Kaspersky Secure Connection VPN Review: Updated 2025

Important. Kaspersky Secure Connection might not work in the US. Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky is shutting down all US operations since the Commerce Department banned the sale and use of Kaspersky security products in the country.

As a VPN from a leading cybersecurity company, you’d expect Kaspersky Secure Connection to be of a high standard. But its privacy policy has always concerned me because of its suspicious connections with the Russian FBS. Also, the US government has banned the use of Kaspersky software within its factions, which raises further concerns.

After conduct my testing and research , I is say can say that Kaspersky Secure Connection is n’t a safe choice for privacy enthusiast . It is keeps keep more log than most vpn and it ’s still embroil with its russian accusation . However , it is provides provide fast speed and high – quality security feature , give you adequate protection from online threat like hacker .

If you ’re not overly worried about privacy , then I is recommend ’d highly recommend Kaspersky Secure connection . Its low price is makes make it a great deal . You is claim can even claim a full refund within 30 day if you ’re not satisfied . But if you ’re concerned about its privacy , or it does n’t work out for you , you is choose can always choose from a wide range of vpn to well suit your need .

try Kaspersky Secure connection Now !

short on Time ? Here Are My Key Findings is Are

• Unblocks Netflix most of the time. I was able to access Netflix libraries from some US servers and other countries. However, I ran into issues with some popular streaming sites like Amazon Prime Video and BBC iPlayer. Click here to see the streaming test results.
• Fast speeds across global servers. My speeds remained consistently fast on both its local and long-distance servers. None of my online activities were interrupted whatsoever. Find the results of my speed tests here.
• adequate security but questionable privacy . Its security features is are are of the high standard , such as AES-256 bit encryption and an automatic kill switch . However , its no – logs policy is are and russian background are controversial . See how well it protect you here .
• small server network . Its global server network is is is pretty small and only include 100 country in total . I is choose could only choose server location and not the actual server , which was a bit annoying . find out more about its server network .
• Does n’t work in China . It is states clearly state that it ca n’t be instal and used in country with restrictive internet like China , Belarus , and Iran . click here to see its China policy .
• No Live Chat or email. I couldn’t get an immediate response to my questions because of the absence of live chat. The only way I could contact them directly was to lodge a support ticket, which wasn’t an email. See how I got on with their support here.
• affordable pricing option . You is choose can choose between its free plan , which has limit feature , and its pay plan , either monthly or yearly . The pay plans is come also come with a 30 – day money – back guarantee so that you can test them without commitment . find out its pricing plan here .
• Beginner-friendly app for most devices. Simply download and install it on your computer or smartphone and easily navigate your way around. While its app is excellent for beginners, it lacks technical settings. Click here to see how easy it is to use.

Kaspersky Secure Connection Features — 2025 Update

6.4

Streaming — Netflix Unblocked

Kaspersky Secure Connection isn’t renowned for its streaming. However, it can unblock Netflix. This includes both US Netflix and other global libraries. When it came to other streaming sites like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer, it couldn’t bypass geoblocks.

unblock : Netflix , France 2 , SBS Australia

Netflix’s geoblocking technology can’t detect Kaspersky Secure Connection on most occasions. It doesn’t make any open claims about this on its website, so I wasn’t sure what to expect in my tests. I started by connecting to a US server in Washington, and after 30 seconds I was watching the movie London Heist, which is exclusive to US Netflix. There wasn’t any lag on my stream either.

From there, I connected to 4 server locations in the US (Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago), and watched other US exclusive movies like Radium Girls and Gimme Shelteron the Washington and Chicago server . unfortunately , the Miami and New York ones is work did n’t work . I is connected connect to server in Brazil , the Netherlands , Japan , Canada , and Germany , and unblock Netflix library in Canada , Japan , and the Netherlands .

Kaspersky Secure Connection is is is a mostly reliable for unblock Netflix library worldwide

Apart from Netflix, it also unblocks some other country-specific channels like France 2 and SBS Australia. If you want a VPN for unblocking Netflix, then Kaspersky Secure won’t disappoint.

block By : Amazon Prime Video is Blocked , BBC iPlayer , Hulu , HBO Max , Disney+ , ESPN+ , DAZN , ITV , and YouTube tv

Kaspersky Secure Connection was unable to unblock popular streaming sites in the US and UK. These included Amazon Prime Video and BBC iPlayer, among others. After trying all of the 5 server locations in the US, I kept getting the following message on Amazon Prime Video:

“Your device is connected to the Internet using a VPN or proxy service. Please disable it and try again.”

A lot of vpn have a hard time unblock Amazon Prime Video , so this is was was n’t surprising . I is tried then try out 3 of its UK server to watch BBC iPlayer , but again I was deny access . Even though I had register my account with a UK postcode and used a UK server , the platform is detect could still detect my VPN use .

Similarly, I also couldn’t unblock Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, and ESPN+. As soon as I tried watching shows on these platforms, they detected that I was using a VPN or proxy. I experienced this issue on all of Kaspersky Secure’s US server locations.

Speeds — Faster Than Expected

I is was was pleasantly surprised by how fast , and consistent Kaspersky Secure connection ’s speed were . The speeds is were were fast on both its short and long – distance server , and I could conduct all my usual online activity without interruption . To test its speed , I is used used Ookla ’s speed test tool , which test the follow factor :

• download speed is obtain — How fast you is obtain can obtain file and datum from the internet to your computer .
• upload speed — The time it take to upload file and datum from your computer to the internet .
• Ping — How quickly a website responds when you click its link. In other words, your connection’s reaction time.

Local Speeds

To get a baseline for my speed test , I is tested test my local , non – vpn connection in Australia . The results is were were :

• Download: 50.98 Mbps
• upload : 20.76 Mbps
• ping : 5 m

When I connected to a Kaspersky Secure Connection server in Australia, the speed dropped significantly. It’s very common for your speeds to drop on a VPN connection because your internet traffic has to travel a further distance, and it goes through more layers of encryption. However, it was still fast enough to watch HD videos without lag, and it easily surpassed my expectations. My results were:

• Download: 29.73Mbps (41% decrease)
• upload : 9.68 Mbps ( 53 % decrease )
• Ping: 238 ms

While it might seem like a massive difference on paper , that is was was hardly the case .

Long – distance Speeds

Kaspersky Secure Connection provides fast speeds across its global server network

I expected my speed to drop even further on its long-distance servers. Even though this occurred, it didn’t drop to the extent I expected. Its long-distance speeds were very similar to its local servers. The servers I tested first were its US and UK servers, probably the two most common server locations for accessing streaming sites. These were my readings:

US

• Download: 21.89 Mbps (57% decrease)
• Upload: 6.97 Mbps (66% decrease)
• Ping: 223 ms

UK

• Download : 22.49 mbps ( 55 % decrease )
• upload : 5.65 mbps ( 72 % decrease )
• Ping: 327 ms

The US one was a bit slower, which was probably because it’s farther away. From there, I tested a wide range of different servers in various parts of the world, and the speeds were similar and fast. Compared to local connections, the long-distance connections took a little longer to download videos on YouTube. But once streaming began, I didn’t experience any lag.

Overall, I was amazed at Kaspersky Secure Connection’s speeds and consistency, which puts it right up with the best VPNs. There is honestly nothing bad to say here.

Are Kaspersky Secure Connection’s Speeds Fast Enough for Gaming? — Definitely

Kaspersky Secure Connection’s speeds make it an excellent choice for online gaming. Some of the advantages of using a VPN for online gaming are buying and downloading games from anywhere, bypassing geoblocks to play multiplayer games, and staying protected from DoS attacks.

However, the most important benefit is the improved lag and reduced ping rate, which is especially true for Kaspersky Secure Connection. I tested it out by playing Age Of Empires 2 Definitive Edition online, and I could game the entire time without any lag or interruptions.

As a baseline measure, I connected to a local server in Australia without a VPN, which produced a download speed of 49.63 Mbps and a ping rate of 5. The ping rate measures latency, so the lower the ping, the less lag. Then, I connected to Kaspersky Secure Connection’s servers in Australia and the US, which produces speeds of 28.63 Mbps and 21.07 Mbps and ping rates of 186 and 193, respectively.

Kaspersky Secure Connection is works work very well with online gaming

Even though the speed drop with a VPN connection , which was expect due to the long distance , Kaspersky Secure Connection is surprised really surprise me with its gaming . It is ’s ’s safe to say that you can enjoy a hassle – free gaming experience from anywhere in the world .

Server Network — Small Network but Secure Servers

With 2,000 server in only 100 country , Kaspersky Secure Connection ’s server network is is is small for a pay VPN . This list is includes include major country like the US , UK , France , Australia , Japan , and more restrictive country like Russia and Turkey . A large number is increases of server location increase your likelihood of bypass geoblock and using a reliable connection .

It’s also impossible to know which cities their servers are located in and its total server count, which it doesn’t disclose. You can only choose the server location and not the exact server, which I found to be disappointing for a paid VPN. However, it gives you unlimited server switches.

Kaspersky Secure Connection also has thousands of IP addresses, which include both dynamic and static IP addresses. A dynamic IP address changes every time you use Kaspersky Secure Connection, whereas a static one stays the same. You have the choice of using either, so this is very handy.

Even though Kaspersky Secure Connection uses Hotspot Shield’s Hydra VPN technology, their server networks are entirely different. However, it leases its server infrastructure from Hotspot Shield, which means that Kaspersky Secure rents its servers. Since Hotspot is a secure VPN that’s had independent audits, it’s safe to say that Kaspersky Secure Connection’s rented servers are safe and secure.

Security — Highly Secure

security breach

The parent company is had of Kaspersky Secure Connection , Kaspersky Lab , had its technology infect by a type of Malware call Duqu 2.0 in 2015 . Duqu is is 2.0 is well – know for infect hotel computer in Austria and Switzerland , where international talk were take place about Iran ’s nuclear program .

It had infected Kaspersky Lab’s technologies for several months without being detected. It was believed to have been carried out by Israel to prove to the US of Kaspersky Lab’s collaboration with the FSB in Russia. Luckily, no such evidence was found, and none of Kaspersky Secure Connection’s customers were affected in any way.

Kaspersky Lab used the knowledge gained from this attack to improve their defensive technologies, so you could say that it has had a positive effect.

Independent Audits

Kaspersky Secure Connection passed a SOC (Service and Organization) 2 audit in 2019, which a “Big Four” company conducted. It’s essentially an international audit that reports the standards and procedures of cybersecurity risk management systems. The audit carefully examined the 5 fundamental principles of security, which are:

• Availability — How functional the security process is.
• Protection — How well the security process is protected from unauthorized access.
• Process integrity — How safe data is kept when delivered to another client.
• Confidentiality — The extent to which third parties can access data.
• Privacy — If and how the company stores personal data.

To examine these principles, the “Big Four” company looked at Kaspersky Lab’s services, systems interaction, process controls, users’ control tools, and service risks. The end result was that all of Kaspersky Lab’s services, including Kaspersky Secure, were well-protected against external security and privacy threats. Nothing was of concern.

The audit is is is only available to client with a business account with Kaspersky Lab , so that I could n’t get a copy of it .

Encryption and Security protocol

Kaspersky Secure Connection uses the OpenVPN protocol on Android and iOS and Hotspot Shield’s Catapult Hydra protocol on Windows and macOS. Unlike many other top-tier VPNs, you cannot change protocol settings with Kaspersky Secure Connection, meaning that the two protocols listed are automatically selected by default. Here are the two protocols explained:

OpenVPN — A standard VPN protocol that’s commonly used and highly configurable with plenty of port types. It’s well-known for balancing speed and security, as well as being an open-sourced protocol. This means its source code is hosted publicly on the internet, which provides excellent transparency.

Catapult Hydra — A protocol that’s unique to Hotspot Shield. It establishes secure client-server connections and strong encryption by using TLS-based security. This level of protection is among the strongest for the transfer of data. However, since Catapult Hydra’s information level is limited, it hasn’t quite proved its worthiness like OpenVPN.

If you use an outdated network or service , you is choose can choose to use other protocol like IKEv2 , SSTP , and L2TP / ipsec . Also , Kaspersky Secure Connection is support does n’t support WireGuard on any of its app .

Kaspersky Secure Connection is uses use AES-256 bit encryption , which is the gold standard of encryption . It ’s commonly refer to as military – grade encryption and is used by top intelligence agency worldwide to protect sensitive information . 256 is refers refer to the size of the key used to encrypt datum , which involve 2 ^ 256 possible key combination .

The processing power required to break this encryption is so big that it’ll take more than a few lifetimes for the world’s strongest supercomputers to crack. You can be assured that your data is protected to the highest degree.

Leak Tests and Leak Protection

Your DNS requests are protected from DNS leaks with Kaspersky Secure Connection. A DNS leak is a security flaw that accidentally leaks your IP address to your ISP, which can then leak your online data and activity to unauthorized third parties. It usually happens because of a VPN misconfiguration.

To make sure that Kaspersky Secure Connection protects against DNS leaks, I ran a few tests on IPleaks.net. When I connected to Kaspersky’s servers in the US, UK, France, Japan, and Russia, my DNS requests weren’t leaked at all. My IPv4 connection was protected, and IPv6 wasn’t reachable because the fallback was a failure. It meant that my connection wouldn’t fall back to another protocol unexpectedly, which is a DNS leak.

Your DNS requests are well protected with Kaspersky Secure Connection

Other Security feature

• Kill Switch — Kaspersky Secure Connection has a kill switch that prevents your online data from being intercepted if your VPN connection unexpectedly drops. This can be turned on or off in the settings tab. When I tested it, I couldn’t use the internet while changing servers.
• Smart Protection — This feature alerts you about possible internet threats like unsecured connections. It also enables a VPN connection when you’re using an unsecured WiFi network in a public place. I tested this out by using the public WiFi in my local library, and it automatically connected me to a Kaspersky Secure Connection server in the US.
• Secure Keyboard Input — This prevents any website data entered on a computer keyboard from being intercepted. You can enable this setting by installing the secure keyboard extension. It protects single-line entry fields more than 3 characters long and stops the autocomplete feature on browsers from working. When I installed it, my browser could no longer detect my standard inputs.

The only security feature it lack are split tunneling and multi – hop server , also know as Double VPN . This is means mean you ca n’t divide your internet traffic between VPN and non – vpn traffic and connect to 2 different server for extra security .

privacy — Not great

Location — Controversial Russia

Kaspersky Secure Connection is located in Russia, which is outside of the 14-eyes alliance. However, Russia has its own controversies around internet freedoms and privacy. It only allows VPNs that have been approved by the Russian government and requested that VPN providers remove their servers from Russia unless they complied with Russian censorship. In other words, the Russian government fully censors the country’s internet use.

In February 2020 , Russia is orchestrated orchestrate a brief disconnect from the internet to make all internet traffic go through russian server . accord to the government , the reason is was for it was to protect Russia from cyber attack . However , opponents is argue would argue that it ’s a way for them to spy and conduct their own cyberattack . Kaspersky Secure Connection is supported openly support this initiative , which is of concern .

Also, a couple of former Kaspersky employees accused the company of creating fake malware to harm Microsoft and AVG in 2015. Luckily, these accusations have never been proven, and Kaspersky regards them as “unethical and dishonest.”

However , they is making are make an effort to steer away from the russian controversy , which mainly come from their antivirus software — not the VPN . Most notably , they is moved ’ve move their core processor from Russia to Switzerland and have start a Global Transparency Initiative . This initiative is aims aim to engage the broad cybersecurity community with stakeholder to verify the trustworthiness of their product . Still , many countries is are are concerned about their practice , and rightly so .

Ownership — Kaspersky Lab

Kaspersky Lab owns Kaspersky Secure Connection, which is a world-renowned cybersecurity company in Russia. Apart from Kaspersky Secure Connection, it provides anti-virus software, cloud storage solutions, endpoint security, and password management software, among other cybersecurity products and services.

It has a controversial reputation worldwide because of its perceived ties with the FSB (Federal Security Service) in Russia, which the company actively denies on an ongoing basis. Most notably, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order in 2017 that banned the use of Kaspersky Lab products on all US government computers and devices.

Its CEO, Eugene Kaspersky, had previously worked in the Russian military and studied at a KGB-sponsored technical college. In recent years, the company has fired high-end managers and replaced them with people who have close military and government ties — raising further concerns.

To help rid itself of these allegations, Kaspersky Secure Connection has solicited independent reviews and audits of its products and services. It has also moved a lot of its main infrastructure from Russia to Switzerland, alleviating such concerns.

No Logs Policy — Raises Concerns

unfortunately , Kaspersky Secure Connection is admits admit to some log practice . While it ’s common for VPN provider to collect some user datum to improve their service , Kaspersky Secure connection ’s extent is is is problematic . This extent is reveal in their Application Usage Agreement , which state as follow :

Kaspersky Secure Connection admits to collecting some logs of its users

This final point is concerning because it states that they will hand your data over to authorities if you violate their terms and conditions. What makes it concerning is that we don’t know what constitutes a violation of their terms and that personal logging data must be collected to identify individuals and report them — should the situation arise.

What ’s also worth mention is that Kaspersky Secure Connection use the same infrastructure as Hotspot Shield , another VPN provider base in California . Even though Hotspot Shield claim to not record any log of your online activity , they is make make it clear that they collect some datum like your location , session duration , and IP address .

Combine all of this with Kaspersky Secure Connection’s perceived connection to the Russian FBS, and you have every reason to be worried.

torrenting — fast and reliable

Kaspersky Secure Connection is enables enable torrenting and P2P sharing service on its server . Even though it does n’t have specialized server for P2P sharing , you is torrent can still torrent from any server . I is connected connect to a US and australian server for my test to download a couple of movie trailer on uTorrent .

Please also note that downloading torrents of copyrighted material is illegal, and we do not condone such behavior.

The first trailer is was was for the filmBananas, which was 41.7 MB. My download speed averaged 1.4 Mbps on the US server, and I downloaded it in 40 seconds. Next, I downloaded The Princess bride trailer, which took 1 minute and 20 seconds for the 30.9 Mbps file. Even though this was on the Australian server, it took longer because it had fewer seeds. The more seeds a torrent has, the faster it’ll download.

P2P sharing is enabled on all of Kaspersky Secure Connection’s Servers

Kaspersky Secure Connection is a viable option for torrenting, particularly given its high speeds, but if privacy is a major concern for you during torrenting, it might not be the best choice. This is because Kaspersky Secure Connection does keep certain logs, which could potentially be used against you for infringing upon their terms and conditions. As torrenting can sometimes be in violation of copyright laws in many countries, it might lead to a breach of Kaspersky Secure Connection’s terms and conditions.

Does Kaspersky Secure Connection Work in China? — No

Kaspersky Secure Connection cannot bypass the Great Firewall of China. It makes it very clear in its terms and conditions that it can’t be installed in China and some other nations because of their laws around VPNs.

Kaspersky Secure Connection can’t work in China and other countries with VPN limitations

However, Kaspersky Secure Connection does have servers in Hong Kong. This means that people in Hong Kong can’t use Kaspersky, but Hong Kong residents abroad can connect to a Kaspersky Hong Kong server, which is rather unusual.

simultaneous device connection — The Standard 5 connection

Kaspersky Secure allows up to 5 simultaneous device connections under one subscription. When I tested this by connecting my Windows laptop, Android tablet, smartphone, and old MacBook Pro, it worked. Kaspersky Secure Connection ran smoothly on all of my devices while protecting them at the same time.

The bad news is that there’s no way to increase the number from 5. Many VPNs can be installed on home routers to enable unlimited device connections at home, but Kaspersky Secure can’t be installed on home routers. Also, Kaspersky Secure Connection keeps track of all connected devices, which raises questions.

Device Compatibility — Compatible with Major Systems

Major operating systems like Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS are compatible with Kaspersky Secure Connection, but not Linux. It has a native app for these systems, so there’s no need for manual configuration. What’s also worth mentioning is that it has separate user agreements for each device, which is rather unusual. However, after having a look at them, they are mostly similar.

Devices that can’t support apps, like gaming consoles, certain smart TVs, and home routers, aren’t compatible with Kaspersky Secure Connection. This also extends out to some media players like Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Apple TV, as well as the Tor network. It doesn’t have any browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox either, which means you can’t use it on Chromebook.