What is a VPN kill switch?

A safety net that blocks traffic if the VPN tunnel drops unexpectedly.

By VPNGuide Editorial Team · Updated 20 September 2026

A kill switch monitors the VPN tunnel and blocks internet traffic the moment the connection fails, preventing your real address leaking during a reconnect. We treat it as essential and check it on every provider we test.

Looking for a recommendation?

NordVPN currently leads our UK ranking with a score of 9.4 out of 10.