{"id":188002,"date":"2023-03-17T12:49:04","date_gmt":"2023-03-17T12:49:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.internetsociety.org\/?page_id=188002"},"modified":"2025-09-09T17:52:29","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T17:52:29","slug":"surfshark-humanizing-digital-security-to-empower-users","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.internetsociety.org\/about-internet-society\/organization-members\/stories\/surfshark\/","title":{"rendered":"Surfshark: Humanizing Digital Security to Empower Users"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Surfshark:
Humanizing Digital Security to Empower Users<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Netherlands-based cybersecurity company Surfshark develops security and privacy solutions to help users gain full control over their digital lives. Educating consumers to use cybersecurity tools optimally is one of its core missions. In 2020, to join forces with others working to protect the open Internet and make it a safer place for all, Surfshark became an Internet Society member.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A Conversation with Gabriel\u0117<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Speaking from one of Surfshark\u2019s offices in Vilnius, Lithuania, Gabriel\u0117 explained the company\u2019s beginnings, what sets it apart from other virtual private network (VPN) providers, what it\u2019s doing to stand up against alarming trends in the global cyber village, and how it has worked with the Internet Society to have a bigger impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With offices in four countries (the Netherlands, Lithuania, Germany, and Poland), over 300 employees, and more than 12.4 million app downloads, not to mention some 30 industry awards, Surfshark is one of the world\u2019s leading cybersecurity firms. In line with its dream of \u201ca world where people have full control of their digital lives,\u201d Surfshark develops tools and provides information designed to empower users across the globe to more safely navigate the cyber threat-laden waters of the Internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its beginnings were somewhat humbler. When Chief Executive Officer Vytautas Kaziukonis founded it in 2018, Surfshark\u2019s only offering was browser extensions, and it struggled to forge an identity for itself in the cybersecurity landscape. \u201cWe were like the new kid on the block, trying to find our way among the others,\u201d says Gabriel\u0117. \u201cThe industry was also quite different back then. It was highly technical, and there wasn\u2019t much difference between us and our competition. It\u2019s like we were all just mimicking each other without being distinctive.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Gabriel\u0117 Ra\u010daityt\u0117-Krasausk\u0117, Head of Public Relations<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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Four years ago, after working in public relations (PR) in retail and other industries, Gabriel\u0117 joined the Surfshark team as PR manager. Having studied politics, she already knew something about Internet censorship but hadn\u2019t realized the issue\u2019s full scope. \u201cI was appalled, especially after learning about the restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir,\u201d she says. \u201cThese topics just grew on me, and I took an interest on a personal level. I felt motivated to learn everything I could and help spread the word about these restrictions from our point of view.\u201d Today, as head of PR, Gabriel\u0117 contributes research for Surfshark\u2019s educational resources in addition to managing trust initiatives, working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and building the firm\u2019s online reputation. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Keeping the World Informed of the Status Quo<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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A differentiating factor organically emerged when Surfshark saw an opportunity to help raise awareness of Internet restrictions and data breaches by providing information to journalists and the general public. \u201cAt the time, many NGOs were collecting information about these things, but nobody had a global picture of the total number of cases over the past, say, six years,\u201d Gabriel\u0117 says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surfshark launched its research activities in 2019 and quickly released its Digital Quality of Life Index, which ranks countries according to five digital well-being indicators: Internet affordability, Internet quality, electronic infrastructure, electronic security, and electronic government. Updated yearly, the index features easy-to-understand statistics and graphics designed for the layperson. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another key resource Surfshark supplies is its Data Breach Map. It gives website visitors a clear overview of what exactly is happening on the global scene when it comes to cybersecurity and which parts of the world are affected. This map and its statistics empower people to more easily grasp the full scope of current threats to our global open Internet and understand the urgency of protecting their data against breaches. Armed with this information, they can then consider joining in the efforts to halt these trends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At the same time, Surfshark also became more involved in the global cybersecurity community. It\u2019s a founding member of the VPN Trust Initiative, whose mission is to gather industry leaders to advocate and validate guidelines and policies to ensure customers’ safety. Surfshark has also been an active Internet Society organization member since March 2020. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Humanizing Cybersecurity and Educating Users<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Surfshark also rapidly rolled out new products to help users enjoy an even safer digital experience. In addition to the VPN it\u2019s best known for, it developed an antivirus as well as tools enabling data-breach detection, secure private searches, and automated removal of personal data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But what matters most to Surfshark is ensuring that users understand how to use these tools and know about the threats they may encounter online. \u201cWe want our customers to realize that simply buying our products isn\u2019t enough,\u201d Gabriel\u0117 says. \u201cWhen a user opts for a VPN, we give them very clearly written onboarding information: what they can use their VPN for, how it enhances privacy, how it safeguards security. We take them through the journey step by step, explaining everything in simple layperson\u2019s terms. They need to know things like which servers to connect to and when to use an antivirus.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surfshark also presents this information via articles on its blog, videos on its YouTube channels, Surfshark Academy <\/em>and Surfshark<\/em>, and episodes of its podcast, Surfshark Wave<\/em>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Surfshark views education as an essential part of its mission…
\u201cWe see providing this knowledge as a way of humanizing digital security to make it accessible to all.\u201d<\/div>