The Box and Goodies -
There is not really a box that the SurfEasy comes in. We received ours in a flip-open cardboard box. We are sure that there will be a retail package soon, but we do not know what form it will take. Inside the packaging we found a thin (it’s only wafer thin) piece of plastic about the side of a credit card. Inside this the SurfEasy Plug-In Privacy device is securely housed.

The SurfEasy -
The SurfEasy is a small USB key that contains a version of Firefox mobile on it. This version of the Mozilla browser has been modified to work with SurfEasy’s servers so that any time you run the executable (or open the app on a Mac) you are directly connecting to the SurfEasy proxy network. This is very similar to the way that the Tor Bundle (or Vidalia) works in that opening the application performs the connection and opens a preconfigured browser optimized for use on that network.

To gain access you will need to setup an account with SurfEasy. This will require some information (which registers the device to you) and yes they do store limited information about you during each session. Most of this is for billing purposes. After all when you buy the SurfEasy you only get 2GB of data per month through their servers.

Once the setup is complete you will connect to the internet through an encrypted proxy (run by SurfEasy). This network will allow you to mask your IP and most of your personal information from the rest of the world. We say most because as with any proxy network there are still going to be some items that can get access to your information if you are not careful. Certain java scripts, corrupted Flash information and if you go crazy and start trying to download a bunch of stuff you could be pegged. Fortunately with the point to point encrypted connection you are using with SurfEasy you do not have to worry about DNS leaks like you do with the basic Tor applications. Here your DNS requests will be processed by SurfEasy’s servers over the encrypted connection.

Another benefit to the encrypted connection is that there is little chance of causal eavesdropping of your data. You could browse the internet over an open network and you will be safe from most attacks. This does not mean you are invulnerable; there is no system that is 100% safe, but you can be sure that the majority of attempts will not get through.

Another benefit of using the SurfEasy key is that the browser is on a read only partition. This means that it would be very hard to infect the system or to force something into its operating space. This is basically like running a live CD of Firefox. There is a small 228MB partition on the key that allows plug-ins and data to be run, but the actual browser is protected. Again, there are always ways to get around things like this so you should not get the feeling that you are secure when using this. The Protection gained here just makes you less likely to get infected or to have your personal information skimmed off the surface of the browser. As an additional level of protection all of the data on the writable partition is erased when you close the SurfEasy connection or remove the key.

So far the SurfEasy plug-in privacy device is looking really good for most applications, but it is not going to protect you from a serious attack or make you completely anonymous on the internet.

Performance -
On the performance side when we first plugged in the SurfEasy we were concerned that we would not get the same level of performance that we get from our regularly installed version of Firefox. We felt that the additional security, protections and the connection through SurfEasy’s network would slow things down. However this was not the case.  We found that in an “Apples to Apples” comparison the SurfEasy browser with full protection performed just as well as a regular installation of Firefox and better than our Firefox mobile install.  You can see some of this in our video overage of the SurfEasy below.

SurfEasy	FireFox Local Install

Things to Think About -
Now for the bad news; as we have said multiple times when you use the SurfEasy you are connecting to and using SurfEasy’s servers. This means that all of your traffic is going through their servers. Although SurfEasy does state very clearly that they do not store this information they do have to track the sessions if for nothing else than billing purposes. After all you have a limited amount of bandwidth each month that you can use (2GB with the basic connection). In their terms and conditions it states;

“Use of Personal Information. SurfEasy will collect and use certain personal information about you as detailed in our Privacy Policy a copy of which is located at http://www.SurfEasy.com/legal/privacypolicy. As part of agreeing to these Terms of Use, you are also acknowledging, agreeing to and consenting to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information as provided for in our Privacy Policy.”

We had a look at the privacy policy and found that it is much clearer than most out there. SurfEasy states that they will collect personal data for billing purposes (as we mentioned) but that they also state;

“SurfEasy does not store information that links you to websites, IP addresses or downloads while using the SurfEasy service, except in the following cases”

You can see these cases below. As with many companies out there SurfEasy has made concessions to legal demands. If they are served with a warrant or government request they will comply and it looks like they can begin to store information on your activities when using SurfEasy.  SurfEasy also makes it very clear that using their network for any hacking activities is grounds for immediate closing of your account and that they will report this activity to the proper authorities.

“Any suspected fraudulent, abusive or illegal activity may be referred to appropriate law enforcement authorities. These remedies are in addition to any other remedies SurfEasy may have at law or in equity.”

These are things to keep in mind while you ponder over getting the SurfEasy.

Value -
Value is another very subjective topic. What is expensive to some might be a deal to others. You can look at this topic in multiple ways. One is raw price and the other is what you get for the money. Each is accurate and both are correct ways to look at price/value. We tend to look at features, performance and real-property when we discuss value. However, we also take into account the raw cash cost of the item. The SurfEasy with the basic 2GB per month of data will cost you $59.99 plus shipping. This is not bad if you are looking for some basic protection from prying eyes or just want to make sure your email or purchases are protected when you are on an open network. If 2GB is not enough for you there are plans available that will get you more. For $5 per month you can increase your monthly ration to 25GB per month and for only $10 you get 75GB. Again both of these are not bad at all considering the peace of mind you will have preventing basic intrusions and ensuring that you are not broadcasting your personal information all over the network you are using.

Conclusion -
In the end the SurfEasy product is a solid product if you are looking for protection from prying eyes when you are on an open network. The SurfEasy can also help you get around some of the systems that might be in place to log or block websites when you are in a restrictive environment (like work or a library) of course doing this can get you into trouble so we would not recommend it. The product is clean and well-made while from what we can tell the connection made to SurfEasy’s network is fairly secure. It is important to remember that there is no such thing as a 100% secure connection, browser, operating system or session no matter what you have as protection you will have to play things smart and not go crazy thinking you are safe. However, if you are only looking to keep your personal information to yourself and prevent malicious individuals from tracking or spying on you then the SurfEasy is a great product even if you have end up needing more bandwidth it is still a pretty good deal.
We are happy to award the SurfEasy Plug In Privacy Device our Silver Key Award for its price, performance and believe it or not the clearly defined privacy and usage policies.

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