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South Park season 27 episode 4 hasn't aired again this week, and it's now the third in a series of ongoing delays. After its controversial premiere, both episodes 2 and 3 have had two-week gaps between them, with episode 4 now following suit (you can expect to see it on September 3 instead).

Paramount has now confirmed this schedule will continue for the entire duration of the 10-episode season, meaning we can now expect the (surely explosive) season finale on November 26.

Initially, the studio hadn't given a reason why, or at least it hadn't publicly. With influential figures in the US Government blasting South Park's parodies on a near-daily basis, I'd already guessed that this could feed into why episodes were taking longer, especially given the Paramount+ exclusive post-credit scenes we're starting to see.

President Trump has been naked in bed with the devil, US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has shot puppies at point blank range, and Towelie's trip to Washington D.C. shone a spotlight on the city's National Guard deployment.

But ahead of South Park season 27 episode 4, we've finally got an explanation – and as it turns out, there are multiple reasons why we're seeing a lag on the launches.

Not only does it feel like a smart move, I also think it's a huge positive. The creators show no signs of slowing down their scathing political parodies, so some breathing space between them could do us all the world of good.

"So much happens right now in just one day with Trump"

Stan, Eric and Kenny will be on our screens until the end of November. (Image credit: Paramount)

According to an interview with Deadline, the season 27 delays initially started with timing episode 2 to release in line with the show's 25th anniversary. Afterwards, a two-week schedule was continued in order to make sure episodes were completely up to date with real-world events.

Deadline's source close to the South Park producers explained, “What they’re doing means this year’s episodes need more time than usual to put together, to finish.

“So much happens right now in just one day with Trump. No one’s going to sacrifice getting it right, even if we have to push getting it to air, and if that makes the season longer, so be it.”

In short, this means that everything is taking more time to make, which isn't surprising in a world with a news cycle that moves at breakneck speed.

What's perhaps more surprising is that Paramount is totally fine with the changes. “We’re not going to argue with what’s working, ” an insider at the studio added. “The numbers are great, the show is getting a lot of attention – if they want to give us a 20-week season for 10-episodes, that’s OK.”

Deadline previously reported that the second episode of Season 27 drew 6.2 million global multi-platform viewers across Comedy Central and Paramount+ in its first three days, numbers which largely came from streaming. Clearly, taking more time is working for everyone, and perhaps this allows creators to cut even deeper with their political parody.

Could this change how comedies, or any streamable series, are released in the future? Very possibly. But for now, there's a certain relief that comes with the empty space between the animated poundings.

With Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna now the latest to clap back at her South Park depiction, the new schedule will likely cool any political jets before anything gets messier than the tension and legal threats we saw through its two-year hiatus.

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• Nintendo Switch 2's second month on sale has been hugely successful
• The console is currently outselling its predecessor by around 75%
• Overall gaming hardware spending reached $384 million as a result

It seems that appetite for the Nintendo Switch 2 isn't going away any time soon, as it's significantly outpacing its predecessor in sales in its second month on store shelves, at least in the US.

That's according to Circana senior director and game industry analyst Mat Piscatella who, shared some Switch 2 sales stats in a recent Bluesky post.

"The Nintendo Switch 2's second month on the market was another explosive one, at least in the US," Piscatella wrote, "where it surpassed 2 million units sold life-to-date, putting it 75% ahead of the unit sales pace set by the Nintendo Switch 1."

According to Piscatella, hardware spending reached $384 million thanks to the Nintendo Switch 2's strong sales performance. That's the highest since July 2008, where consoles on sale at that time included the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable.

Additionally, Switch 2 exclusive Donkey Kong Bananza entered US July sales charts at #3, only behind the EA Sports MVP Bundle and EA Sports College Football 26, both of which would be expected among the mainstream US gaming audience.

Nintendo Switch 2's second month performance doesn't come as much of a surprise, as the system was already off to an impressively strong start in its launch month of June 2025. At the time, Piscatella told IGN that the Switch 2 had "the biggest launch month sales for any new video game hardware platform," and that Nintendo had largely made enough supply to meet the high demand.

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• Many AI pilots fail real-world operations and 95% of GenAI pilots don’t reach production, Salesforce claims
• CRMArena-Pro lets enterprises stress-test their AI agents with digital twins
• Two new benchmarks are used for stress-testing AI agents

Salesforce says enterprises are struggling with their AI pilots failing in real-world operations, and has launched CRMArena-Pro, a new service to allow businesses to create a digital twin of their operations to stress-test AI agents before they get deployed.

The company cited recent MIT research which found 95% of generative AI pilots don’t even reach the production stage.

CRMArena-Pro evaluates AI agents on real tasks, like customer service, sales forecasting and supply chain disruptions, but using synthetic data that’s been validated by experts.

Salesforce lets you stress-test AI agents using digital twins

“CRMArena-Pro creates a rigorous, context-rich simulated enterprise environment framework with synthetic data, where it can safely evaluate API calls to relevant systems, as well as the ability to safeguard PII data,” the company wrote in an announcement.

By adding real-world noise into the test environment, CRMArena-Pro can better evaluate performance, strengthen resilience and bridge the gap between pre- and post-deployment.

“The result is AI agents that are capable, consistent, trustworthy, and agentic enterprise-ready.”

Companies can also see how AI agents handle real-world challenges like messy data, legacy systems and complex workflows.

Salesforce noted part of the complexity comes from the vast array of models available to choose today, and knowing which specific model or combination of models to use isn’t so simple.

To that tune, the company has published two new benchmarks to measure agent performance: MCP-Eval for evaluation through synthetic tasks and MCP-Universe, which adds real-world tasks and execution-based evaluators to stress-test agents in complex scenarios.

In a previous post, Salesforce noted that CRMArena-Pro “lays the groundwork for the next frontier: Enterprise General Intelligence” - and for now, users can expect “safe, capable and impactful” AI for all organizations.

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Eyes up here... if only to spot the tearaway who was once booted off Married at First Sight for brawling with one of the other grooms. Let's hope there's no such grappling in Dating Naked UK, as that really would be unbecoming.

You can watch Dating Naked UK season 2 online from anywhere with a VPN and potentially for free.

Premiere: Friday, August 29 (UK, CA)

Stream: Paramount Plus

Use NordVPN to watch any stream

Poor Luke Worley from Clacton is probably never going to live his MAFS UK season 8 ejection down, so he might as well try to learn from it. Plus, nobody applies to be on Dating Naked because their love life's going to plan.

Take Keir, who's drawn to bad boys against her better judgement and has paid the price over and over. Or Matt, who after a year of celibacy is just about fit to burst. A penny for the thoughts of Jordan's mum. The semi-pro footballer says he applied for the show because his mum's been on his back to settle down since 30 appeared on the horizon.

While nudity is well within Connor's comfort zone, it's the prospect of a serious relationship that sends chills running down his bare spine. And we have a philosopher in Nina, who cancels out her wild nights out with green juices and wellness retreats.

Read on as we explain how to watch Dating Naked UK season 2 from anywhere.

Unblock any stream with a VPN

If you're keen to watch Dating Naked UK season 2 but you're away from home and access to the show is geo-blocked, then you could always use a VPN to access it (assuming you're not breaching any broadcaster T&Cs, of course). You may be surprised by how simple it is to do.

Use one of the best VPNs to watch Dating Naked UK from anywhere:

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How to watch Dating Naked UK season 2 in the UK

Dating Naked UK season 2 premieres with a double-header on Friday, August 29 on Paramount Plus. A pair of new episodes will hit the streamer each week.

A subscription costs £4.99 per month, but if you've never signed up before you'll get a 7-day free trial.

Not in the UK? Anyone from the UK who wants to watch their usual streaming service from abroad can do so by using a VPN.

How to watch Dating Naked UK season 2 in Canada

Dating Naked UK season 2 is exclusive to Paramount Plus in Canada, with a pair of episodes set to land every Friday, starting August 29.

A subscription costs CA$6.99 per month after a 7-day free trial.

Outside Canada when it airs? Simply use a VPN to watch from abroad.

Can you watch Dating Naked UK season 2 in the US?

Paramount Plus is home to Dating Naked UK in the US, but at the time of writing there's no word on when season 2 will arrive. A subscription starts at $7.99 per month after a 7-day free trial.

In the meantime, a VPN will help you tune in if you're an Brit or a Canadian traveling in the US. NordVPN is our recommended provider, and you can find out why with our in-depth NordVPN review.

Can you watch Dating Naked UK season 2 in Australia?

The first season of Dating Naked UK is available to stream on Paramount Plus in Australia, but plans for season 2 are under wraps at the time of publication. Prices start from $AU6.99 per month after a 7-day free trial.

Brits and Canadaians currently away from home can use a VPN to watch Dating Naked UK season 2 from abroad.

Dating Naked UK season 2 trailerDating Naked UK season 2 cast

• Amara, 28
• Connor, 27, factory worker
• Mani, 22
• Jarrakeh, 28, creative artist
• Jordan, 31, semi-pro footballer
• Keir, 25
• Kelsey, 26, car detailer
• Luke, 32, business owner
• Matt, 32
• Nina, 29, party host

Can I watch Dating Naked UK season 2 for free?

Dating Naked UK isn't free-to-air, but viewers in the UK and Canada can make use of the Paramount Plus 7-day free trial to tune in without charge.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Denmark's foreign minister summoned the top U.S. diplomat in the country for talks after the main national broadcaster reported that at least three people with connections to President Donald Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in Greenland.

(Image credit: Kwiyeon Ha)

• The European Commission rejects accusations that the Digital Services Act (DSA) is designed to harm US big tech
• The EU also denies that DSA content-removal requirements constitute internet censorship
• This comes as Trump threatens sanctions against EU member states implementing DSA rules

No, the EU's Digital Service Act (DSA) doesn't constitute internet censorship and isn't designed to harm US big tech giants specifically.

This is the blunt reply from the European Commission on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, in response to accusations made by US President Donald Trump the day before – Reuters reported.

On Monday, in fact, another report from Reuters revealed that the Trump administration was considering imposing sanctions against the European Union and any member states looking to implement DSA rules.

The EU's Digital Service Act seeks to create a safer online environment, said the EU, by limiting the spread of illegal content, including hate speech and child sexual abuse material, and disinformation on digital platforms. It also bans manipulative advertising practices.

Washington sees these actions as restrictions on Americans' freedom of speech, with a government spokesperson confirming to Reuters that authorities are monitoring the situation in Europe "with great concern."

DSA enforcement decisions have so far affected X and Meta, but also Chinese-owned companies like AliExpress, Temu, and TikTok, said an EU spokesperson.

Beyond the EU

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Koshiro K)

US officials' concerns around new digital regulations aren't limited to the EU, though, nor to the Digital Service Act.

In a Truth Social post, Trump shared his intentions to "impose substantial additional tariffs" on all countries that target American tech companies with digital taxes or regulations, "unless these discriminatory actions are removed."

This comes only days after a pledge from the Chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to at least 13 US tech giants, including Apple, Alphabet (parent firm behind Google), Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon, to resist UK and EU demands to weaken encryption and censor content.

Besides the EU DSA, the FTC raised the alarm about two UK laws in particular – the Online Safety Act and Investigatory Powers Act.

US officials have been critical about the latter, following a Technical Capability Notice (TCN) issued under the law that hit Apple in February and led the tech giant to remove its advanced end-to-end encryption protection from iCloud in the UK market. The UK, however, has now agreed to drop its Apple encryption backdoor request, in a victory for Washington.

At the end of July, mandatory age verification in the UK was also enforced as per the Online Safety Act, age-gating not just adult-only content, but also so-called legal but harmful material across multiple platforms like social media, dating apps, and even music streaming services, like Spotify.

Millions of Brits have so far turned to the best VPN apps to bypass age checks, mostly for fear of the privacy and security consequences of sharing their most sensitive data with third parties.

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• Samsung has announced an event on September 4
• We'll likely see the Galaxy Tab S11 series and the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE
• Other leaks have given us a clear idea of what to expect from the Galaxy Tab S11 series

It’s a busy time for smartphone launches, because not only has the Google Pixel 10 series just launched, with the iPhone 17 series likely to land in a matter of weeks, but Samsung has also now announced a new launch event.

This will take place on September 4 at 5:30am ET / 2:30am PT / 10:30am BST / 7:30pm AEST, and it will be streamed live on Samsung’s YouTube channel.

So what can you expect? Well, Samsung hasn’t named any specific devices in its event invite, but it has said that we’ll see “premium AI tablets” and “the newest member of the Galaxy S25 family”, which almost certainly means the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 series and the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE respectively.

Specs and images are already out in the wild

Thanks to leaks and rumors we also have a good idea of what to expect from these devices, and in fact there are some new leaks about the Galaxy Tab S11 series.

First up, leaker @MysteryLupin has shared a full specs list for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11. This mentions an 11-inch 1,600 x 2,560 display with a 120Hz refresh rate, an included S Pen stylus, a MediaTek Dimensity 9400 Plus chipset, 12GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, a microSD card slot, an IP68 rating, and an 8,400mAh battery with 45W charging.

The list also mentions a 13MP rear camera, a 12MP front-facing one, four stereo speakers, a thickness of just 5.5mm, and a weight of 484g.

So the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 sounds like an accomplished slate going by this specs list, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra should be even better. For that, Android Headlines has shared some renders and videos, providing a good sense of what it might look like.

(Image credit: Android Headlines)

You can see the slate in gray and silver colors, and it’s shown with slim bezels and a small notch, with a dual-lens camera on the back. An S Pen stylus and a keyboard accessory are also pictured.

Some of these images also include specs, mentioning a 14.6-inch display, which based on previous leaks will probably have an 1,848 x 2,960 resolution. We’ve also heard in previous leaks that the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra could have a MediaTek Dimensity 9400 Plus chipset, 16GB of RAM, a 12MP main camera, a 13MP ultra-wide one, and an 11,600mAh battery with 45W charging.

As for the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, there’s no new information on that, but previous S25 FE leaks point to a 6.7-inch 120Hz screen, an Exynos 2400 chipset, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB or 256GB of storage.

They also mention 50MP, 12MP, and 8MP cameras on the back, a 12MP one on the front, a battery of either 4,500mAh or 4,900mAh, and 45W charging.

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Fortect may not be one of the biggest names when it comes to the best antivirus and security, but this German business demands attention thanks to an ethos that prizes transparency, trust and user empowerment.

They’re all good qualities when trying to identify your next piece of security software, and it means that we’re eager to evaluate the company’s specific antivirus credentials in this review.

If you need a free antivirus product, then Fortect does have one option available – but it’s very limited. You can view and fix issues one-by-one using a manual repair system, but automatic repairs are only supported in the paid versions of the product.

Fortect’s paid antivirus module is found within a wider product called PC Suite, which also includes a slate of PC tweaking, optimization and repair tools alongside security features.

Fortect’s most affordable paid product, Essential, protects one system for one year and includes all of the app’s core features for $38.

Upgrade to the multi-device plan for $47 and you get unlimited annual usage for three devices. The Ultimate product, which costs $65, includes licenses for five devices.

Those single-device and three-device plans are priced reasonably, but the Ultimate product feels a tad expensive: Norton 360 Deluxe supports five devices for $49, for instance, and you can get Sophos Home Premium protection for ten devices for $44.99.

(Image credit: Fortect)Fortect: Interface

Installation is easy and, once it’s complete, Fortect runs through a comprehensive system scan. Because this is a PC suite rather than just an antivirus scanner, its results outlined a host of issues, but Fortect was comprehensive when tackling security: it detected a vast array of potential privacy issues, for instance.

Get beyond that initial scan and Fortect has one of the best interfaces we’ve seen on a PC security and tweaking app.

It’s modern and mature, with navy blue shades throughout, and the dashboard has a huge “On” button that starts a full system scan.

The front page has indicators so you can see if malware and real-time protection are both activated, and on the left-hand side there are links to the app’s performance, security, privacy and VPN modules.

(Image credit: Fortect)

Delve into the Security section and you can deploy quick and custom scans and toggle malware and real-time protection, and drag and drop folders and files for custom scans.

In the Security settings menu you can enable real-time protection, cloud-based analysis and the browsing shield, which blocks harmful sites. You can also customize the frequency of security reports and tweak file quarantine settings.

The app’s Privacy module includes browser cache cleanup, and a unique tool that enables users to remove traces of Office apps from their system. You’re also invited to install an effective, free Chrome browser extension that monitors your browsing activity and highlights any issues.

(Image credit: Fortect)Fortect: Antivirus and Protection

Fortect’s Antivirus module delivers real-time malware and web browser protection, comprehensive scanning for malware and unwanted apps, and cloud-based technology that provides the app with updates of new and emerging threats.

The app automatically fixes and removes threats, repairs your system if it becomes unstable, and can be used to create system restore points. Malicious files, folders and apps can also be quarantined.

Fortect’s macOS version also includes real-time protection, cloud-based security, full system scanning, quarantine management and detailed security reports, and its Android and iOS apps include all of those abilities alongside network scanning, website blocking, data breaches alerts and a system advisor.

To access these features across multiple devices, you’ll have to pay for one of the pricier tiers that supports multi-device usage.

(Image credit: Fortect)

Most of the antivirus products we cover have been independently tested by AV-Comparatives and AV Test – or a reputable alternative like SE Labs.

Sadly, none of those organizations have evaluated Fortect, so we’re turning to Virus Bulletin and AppEsteem.

VirusBulletin is a global authority on the antivirus industry and has been testing consumer and enterprise security software for over two decades. VirusBulletin’s publications include reports by leading researchers and details about new threats, with archives going back to 1989.

VirusBulletin’s VB100 certification is awarded to apps that “meet the basic standards required to be recognized as legitimate and properly functioning anti-malware solutions.” Fortect has earned that certification with a Grade A result, with 99.19% of malware detected and only 0.007% false positives.

AppEsteem certifies apps using the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization’s protocols to provide consumers can see which apps offer effective antivirus performance without false positives and over-aggressive monetization tactics.

AppEsteem’s testing saw Fortect rated as a Contender, with an 88% rating for Deceptors and a 94% pass mark for certification. That’s not the best score and it means you’ll likely see some upselling attempts in this app – and we can vouch for that, given that upon installation we were presented with an offer to upgrade to a multi-device app.

Apps from Avast, AVG, Sophos and others provided a cleaner experience than Fortect, but tools from Malwarebytes, Bitdefender and Norton received poorer ratings – so Fortect is not the worst offender here, and you shouldn’t let the occasional special offer put you off.

(Image credit: Fortect)Fortect: Other features

As Fortect Antivirus is included in a wider PC Suite, that means you get a solid range of additional features in the app.

Fortect’s Performance Scan identifies junk files and crashed apps that can slow your PC down, and the app also has a Driver Updater that will make sure your system is always up to date.

Those PC performance features are not particularly extensive, though, and there are plenty of features missing elsewhere if you compare Fortect to apps like Norton 360 and Sophos Home Premium.

(Image credit: Fortect)

Norton, for instance, included an unlimited VPN, dark web monitoring, parental controls, a password manager and a private browser. Sophos had more in-depth web filtering. None of that is available with Fortect.

Support options are underwhelming, too. If you need help with Fortect, you can complete a web form and get a response within 48 hours – below the industry standard in 2025. Norton has live chat and phone support options and paid options for more extensive help, and Sophos has chat options.

It’s worth mentioning that Fortect is a slightly different product to those two rivals: it concentrates on PC optimization and security. But given the pricing parity between all of these tools, it makes Fortect’s value proposition look a little underwhelming.

Fortect: Final verdict

The antivirus testing that we’ve found indicates that Fortect does an excellent job of protecting devices from the latest threats.

That said, its lack of testing from our favored testing sites means that we’re reluctant to give a wholehearted recommendation when compared to tools that have scored well across a wider array of testing services.

There’s no doubt that this app is a slick, easy to use tool: it’s got an excellent interface with straightforward design and sensible organization. But that does mean that Fortect lacks the in-depth tweaking and customization options that are commonplace on tools that will appeal for a more technical audience.

Go beyond its core antivirus and PC performance functionality, though, and there’s not much on offer here compared to other tools – rivals routinely include VPNs, password managers, parental controls and more, alongside better support.

Fortect may do a good job with antivirus abilities, but rivals offer more functionality and customization. Fortect is not bad, but there are better options available.

We've listed the best firewall software.

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If Zero Trust actually worked like the industry said it would, VPNs would’ve disappeared years ago. Instead, they’re booming. We’ve all heard the warnings, seen the vendor pitches, and read enough LinkedIn posts to fill several lifetimes: Zero trust is supposed to be here.

And yet, despite all that hype, the business VPN market isn’t just alive — it's thriving, projected to nearly double from $5.7 billion in 2024 to well over $10 billion by 2033.

The Comfort of the Familiar

I wrote my first VPN — Tunnel Vision — back in 1998, for the first customer of my first startup. Later we replaced it with an IPsec key manager. Then I wrote sshuttle, a sort of VPN built on top of SSH. At Google, I ended up writing a multicast VPN tool we called "frobnicast" (don’t ask). And finally, I co-founded yet another VPN company to try fixing this once and for all. That makes it five VPNs so far. As the meme goes, we have become exceedingly efficient at it.

Why do we keep writing new VPNs? Because the old ones suck. But honestly, it's not just VPNs that suck — it’s TCP/IP that sucks. If IPv4 had been encrypted by default and access-controlled from the beginning and didn't run out of IP addresses and IPv6 had successfully rolled out, we wouldn’t need VPNs. Every generation of these tools has been a workaround for something broken further down the stack.

Still, businesses don’t let go of familiar tools easily. I once wrote that “not changing stuff is amazingly powerful as a product strategy.” VPNs are dependable. Or at least, they’re the devil we know. They’re built into enterprise security bundles, they’re in the onboarding checklist, and they’ve been “good enough” for long enough that most teams have figured out how to live with them.

But when a tool sticks around long after its design goals are obsolete — like my old dialer program WvDial, still popular decades after modems became irrelevant — it’s worth asking why. In WvDial’s case, the answer was simple: everything else was worse. That story still applies to VPNs.

When Security Gets in the Way

According to recent research, this comfort comes at a cost. Over 83% of engineers admit to bypassing their company's security controls simply to get work done. Worse yet, 68% retain access to internal systems after leaving their employers, exposing critical gaps in the security lifecycle. Yet, despite these clear risks, only 10% of professionals feel their current VPN "works well."

So, VPNs linger not because they're ideal, but because migrating fully to zero trust isn’t trivial. It’s not a product you can buy; it’s a shift in how you think. Continuous verification, least privilege access, and identity-first networking sound simple until you try to retrofit them into a sprawling, 20-year-old IT architecture.

The VPN Misconception

There’s a common belief that VPNs are fundamentally insecure. They’re not. But the traditional enterprise VPN model, the one that drops you inside the perimeter and lets you wander freely, is dangerous. That’s like giving everyone a master key to your office building.

A better model grants access one step at a time, based on who you are, what you need right now, and where you’re coming from. Microsegmentation. It’s not about banning tunnels — it’s about more, smaller tunnels, each with its own control valve.

Where Zero Trust Really Begins

The most secure approach is one where identity management is everything. Not where you are, not what subnet you’re on, not whether you’re in the office. Identity. Strong authentication, hardware-backed keys, just-in-time access.

But identity isn’t easy. Our survey found only 29% of organizations have adopted identity-based access control at scale. Even fewer use automation. Many still rely on spreadsheets and service account credentials that outlive the employees who set them up.

So security becomes a tax. It slows people down. And when security gets in the way, people route around it. That’s why VPN fatigue is real — and growing.

Yet, there's hope. Nearly half of surveyed companies are consolidating fragmented tools, embracing automation, and experimenting with adaptive policies. But more interestingly, they're starting to rethink their whole approach.

Security and engineering teams are collaborating instead of clashing. They're designing systems that work with people, not against them. AI tools are emerging — not to replace humans, but to help notice the things humans miss: a sudden pattern change, a weird login time, an unexpected access request.

More companies are adopting modular, policy-driven systems. Instead of writing 50 firewall rules, they define intent: "this kind of app talks to that kind, under these conditions." That’s not Zero Trust as a checklist — it’s Zero Trust as infrastructure.

A Pragmatic Path Forward

Zero trust isn’t a product you install. It’s a direction you walk in.

Start by reducing implicit trust — wherever you find it. Use strong identity through encryption, not IP addresses. Make credentials short-lived. Assume the worst. Break your network into zones. Shrink the blast radius.

But do it gradually. Nobody rips out all their networking in a day. Choose one high-value system and zero-trustify it. Learn. Repeat.

VPNs will stick around a while, not because they’re good, but because everything else is hard or immature. But as we’ve seen with tools like WvDial, still in use long after its time, familiarity isn’t the same as fitness. The future belongs to systems that embrace the complexity of real-world access — and make it feel simple.

I don't want to write VPNs, I don't want to deploy VPNs, I just want to solve real problems. But we can't solve the real problems without a working network. So here I am with a $1.5B company still selling VPNs. Sure it's maybe the best VPN. But it looks like I'll be continuing to do it for years, so that other people can finally solve real problems.

And if we finally get it right this time, maybe we can stop reinventing the same broken tunnel — one VPN at a time.

We've listed the best VPN deals.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• Three in five firms would pick UK over Europe, APAC and US for tech investments, Barclays report finds
• Tech companies saw cash flows and savings rise, overdrafts reduce
• Further government support is needed for long-term support

New research from Barclays has claimed tech firms are increasingly seeing the UK as an attractive place to invest, with 62% of tech leaders favoring the UK over Europe and nearly as many favoring the UK over APAC (61%) and the US (60%).

A strong customer base, skilled workers with a diverse talent pool and fast consumer adoption of tech were cited as key influencers behind the UK’s potential success.

Three in four also noted the UK’s economic climate supports growth (76%) and that its political landscape will help over the next three years (75%).

Tech firms are investing in the UK

Half of the 500 UK-based technology leaders surveyed said they now plan to increase AI investments by 20% over the next 12 months with almost all of them (95%) reporting increasing client demand for AI products and services.

Thanks to the healthy landscape in the UK, 70% of the tech firms surveyed plan to increase capex by an average of 8.9% this year.

Separate Barclays data found that tech business cash flows rose by 1.7% between Q1 2024 and Q1 2025, and the tech sector had the higher increase in savings account balances, up 21.5%. Overdraft usage also fell 26.2% despite borrowing remaining relatively flat, suggesting increased financial health.

“There’s a clear sense that the UK is holding its own on the global tech stage, with founders and leaders increasingly seeing the UK as one of the best places in the world to grow and scale,” Head of Technology, Media & Telecoms & Innovation Banking Helena Sans commented.

Looking ahead, 72% agree that government backing is essential to long-term growth. This includes specialized funding programs (44%), support to attract international investors (37%), enhanced tax incentives for equity investments (36%) and startup and SME grants (36%).

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