Malwarebytes jumps into the VPN space as more people work from home

Whenever a friend or family member comes to me with a computer issue related to malware, one of the first things I recommend is running Malwarebytes. It's effective, and highly popular in tech-savvy circles because it's effective. Now the makers of Malwarebytes are trying their hands at a virtual private network (VPN) service simply called Privacy.

The timely launch comes as more people find themselves working from home amid the Coronavirus pandemic. VPNs offer an additional layer of security and privacy, and the best VPNs for gaming will do it without bogging down your internet connection.

The best ones usually come at a monetary cost as well, and this one is no exception—Privacy runs $59.99 per year as a standalone product and covers five Windows PCs. It can also be purchased as part of a bundle with Malwarebytes Premium for $89.99 per year.

I haven't given it a spin so I'll refrain from recommending, or not recommending, giving it a look. That said, it's at least promising, if we're taking the company at its word—Malwarebytes says Privacy uses a "highly efficient VPN protocol" with 256-bit AES encryption, and "doesn't slow down your computer."

"The new VPN does not log a users’ online activities and offers users a choice of virtual servers from over 30 countries in order to protect their real location," the company states in a press release.

Malwarebytes further claims it "does not collect user logs or telemetry data whatsoever," ensuring users that their data remains private, even from their own eyes. The company expanded on this in an email to PCMag, saying it "does not retain or log any data related to web traffic, DNS requests, IP addresses, user bandwidth, or connections once connected to the VPN server."

For now, Privacy is only available on Windows. Malwarebytes says it will also be available for Macs, Android and iOS devices, and Chrome devices soon.