CCleaner's VPN gets faster and more secure

CCleaner's VPN Kamo on desktop
(Image credit: CCleaner)

Already one of the best PC optimizers around, CCleaner's VPN service is now more secure and up to 35% faster.

Kamo, the provider's anti-tracking and online privacy tool, has just added WireGuard as the default protocol to its Private Connection mode. 

The feature, powered by VPN technology, creates a secure and encrypted tunnel between users' Windows PCs and the internet.

A secure and improved browsing experience

"The addition of WireGuard to the Private Connection feature will improve people’s online privacy and reduce tracking and access restrictions while enhancing speed and the browsing experience,”  said Sandro Villinger, Head of Product Strategy for CCleaner. 

A VPN protocol is a set of instructions that both defines how the data gets encrypted and how this information moves between servers and devices. This means it can greatly impact connection speed and security.

A relatively new entry into the world of security software, WireGuard is known for its far simpler codebase. A leaner protocol translates to higher speeds and better control over its vulnerabilities. It decreases load times, for example, while reducing the attack surface for cybercriminals to exploit.

"This will help people to take more ownership and control over their digital lives so they can enjoy a freer, fairer internet," said Villinger.

Latest tests recorded that connections performed 35% faster when using WireGuard instead. 

Part of the CCleaner privacy suite, Kamo was launched in 2020 to provide users with better privacy by tackling increasingly complex web trackers techniques.

Its VPN mode, called Private Connection, both hides people's real location and computer IP address. This offers a means to safely browse the web while preventing nosy ISPs and/or malicious actors from spying on users' online activities.

"After cleaning and speeding up devices, we wanted to equip people with additional privacy-focused features that enabled them to navigate their online world without concerns about what data is being shared with companies or individuals, and in turn, what they might do with it," explained Villinger. 

With a network of 58 servers across 36 locations, Kamo's Private Connection is currently available for Windows only PCs (7,8,10 and 11, except Windows in S mode and Windows running on ARM processor). 

Chiara Castro
Senior Staff Writer

Chiara is a multimedia journalist committed to covering stories to help promote the rights and denounce the abuses of the digital side of life—wherever cybersecurity, markets and politics tangle up. She mainly writes news, interviews and analysis on data privacy, online censorship, digital rights, cybercrime, and security software, with a special focus on VPNs, for TechRadar Pro, TechRadar and Tom’s Guide. Got a story, tip-off or something tech-interesting to say? Reach out to chiara.castro@futurenet.com