Proton VPN
Proton VPN is a VPN that encrypts your Mac’s internet connection and sends it through Proton’s servers. It’s made by Proton, based in Switzerland.
Criminals have used its name in fake downloads or scams, so get it only from protonvpn.com.
What it is
People use Proton VPN to protect their internet connection, access blocked websites and connect through another country. It offers free and paid plans.
It handles your Mac’s network traffic to send it through an encrypted connection. It asks to add VPN configurations and enable network extensions for features such as WireGuard and split tunnelling. Proton says it does not log your traffic or the contents of communications.
Proton publishes the app’s source code and independent audit reports. Its Mac kill switch has documented limits: switching servers can briefly expose your real IP address, and some Apple DNS requests can bypass the VPN.
Who makes it
Proton is a Swiss privacy software company founded in 2014 whose primary shareholder is the non-profit Proton Foundation. Its legal name is Proton AG. Its website is proton.me.
Is it the real one?
Every Mac app carries a signature from the developer who made it. Apple checks who the developer is before handing out the certificate, and macOS refuses to open an app whose signature has been tampered with.
The real Proton VPN is signed by ProtonVPN AG, Apple team ID J6S6Q257EK. A copy signed by anyone else isn’t from Proton. HARD’s Mac app checks this for you; to check by hand, open Terminal and run codesign -dv "/Applications/Proton VPN.app", and look for that TeamIdentifier.
Its bundle ID, the name macOS knows it by, is ch.protonvpn.mac. Download it only from protonvpn.com, not from an ad or a link someone sends you.
Fakes. In June 2026, Palo Alto Networks reported fake Chrome extensions impersonating Proton VPN that routed browsing traffic through servers controlled by attackers.
What it connects to
In normal use, Proton VPN talks to these places on the internet. A firewall that asks before apps connect, like the one in HARD’s Mac app, will show them.
| Address | Why |
|---|---|
api.protonmail.ch | Proton service API |
protonvpn.com | Checks for app updates |
vpn.protondownload.com | Downloads app updates |
What it can see
macOS asks you before an app can use these. You can change them any time in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
| Permission | What it’s for |
|---|---|
| VPN | Adds VPN configurations so the Mac can connect to Proton’s servers. |
| Network Extensions | Enables VPN protocols such as WireGuard and Stealth, and features such as split tunnelling. |
Security record
Problems with Proton VPN or Proton in the last three years, newest first. Keeping the app up to date covers the ones that were fixed.
| When | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Proton VPN’s Windows installer had a command injection flaw involving the Proton Drive installation path; version 3.2.10 fixed it. | ↗ | |
| TunnelVision could let someone controlling a local network route traffic outside the VPN; Proton says enabling the Mac app’s kill switch prevents this attack. | ↗ |
References
- About Proton proton.me
- Download Proton VPN for macOS protonvpn.com
- How to use the Proton VPN macOS app protonvpn.com
- Proton VPN privacy policy protonvpn.com
- How to install macOS network extensions protonvpn.com
- Proton VPN for macOS release notes protonvpn.com
- Troubleshooting common macOS app issues protonvpn.com
- Proton VPN macOS app update configuration raw.githubusercontent.com
- AutoPkg Proton VPN download and signature verification recipe github.com
- Proton VPN independent no-logs audits protonvpn.com
- How to use kill switch protonvpn.com
- Palo Alto Networks: Fake VPN extensions and traffic interception live.paloaltonetworks.com
- Official CVE record for the Windows installer flaw raw.githubusercontent.com
- TunnelVision and Proton VPN protonvpn.com
- The signature on a real installed copy, read by HARD with
codesign.