A decade ago, a VPN would give you encrypted access to the internet, but it would be plagued with problems. It would probably be pretty expensive, too.

Things have changed considerably in the past decade. VPNs are more secure, easier to access, and have more uses than ever before.

Here are 10 ways VPN providers have improved over the years with new features and services.

1. Logless Servers Anonymize Activity

The most important thing about VPNs is that they keep your internet activity private. That’s why they’re called VPNs: “virtual private networks.”

A standard server will record everything in logs. Connection activity, user logons, internet logs of sites visited, etc. Your own computer does it, too.

Clearly this is a problem for VPNs which is why they claim to be logless. In most cases, these claims can be backed up by independent audits.

A few years ago, logless VPN claims where either ethereal or plain inaccurate. Fast-forward to 2023 and most VPNs are either logless, aren’t registered in countries where the logs are subject to subpoena, or both.

2. Improved Encryption Avoids Observation

RAM in a server motherboard

When third-party VPNs first launched, encryption was not as advanced as it is now.

Go back 10 years, and a typical VPN would offer 128-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption. This is virtually impossible to hack with current technology. However, with the expectation that quantum computers and other techniques might be able to undo 128-bit encryption, VPNs have ramped things up.

These days, 256-bit AES encryption is used as standard. Our guide to 256-bit encryption explains just how secure this is.

3. Diskless Servers Make VPNs Secure

Servers routing VPN access have been made faster and more secure by removing the disk drive. With no hard disk drive or solid-state drive, the servers are less prone to performance issues.

More importantly in the case of privacy, diskless VPN servers don’t retain logs. Where an HDD or SSD could be checked for records of internet access, a diskless server doesn’t retain any information beyond a reboot.

In a traditional server, the operating system is loaded from a local storage device, the HDD or SSD. With diskless servers, the OS loads from a central server straight into RAM.

As with your computer, any information stored in RAM is gone when the server is restarted. NordVPN was the first VPN to adopt diskless servers, with other big names soon following suit.

4. DNS Leak Protection Enhances Privacy

Various VPN leaks can impact your online privacy when using encryption. This was once a massive problem for VPN services, with IP address and DNS server information flowing through the internet without encryption.

In theory, your location could be matched to the websites you visited.

With things like internet kill-switches and full data encryption via the VPN client, DNS leak and IP address leak are no longer a concern for VPN users.

5. Private DNS Enhances VPN Privacy

A VPN on a Macbook

Expanding on the previous point, DNS (a sort of website look-up system) remains a weakness to online privacy. Our guide to Domain Name Servers explains how they work.

In short, your computer connects to websites via a DNS. Some online providers offer fast DNS—Google, for example—but these aren’t private.

Some VPN providers now offer “private DNS” which will likely become the norm for DNS. Rather than your search data, IP address, destination website data, etc., being openly recorded, your activity via the private DNS is encrypted.

6. VPNs Are More Affordable

You can sign up to a VPN for a very low price if you’re willing to pay an annual subscription. For example, a $10 monthly subscription can be as low as $3 if you’re able to pay up-front.

Just a few years ago, this was unheard of, with VPN services charging far higher subscriptions with no huge discounts or free months. At this stage, a VPN is so affordable—literally as low as a cup of coffee—that it makes sense to have one

And if you can’t afford a VPN, you can probably sign up to a free VPN. It will have fewer features, but will still give you encrypted internet access.

ExpressVPN offers 3 months free to MakeUseOf readers when signing up with this link.

7. Split Tunneling Lets You Choose What Is Encrypted

Not everything needs to be encrypted, even when you’re using a VPN.

Previously, you would need to disconnect your VPN to access a particular website (perhaps an online bank, or some region-locked content), then reconnect when that task was completed.

With split-tunneling, there is no need for manual disconnection and reconnection. You can simply specify what apps connect to the internet via the VPN, and which ones do not.

Here’s how to understand when to use split tunneling.

8. VPNs Allow Access to Overseas Netflix Libraries

muo-security-vpn-on-smart-tv-connected-netflix

Before the push for WFH (work from home) the main use people had for VPNs beyond online privacy was for video streaming.

Initially, overseas Netflix libraries were desirable, but this soon spread to Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and others.

Because these services are region-locked, it isn’t straightforward to access them from a different country. For example, US-based users cannot watch BBC TV via iPlayer, and UK residents can’t access the Netflix US library.

Not under normal circumstances, at least.

But by connecting to a VPN server in the appropriate country before accessing your streaming account, you can view overseas libraries and even stream them.

Note that some VPNs are better at this than others. A cat-and-mouse game between VPN providers and streaming services has been ongoing for some years. However, this is a resource-intensive practice, so if you’re interested in watching Netflix in this way, use a VPN that specifically offers access.

9. Ramp Up the Privacy With a Double VPN

Once upon a time, your data was only encrypted once. More recently, VPN services have begun double-encrypting your data.

This works by routing your data through two linked servers, essentially creating a chain of encryption.

In most cases, this is overkill. You wouldn’t use double VPN for online shopping, and it might prove impractical for Netflix. However, if you’re conducting sensitive research or want to avoid government surveillance, enabling double VPN is a good idea.

Learn more in our guide to double VPNs.

10. A VPN on Every Device

When VPNs first became prominent, you were restricted to using a Windows (or if you were lucky, Mac) client. Over time, this has changed, with Android and iPhone clients for most VPN services.

In fact, that's just the beginning. Many VPNs also support TV boxes, smart TVs, Linux, and routers. Meanwhile, for game consoles that typically don't support the use of VPN clients, there is smart DNS.

In short, if you take a subscription with a VPN provider, you can use it on almost any connected device you own. In many cases, you can use multiple devices at once.

VPNs Are Always Evolving to Enhance Your Privacy

They’ve been around a few years now, and it seems VPNs are here to stay. The range of privacy and encryption features continues to grow, from doubling encryption to kill switches, Netflix access, private DNS, and much more.

If you’re concerned about online privacy, and aren’t already using a VPN, now is the time to sign up. Just be sure to embrace the encryption features, and use your VPN safely.