Kape Technologies is the parent company to PIA. In recent years, it has spent considerably more than a billion dollars to buy a slew of already successful cybersecurity companies. Its acquisitions also include other VPNs, most notably ExpressVPN and CyberGhost. Kape was formerly named Crossrider, but ownership seems to be the only carryover.
Crossrider was a software developer. Its leading product was an ad injector that fit the definition of adware. The Crossrider software was sold to third parties, so Crossrider was able to claim that it was not literally an adware distributor. While that claim was specious, Crossrider’s claim that it didn’t intend for its product to be used to distribute malware may be valid. Yet, the software was used to distribute malware and Crossrider’s reputation was unsalvageable. Crossrider discontinued the ad injection product and then changed its name.
Kape Technologies claims to be the antithesis of what Crossrider was. Kape’s subsidiaries sell digital security products. Each VPN it owns is still being independently operated.
No evidence suggests that PIA or other Kape subsidiaries have been compromised by Kape. After several years under the new owner, PIA continues to improve its product and satisfy more than 90 percent of its customers. Crossrider’s checkered past may be a cause for concern, but PIA still has an unblemished record as a company devoted to privacy and security.