Best known for its pristine white sandy beaches, golden brown sunsets, and richness in culinary cuisine; Cyprus is a must-visit for any true wanderer. The country is home to very warm and welcoming people, and as a top tourist destination; their government has put in place some measures that continue to uplift its status as a preferred holiday spot. Unfortunately, their efforts to develop their country do not extend to its Internet usage policy; since 34Wa lot of restrictions from there still exist to govern what you can or cannot do online.
Internet In Cyprus
An experiment conducted by hack66 (an observatory group that set up base in the country); revealed that the most common method of restriction applied by the Cyprian government was DNS hijacking. This was after they set out to test the Internet filtering capability that the government had put in place to implement the regulations and policies; outlined by the National Betting Authority (NBA).
Now, once you arrive in the country, a working Internet connection is something that you’re probably going to want to have. You wouldn’t want to get all that sorted out only to discover you can’t gain access to any of your preferred websites; channels simply because of the restrictions that they’ve imposed on your website. To avoid all this, all you need to do is to get a VPN.
Why Do You Need A VPN in Cyprus?
So, you are a British citizen spending your summer vacation in sunny Cyprus. You want to watch your favorite British soap opera on BBC iPlayer. As always, you pick up your iPad and log in to the BBC iPlayer app. Instead of the video, you get presented with a location error that states that the video isn’t available in your region.
To get around these geo-restrictions, all you’ll have to do is subscribe to a VPN service provider; get your account set up; then enjoy access to all the sites and channels you’d want to visit; just like you’re used to doing back at home. Once you connect to a VPN service, your data gets transmitted through encrypted servers; and this means not everyone will be able to follow up with what you’re up to online. With this in place; you’ll be able to work around any online restrictions in Cyprus since their ISPs won’t know whether or not you’re visiting their blacklisted sites.
Another major advantage you also get to benefit from is that a VPN service gets to hide your location. The location that gets picked up by your VPN service is that of the remote server that you’re connected to; and not your actual one. Hiding your location means you’ll have access to sites and channels that are very keen on where their traffic is coming from. You’ll also be able to get to different versions of the same site; making it possible to access premium services that may not be accessible from your current region.
Also read: Best VPNs for Privacy & Security in 2020
You can as well choose to hide your location and stay anonymous when online; and doing so means you can carry out anonymous purchases. The streaming services you’ll be able to access will also be of a wider range. With your ISP being unable to eavesdrop on your online activities; it’ll be difficult for them to limit your usage through things like speed throttling. This also means you’ll get to avoid emails on copyright infringement sent to your inbox.
The Best VPN for Cyprus
Picking a credible provider is one of the few things you’ll need to get right; if you hope to have no VPN connection issues. To set you off on the right track, we already have a couple of reliable suggestions that are sure to be worth your while.
1. NordVPN
- Double encryption for added security
- Automatic kill switch
- A variety of platform support
- Six simultaneous connections
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- 3-Day free trial
2. ExpressVPN
- Unlimited Bandwidth with Ultra Speed
- Provides all VPN protocols OpenVPN (TCP, UDP), L2TP-IPsec, SSTP, and PPTP
- Dedicated VPN Apps for Android & iOS
- High-End Security with OpenVPN 256-bits
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- 3 simultaneous connections
3. Surfshark
- AES 256-Bit Network Encryption
- Chrome Extension Available
- Kill-Switch functionality
- A variety of platform support
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
4. CyberGhost
- Uses AES 256 Encryption
- Supports OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, and PPTP
- DNS & IP Leak Protection
- Uses 2048 Key & MD5 Authentication
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- Up to 7 Simultaneous Connections
5. Private Internet Access
- Offers all Protocols PPTP, OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec including SOCKS5 Proxy
- IPv6 Leak Protection & DNS Leak Protection
- Kill-Switch functionality
- Encrypted Wi-Fi Protection
- Zero log keeping policy of internet activities
- 10 simultaneous connections
Can I use a free VPN for Cyprus?
First off, it’s worth knowing that most free VPNs don’t offer servers in Cyprus. Indeed, the average free VPN offers far fewer servers than the best-paid VPNs. This poses a couple of problems. First, having only a small number of servers means a higher user load on each. This results in slow browsing and streaming speeds, as well as issues such as lag and buffering. Second, it also means fewer IP addresses, limiting the amount of content you can unblock.
Another reason to avoid free VPNs is that they don’t do enough to protect your privacy. In particular, they lack essential security features such as encryption and a kill switch. Some make money by spamming you with irrelevant and inappropriate ads while others even log your browsing data and sell it to the highest bidder. If you want to browse the web anonymously while in Cyprus and abroad, you should avoid free VPNs at all costs and choose a privacy-first VPN provider instead.
Conclusion
If you go on and choose either ExpressVPN or NordVPN as your preferred provider, we’d appreciate it if you let us know about your experience. Just leave a comment or two in the section below, and we’ll be happy to engage with you.
