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

What the App Store Accountability Act means for age verification
By Krishi Chowdhary published
The ASAA requires app stores to verify users’ age along with parental consent for minors before allowing access to apps, raising security woes.

Windscribe's new features give you more control over your IP address
By Krishi Chowdhary published
Learn how Windscribe’s new IP Pinning and Rotation features help you maintain consistent IPs, switch instantly when needed, and reduce CAPTCHAs and login issues.

ExpressVPN supercharges connection speeds with Fastest Connections
By Olivia Powell published
ExpressVPN has introduced two new updates that aim to make connections faster and more streamlined than before

Online age verification in the USA – a complete timeline
By Olivia Powell last updated
A full timeline of all the age verification laws in the United States, and what they mean for their citizens

The ultimate guide to VPNs: everything you need to know
By Michael Simon last updated
Our complete guide to VPNs covers everything you wanted to know about VPNs but were too afraid to ask.

Are lifetime VPN subscriptions worth it? Cyber Monday insights
By Olivia Powell last updated
We look at the benefits and drawbacks of getting a lifetime VPN this Cyber Monday

The best US VPN in 2025
By Olivia Powell last updated
VPN We've tested dozens of VPNs to determine which are the best VPNs for the United States in terms of speed, security and streaming support

The best cheap VPN in 2025
By Mo Harber-Lamond last updated
VPN We've tested dozens of VPNs and evaluated how much they cost to bring you a definitive ranking of the top 5 best cheap VPNs, including Surfshark, NordVPN, and Private Internet Access

Bag 4 months extra free with Private Internet Access' Black Friday VPN deal
By Olivia Powell last updated
Grab a 28-month PIA subscription this Black Friday for less than $50 – that works out to just over $2 per month

IPVanish slashes its prices in this epic Black Friday VPN deal
By Olivia Powell last updated
IPVanish is offering 83% off its 2-year plans, dropping its price to $2.19 per month

CyberGhost's Black Friday VPN deal drops it to just over $2 per month – it's a huge 84% off
By Olivia Powell published
CyberGhost is offering four monhs extra free on its 2-year plans, dropping its price to $2.03 per month

Save 90% with PureVPN's Black Friday VPN deal – and you could even win $1,000 in the process
By Olivia Powell published
PureVPN is not only offering an extra 3 months free on its 5-year plans, but it's also giving subscribers the chance to win $1,000

Save 74% on our top-rated VPN with NordVPN's Black Friday deal
By Olivia Powell published
NordVPN's Black Friday deal offers 74% off its two-year plans, knocking them down to $2.99 a month

Getting a VPN this Black Friday? Make sure it has these 3 features
By Aleksandar Stevanović published
From encryption to kill switches, we break down which VPN features are must-haves and which ones are just nice extras.

NordVPN rips you off when you auto-renew – save 74% with its Black Friday deal instead
By Aleksandar Stevanović last updated
NordVPN's Black Friday deal drops two-year plans to $2.99 a month – a huge 74% off. Add time on to your existing plan to avoid price hikes.

4 reasons why a VPN is the perfect Black Friday purchase
By Krishi Chowdhary published
Thinking about grabbing a VPN this Black Friday? Learn what a VPN really does and whether it's essential for your online privacy.

Do these 5 things if you want to avoid Black Friday scams
By Krishi Chowdhary last updated
Learn how to spot fake shops, protect your personal information, and stay safe while shopping this Black Friday. Follow these simple tips to avoid scams and shop with confidence.

The best UK VPN
By Olivia Powell last updated
VPN Discover the best UK VPNs for privacy, streaming and speed – I've tested the best services out there and these are my 5 favorites right now.

Windscribe VPN Free review
By Michael Simon last updated
Windscribe’s free plan is one of the best on the market, and it’s a strong option for streaming, torrenting, and private browsing, but it still has some areas for improvement

PrivadoVPN Free review
By Kristin Hassel last updated
PrivadoVPN Free gives you more servers to choose from than most free VPNs, but you may be a bit disappointed that not all of its advanced features are available for every OS.

ExpressVPN review
By Michael Simon last updated
VPN In our complete ExpressVPN review, we run down this well-known VPN's features, apps and performance, and give our unbiased opinion of the service.

Mullvad's new obfuscation combats one of the biggest drawbacks of using a VPN
By Aleksandar Stevanović published
Mullvad has rolled out Lightweight WireGuard Obfuscation to help users bypass censorship with fast, low-impact VPN traffic scrambling

Proton VPN review
By Olivia Powell last updated
VPN Proton VPN is a very capable VPN, and will appeal to those looking for a more techy experience. However, it can't quite match the best of the best.
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