Ziff Davis, Inc.: who it is and what it owns

As of : Ziff Davis, Inc. (listed, NASDAQ:ZD; United States) owns 6 VPNs, including Encrypt.me, IPVanish, SaferVPN. US digital media and internet company (formerly J2 Global, renamed 2021). Its cybersecurity arm owns IPVanish, StrongVPN, Encrypt.me, SugarSync and VIPRE, bought largely from StackPath in 2019. The same group publishes PCMag, Mashable, CNET, ZDNET and Lifehacker, which review VPNs. A strategic review launched in 2025 led to the sale of its Connectivity unit (Ookla/Speedtest) to Accenture in 2026; further divisional sales were under consideration.

Ziff Davis, Inc. owns VPNs and also 5 review sites that rate VPNs. Those sites may favour its own brands.
Ownershiplisted (NASDAQ:ZD)
HeadquartersUnited States
VPNs6 VPNs · 5 review sites · 6 websites in total
Review sitesPCMag, Mashable, CNET, ZDNET, Lifehacker
Operating companies4
Fines and legal actions1
Last checked14 Oct 2026

VPNs of Ziff Davis, Inc.

NameWebsiteLicencesOwner proof
IPVanishipvanish.comverified
StrongVPNstrongvpn.comverified
Encrypt.meencrypt.meverified
SugarSyncsugarsync.comverified
VIPREvipre.comverified
SaferVPNsafervpn.comreported

Review sites of Ziff Davis, Inc.

Websites that review and rank VPNs. They usually earn a commission when a reader signs up.

NameWebsiteOwner proof
PCMagpcmag.comverified
Mashablemashable.comverified
CNETcnet.comverified
ZDNETzdnet.comverified
Lifehackerlifehacker.comverified

Operating companies and licences

CompanyWhereLicences
IPVanish, Inc.United States
Strong Technology, LLCUnited States
Cloak Holdings, LLCUnited States
VIPRE Security Group, Inc.United States
DateRegulator / courtAmountReason
2016court—Court records published in 2018 showed IPVanish supplied a user's name, email, real IP and connection times to US Homeland Security in a child-abuse investigation, despite marketing itself as no-logs. This predates StackPath and Ziff Davis ownership. source

Questions and answers

Which VPNs does Ziff Davis, Inc. own?

Ziff Davis, Inc. owns 6 VPNs, including Encrypt.me, IPVanish, SaferVPN. The full list of 6 is on this page.

Who owns Ziff Davis, Inc.?

Ziff Davis, Inc. is listed (NASDAQ:ZD).

Has Ziff Davis, Inc. been fined?

Yes. 1 fine or legal action on record. The latest: court, 2016.

Sources