Surfshark is a brand of VPN services offered by a Netherlands-based company of the same name.
The service includes data leak detection, private search, antivirus, and personal data removal tools.
In 2022 Surfshark merged with Nord Security. However, both companies still operate independently.
History
Surfshark was launched in 2018 by introducing its first VPN application for iOS devices. In 2018, a browser extension for the service was satisfactorily audited by Cure53.
In September 2019 Surfshark launched Trust DNS, a DNS resolver app for Android.
In July 2020, Surfshark announced its entire server network is running on RAM-only servers, introduced WireGuard, and became a founding member of the VPN Trust Initiative.
In mid-2021, Surfshark began the process to merge with their competitor Nord Security, parent company of the popular NordVPN. The merger was finalised in early 2022, with both brands continuing to operate independently.
In August 2022, Surfshark exclusively partnered with digital rights watchdog NetBlocks for greater reporting on internet shutdowns. Later 2022, Surfshark closed its physical servers in India in response to the CERT-In's order for VPN companies to store consumers’ personal data for a period of five years.
That same year, Surfshark released Surfshark Nexus, together with Nord Security gained the Unicorn status, released Linux GUI, reached 100 different server country locations.
Technology
In December 2019, Surfshark implemented GPS-Spoofing for Android, allowing users to hide their device’s physical geo-location by changing it to one of the server’s locations. In its applications, Surfshark uses IKEv2, OpenVPN and WireGuard tunneling protocols. All data transferred via Surfshark servers is encrypted using an AES-256-GCM encryption standard. That same year, Surfshark launched “Surfshark Alert” & “Surfshark Search.”
Surfshark also added a manual WireGuard connection feature in August.
Surfshark VPN service features include: Kill Switch, MultiHop, and Bypasser. It also offers an ad and malware prevention feature, CleanWeb that blocks ads on the DNS level.
In May 2022, Surfshark announced Linux GUI, added real-time protection to Surfshark Antivirus & added a pause feature to the VPN app.
In August 2022, Surfshark added a manual WireGuard connection feature.