: “How fast do they respond? You’ll have to find that out too.
Since service and customer satisfaction are key elements in the use of VPNs, any customer-centric VPN must have a helpful helpdesk. Funnily enough, the majority of VPN providers in the industry claim to have it. While they often claim to have helpful customer support agents, it becomes clear in trials that these are just marketing gimmicks.
To give them the benefit of the doubt, we usually test them to see if the team is effective or not. In doing so, we use certain criteria to do so. These include the following criteria:
- Round-the-clock availability
- Multiple communication channels (email, live chat, contact form, social media, etc.)
- Quick response to messages (questions and complaints).
What becomes interesting is the way we connect him to CyberGhost. Is the team efficient? Let’s find out together. If you look at the chart, you will see the promises this VPN has made to its potential users. Well, we’ve put the team to the test.
The first test was the 24-hour support via live chat. Note that CyberGhost is based in Romania, so we contacted the team around 21:45 (or 23:45 GMT) local time. As the chat ensured it, we asked a few questions, including the money-back guarantee.
We made a note of the time the agent we chatted with answered. Yes, it was about 10 minutes later. His answer to the question was that the VPN company would honour it within 45 days. Although this may seem like a long time, we have to congratulate CyberGhost for implementing this policy. At this point, we did not pursue the chat because we got the information we wanted.
We then questioned the company via email to see if the communication channel was effective. In the email, we praised the team, highlighting their concerted efforts to have their server in every city in the world. Finally, we asked the company to confirm the number of days of their free trial. We received feedback about 7 hours later, appreciating the praise we received.
In addition, the agent responded to our question about the “free trial period”, reiterating that it only lasts 24 hours. No matter how you look at it, 24 hours is not enough time for a potential buyer to decide whether or not to buy this VPN. On the other hand, it is by using this VPN within 24 hours that you get to know the things that matter most to you. There is no doubt that a free 24-hour trial period is better than no trial period at all.
Plus, you’ll appreciate the fact that this VPN responds to messages in 4 different languages. This means that you can use English, French, German and Romanian to contact the team. In addition, you can also learn more about CyberGhost by visiting its FAQ page; this page is known as Privacy Hub. You can read almost everything you need to know about this service. For example, the page contains different installation guides for many different operating systems, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and routers.
Supported Client Software
In a world where many people use different operating systems, it is important that CyberGhost supports a wide range of platforms. Let’s find out which platforms it supports.
- Windows
If you are using the Windows operating system, you have absolutely nothing to worry about because your operating system always takes precedence. This client has a clear and fanciful interface. You will also see features such as connection status, a list of locations and the Connect button. In addition, you will see the right panel with many features built-in.
There is a location selector that displays all available servers. In the Windows client, there is a Connection Features panel that allows you to enable all the privacy features it offers. Some of these privacy features include an effective blocker for advertisements, malicious advertisements, websites and spyware.
You will appreciate the fact that CyberGhost is designed to automatically redirect HTTP connections to HTTPS, adding a layer of security to your online activities. There is also a smart rules panel. When you open this panel, you have impressive control over how the client works. In addition, you will enjoy OpenVPN, IKEv2 and L2TP. You can use it on Windows 7, Windows 10, and everything in between.
- Linux
As a Linux user, the CyberGhost command-line Linux application allows you to enjoy VPN just like those using other operating systems. OpenVPN being at your disposal to configure the client, you will follow a detailed installation guide available on CyberGhost website. It works with Python 3, and you will have to install it as well.
The CLI application allows you to take advantage of a plethora of interesting features. It works with Linux distributions, such as Debian, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.04, Fedora 29 and Fedora 30. In general, the application depends on Python 3, OpenVPN and Sudo to work properly. To make the arguments of the application appear, you need to run the CyberGhost VPN or CyberGhost VPN – help commands. Finally, some of the VPN protocols you get are OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec and PPTP.
- macOS
As a proud user of macOS, you can join the CyberGhost family by downloading the client for your computer. It works with Mac OS X 10.12 (Sierra) and later. The installation guide is simple, and it is available on the CyberGhost website. You do not need any additional system settings to download and install it. Once the client is downloaded, you can turn it on and off using the clearly visible Power button.
You can also use the Best location feature to choose the appropriate server you want to browse. For example, you would choose a dedicated server in the UK to unlock and stream UK sites. Note that there is a timer that starts working immediately when you are logged in. With this client, you’re sure to get maximum security and privacy on your Mac systems.
- Android
One of the advantages of the mobile version of Android is that it is much simpler than the desktop version. If you are the proud owner of an Android device, CyberGhost allows you to access the Internet anonymously, guaranteeing the security of all your activities. You can go to your Google Play store to download and install it.
When you start browsing the application, you’ll notice that it doesn’t display your current wireless network. Unfortunately, this is a situation you’ll have to live with until it’s fixed. However, it lacks some filtering options, which you may consider to be another shortcoming.
However, you do have the favorites list, which allows you to save the places you usually access. Also, you will notice that when you launch the application, it will display your nearest Wi-Fi network, making it easy for you to stay connected at all times. This application has many interesting features. It works well with smartphones and tablets, which work on Jelly Bean, KitKat, Lollipop, Marshmallow, Nougat, Oreo and Pie.
- iOS
iOS users are not left out since this VPN has a client for them. To get started, you’ll need to go to the Apple Store from your mobile device to download the custom application. Once you have it on your mobile device, you can get started by tapping the application icon. Once you’ve made your selection, the application will launch. Find the Best Location and click it to activate the VPN. You will get a list of available servers you can connect to.
However, the CyberGhost for iOS client is designed to automatically connect to the most suitable server if you choose the Best Location as your connection method. Some details will be displayed when you successfully connect to a server. These details include the name of your server and its IP address.
But you don’t have to worry about this because your IP address cannot be tracked. With the iOS client, you also have access to encryption, kill switch, no logs, and protection against DNS leaks. Finally, it works for iOS devices, including iPads and iPhones.
- Router
You can configure your router to work on the CyberGhost network. You can then connect tons of other devices to the router. To get started, you need to access the router’s interface. You need a built-in client, a CyberGhost subscription and a good knowledge of manual router configurations. The VPN protocol that works for this is OpenVPN, and you need some firmware. Firmware includes DD-WRT and Tomato USB.
You can also take advantage of CyberGhost’s pre-installed routers. When you have such routers, you can then connect your Apple TV, Android TV, Kindle/Readers, etc. to the CyberGhost network. In addition, you can connect your game consoles such as Xbox and PlayStation. Some VPNs compatible with CyberGhost include OpenVPN, PPTP and OpenVPN. This ensures that you have top-notch internet security.
Browser Extensions
Does CyberGhost have a browser extension? Yes, it does. Browser extensions allow you to extend your online security to your browser. In principle, extensions are available for Chrome and Firefox users. You access the web using L2TP support with either plugin. Moreover, OpenVPN and PPTP are not available.
To make it work, certain configurations are required. As you already know, the browser proxy encrypts your browser’s traffic, but it does not protect all applications on your smart device. You should also be aware that they are free and that you get unlimited traffic.
Of course, you can easily power the plugins by clicking on the “Power” button. Since these plugins only protect your online activities, you can combine them with your OS client to protect your applications.
These browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox allow you to take advantage of online data encryption, have a hidden IP address, access geoblocked sites, have top-notch Wi-Fi security, keep prying eyes confused all the time, block malicious websites, etc. Note that these plugins do not protect against leaks from your WebRTC. You should try them out!
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Torrenting with CyberGhost VPN
Torrenting consists of downloading files from peer-to-peer (P2P) via the BitTorrent protocol. Over the years, people have been turning to this method of P2P file sharing to take advantage of its exceptional security and support for large files. In some cases, these users download and share files such as music, movies, TV shows, software and other materials without the consent of their rightful owners. This practice does not comply with many international copyright laws.
As a result, content producers are always on the lookout for such infringers in order to fine or prosecute them. Nevertheless, copyright laws vary from country to country. To hide their identity when using torrent sites, trolls use powerful VPNs. It is amusing that VPN companies that provide such shields rarely admit that they support the torrent because it is controversial and sharing copyrighted material without the consent of its rightful owners constitutes intellectual property theft.
Yes, CyberGhost supports the torrent. You can therefore access a torrent site by offering a dedicated torrent profile with countless servers optimized for the torrent. Many servers being fully optimized for the torrent, you can access a torrent by accessing one of these servers. You can also see the number of users using a server. This way you can effortlessly avoid congested servers.
This way, your online downloads will be much faster. Note that CyberGhost has a port forwarding feature, which allows you to easily download files. Just before you launch into the torrent, you should know the position of your local legislation on the torrent. The reason for this is that in some countries, content producers can sue you if you get caught on some torrent sites without using a VPN.
Netflix Access with CyberGhost VPN
In fact, torrent and streaming support are key VPN benefits that potential users are looking for. The reasoning is simple: it is these benefits that have been attracting the global VPN community for many millennia in the first place.
That said, CyberGhost VPN has done its part in unlocking and streaming Netflix US. You see, the VPN continues to change its streaming servers just to thwart the efforts of the US streaming giant to bring it down. As a result, the VPN unlocks and streams Netflix content in a fraction of a second.
While Netflix has successfully blocked CyberGhost servers in the UK and the Netherlands, servers in the US and Canada continue to stream HD movies at breakneck speed. Just like streaming, you can also enjoy torrent and other P2P activities through this VPN.
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CyberGhost VPN Cons
Of course, CyberGhost doesn’t have all the advantages without some disadvantages. We will soon talk about its disadvantages.
- Price
One of the main drawbacks of CyberGhost is its cost. While many subscribers will say that the price is worth it, you must really have some money to throw away before deciding for this VPN. It’s even worse if you opt for its one-month subscription.
- Speed
According to the speed tests we did, its speed is not the best on the market because its performance is below average. It is truly one of the top VPNs on the market. Despite this, CyberGhost still needs to get its head on the speed front.
- Trial version
As we review CyberGhost VPN, its 24-hour trial version is not only short, but it also works for the desktop version only. This means that mobile users of Android and iOS will not benefit from it.
Conclusion About CyberGhost VPN
In conclusion, we’ve reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of this VPN to help you make the connection. There is no denying that there are many VPN products on the market, making it difficult for potential users to make a good choice. Without a doubt, the most important things users are looking for in a VPN are to work optimally in CyberGhost VPN.
These benefits include customer service, security and anonymity, torrent and streaming, support for multiple platforms and connectable devices. On the other hand, its slow speed is something that should worry any user, and its trial version lasts only 24 hours. While these shortcomings are unattractive, the speed is not as bad as one might think. So, what is our professional advice? Well, the CyberGhost VPN is a must!