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Windscribe

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Developer(s)Windscribe Limited[1]
Initial releaseApril 20, 2016; 8 years ago (April 20, 2016)[2]
Repositoryhttps://github.com/Windscribe
Operating system
Platform
TypeVirtual private network
Websitewindscribe.com

Windscribe is a commercial VPN service provider with applications for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS with support for routers and other platforms via custom configurations.[3] Windscribe is based in Canada.

History

Windscribe was founded by Yegor Sak and Alex Paguis in 2016.[4] Windscribe's goal is to "aim to develop easy to use yet powerful tools that allow anyone to circumvent censorship", giving help to those in need of jurisdictions with high levels of Internet censorship and to increase online privacy.[5]

Windscribe was launched in open beta on April 14, 2016,[6] and launched fully on April 20, 2016.[citation needed]

On October 15, 2018, Windscribe released a transparency report which detailed the number of requests they receive from copyright and law enforcement agencies.[7]

In January 2021, Windscribe began beta testing ControlD, a new standalone DNS-based ad and tracker service, a direct competitor to services such as NextDNS.[8][better source needed][9]

On November 10, 2021, Windscribe open-sourced its desktop applications, with plans to open-source its remaining applications by the end of 2021.[10]

Features

Windscribe uses industry-standard virtual private network protocols to encrypt and route a user's connection to one of their servers. Windscribe uses the OpenVPN, Internet Key Exchange v2/IPsec, and WireGuard protocols in its applications and manual configurations. Windscribe servers support P2P file sharing and is promoted as a no-log VPN service from their privacy policy.[11][12][13]

Windscribe has desktop applications for Windows and macOS, with a command-line utility for Linux, and mobile applications for iOS, Android, and Android TV.[14] Windscribe also offers encrypted proxy support via browser extensions on Google Chrome and Firefox web browsers. Windscribe users can connect unlimited simultaneous devices.[15]

In November 2018, Windscribe introduced R.O.B.E.R.T, a customizable DNS-based tracker and ad blocker.[16]

In October 2019, Windscribe released new browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.[17]

In July 2020, Windscribe added support for the WireGuard VPN protocol.[18]

On April 16, 2021, Windscribe released new versions of the desktop application which included split tunneling, WireGuard support, and native support for custom configurations to support other VPN providers with the Windscribe client.[19]

2021 server seizure incident

On July 8, 2021, Windscribe disclosed that two VPN servers hosted in Ukraine were seized by local authorities on June 24, 2021. On the disk of the VPN servers contained an OpenVPN private key, which could have been used to impersonate a Windscribe VPN server and capture traffic running through it. Windscribe had failed to encrypt the servers in question, allowing for the retrieval of the private key. In addition, Windscribe ran servers with an OpenVPN feature that was deprecated since 2018, leaving the servers unencrypted and its users vulnerable.[20][21]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Windscribe - Terms of Service". Windscribe. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  2. ^ Spark, Tom (January 20, 2017). "Is WindScribe a Good VPN?". Best10VPN.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  3. ^ "Download - Windscribe". Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  4. ^ Paul, Ian (December 14, 2017). "Windscribe Pro review: It's all about the extras". PC World. Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  5. ^ "About Us - Windscribe". Archived from the original on July 19, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  6. ^ "Windscribe - Twitter". Twitter.com. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  7. ^ "Transparency Report - Windscribe". Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  8. ^ Brinkmann, Martin (April 25, 2021). "ControlD is a new DNS service by the makers of Windscribe VPN - gHacks Tech News". ghacks.net. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  9. ^ "ControlD: Bypass geo-restrictions, block tracking, and be more". betalist.com. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  10. ^ Windscribe 2.0 Desktop Application, Windscribe, November 11, 2021, retrieved November 11, 2021
  11. ^ Zohair A. (May 21, 2017). "Windscribe VPN Review: The Cold Hard Facts You Need To Read Right Now". securitygladiators.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2018. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  12. ^ Williams, Mike. "Windscribe VPN review". TechRadar.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2017. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  13. ^ "Privacy Policy - Windscribe". Windscribe.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  14. ^ "Windscribe VPN Review: Is It the Best Free VPN of 2021?". www.top10vpn.com. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  15. ^ "Windscribe VPN Review 2021: Is It a Good VPN?". CyberNews. July 29, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  16. ^ Sak, Yegor (November 15, 2018). "Meet R.O.B.E.R.T — Malware and Ad Blocker". Medium.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  17. ^ Sak, Yegor (October 8, 2019). "New Browser Extensions — v3". Medium.com. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  18. ^ Sak, Yegor (January 19, 2021). "Introducing WireGuard". Medium.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2021. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; January 19, 2021 suggested (help)
  19. ^ Sak, Yegor (April 17, 2021). "Desktop App 2.0". Medium.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  20. ^ Sharma, Mayank (July 28, 2021). "Windscribe VPN servers seized by authorities were not encrypted". TechRadar.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  21. ^ Goodin, Dan (July 26, 2021). "VPN servers seized by Ukrainian authorities weren't encrypted". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
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