[ExpressVPN] has been sold...

[0xFeedBeef]

to Kape Technologies who have been buying up VPN like they're the new gold...


Make of that what you will...

[Stan001]

to Kape Technologies who have been buying up VPN like they're the new gold...


Make of that what you will...

Love to know how many that makes now. I remember when they bought out PIA VPN. And Express was always one of the highest-cost VPNs.
Kape Technologies must have a huge stack of money sitting around to keep buying out these VPNs.
Nord VPN is like the second or third highest in price, and a while back bought out Surfshark VPN.
Just don't buy any if any still claim to offer lifetime, as many of those who did shut down. It's not feasible to offer lifetime.
I cut out many that I was trying. Even though Surfshark was reasonable in price, I cut them out; Nord is getting cut out because of price.
I can still get access to Windscribe, PIA, and one other.

[Germania]

Love to know how many that makes now. I remember when they bought out PIA VPN.
And Express was always one of the highest-cost VPNs.

Their first VPN acquisition was Cyberghost for €9.1M back in 2017,
followed by Private Internet Access for $127M
Zenmate for €4.8M in 2018
Express VPN for $936M in 2021

And they own many VPN review sites ..


> Kape Technologies must have a huge stack of money sitting around to keep buying out these VPNs.

Unikmind Holdings Limited holds 98.63% of KAPE's issued share capital ..
.. Unikmind is wholly owned by the Israeli billionaire Mr. Teddy Sagi

[0xFeedBeef]

Kape, of course, is (in?)famous for something else...

[Stan001]

Yeah, I see more now.

Former Malware Distributor Kape Technologies Now Owns ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, Zenmate, and a Collection of VPN “Review” Websites

Kape Technologies (Formerly Crossrider) Now Owns ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, Zenmate, and a Collection of VPN “Review” Websites

[0xFeedBeef]

Former Malware Distributor Kape Technologies Now Owns ExpressVPN...

Ding ding ding ding!.. "I wonder what I can do with all those clients installed on so many computers"

[Stan001]

Well, I am sure they can spy on you when the VPN program is active. But as far as them trying to inject any adware or malware, good luck in getting by Malwarebytes.
I locked in an amazing price for PIA and don't want to give that up, plus I don't use the VPN as much as I thought I would.
I never bother with using VPN for streaming, enough stuff can be found and downloaded available to the US, I don't bother with locations outside of the US.
I have VPNs more for torrenting, but the need for VPN is slowly being phased out for torrents, as there are other ways now.

[0xFeedBeef]

Well, I am sure they can spy on you when the VPN program is active. But as far as them trying to inject any adware or malware, good luck in getting by Malwarebytes.
I locked in an amazing price for PIA and don't want to give that up, plus I don't use the VPN as much as I thought I would.
I never bother with using VPN for streaming, enough stuff can be found and downloaded available to the US, I don't bother with locations outside of the US.
I have VPNs more for torrenting, but the need for VPN is slowly being phased out as there are other ways now.

All anti-virus &c software works on known patterns, not intent... but it goes further than that- one gives full control over network to a known malware distributor... the old fable of a scorpion and a frog comes to mind

[Dog]

Well, I am sure they can spy on you when the VPN program is active. But as far as them trying to inject any adware or malware, good luck in getting by Malwarebytes.
I locked in an amazing price for PIA and don't want to give that up, plus I don't use the VPN as much as I thought I would.
I never bother with using VPN for streaming, enough stuff can be found and downloaded available to the US, I don't bother with locations outside of the US.
I have VPNs more for torrenting, but the need for VPN is slowly being phased out for torrents, as there are other ways now.

Malwarebytes is decent, but it's not infallible. When you install your VPN client, does the installer require privilege escalation? I'm going to guess "yes" since most installers request it, and anything that installs into "Program Files" or "Program Files (x86)" (or needs to put files in a number of other directories) requires it. Once your installer has that authority, it can install many things that Malwarebytes (and other AV programs) will give a pass - and it can install them in such a way that they can continue to act with admin (or possibly higher) authority without requesting privilege escalation from you (or any user/admin) in the future. Once you click "Yes" (or provide the necessary credentials) when asked if you want to allow a program to make changes to your machine, you are potentially opening a can of worms that no AV program is going to be able to stop...or possibly even take notice of. In fact, Windows itself provides a way of gaining privilege escalation (under admin accounts) without alerting the user, and it also provides a way to escalate to system level access with only admin privileges. With that ability, a downloader can be installed that could later download and install programs, modules, etc. in the background and set them up to do all sorts of things, including disabling Malwarebytes while leaving the system notification icon (or a decoy) in place. This is one of many tactics used to get around commercial multi-level security. Never assume that *any* AV, or other security program, is going to protect you from yourself. The user is the first layer of protection - once you're past that, it gets much easier.

I think 0xFeedBeef's comments are spot on - I wouldn't trust any software Kape provides. But that's just me talkin' - it's really up to you.

Quick EDIT: I realize you didn't say you would trust their software - but you did say you would trust Malwarebytes to protect you from something similar to what they might try to deploy. My last sentence was not so much a comment directed *at* you, but a disclaimer (and a song reference - 10 internets to whoever can name the song) so Kape can't claim I'm telling people not to use their software - I'm only saying *I* wouldn't use it...or trust it...or recommend it.

[Stan001]

I can only hope nothing happens. I got X amount of years to get a good price, like under $26 a year. Yes, that can then make PIA seem more suspicious.
My only use of a VPN was if I torrent. I found I don't torrent like I did years ago, so the program is not active until I think I may torrent.
I don't know myself if I trust Kape, but until the deal is up, I may want to use PIA.
And also can only hope the limited use may help prevent or lower any bad actions as well.
I am working with another option to eliminate the need of any VPN when getting torrents. So that would reduce my need for one even more.

Many years back, when I found out Kape bought out PIA, others said similar things.
And yes, others then claimed they ended their subscriptions and stopped using PIA.
I have until sometime in 2027 for the current special-priced subscription will renew, and I will not renew it after rethinking it.
That's all I can say. I do put a lot of trust and faith into Malwarebytes after scanning my system a few years ago with a number of antivirus and other malware scanners, and they all said nothing was there. I knew something was not right with my computer, so I went back to using Malwarebytes. I did a scan, and the list of things that all other programs missed was shocking.
They were then all removed by Malwarebytes, and my troubles ended. Have not had issues since. So I guess fingers crossed.

The warnings of using a Kape product are not getting ignored. I thank those who have made them.