Secure VPN Review

Introduction

In this secure VPN review, we will analyze the encryption and protocols used by Atlas VPN, as well as its security features. Atlas VPN is a popular VPN service that claims to provide strong encryption and protect sensitive user data. We will examine its encryption methods, VPN protocols, kill switch functionality, leak tests, server security, MultiHop+ feature, SafeSwap servers, and missing security features.

Encryption Using ChaCha20 Cipher

When connecting to an Atlas VPN server, your traffic is encrypted using the ChaCha20 cipher. This encryption method is considered virtually unbreakable and is used by most VPNs on the market. You can trust it with your most sensitive data.

We tested Atlas VPN’s encryption using Wireshark, a packet-sniffing tool. In all our tests, Atlas VPN fully encrypted our web traffic, as shown in the screenshot below. No data was readable in plain text.

VPN Protocols: IKEv2 and WireGuard

Atlas VPN’s protocol choice is slightly limited. By default, all its apps use the IKEv2 protocol. However, we strongly recommend manually changing the protocol to WireGuard. WireGuard is considered safer, faster, and uses less data compared to IKEv2.

It would be ideal to see Atlas VPN drop support for IKEv2 entirely and replace it with OpenVPN, which is widely regarded as a secure and reliable protocol.

Kill Switch Functionality

Atlas VPN includes a kill switch feature, which disconnects your device from the internet if your VPN connection drops for any reason. This prevents your true IP address from leaking.

The kill switch is enabled by default on all Atlas VPN apps, including iOS. This is a notable feature, as very few VPNs offer a kill switch on iPhone and iPad. We appreciate that Atlas VPN has made the effort to ensure consistent functionality across platforms.

While you can disable the kill switch in the ‘App settings’ section of the Settings menu, we strongly recommend leaving it turned on for enhanced security.

To test the effectiveness of Atlas VPN’s kill switch, we deliberately dropped our VPN connection while running a kill switch testing tool. In each instance, Atlas VPN successfully blocked our internet traffic, and no data was sent outside the VPN tunnel.

Leak Tests: IP, DNS, and WebRTC

We conducted IP, DNS, and WebRTC leak tests on Atlas VPN, and it passed all of them. None of our personal information was leaked during these tests.

As shown in the screenshot below, our true network details in the UK were not visible in any of the tests.

We were particularly impressed to see that Atlas VPN provides an IPv6 address. This feature is also available in Mullvad VPN, making it a rare offering among VPN services.

Most other VPNs attempt to block IPv6 connections, which can pose privacy concerns. For example, Surfshark VPN sometimes leaked our real IPv6 address due to its faulty blocking technology.

Server Security: Rented from Unvetted Third Parties

All 1,000 of Atlas VPN’s servers are rented from a third party. When we contacted Atlas VPN, they confirmed that they do not undergo a vetting process for each server provider, which raises some security concerns.

Atlas VPN claims to implement its own security measures on each rented server, but they did not disclose specific details about these measures.

What is worrisome is that Atlas VPN’s servers are not diskless. This means that in theory, information could be stored and extracted from a compromised VPN server.

Considering that Atlas VPN has been acquired by Nord Security, we hope they will adopt some of NordVPN’s server security practices. NordVPN operates colocated servers and diskless servers, which significantly reduce the risk to user data posed by an untrustworthy third-party server provider.

MultiHop+ Feature: Double Encryption

Atlas VPN’s paid subscriptions include a multi-hop feature called MultiHop+. This feature routes your internet traffic through two different VPN servers, providing an extra layer of security. Regular VPN connections only use a single server.

You can find MultiHop+ servers in the Privacy Pro tab of the app. However, there are only two options available: Europe and North America.

One limitation of MultiHop+ is that you cannot choose a specific country for the multi-hop server. When selecting ‘Europe’, we were assigned a different country IP address each time. This makes MultiHop+ less suitable for bypassing internet geo-restrictions, as you cannot select the destination of your exit server. Other VPN providers, like Surfshark, offer the ability to choose the server location and often have faster speeds than Atlas VPN.

However, unlike some other Double VPN features we have tested, MultiHop+ encrypts your traffic at both VPN servers. Some VPNs, such as ProtonVPN, only encrypt traffic at the final server.

While double encryption is not necessary, it does provide a slight improvement in security. It is worth noting that Atlas VPN does not advertise this double encryption feature on its website. We discovered it through our own encryption tests using Wireshark.

SafeSwap Servers: Rotating IP Addresses

Atlas VPN offers a feature called SafeSwap servers to its paying subscribers. Unlike traditional VPN servers, which assign a static IP address until you disconnect, SafeSwap servers rotate your IP address as you browse the internet.

SafeSwap servers are available in the US, the Netherlands, and Singapore.

Atlas VPN claims that this feature makes it more difficult for snoopers, authorities, ISPs, and advertisers to spy on your online activity. However, it does not make a significant difference to snoopers, authorities, or ISPs, as your data is already hidden from these parties when using a VPN.

It also has minimal impact on advertising tracking, as your IP address gets refreshed each time you connect to a traditional VPN server.

While Atlas VPN claims that SafeSwap is “one-of-a-kind,” similar features can be found in other VPN services. For example, HMA VPN offers an IP Shuffle feature that allows users to get a new IP address with a click of a button. The only difference with SafeSwap is that it happens in real-time.

In practice, SafeSwap ends up being more of a gimmick and does not provide a significant improvement for privacy. Instead, we would prefer to see Atlas VPN focus on implementing other essential security features, such as Tor over VPN, diskless VPN servers, and split tunneling.

Missing Security Features

One of the key drawbacks of Atlas VPN is the lack of advanced security features that are commonly found in premium VPN services. Here are some features we believe Atlas VPN should add in future updates:

1. Tor over VPN: This feature would allow users to quickly and easily access the Tor network through the VPN.

2. Diskless VPN servers: Implementing diskless servers would ensure that user data cannot be extracted from a compromised VPN server.

3. Split tunneling: This feature would allow users to encrypt sensitive internet traffic while maintaining compatibility with local streaming sites and online banking. Currently, only the Android app supports this feature.

Atlas VPN has room for improvement in terms of its technical features. To compete with top VPN services, it needs to implement these missing security features.

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In conclusion, Atlas VPN provides strong encryption using the ChaCha20 cipher and successfully encrypts all web traffic, as verified through Wireshark tests. It offers a kill switch feature that prevents IP address leaks, and it passed our IP, DNS, and WebRTC leak tests without any personal information being exposed. However, there are some areas for improvement, such as server security and the addition of advanced security features. Overall, Atlas VPN is a decent VPN service, but it has some catching up to do to compete with the top VPN providers in terms of security and advanced features.

Note: This review is based on the information available at the time of writing and is subject to change as Atlas VPN updates its features and protocols.