Switzerland-based NymVPN this week unveiled a Windows partition, allowing users (running Windows v1.28.0 on NymVPN) to choose which apps and websites they want to protect with the VPN.
The feature is currently in beta, and the company will roll out the split tunnel to iOS and Linux clients in future releases. The company also said it is launching a new key exchange system to improve security in the quantum computing era. This feature, called Lewes Protocol, is available on all platforms, including Android, iOS, Linux, Windows and MacOS.
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Split the tunnela VPN industry standard, it lets you specify which sites and apps you want to use over a VPN connection, while accessing everything else over your non-VPN connection.
For example, if you use your VPN to bypass geo-restrictions and stream a football game from the UK, but you also want to download the game from Steam, it will be faster using your normal connection. Or maybe you’re watching a foreign movie with a VPN, but you also want to browse the web using your regular connection.
There may also be sites and apps that, for various reasons, you cannot access with a VPN. You can specify those on VPN, but then check other sites and apps with your non-VPN connection.
NymVPN also said it is developing a more advanced split tunnel to allow customers to stream certain apps through NymVPN’s fast mode or incognito mode.
The company said customers can share feedback and ideas in a Telegram group chat.
Maximum security in the quantum era
NymVPN said its new Lewes Protocol is the company’s first phase of post-quantum security. As a key exchange protocol, it “improves security against post-quantum threats but also significantly improves NymVPN’s connection and startup times.”
“Post-quantum” refers to post-quantum encryptionwhich protects your computer and network from attacks from quantum computing. Quantum computing uses physics to solve problems and perform tasks much faster than the digital computers we usually use in our laptops, phones, etc.
A key exchange protocol, such as NymVPN’s new Lewes Protocol, enables two parties to share cryptographic keys over an insecure channel. Therefore, even if a hacker gets access to those keys, he will not be able to decipher them, and the data will be protected.
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The company said that Lewes Protocol is designed for VPN Fast Mode and significantly improves NymVPN connection and startup times. Customers can now try it out by selecting Lewes Protocol in settings.
CNET senior editor and VPN reviewer Moe Long said developing post-quantum encryption is “forward thinking” by NymVPN.
“It can help protect against threats from really powerful computers, like being able to break current encryption methods,” Long said.
Decentralized VPN
NymVPN is a decentralized VPN, meaning it is run through a network of nodes rather than a central server. It can’t be “hacked, subpoenaed or forced to hand over your data,” the company said.
CNET VPN analyst Attila Tomaschek said NymVPN’s latest audit in July 2024 was “very comprehensive” and covered infrastructure, applications, cryptography and system architecture.
“In any case, an audit can help build trust in addition to helping to reveal potential risks,” Tomaschek said.
