A new webpage for “Microsoft Edge Secure Network” has surfaced, and it suggests that a built-in VPN service for Edge could be on the way soon. The feature is not currently available in any of the current Edge channels at the time of writing, but Microsoft dives into deep details about it, even including screenshots.
According to Microsoft, this new “Edge Secure Network” is all about protecting your device and sensitive data as you browse. Upfront, the company also warns that this is also a preview feature, so feedback can be gathered. Microsoft even dives into the details of what powers the feature. They partnered with Cloudflare on the tech, where Cloudflare is Microsoft’s data subprocessor in order to provide the services.
That said, Edge Secure Network has three core benefits, per Microsoft. Similar to paid VPN services, that includes encrypting your connection preventing online tracking, and keeping your location private. Microsoft’s though is free to use, with 1 gigabyte of free data every month when you sign into Microsoft Edge with your Microsoft Account. Here’s a deeper description.
- When using Microsoft Edge Secure network, your data is routed from Edge through an encrypted tunnel to create a secure connection, even when using a non-secure URL that starts with HTTP. This makes it harder for hackers to access your browsing data on a shared public Wi-Fi network.
- By encrypting your web traffic directly from Microsoft Edge, we help prevent your internet service provider from collecting your browsing data like details about which websites you visit.
- Online entities can use your location and IP address for profiling and sending you targeted ads. Microsoft Edge Secure Network lets you browse with a virtual IP address that masks your IP and replaces your geolocation with a similar regional address to make it more difficult for online trackers to follow you as you browse.
Whenever this feature is ready to roll out, it will live in the Settings and more menu in Microsoft Edge as Secure Network as a shield icon. It will turn off automatically when you close Edge, and has to manually be enabled the next time you want it. A drop-down menu will also show you how much data you’re using, and when your data will be refreshed.
Usually, Microsoft tests new features in the Canary channel of Microsoft Edge first, so we’ll have to keep an eye out for this feature then. We’ll keep you posted if, and when, this feature goes live, but for now, let us know if you’ll find this useful by dropping us a comment below.
