Common questions about ProtonVPN encryption, privacy protection, and data security
ProtonVPN uses AES-256 encryption algorithm, the military-grade encryption standard used by NSA to protect top-secret information. 256-bit key length means 2^256 possible key combinations, even the world's most powerful supercomputer would take millions of years to crack.
When establishing VPN connection, ProtonVPN uses RSA-4096 bit keys for secure key exchange. 4096-bit RSA keys provide extremely high security, ensuring secure initial communication between client and server, preventing man-in-the-middle attacks from stealing session keys.
Each transmitted data packet uses HMAC SHA384 for message authentication, ensuring data hasn't been tampered with during transmission. If a data packet is maliciously modified, the receiving end immediately detects and discards it, guaranteeing data integrity and authenticity.
ProtonVPN supports Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS) technology, generating unique temporary keys for each session. Even if long-term private keys are compromised, attackers cannot decrypt past captured communications because each session uses different keys.
ProtonVPN supports three mainstream protocols: OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard. OpenVPN uses SSL/TLS encryption, IKEv2 uses IPsec encryption, WireGuard uses modern encryption algorithms like ChaCha20 and Poly1305. Users can choose the most suitable protocol based on needs.
ProtonVPN client code is completely open source, anyone can review code security. Regularly audited by independent security firms, such as SEC Consult audit reports are publicly available. Open source and audits ensure correct encryption implementation, no backdoors or security vulnerabilities.