Microsoft is apparently getting into the VPN game, too, with the Microsoft Edge Secure Network.
According to a support page on Microsoft’s site, Microsoft is previewing the Microsoft Edge Secure Network, a service that sends your data through an encrypted tunnel to secure your browsing session. The service is powered by Cloudflare, the page says.
Keep in mind that what you may use a VPN for and what the Edge Secure network is intended for may differ. Our list of best VPNs includes services that are optimized for anonymity, speed, and tunneling your browsing into a different country so that you can watch foreign streaming services. The Edge Secure Network seems to be designed to merely encrypt your data, protecting it from being slurped up during a public Wi-Fi session.
The Edge Secure Network is designed to keep your location private and prevent online tracking, but isn’t intended to fool a remote server into thinking you’re working abroad. The browser will collect a “limited” amount of data to access the service, which Cloudflare will delete at the end of each month.
The data connection isn’t unlimited, either. Instead, Microsoft’s support page says that you’ll be able to use a single gigabyte of free data every month, unlocked by signing into your Microsoft account. Presumably Microsoft will offer users additional Edge Secure Network secured data for an additional fee, too, which would give Microsoft yet another of its beloved subscription options for customers.
Microsoft hasn’t said when or if it will move the Microsoft Edge Secure Network out of preview. But it doesn’t appear to be a viable competitor to the paid services we’ve compiled in our review. Instead, the Edge Secure Network appears to be a last-ditch protection for someone working in a remote location without a backup cellular service to connect to.
Author: Mark Hachman, Senior Editor
As PCWorld's senior editor, Mark focuses on Microsoft news and chip technology, among other beats. He has formerly written for PCMag, BYTE, Slashdot, eWEEK, and ReadWrite.