VPN is an integral component of any small business’s technology strategy, helping connect remote locations, secure employee work-from-home access, and prevent data loss.
OpenVPN is one of the most sought-after VPN protocols, and for good reason: Its industrial strength security features come equipped with 256-bit encryption technology, making it suitable for working across a variety of network configurations.
Security
OpenVPN stands out as an extremely secure VPN due to its multiple security features. Its 256-bit encryption will keep your data protected from most cyber attackers, and can even be upgraded for even stronger ciphers. In addition, OpenVPN uses SSL/TLS technology – similar to HTTPS websites – to create an encrypted tunnel that protects your data, so that it appears like normal web traffic and passes undetected by firewalls.
The protocol also supports various authentication methods, allowing you to choose how you connect with your host server. Options include pre-shared keys, certificates or simply using username/password authentication. Plugins provide extra layers of security such as installing PAM plugins which require authentication through Duo or another two-factor authentication service.
Due to its open-source nature, the protocol has inspired an active community of developers to contribute and test its code. If any software defects are ever discovered quickly patched out. Furthermore, the community constantly analyzes itself for security weaknesses so you can trust that any weaknesses will be reviewed regularly to strengthen overall security. Furthermore, its adaptability means it is compatible with many devices and network architectures alike.
Speed
OpenVPN is an excellent VPN option due to its speed and security. The protocol utilizes multiple layers of encryption to protect data from hackers while compression can help reduce network bandwidth consumption. Furthermore, OpenVPN supports TLS/HMAC protocols for authentication/message verification capabilities.
OpenVPN can also be configured to automatically switch between TCP and UDP protocols depending on your connection speed. TCP offers greater reliability by checking data packets before delivery – however it’s slower than UDP.
If your internet speeds don’t match expectations, try tweaking some settings. First, run a speed test without VPN to establish a baseline performance; then connect to VPN and repeat speed test for an accurate picture of actual speeds.
If you can’t increase your internet speed, switching to a faster router or using a less congested wifi band (such as 5GHz). Also try switching VPN services that offer only essential protocols, like OpenVPN; sometimes these services may be twice, three or even four times faster compared to OpenVPN while offering less security; community servers provide geo-restricted content while streaming but don’t ensure reliability or privacy of their connection.
Reliability
OpenVPN runs as a user-space daemon, meaning its code cannot be altered directly in the kernel. This enables convenient porting across operating systems like Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD/NetBSD/Mac OSX/Windows 2000/XP (and later).
Utilizing various encryption ciphers – such as the robust 256-bit AES cipher – it protects sensitive information from being exposed by hackers and can even be enhanced with additional ciphers to suit individual user needs.
Perfect Forward Secrecy, another security feature, works by periodically shredding and replacing encryption keys after each session is over, meaning if they become compromised attackers only gain access to small bits of information that are harder to decode than ever. In addition, OVPN automatically rotates encryption keys every 45-75 minutes so your data remains secure at all times.
OpenVPN also utilizes Secure Sockets Layer/ Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS), used by websites to secure their connections between themselves and visitors, to confirm you’re connecting to an official server, create and distribute new encryption keys to protect data for each session, and confirm that nothing was altered during its journey to or from the VPN server – making OpenVPN one of the most reliable protocols available today.
Apps
OpenVPN apps work across almost every device, such as desktops and laptops, smartphones, tablets and routers. Most VPN providers provide mobile apps for Android and iOS; some such as PIA even offer full Linux apps (see our review for more info).
OpenVPN software supports both User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) transport protocols, making use of OpenSSL as an open-source cryptography library to create secure tunnels with data encrypted with 256-bit ciphers that are nearly impossible for cyber attackers to read or crack even with high performance computers.
OpenVPN also features Perfect Forward Secrecy technology, making it difficult for any hacker to gain access to your information if they gain entry to one of your servers. This makes your information harder for thieves and attackers alike to steal.
OpenVPN stands out as an alternative VPN protocol because it’s open and free, enabling individuals and small companies to test its code themselves without trusting VPN providers not to spy on your online activities. In addition, audit and improvement processes are made much simpler; users also benefit from easy integration into other software applications as they protect their online privacy online with more options to protect it – from individual workstations connecting to company networks all the way up to enterprise-wide security systems with SSL/TLS and IPSec ESP protocols for tunnel transport plus flexible authentication options that enable protection online.