

As for the VPN network, Proton currently claims to have access to 1,751 servers in no less than 64 countries. Accessible only to Proton staff via biometric authentication, the servers also use full disk encryption to secure certificates. In addition to the surveillance of these high-security sites and the legal protections offered by these different countries, Proton VPN servers have multiple levels of security. The Secure Core servers are located in Iceland, Sweden and Switzerland, respectively in a former military base, an underground data centre and a Swiss army fallout shelter at a depth of more than 1000 metres. Location is not everything, the physical security of the servers is also a crucial issue for the company. Three locations have been chosen in countries known for their strict data protection laws. With headquarters located in Geneva, Switzerland, and physical infrastructure installed in secure locations, Proton VPN takes great care in administering its servers. One thinks in particular of Proton's non-journalisation policy, its headquarters based in a country considered to be the heart of privacy (Switzerland), Tor servers in several countries, not forgetting the persistent confidentiality encryption algorithms (PFS for Perfect Forward Secrecy). Confidentiality remains at the heart of the project. For its VPN, this has been achieved by multiplying the number of servers and geographical zones, by improving performance levels, and by deploying new features in the course of updates such as the NetShield Adblocker to block malware, advertisements and other trackers, and the VPN Accelerator, which improves performance and stability, particularly when connecting to remote servers. With new formulas and a coherent and renewed visual identity in 2022, Proton is trying to democratise its offering. Proton VPN fits in with this logic by allowing the company to build an ecosystem of "confidential by default" services.

Backed and supported by a growing community with over 70 million users worldwide at present, developing Proton VPN in 2017 and then more recently following up with Proton Drive and Proton Calendar. In a context where the protection of personal data and respect for privacy are more than ever at the centre of the issues and increasingly better understood and assimilated by the general public, Proton AG has continued its efforts. Founded in 2014 by a team from CERN, the very place where the web was born (the World Wide Web), Proton AG began with a successful crowdfunding campaign (more than $500,000 raised), thanks to which the encrypted web messaging project Proton Mail was born. Proton AG has developed its services on a very different basis to many companies operating in the sector, indeed the company is not backed by an investment fund, let alone listed on the stock market.
