I used this VPN to create a new, secure identity as a pensioner – now it's 88% off for Black Friday

VPNs now do far more than just encrypt your online traffic. Surfshark's Alternative ID tool, however, takes added security functionalities to a level unseen among all the best VPNs out there.

It gives you everything: a new name, address, email address, and, for an added fee, phone number – though the latter only works properly in the US right now. Your new persona can then be used to sign up for online newsletters or shopping accounts that you might want to help you save a bit more over Black Friday – all without risking any of your genuine personal data.

Given the possibilities this feature offers, I spent a week using an alternative identity, becoming 64-year-old Brendan Lloyd Lewis, to see if it'd help me stay secure day-to-day, and frankly, I was impressed.

Creating my pension-collecting alter ego took only a few clicks, and, once complete ...