Australia is known to have strong Data Retention Laws which means that ISP’s are bound by law to store all internet users’ online activities and information and simply hand it over to the authorities when asked for it. This means that all the netizens in Australia are under the risk of having their personal online privacy being breached at any moment. With Data Retention Laws comes a high level of government online surveillance. This comes as no surprise as Australia is one of the Five Eyes Alliance countries. For that reason, netizens started relying on alternative solutions to protect their online privacy and security and at the same time ensure complete online freedom (bypass any online censorship). The only solution that combines all 3 would be using a VPN.
Online Freedom
Any VPN service provider usually operates a network of servers around the world. If the VPN user is located in a country with restrictions, they can simply connect to any of the servers outside of this country hence bypassing these restrictions. If the VPN user is trying to access a geo-restricted website from outside of the website’s location (for example, trying to access Netflix US from outside if the US), they can simply connect to a server that is located within the website’s country and the user will appear to the website as if they are in the same country. The other feature in a VPN related to online freedom is that the high-end VPNs use a tunneling protocol to transmit all data across their networks in order to be able to bypass any firewalls.
Online Privacy
Once a connection is established between the user and a VPN server, the user’s true IP address is automatically replaced with one of the shared IP’s provided by the server to hide their true online identity. Most of the high-end VPNs have a strict no logs policy which means that they do not record or keep logs of their users’ online activities. This means that even if they are asked by the government to hand over their users’ online information, they will literally have nothing to give them. This adds to the protection of their users’ online privacy.
Online Security
A VPN protects its users’ online security through 3 main points; usually VPNs use a high level encryption to secure their entire network and all the information transferred across the network between the users and the servers. Different VPN applications support multiple security protocols. Last but not least, Different VPNs have different additional security features to further protect their users’ online security.
When looking for a suitable VPN for Australia, we have to differentiate between the countless names in the market today by focusing on the above 3 points in each VPN service. This is exactly what we have done and is how we were able to filter out the top 3 recommended VPNs for Australia.
Best VPNs for Australia
BVPN
The Netherlands-based BVPN started operating in 2014 and is considered one of the strongest most innovative VPN service providers in the market. In a matter of 3 years it has grew at an unbelievable rate and proved itself over and over again in more than one online challenge. When it comes to online security, online privacy, or online freedom, BVPN is definitely a great recommendation for Australia.
Level of Security
- Entire network is secured with a military grade 256-bit encryption
- Multiple advanced and unique security protocols supported (OpenVPN with UDP/TCP, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, SSH, and its very own Smoke Tunnel)
Additional Security Features
- Internet Kill Switch
- IPv6 Leak Protection
- Public Wi-Fi/Hotspot Protection
Network of Servers
- More than 20 server locations strategically placed all over the world
- Each server provides its users with numerous shared IP’s
Additional Features
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Unlimited server switching
- Up to 6 simultaneous connections
- No logs kept
- “Fastest Server” automatic server selection
- 7-day money back guarantee
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands and started officially operating back in 2009. Over the years it has grew to become one of the most popular VPN providers in the world. It has succeeded in providing all its users around the world with countless features to protect their online security, privacy, and freedom. This is why it has been recommended in the toughest online situations around the world and why it is highly recommended for Australia.
Level of Security
- Entire network is SSL secured with a 256-bit encryption
- Multiple security protocols supported (OpenVPN with TCP/UDP, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, and PPTP)
Additional Security Features
- Network Lock Kill Switch
Network of Servers
- More than 1000 servers in 145 cities, spread across 94 countries
- A network this big is able to provide its users with countless shared IP’s
Additional Features
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Unlimited server switching
- Up to 3 simultaneous connections
- Zero-logging of network traffic
- 30-day money back guarantee
IPVanish VPN
IPVanish was created by a group of highly experienced experts in the field of online security. All this experience, in addition with lots of effort and dedication, was put into a premium VPN service that became one of the most trusted names in the VPN industry. It has provided its users with the highest forms of online security and privacy features. It has been praised in several occasions before as one of the most recommended VPNs for tough online situations and so it was no surprise that it would be one of the highly recommended VPNs for Australia.
Level of Security
- Network is secured with a 256-bit AES encryption
- Multiple advanced security protocols supported (OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, SSTP, and IKEv2)
Additional Security Features
- Internet Kill Switch
- IPv6 Leak Protection
- LAN Blocking
- OpenVPN Scramble
- SOCKS5 web proxy
Network of Servers
- More than 850 servers in more than 60 countries
- This network provides the users with over 40,000 shared IP’s
Additional Features
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Unlimited server switching
- Up to 5 simultaneous connections
- Zero traffic logs
- Automatic IP switching
- API Load Balancing
- 7-day money back guarantee
Conclusion
Australia is considered one of the countries with the highest online government surveillance in the world. Whether the user is doing something illegal or not, they will always be watched. This is a very unpleasant feeling as nowadays we transfer a lot of personal information online. This is why using a VPN in Australia or in any of the Five Eyes Alliance countries is very critical. Not any VPN could do the job. It has to be a very secure VPN with strong online privacy features. The above 3 VPNs are the most recommended which match these criteria.
