Security is really an issue of trust. Even when a
company does everything right, that doesn’t matter
much if you, the customer, don’t trust it. I recommend
that consumers consider this information and choose a
service based on which company they can trust.
HANDS ON
I tested Mullvad on an Intel NUC Kit NUC8i7BEH
(Bean Canyon) desktop running the latest version of
Windows 10 and had no trouble installing the app.
Creating an account and logging in was a different
story. Mullvad eschews usernames and passwords and
instead issues a really long number. It’s much simpler
than a password and username, but it’s unfamiliar, and
the process can be disorienting if you’re not expecting
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authentication with the service. This system is similar
to ExpressVPN’s, which uses activation codes for its
app but still uses a traditional login system for its online
portal.
On its website, Mullvad espouses the privacy
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phone number, no personal information
whatsoever.” I thought this might make account
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that Mullvad has a variety of ways to get your
account back. Most are time-sensitive, and many
are more involved than a simple password
recovery. This could be an issue for anyone
nervous about technology.
Mullvad’s website impressed me with its clean
graphics, which are in a bit of a cartoony style. It’s
more playful than NordVPN but not as cute as
TunnelBear. I had expected that the app would
offer a similar experience, but I was disappointed.
Even when a
company does
everything
right, that
doesn’t
matter much
if you, the
customer,
don’t trust it.