Best VPNs for MacBook Users

The best VPN for your MacBook will help protect your browsing experience, internet privacy, and work around geolocation restrictions and censorship.

The MacBook is an iconic laptop. When in a coffee shop, the MacBook stands out because of its distinctive design.

The 3 Best VPNs for your Macbook

For MacBook users, there is comfort in knowing that succeeding MacBook releases almost look like their old Macbooks. The core of the MacBook is the operating system. Mac OS X is one of the most secure operating systems around. It also happens to be very fast in connecting to the internet.

There are several reasons for the security of the MacBook, and OS X in general. There are very few viruses aimed at the OS X, mainly because it is based on Unix. Unix was designed to be a multitasking and multiuser operating system.

Unix does not allow for access to the operating system kernel without an administrative password. Another reason that malware makers don’t pursue Mac is that it does not have the same large user base as Windows. It has only about 10-13% share of the desktop and laptop installed base, compared to more than 80% market share for Windows.

Considering how hard it is to make malware for a given operating system, and the slim chance that a Mac user will click on malware to install it, malware makers are seldom made for the Mac. Because there are so few malware threats, Mac users seldom install anti-virus programs.

Recommended VPNs for MacBook Users

The biggest threat to Mac users is not malware attacks but securing their system against possible snooping via unsecured public networks. Even though the system is secure from external attacks, the communications between a MacBook and the outside world is open for snooping.

There is a false sense of security that the MacBook is secure from prying eyes just because it is a secure system. The truth is that once data leaves the MacBook and goes out to the internet, the data is as vulnerable as it is for any other operating system.

When using public internet, the MacBook is like any other computer and the data is open for eavesdropping. MacBook users need to understand that the threat to security and privacy is real and it is not only limited to hackers. Internet information can be mined for personal information. This can be used for identity theft which goes beyond the use of credit cards.

Unencrypted data can also be used by ISPs for possible reporting to government agencies. VPNs help secure against this threat by encrypting the information and rendering it unreadable on the public internet. Additionally, it can also mask the location of the user. Connecting to a VPN server allows the user to make use of the server’s IP address, instead of the address provided by the public WiFi router.

A VPN service keeps your internet browsing private. It encrypts the data coming out of your computer and is decrypted at the end of the VPN tunnel by the server, where it then enters the web. The encrypted data is protected from any unauthorized snooping over WiFi or public internet.

Privacy is a concern in the modern world. In its quest to fight terrorism, the “Five Eyes” was formed. This is a group of countries composed of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, signed a treaty for coordinated signals intelligence. These countries agreed that they would pool their resources and spy on text messages and internet traffic. The agreement to snoop on internet traffic puts the privacy of citizens at risk.

It is not only the government that is interested in your data. Hackers can also harvest information using public unencrypted WiFi. They can mine personal information and can lead to identity theft. The threat to security can be prevented with the use of a VPN. It is important to use the best VPN to ensure internet privacy and personal security. Internet trackers also exist to profile the user and provide more information for online marketing.

NordVPN

NordVPN is highly rated by its users and by technical publications.

Based out of Panama, NordVPN is out of reach of the “Five Eyes” countries. Any MacBook user should consider this for their VPN service.

MacBook users should consider NordVPN for the following reasons:

A large number of Servers: NordVPN has 5,500 servers located in more than 59 countries. This spread of servers helps improve user privacy.

• No Logs: Panama is another country beyond the reach of the “Five Eyes” countries. Both the United States and Canada cannot request for user records from Panama ISPs.
• Adblocking: This is a feature included in NordVPN. This feature prevents ads from downloading to the computer. Malicious ads are prevented from entering the MacBook. In addition, without the ads, downloads would go faster.
• Quick Location Switch: NordVPN allows for a quick transfer from one server to another with the click of a button. Additional privacy is secured considering there are more than 5,000 servers to choose from.
• Double Encryption: The VPN service has an inherent redundant feature. It uses two consecutive VPN servers using military grade AES-256-CBC securely encrypting the data twice.

NordVPN is easy to use, and the service allows up to six connected devices at the same time. There are also no bandwidth restrictions.

Overal Rating: 98.6

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ExpressVPN

In terms of privacy, ExpressVPN is one of the best, if not the best VPN options for MacBook users.

In addition, it has Chrome and Firefox extensions and offers very fast internet speeds to its users.

The speed is impressive and it has been tested plenty of times.

It is based in the British Virgin Islands, and it has a privacy statement that ensures that foreign governments cannot access user records.

If you have a MacBook, ExpressVPN offers other advantages including:

• Top Notch Security: ExpressVPN uses OpenVPN with 4098-bit SHA-512 RSA certificates. It also uses AES-256-CBC to ensure data integrity and prevent data alteration. This ensures that even with a compromised internet connection, the data would still be secure because they could not be decrypted.
• No logs: ExpressVPN does not need to keep logs, because the British Virgin Islands has no laws, rules or regulations pertaining to data retention.
• Easy to Use: The MacBook is VPN ready and has allowed for quick and easy installation of VPN services. Using ExpressVPN makes configuration even easier.
• ExpressVPN is affordable, costing only $6.67 per month: It is easy to use, with a fast internet connection, and it is security conscious. Since it does not maintain logs, users are assured that they have internet services that are secure from snooping.

Overal Rating: 97.8

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CyberGhost VPN

Based in Bucharest, Romania, CyberGhost VPN is one of the most trusted VPN services in the world.

Worldwide servers: It has more than 3,600 VPN servers all over the world.

It is a competitive alternative to other VPNs for the MacBook:

• Speed: It offers unlimited bandwidth and traffic at the highest possible speed.
• Military grade encryption: It uses 256-bit AES encryption.
• Runs OpenVPN and simultaneous connections: Along with OpenVPN, it can also run on L2TP-IPsec and PPTP protocols. It is easily configurable on the MacBook and allows up to 7 simultaneous connections.
• Support: It is affordable and provides chat and email support.
• No logging: It is based in Romania, where the United States cannot request for its logs.
• Kill Switch: It prevents automatically connecting to the public internet when the VPN connection goes down.
• It is easy to install and configure on the MacBook: It also runs smoothly on other devices using native apps. The apps are configured to be optimized for the operating system. MacBook users normally have plenty of devices connecting to the internet and this CyberGhost VPN allows up to 7 to connect at the same time.

Overal Rating: 95.1

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How to choose a VPN for the MacBook

The hallmark of the MacBook is the ease of use. Consumers who have used the MacBook swear that they would not use any other operating system other than the OS X, for its sensibility, user-friendliness, and ease of use. It just works immediately out of the box.

Most MacBook users appreciate that apps should also work that way. The apps do not need long install times and hard to configure screens. The MacBook interface to allow VPN use is also straightforward.

For VPNs to endear themselves to these users, the VPN client has to be easy to install, it should have a quick response time and an automatic kill switch. Most characteristics for a VPN client for the MacBook also happen to be the same for the best VPNs for torrenting.

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  Kill Switch

  The MacBook is one of the quickest computers when it comes to connecting to the internet. If a WiFi connection fails, it automatically tries to connect to other connections. You walk into a room, and it quickly connects to the available internet without the need for human intervention. When that connection fails, it connects to the next one without prompting.

  You would never know that you had a cut connection because it connects to alternatives effortlessly. When the connection to the VPN server is severed, you would not notice it because the MacBook would be quick to transfer to the public internet connection.

  To prevent that, the VPN used must have a kill switch that would cut the internet connection to prevent broadcasting to the internet without encryption.

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  Multiple Concurrent Devices

  For further security, the VPN service has to provide multiple options for connecting to the internet. The VPN has to have thousands of servers spread across the globe. This provides an added layer of security as it masks the IP address.

  Web servers and trackers would only see the IP address of the VPN server. A user would typically use only one VPN server. however, with thousands to choose from the MacBook user would be able to jump from one to the other choosing servers at random. This effectively prevents any user routine.

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  Support for Different Devices

  Support for multiple operating systems is also necessary. Windows is the most popular operating system for desktops and laptops but almost 13% of all computers run Apple OS X, like the MacBook.

  In terms of the total number of devices, there are more Android devices than any other operating system. Apple iOS also has a large following. Other operating systems that have a sizable number of users include Linux, BSD, Symbian, and Windows Phone.

  A VPN server should have native support or VPN apps for these operating systems. In addition, there should also be support for internet browser extensions.

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  Ease of Use

  VPN services have to be simple to use. Macbooks have made it easy to use VPNs with their network configuration. The VPN app should be just as simple to use. It should also be easy to transfer between one server to another and to choose between different locations. This allows users to be able to use the VPN more and to worry about it less.

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  Internet Speed

  The common complaint about VPN services is that it slows down internet access. Supposedly, this is due to the additional server which sends the internet requests on behalf of the VPN client. With the use of hardware solutions and numerous servers, VPN services no longer encounter this problem.

  However, there are VPN services which are faster than others. The above VPN services are a prime example. The 3 best VPNs for the MacBook all provide fast internet access.

Advantages of a VPN

A VPN provides the user plenty of security advantages. It all boils down to keeping your data and communications private, as well as freely accessing the internet.

• Team and Cloud Collaboration

  There are a lot of people who have not yet embraced the cloud. At the same time, internet and cloud collaboration is widely used by companies and organizations worldwide.

  These trust issues may or may not be warranted, but a VPN can help secure online collaboration. Collaboration ranges from groupware to group chat. Group members can all use a VPN to keep their work secure.

• Torrenting

  Copyright owners are wary of the use of torrents in illegally downloading media. ISPs can throttle torrenting activities to penalize users, or they can cooperate with copyright trolls and have torrent users arrested.

  It is necessary to protect your torrenting activities with the use of a VPN. This serves to mask the data going to your IP address, at the same time, copyright trolls can only get the IP address of the VPN server. Your private activity remains private.

• Private Chat

  Not all chat and VoIP applications use encryption. Without encryption, the data going through the net is sent in the clear. With the right tools, anyone can read the chat, as well as eavesdrop on the voice or video call. VPN services offer privacy on chat and VoIP calls.

• High Level Encryption

  Using a VPN encrypts everything going to and from your computer. This level of security is not available when going directly through the public internet. After installing a VPN client, outgoing data is encrypted and then later decrypted when it gets to the VPN server.

  Once it gets to the VPN server, the data gets mixed with other streams that pass through that particular server. When data is received on the server, it is also encrypted prior to forwarding to your computer. Encryption works to protect your data even in case of a leak because it cannot be deciphered easily.

• Fights Censorship

  Content in some countries are highly curtailed. Government censorship restricts privacy and limits access to the internet. VPN is encrypted and this allows users to bypass censorship. VPN users can access restricted content or websites from other countries.

• Skirt Location Based Restrictions

  There are some sites that only allow access if the browser is from the same location. Alternatively, a site would restrict access if the user comes from a certain location or locations. This restriction is most common with gaming, gambling, and streaming sites.

  A VPN would skirt this restriction, with the streaming server sending data to the VPN located in the same country. This allows the VPN client to watch these location-restricted videos.

Conclusion

Internet security is a concern for everyone, even if you are using a MacBook. The MacBook is a secure device, but when it gets connected to the internet it is only as secure as the connection. A VPN service for the MacBook adds more security for browsing.