Olivia joined Tom's Guide in October 2023 as part of the core Future Tech Software team, and is the Commissioning Editor at Tom's Guide. With a background in cybersecurity, Olivia is interested in how VPNs protect users' privacy, and how they improve online safety. She also regularly uses VPNs to make sure they deliver what they promise, and specializes in testing VPNs with streaming sites.
After graduating with a degree in English Literature from the University of Exeter, Olivia got her official start in journalism writing magazines for the events industry, writing for Exhibition News, Conference News, All Access, Exhibition World and Conference and Meeting World both in print and online. After this, she delved into the world of customer experience at CX Network, then the cybersecurity sector when she became Editor in Chief for Cyber Security Hub. This saw her create content from webinars to blogs to research reports on all things cybersecurity before finally ending up at Tom's Guide.
Olivia was also shortlisted for Security Serious' Unsung Heroes award in the Cyber Writer category in 2023.
When not writing about the latest in tech software, Olivia can be found reading mystery novels, watching the X-Files or doing valuable research in her quest to find the best Italian restaurant in London.
Latest articles by Olivia Powell

Proton VPN's Black Friday deal blows NordVPN and ExpressVPN out of the water
By Olivia Powell last updated
Proton VPN has introduced a new deal for its Proton VPN Plus subscription, dropping the price to less than $2.50 per month for a 24-month contract

IPVanish collaborates with Amazon to prepare its launch-day-ready VPN app
By Olivia Powell published
IPVanish joins the ranks of VPNs that officially support Vega OS – when Amazon finally unlocks VPN support on Fire Stick Select devices.

IPVanish's Black Friday deal undercuts big rivals NordVPN and Proton VPN – and throws in 5GB of eSIM data for free
By Olivia Powell published
With IPVanish's Black Friday deal, you can get VPN protection, free eSIM data and even encrypted cloud storage, and all at over 80% off

Age checks in the UK result in a 77% decrease in visits to adult sites – but does this mean age verification works?
By Olivia Powell published
Since the Online Safety Act was passed in the UK, visits to adult sites have reportedly decreased by 77%

Is it illegal to circumvent age verification checks?
By Olivia Powell last updated
Since the introduction of online age verification, many citizens have been looking for ways to get around it. But is this legal?

What is AgeGO, and is it safe to use?
By Olivia Powell last updated
With new age verification laws in the UK, many people are considering AgeGO to verify their age. But is it safe to use?

The top 3 cybersecurity risks posed by age verification
By Olivia Powell last updated
From data breaches to the government getting its hands on your data – all the cybersecurity risks posed by age verification

This new NordVPN feature lets you know when sites aren't working
By Olivia Powell published
NordVPN's new "Is it down?" checker analyzes user reports to give you up-to-date information on any outages websites or services are experiencing

It's not surprising that the Online Safety Act doesn't cover personal data safety
By Olivia Powell published
The concerns raised about personal data safety by age verification checks in the UK are not unfounded

Why is Spotify asking for age verification?
By Olivia Powell published
The Online Safety Act in the UK means that Spotify is now required to verify users' ages if they want to access 18+ content.

What are the UK's new age verification laws?
By Olivia Powell last updated
What are the UK's new age verification laws, and how are users trying to avoid them?

Upgrade your online protection for less than $1 with this Prime Day VPN deal
By Olivia Powell published
NordVPN is even offering Amazon gift cards worth up to $50

I used NordVPN to unlock global Netflix libraries, and all I got was this Amazon gift card
By Olivia Powell published
With NordVPN's Prime Day deal, you can enhance your streaming sessions and get an Amazon gift card of up to $50

Is it really worth upgrading from Windscribe Free?
By Olivia Powell published
With a generous data limit, excellent privacy features and decent speeds, Windscribe Free is a great option for those who want a VPN without the price tag. Is there any reason to upgrade?

How to watch overseas content with a VPN
By Olivia Powell last updated
vpn If geo-blocking is preventing you from watching your favorite shows, learn how to use a VPN to watch content from overseas.

Get Surfshark for less than $2 per month with this Spring Black Friday deal
By Olivia Powell published
To kick off its birthday celebrations, Surfshark has dropped the price of both its VPN and antivirus to the lowest we've seen since Black Friday

It's Safer Internet Day – here are 5 tips to help you be safer online
By Olivia Powell published
From avoiding phishing scams to using a VPN, here are the best ways to keep yourself safe online

These states have the worst data privacy in the US – is yours one of them?
By Olivia Powell published
Research has revealed the best and worst US states for data privacy – how safe is yours?

TikTok is under fire for harvesting data – but is it worse than any other social media platform?
By Olivia Powell last updated
TikTok is in the spotlight over data concerns but does it collect any more than other popular social media platforms we use?

The top cyber threats to watch out for in 2025
By Olivia Powell published
Experts reveal what the top cyber threats to look out for in 2025 will be.

The top 10 data breaches of 2024
By Olivia Powell published
It's time to look back at all the biggest data breaches we saw this year

Merry Phishmas? How to avoid scams this holiday season
By Olivia Powell published
The top scams to look out for this holiday season – and how to avoid getting caught out

Why Santa Claus needs a VPN and so do you
By Olivia Powell last updated
Safer Santa Why using a VPN can ensure all is calm and bright this Christmas
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