ETHOSSECUREContact
Featured Solutions

Selected privacy solution

Proton VPN — Digital Privacy for Travelers

An encrypted-connection choice for people who work from hotels, airports and co-working spaces, and who want a provider whose privacy claims can be independently checked.

Visit Proton VPN What it does not protect

ETHOS SECURE evaluates tools based on practical security value, transparency, usability, and suitability for travelers.

Who it is for

  • Frequent international travellers who connect from networks they do not control several times a week.
  • Executives and consultants handling client material from hotels, lounges and conference venues.
  • Remote professionals and long-stay nomads working from apartments, cafés and co-working Wi-Fi.
  • Anyone who wants verifiable claims rather than marketing — audited, open-source apps make that possible.

Why Ethos Secure selected it

Our criteria are deliberately narrow: does the provider limit the data it holds, can its claims be inspected, and does it behave sensibly on the kind of unstable networks travellers actually use? Proton VPN fits those questions well — a stated no-logs policy, open-source clients that have been independently audited, Swiss jurisdiction, and protective defaults such as a kill switch. We have not run laboratory tests and do not publish performance figures; this is an editorial selection based on publicly documented features.

Key security features

Stated no-logs policy

Proton VPN publishes a strict no-logs policy: browsing activity is not recorded or shared. Less data retained means less data that can be requested or leaked.

Open-source, independently audited apps

The applications are open source and have been through independent security audits, so claims can be inspected rather than taken on trust.

Swiss privacy jurisdiction

Proton operates from Switzerland, under Swiss privacy legislation, separate from EU and US frameworks.

NetShield filtering

NetShield blocks ads, trackers and known malicious domains at the DNS level, which reduces background tracking on shared networks.

Kill switch and always-on protection

If the tunnel drops, the kill switch stops traffic from leaving unprotected — important on unstable hotel and airport connections.

Secure Core routing

Secure Core routes traffic through servers in privacy-friendly locations before it exits, adding a layer against network-based observation.

Apps are available for major desktop and mobile platforms, and paid plans support up to 10 devices — enough to cover a phone, laptop and tablet on the same trip.

Travel use cases

  • Airport and lounge Wi-Fi — encrypt the connection before opening email or shared drives. See our hotel and airport Wi-Fi security guide.
  • Hotel networks — sign in to the captive portal first, then connect the VPN and let the kill switch hold the line if the signal drops.
  • Co-working and café networks — NetShield reduces tracker and malicious-domain traffic while you work.
  • Accessing home services abroad — connect to a server in your home country when a bank or work tool behaves differently overseas. Always check the provider's terms.
  • Higher-sensitivity work — Secure Core routing for material you would rather not expose to an unknown local network.

What a VPN protects — and what it does not

It does protect

  • The contents and destinations of your traffic from the local network.
  • Your IP address and approximate location from the sites you visit.
  • Traffic on connections that would otherwise be weakly encrypted or plain.

It does not protect

  • Against phishing — a convincing fake login page works the same inside a tunnel.
  • Against malware already on the device, or malicious downloads you approve.
  • Your accounts if credentials are reused or two-factor authentication is off.
  • Your identity from services you sign in to, or from payment and browser data.
  • A lost or unlocked device — that is a disk-encryption and screen-lock job.

No tool provides complete protection. A VPN secures the transport; your account hygiene and device settings do the rest.

Free vs paid, in plain terms

Proton VPN has a free plan and paid plans. We deliberately do not publish prices, because they change and vary by region — check the current terms on Proton's own site before subscribing.

  • Free plan — a reasonable way to try the apps and cover occasional use on a shared network, with a limited server selection.
  • Paid plans — wider server choice, features such as Secure Core and NetShield, and coverage for up to 10 devices. Better suited to regular travel.

Practical setup checklist

  1. Install the app on every device you travel with, before you leave home.
  2. Sign in and confirm each device connects on a network you trust.
  3. Enable the kill switch, and always-on protection where available.
  4. Turn on NetShield if your plan includes it.
  5. Pick a default server close to where you will be working, and note a home-country server for services that expect it.
  6. On arrival: join the venue network, complete the captive-portal sign-in, then connect the VPN before anything sensitive.
  7. Pair it with unique passwords, a password manager and two-factor authentication — see the public Wi-Fi guide.

FAQ

Does a VPN make me anonymous?

No. A VPN encrypts the connection between your device and the VPN server, which hides your traffic from the local network and your internet provider. It does not make you anonymous: accounts you sign in to, payment details and browser fingerprints still identify you.

Is the free plan enough for travel?

Proton VPN offers a free plan, which is useful for occasional protection on a shared network. Paid plans add more servers and features such as Secure Core and NetShield, and cover up to 10 devices, which suits people who travel with a phone, laptop and tablet.

Will it work on hotel and airport Wi-Fi?

Usually yes, and that is the main use case. Some captive portals need to load first before the VPN connects; sign in to the portal, then enable the VPN before doing anything sensitive.

Why does Swiss jurisdiction matter?

Proton is based in Switzerland, which has its own privacy legislation independent of the EU and US. Combined with a stated no-logs policy, it reduces the amount of data that exists to be requested in the first place.

Can I use it on more than one device?

Paid plans support up to 10 devices, and apps are available for major desktop and mobile platforms, so the same subscription can cover your travel kit.

Review Proton VPN's current features and plans

Pricing and availability are set by Proton and may change — confirm on their site.

Go to Proton VPN

Ethos Secure is not affiliated with, or an official partner of, Proton at this time. This page is an editorial recommendation based on publicly documented features. Some outbound links may become affiliate links in the future — see our Affiliate Disclosure. No tool can guarantee complete protection.