Kill switch has turned out an essential security feature for VPN. If your virtual private network does not have a kill switch, internet users might have to look for a new VPN provider.
In the instance, one’s VPN connection drops for any reason, a kill switch will immediately shut down the user’s internet connection. Thus, playing the role of a crucial VPN security feature, the kill switch ensures that the user data does not leak outside the VPN tunnel or be exposed online unencrypted – that may turn dangerous in many situations.
Using a VPN, the user’s internet traffic is routed to a secure server at a location of his choice over an encrypted tunnel.
Eventually, the user’s IP address will change to that of the server he is connecting to. This process not only allows access to geo-restricted content but also hides the user’s original IP address and internet traffic from ISP, government agencies, threat actors, and anyone who might be a threat to their online data.
Why do VPN disconnections occur?
Since no technology is error-free, even the best VPNs can have connection drops time and again. VPN disconnection happens for several reasons, some of which are listed below:
• The user is using a weak or congested Wi-Fi connection — like a public Wi-Fi hotspot in a coffee shop, hotel, or airport.
• User is switching to a different Wi-Fi network or switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data.
• The computer goes to sleep.
• An antivirus program or firewall on your computer is interfering with your VPN connection (in this case, make sure to whitelist your VPN software).
• User is jumping from one VPN server to another, or they are frequently switching from one server to another, exceeding their VPN provider’s concurrent connection limit.
• They use the OpenVPN UDP protocol, which is less stable than the TCP protocol (switch to TCP if you notice your VPN dropping).
• The VPN server they are connecting to is down.
• VPN app crashes.
What if your VPN disconnects without a kill switch?
In case a user’s VPN disconnects without enabling a kill switch, this will leave the internet connection active, exposing the user’s true IP address and web traffic the moment the disconnection continues unencrypted.
As a result, the user’s online activities will be exposed, compromising any sensitive personal data one may have been accessing while connected to the VPN. A user can as well compromise his true location based on the exposed IP address.
This could be problematic if the user is using VPN to access geographically restricted content and for professionals who use a VPN for crucial privacy needs. Using kill switch reduces the risk of such situations.
How does a VPN kill switch operates?
A VPN kill switch, when enabled continuously monitors the user’s VPN connection and scans for any change in his IP address or the status of one’s network. The kill switch will engage and block access to the internet connection in an instant if it detects any change in either.
After the user reconnects to the VPN or the VPN tunnel reestablishes automatically, the kill switch will then allow the internet to reconnect, while still continuously monitoring the VPN connection.
