Webroot WiFi Security Review

Online security should be on everyone’s mind, after all, cyber crime is on the rise and the risk of being a target is quite high, unless you take the necessary steps to protect your information. Using a VPN service is one of the best ways to add security to your internet connection. This technology stops those who try to intercept or monitor your data, ensuring that your privacy remains intact. Webroot WiFi Security is one of the options available and while it is still relatively new and not as popular as other VPN service, it definitely deserves to be considered.
Let’s start talking about Webroot, the company behind this VPN. Based in the United States, Webroot has over two decades of experience in online security solutions. Its anti-virus products are designed to identify threats and provide protection to businesses and individual users around the world. Now, Webroot also offers a VPN that can help you to enjoy safe browsing. We’ll find out more about Webroot WiFi Security in this review.
Security and Privacy
Webroot is focused on security and every product that it offers, including SecureAnywhere Antivirus and SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus, reflects this. Webroot WiFi Security is not an exception as it is designed to keep users’ online information protected, particularly when a public WiFi hotspot is being used. The protocols supported are IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec and PPTP. Although not seeing OpenVPN in the list is disappointing, the other options available have their own advantages.
IKEv2 is a reliable and stable protocol that works well on mobile platforms, while L2TP/IPSec provides a good level of security and it serves as a good alternative to OpenVPN. PPTP on the other hand, is not the best choice when it comes to security, but it may come handy if what you are looking for is speed and simplicity since this protocol is supported in most platforms. Webroot WiFi Security has an option that will select the best protocol available automatically. Although we would like to see OpenVPN added to the list of options, it is good to know that AES 256-bit encryption is used to secure your data. This is a high standard that will make sure that the security of your information remains protected.
When it comes to privacy, Webroot deserves recognition for offering a detailed and clear privacy policy. The policy mentions that Webroot doesn’t keep logs of its users’ online activities, the IP addresses used, the DNS queries submitted or the data that has been accessed, shared or downloaded. This means that the websites you visit, the content you access, your conversations and everything else that you do online, will remain private. The fact that Webroot doesn’t monitor, store or log what you do while you are using the VPN service, means that you can enjoy the internet without sacrificing your privacy.
However, there are some session logging in place, meaning that Webroot WiFi Security keeps records of the date and time when a session started and when it finished. Other details recorded include the data transferred, the VPN location you connect to, and the amount of devices connected through your account at the same time. While this information is used for maintenance and troubleshooting purposes, users who want the highest level of privacy may have concerns. Furthermore, it should be noted that the privacy policy states that in case the app crashes, Webroot may keep logs that include downloaded data, DNS queries and other information that may help it to determine what caused the crash and solve any issues.
The problem with this is that it raises questions about the possibility of the information being connected to your account. It is also unclear for how long this data may be kept. The good news is that it is possible to toggle a client setting to prevent logs from being sent to Webroot. Still, if privacy is your main concern, you may want to keep this in mind, along with the fact that Webroot is based in the United States, a country that is part of the Five Eyes spying alliance and that is also home to the NSA. With that being said, people who only want to use Webroot for online browsing, streaming content and other general tasks, may have no issues with the logs that are kept and the location in which Webroot operates from.
IP and DNS Leak test
The IP test showed that Webroot effectively masked our real IP address. We connected to a server in Germany and after checking our IP address online, we confirmed that we got a German IP, while our real location remained hidden. We also checked for DNS leaks and can confirm that Webroot can keep you protected. The VPN uses the same updated threat information that is available for Webroot’s security suites.
Features
Webroot WiFi Security has apps for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, which are the most popular platforms. The interface of the Windows client is straightforward, so even if you don’t have used a VPN before, you are unlikely to experience major issues getting used to Webroot. The installation process is simple and once the app is installed on your device, you will be able to launch it and then select the location you want to connect to. It is possible to expand a country to see the individual locations available there. You will also see a Recommended list of servers, as well as connection status. You can get access to locations by right-clicking the client’s system tray icon.
If the Webroot WiFi Security client detects that you are accessing insecure or untrusted network, it will automatically protect you. If the VPN connection drops unexpectedly, the kill switch will stop internet traffic to ensure that your IP address is not exposed. Webroot also has a web filtering function that is enabled by default This will offer a higher level of protection, but if preferred, it can be deactivated from the Settings panel. Another feature worth highlighting is Webroot BrightCloud Threat Intelligence, which classifies web pages to find hidden relationships between URLs that relate to malicious websites. This means that Webroot WiFi Security prevents you from accessing potentially dangerous websites and it keeps your passwords protected from third-parties. The apps for the other platforms supported including Android, are very similar to the Windows one. They may not include a large list of options, but support the main features that you need to keep your information protected.
Webroot WiFi Security has servers in over 30 countries including Spain, Sweden, United States, Canada, Singapore, Netherlands, Thailand and Norway. The servers that you generally use can be added to your list of favorites and they will appear at the top of the location list. The Automatic connection selects the best option based on your current IP address. Although the main purpose of the service is not help you to unlock international content, Webroot WiFi Security’s servers will allow you to overcome restrictions. The speed of your connection is not drastically impacted when you use the VPN so you will be able to stream content and play games.
Netflix and Streaming Test
One of the most popular utilities of a consumer VPN is bypassing geo-blocked content such as streaming and live television websites. I successfully unblocked Netflix US when using Webroot Wi-Fi Security VPN servers, and the speeds are good enough on a fast connection to provide ample bandwidth for high definition streaming. I was also successful at unblocking UK streaming services when using the UK Streaming server. Although the selection of servers is not as large as some providers, they cover most popular locations in Europe.
Pricing
You can get a whole year of Webroot WiFi Security for just $39.99, if you only want to use up to 3 simultaneous connections. You can get support for up to 5 simultaneous connections for $59.99 per year. As you can see, the pricing is quite convenient. You can pay using cards and PayPal, but at the moment, cryptocurrency is not accepted. There is an offer that allows you to get Webroot WiFi Security (for up to 3 devices) and Internet Security Plus (Webroot’s anti-virus solution) for just $69.98 per year.
Customer Support
If you need to get in touch with Webroot’s support team, you can get in touch via email based ticket. While a live chat would be a faster option, the ticket service works well and you can expect prompt and helpful answers. There is also a knowledge base with useful information and you can also find guides that will help you with the setup process.
Conclusion
Webroot WiFi Security is an easy to use VPN solution that offers the necessary features to keep your information secure. Although it also allows you to overcome online blocks, Webroot WiFi Security is mainly focused on protecting you while you are using public WiFi hotspots. Since it is based in the United States, doesn’t support OpenVPN and it doesn’t accept cryptocurrency as method of payment, it may not be the best option for privacy conscious users. However, if you want an affordable, reliable solution to protect your data from cybercriminals, Webroot WiFi Security may be right for you.