Tag Archives: VPN

Avast

How to have the safest phone in the world

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Free Wi-Fi is great. It’s convenient when you are away from your home network and want to connect to the Internet using your mobile phone, and it saves money and data. But there is a dark side.

Avast SecureLine VPN keeps you safe when connected to an unsecured Wi-Fi

Avast SecureLine VPN keeps you safe when connected to an unsecured Wi-Fi

Unsecured networks can expose you to a hacker who can easily read your messages, steal your logins, passwords,  and credit card details. The danger is that you never know when it could happen, or where, so having a way to secure your device when connected to an unsecured Wi-Fi hotspot is the best protection.

How to avoid the dangers of open Wi-Fi

To avoid the potential of a snoop stealing your private information, you basically have two choices: Stop using unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots or make sure you always have a secure connection by using a VPN (virtual private network), like Avast SecureLine VPN.

A VPN sounds extremely techie, and it is, under the hood. Avast mobile security developers created SecureLine to give you a secure and reliable private connection for your data between computer networks over the Internet. Your outgoing and incoming data is encrypted and it travels in its own private “tunnel” and is decrypted at the other end.

When you use Avast SecureLine VPN, everything you do is anonymous. We don’t keep logs of your online activity, and thanks to SecureLine, no one else will either.

Get a 7-day free trial of Avast SecureLine VPN

Avast SecureLine VPN for Android and iOS takes all that tech goodness and puts it in a simple-to-use app. All you do is tap a connect button, and the app does the rest.

Install Avast SecureLine VPN on your iPhone or iPad and try it free for 7 days.

Install Avast SecureLine VPN on your Android smartphone or tablet and try it free for 7 days.

After you install Secureline, click connect and choose a server from 27 locations in 19 countries, or let SecureLine choose the closest one. You can turn the secure connection on and off with one click.

Bypass geo-restrictions

One of the benefits of connecting with a VPN, especially if you are travelling overseas, is that you can connect to a server back home. This way you can access your favorite entertainment portals without getting that annoying “content blocked” message.

Avast SecureLine is also available for PC and Mac. Visit the Avast Store for pricing information.

AVG

Privacy Took Center Stage at Mobile World Congress

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Privacy has been part of the Mobile Security discussion for some time now. In fact, privacy and security were both highlighted as one of the top five themes at Mobile World Congress (MWC) this year.

We and many other security providers have been offering privacy tools (like our HMA Pro VPN) for a while, however the focus and discussion around privacy was heightened this week.  It was partially spurred by the Apple/FBI iPhone security discussion but was more robust than just that single (albeit interesting) data point.

There was a great turnout to both the Putting Privacy at the Core of Digital panel and to our partner event focused on Mobile Security Threats.  At the panel there was a consensus that the “war on privacy” was reaching a boiling point.  More and more users are becoming aware of the trade-offs and looking to take action.  We can see this in the uptake of Ad Blockers, which is partly motivated by privacy, and also from numerous studies showing increased awareness.

It is well known that people will share their data in exchange for services.  The issue is that not all of the sharing is known, transparent, or controllable. Services from Meeco are working to make the tradeoffs more accessible to users; Telefonica labs have some interesting tools under development, and Facebook continues to build their products around core privacy principles.  Given AVG’s position in the ecosystem, we often see the less desirable sides of unintended sharing. While our VPN and privacy tools are a great start, we have more work to do, both in educating users and with giving them more control.

Whether or not a “personal data economy” will evolve is still an open question, but the experimentation around the idea is very healthy. I emphasized that we need to make solutions much easier for consumers and that providers need to embrace a federated and distributed structure – basically, the ability for end users to move their data and their “trust provider” at will, without a lot of friction.

At our event titled, “Mobile Threats: Fact or Fiction”, Telefonica, Verizon, TCL, and Sony presented their views of mobile security and privacy, and then we participated in a panel discussion.  Network providers are in an interesting position in that they see a lot of data and also have regulatory checks and balances in place.  With the balance between those two, they have the opportunity to become “trust brokers” for their user bases.

Todd Simpson at Mobile World Congress

Consumer product development companies are looking to build privacy controls deeper into their products, and ensure that permissions and data flows make sense for users.  Of course, with the Internet of Things (IoT) we end up with a plethora of operating systems, connectivity options, data flows, and business models.  With no standardization in sight, security companies will have to develop comprehensive solutions that can address issues across many different technologies.  In order to act on all of this IoT data, security solutions need to be in the data flow. AVG’s relationships with carriers, combined with our VPN and our work in router solutions, puts us in that prime position.

There is a general consensus that users will not adopt IoT as quickly if security and privacy are not addressed, and rightly so. It is a complicated problem, spanning identity, authentication, malware, permissions, and data usage. We do not yet have a good framework for looking at all of these, but there are encouraging signs within each specific area, so that better protection is in sight.

AVG

What is a VPN and why should you use one?

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A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts and transmits data via a connection to remote servers over the Internet — this enables your data to remain secure and private while it travels from one place to the other.

It’s one of the simplest and most effective ways to help maintain your data security and privacy when online, but if that’s not enough, here are some other great reasons why should consider using one:

  1. Shop and bank online in safety
    Thanks to the encryption used on VPNs your data is secured against any unauthorised access from scammers and hackers, which means you can access financial services and shop online with peace of mind.
  2. Protect your privacy and data on unsecured networks
    If you’re regularly connecting to multiple wireless networks, especially free public Wi-Fi, then you’ll have no way of knowing who’s monitoring or logging the data that passes through it. A VPN will ensure that all your confidential data is kept as it should be — confidential.
  3. Access services in other geographic locations
    If you travel abroad, you might encounter regional restrictions to internet content or services that you would normally be able to access in your own country. A VPN masks your actual IP address, which would otherwise reveal your geographic location, and instead uses the VPN server IP address — especially useful if you rely on specific content and services for doing business or staying in touch with family while travelling.

If you’re not already using VPN and care about your data privacy and security as much as we do, download AVG Safe Surf.

AVG

Santa’s Security Secrets

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We all think we know Santa – where he lives (to the nearest Pole!), what he likes to wear (on one day of the year!) – but what do we really know about this mysterious character? What does he do during the rest of the year, what are his hobbies, where does he work on the other 364 days of the year,  what is his ‘real’ name, and more importantly – who is on his naughty list?! None of these personal details have ever been revealed, and even in today’s connected world, Santa has managed to keep his identity a closely guarded secret – but how, and what best practices can we learn from our favorite festive character?

 He wears the AVG Invisibility glasses
Santa saw AVG’s Invisibility Glasses in February and sent us a letter saying “Dear AVG, those Invisibility Glasses are just what I need to keep me invisible during the year. I have been a good Santa, and I hope you can help me out.”

The glasses make it difficult for cameras or other facial recognition technologies to get a clear view of Santa’s identity, so Facebook can’t automatically tag him in that embarrassing picture under the mistletoe, for example! We, of course, agreed to provide a pair, enabling Santa to travel the world without being tracked, seeing sights that would have been difficult to visit due to the number of people taking pictures to post online. Santa has provided us some pictures from his travels that we can share with you here…XXXX.
Cameron, Obama and Santa

Bono and Santa

Taj Mahal and Santa

Eiffel Tower and Santa

While not generally available yet, unless you’re Santa, the concept serves as a reminder to protect your privacy online. There are, of course, many other methods Santa uses to stay private – he has shared a few of them with us in this exclusive interview!

He stays away from social media
“There are hundreds of Santa impersonators on Facebook, but I – the real Santa – am nowhere to be found,” says Santa. Staying away from social media completely might be a challenge for the rest of us, but it’s worth thinking about the information we share via these channels at this time of year. Make sure to check your security and privacy settings to ensure you’re not exposing any information you’d rather not be. “You may want to think twice about posting those pictures of the latest high-tech gadgets you’ve been gifted too – you never know who might be looking!”

He still uses a POLARoid camera
“I never take selfies,” says Santa, “they may get leaked online and that could be awkward.” But with most of us now using our smartphones to take pictures, there are privacy issues you may not have considered. Aside from pictures getting into the wrong hands – the recent VTech hack which may have enabled hackers to steal children’s photos is an example – you might not know that smartphone photos are also often ‘geotagged’, meaning that others can find out exactly where your pictures were taken.

His sleigh is Wi-Fi free and disconnected
“Checking out if you have been good or bad is now even easier with people posting so much of their lives on their online profiles. I avoid being located, tracked or leaving things to chance by using an encrypted Virtual Private Network (VPN) when using the Internet,” says Santa. But It would be impractical for most of us to avoid the Internet completely. There are ways to make sure you’re surfing securely and privately though.

Secure your home Wi-Fi with encryption using a strong password. Also avoid public Wi-Fi hotspots when transferring personal details online during bank transfers for example, or follow Santa’s example and use a VPN. Phishing emails also tend to spike around the festive season as cybercriminals try to tempt us with too good to be true deals. If at any point you think the email is spam and fraudulent then do not open or click on any links, just delete the email!

He pays for everything with toys
Santa told us that his “route and present list is a closely guarded secret. I use very strong passwords and a reindeer for two-factor authentication”. If you’re doing last minute shopping online this year, it’s worth taking to time to remember good password practice – to save time, and a potential headache, later! This means using strong passwords that are different for each account, along with additional security codes or the ‘two-factor authentication’ Santa refers to where available.

So now you know a bit more about Santa and his security secrets – hopefully they’ll also help you to stay safe and secure this Christmas. Happy Holidays!

 

 

Image sources:
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Erik (HASH) Hersman, TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋), Sreejith K, Brian Burk

 

Avast

Protect your phone while traveling for the holidays

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Traveling can be stressful, but even more so during the holiday season. AAA projects that the number of year-end holiday travelers in the U.S. will top 100 million for the first time on record. Nearly one in three Americans will travel this holiday season and more than 100.5 million are expected to travel than 50 miles or more from home.

Avast mobile apps help protect your smartphone when you are traveling

Avast mobile apps help protect your smartphone when you are traveling

The one thing you really want to make sure you protect while you travel is your smartphone. Not only may you have your boarding pass on your smartphone, but more importantly, the hardware is expensive and it most likely contains a plethora of personal data.

There are two main ways your phone could be compromised while traveling, especially during the holidays: physical device loss and network threats.

Have an anti-theft app installed

Airports and train stations will be bustling with people, you may have to dash to catch a flight or make a pit stop during a long car ride. In all of these situations, your phone is at risk –physical risk. Pickpockets prefer to work in high density areas, and it’s easy to lose things like your phone when you’re in a rush.

If you lose your phone, Avast Anti-Theft can help protect your data and help you find your phone.

With Anti-Theft, you can accomplish the following:

  • Remotely locate your phone on a map via GPS, Wi-Fi or mobile network
  • Remotely lock your phone
  • Be notified about a SIM card change — the new number and GPS location will be sent to your pre-selected friend
  • Remotely activate an alarm
  • Remotely wipe your phone
  • Remotely lock your phone’s settings app

Use a VPN when connecting to public Wi-Fi

Besides physical loss, your smartphone can be compromised when using public Wi-Fi. Using software that is readily available on the Internet, anyone can snoop on Wi-Fi traffic if they are connected to the same network as you are. This means they can see the websites you visit and, in some cases, even capture login information, which is why it is vital to use a VPN. VPN stands for virtual private network and serves as a private tunnel that encrypts your data while connected to open Wi-Fi and, thus, protects your data from being intercepted and read.

Avast SecureLine VPN is a great, affordable, one-click VPN. In addition to protecting your data, you can also choose which of the many Avast servers located around the world that you want to connect through. This allows you to circumvent geo-restrictions, so you can view content from your home country while traveling abroad.

Happy holidays and safe travels from Avast!

Follow Avast on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+ where we keep you updated on cybersecurity news every day.

Avast

Avast SecureMe app protects iOS users from Wi-Fi hacking

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Avast SecureMe is the world’s first application that gives iPhone users a tool to protect their devices and personal data when they connect to Wi-Fi networks. The free app scans Wi-Fi networks and tells users which of them are safe. Since many users use Wi-Fi networks without knowing whether or not they are safe, Avast SecureMe will create a secure connection in order to keep them safe.

The app notifies you upon the discovery of security issues

Avast SecureMe includes a feature called Wi-Fi Security. People who use open Wi-Fi in public areas such as airports, hotels, or cafes will find this helpful. This feature’s job is to scan Wi-Fi connections and notify you if any security issues are found, such as routers with weak passwords, unsecured wireless networks, and routers with vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers. Users have the option to label Wi-Fi networks that they frequently use as trusted — this way, the app won’t need to check the networks every time.

What’s the risk that my personal data will be stolen?

If you use unsecured Wi-Fi when you log in to a banking site, for example, cybercrooks can capture your login credentials which can lead to identity theft. On unprotected Wi-Fi networks, crooks can also easily view your emails, browsing history, and personal data if you don’t use a secure or encrypted connection like a virtual private network (VPN). For more details on this point, see our recent Wi-Fi hotspot experiment to see how widespread the threat really is.

Avast SecureMe is a simple way to find and choose safe networks.

The Avast SecureMe app includes a VPN to protect your privacy

Avast SecureMe features a VPN to secure your connections while you conduct online tasks that you’d like to remain private. This could include checking emails, doing your online banking, and even visiting your favorite social network sites. Avast SecureMe connects to the secure VPN when it detects that you have connected to a public Wi-Fi network, making all transferred data invisible to prying eyes. For convenience, you can disable the protection for Wi-Fi connections you trust, such as your home network.

Try it for yourself! You can download Avast SecureMe free of charge on iTunes.

Follow Avast on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+ where we keep you updated on cybersecurity news every day.

Avast

Cybersecurity tips for business travelers

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business trip - working late

Sensitive business data is at risk when you travel. Take precautions to protect it.

Cybersecurity is not limited to your office or home. Nowadays, many of us use the same devices for work and personal business, so when traveling we need to be extra diligent to protect our devices and the data we have on them. If you use common sense and a bit of Avast technology, all your devices – laptops, smartphones, and tablets, can remain secure wherever you are.

Here are a few things you can do before you go and while you’re on-the-road:

1. Install antivirus protection. Your first and best line of defense on your PC or Android device is antivirus protection. Install it and make sure it is up-to-date.

2. Keep your operating system and software up-to-date. Hackers take advantage of software with security holes that have not been plugged, so take time regularly to make sure that your software and apps have patches and updates applied.

3. Lock down your device. Make it a habit to lock your PC and phone with a PIN, password, or even a fingerprint. Avast Mobile Security even allows you to password-protect your apps. Before you travel, make sure your critical apps, like access to your bank, are protected.

4. Turn off auto-connect. If you have your phone set to automatically detect and connect to available wireless networks, then turn it off. It’s much better to choose yourself. The new Avast W-Fi Finder can help you find secure Wi-Fi hotspots. Look for it to be released soon.

5. Avoid unencrypted Wi-Fi networks. Free Wi-Fi hotspots sure are nice, but they are not worth the risk to your personal data. They are unsecured and can give cybercrooks access to your internet-enabled devices. The safest way to use free Wi-Fi, even that supplied by your hotel, is to connect via a virtual private network, otherwise known as a VPN. The name sounds complicated, but with Avast SecureLine VPN, it is as easy as pushing a button.

6. Use smart passwords. Using a password like 1234 or password is not a smart thing to do at any time. But discovering that your account was hacked when you are traveling can ruin your trip. Plan ahead and manage your passwords in an intelligent way. There are plenty of memory tricks you can use to create unique passwords or you can let a password manager take care of the heavy lifting for you. Look for a new Avast password manager coming soon.

7. Think before you overshare. There are differing opinions about oversharing your location on social networks. Some say that broadcasting to the world that you are away invites a burglar into your home. Others say that broadcasting your whereabouts with regular updates is security in and of itself, because your friends and family know where you are in case something happens. And it could protect your contacts from the “I was arrested in Niagara Falls and need you to send bail money via Western Union” scam. Talk with your family and decide how you want to handle that.

8. Guard your devices. Thieves often target travelers. Don’t let yourself get so distracted that you lose track of your devices. Install Avast Anti-Theft before you leave. One of its useful features is called Geofencing. This allows you to set a perimeter, say around a table at an airport cafe, and if your mobile phone leaves that perimeter, an alarm will sound. If you discover any time that your smartphone or tablet has been stolen, Avast Anti-theft lets you control your cell phone remotely. You can locate and track your lost phone, remotely lock or wipe the memory, and even activate a customizable siren or alarm.

The best thing about all these tools is that they are free (or in the case of SecureLine, a free trial), so the next time you start packing for your business trip, make sure that your devices are ready to go too.

Follow Avast on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+ where we keep you updated on cybersecurity news every day.

Avast

ASUS selects Avast SecureLine VPN to offer secure browsing to users

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Avast SecureLine VPN anonymizes your browsing and makes your logins, emails, instant messages, and credit card details invisible.

Avast SecureLine VPN anonymizes your browsing and makes your logins, emails, instant messages, and credit card details invisible.

 

We’re happy to announce that Avast SecureLine VPN will now be preloaded onto ASUS notebooks. Avast SecureLine VPN is now being made available on the company’s popular notebooks worldwide (with the exception of China), making it possible to provide users across the globe with a secure online experience by protecting them from hackers and other vulnerabilities.

 

 Avast SecureLine VPN on ASUS devices gives consumers peace of mind, knowing that their sensitive personal data and information is protected and they can browse the Internet safely. Our strategic partnership with ASUS allows us to bring both a high-quality product along with safety and security to consumers – something we think is essential in today’s always-on, digital world, said Avast CEO Vince Steckler.

 

Through this partnership, users of the ASUS X series notebooks will receive 30 days free of Avast SecureLine VPN. Customers can also look forward to a discounted renewal after these 30 days have expired. For those of you who don’t already know (and love) what Avast SecureLine VPN accomplishes, the product anonymizes your browsing and makes your logins, emails, instant messages, and credit card details invisible.

ASUS selected Avast SecureLine VPN because of Avast’s reputable brand name and popularity throughout the world – and for that, we’re grateful. In addition to being available preloaded on ASUS notebooks, you can also find Avast solutions available on Google Play and in the Apple Store. 

Follow Avast on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+ where we keep you updated on cybersecurity news every day.