In a Nutshell Hotspot Shield VPN is one of the most popular free VPN services. That alone is a big selling point for many users. The company also offers a low-priced paid service called Hotspot Shield Elite. Both versions of Hotspot Shield VPN — free and paid — lack many of the features available from other providers. Still, they provide …
How Does ICLOAK Plug-and-Play Privacy Work?
ICLOAK recently launched its plug-and-play online privacy solution, which is based on a custom Linux distribution that boots from a USB stick. We contacted the company to get a better sense of how exactly its privacy features work, including Tor integration, VPN availability and more. This is what ICLOAK founder Eric Delisle said in response to questions about the product’s …
Two Ways to Make Anonymous Phone Calls
Want to make a phone call without revealing your real identity? There are several ways you can do this, ranging from using a throw-away phone to restricting caller ID settings permanently on your smartphone. But what if you just want to make private, anonymous calls occasionally, without purchasing a special phone for it? Here are two solutions. Use a Caller …
Tor Darkweb Servers Could Leak Private Data through Apache
A configuration issue on some darkweb Web servers can reveal the true IP address of a website even if it is set up to use Tor to hide its identity. That’s according to reports that began circulating a few days ago. The issue is not new. It has been known for a long time among experienced website administrators. But it …
How To: Use Email Privately without Being Tracked
Virtually everyone needs an email account. Yet keeping emails private and secure is challenging because, by design, email identifies the sender. You also can’t protect emails from tracking with privacy tools like Tor or VPN. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do to protect your email privacy. Here are our tips for secure email: If possible, use …
How to Use Encryption Effectively on Android Phones
Android phones and tablets have come with built-in encryption support for several years. Since the Android Lollipop release in 2014 encryption has even been turned on by default. But that doesn’t necessarily mean your Android personal data is secure. There are additional steps you should take to prevent access to your data in case your device is stolen. Here’s what …
New U.S.-E.U. Online Privacy Agreement Lacks Teeth
The United States made new promises this week that European citizens’ data stored on U.S. servers would not be subject to surveillance by the U.S. government. But so far, promises are the only thing the U.S. has offered to assure European concerns about online data privacy. The promises were part of a new agreement between U.S. and European officials about …
Best Windows 10 VPN: Our Recommendations
Which company offers the best VPN for Windows 10? What features should you look for when selecting a Windows 10 VPN? Here are our recommendations based on speed, usability, reliability and privacy testing. Why Use a VPN on Windows 10? If you just want to see our recommendations, skip to the bottom of this page. Keep reading here, though, for …
Tor Project Will Pay Developers to Find Privacy Flaws
Tor developers have acknowledged security vulnerabilities in the platform, but also started a major effort to fix them, by launching a program that will pay people who find bugs in the Tor code. The new Tor initiative is a bug bounty program. That means programmers who review Tor code and find bugs will receive cash for their efforts. They don’t …
Best VPN for Android: Choosing the Right App and Provider
If you use an Android phone or tablet, you have dozens of options for VPN services and apps. With so many choices it can be tough to identify the best VPN for Android. But we’ve done that work for you. Read on for VPN recommendations for Android mobile devices. The Best VPN Apps for Android Keep reading below this section …
PayPal Shuts Down Payments to UnoTelly Proxy Service
PayPal has blocked payments for a VPN provider, UnoTelly, in a move that could set a problematic precedent for other VPN and proxy services. UnoTelly reported on Feb. 4 that PayPal had begun blocking payments to the company. As a result, it said, customers can no longer use PayPal to purchase VPN access or other services from UnoTelly. UnoTelly, which …
New Tails OS 2.0 Release Updates Privacy Features
Tails OS 2.0, the latest version of the privacy-focused Linux-based operating system, is out this week. It features a new interface and many application updates, including version 5.5 of the Tor browser. Tails 2.0 is designed to provide comprehensive, out-of-the-box privacy features. It comes with built-in Tor encryption for all network connections (not just the browser), as well as extra …
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How To: Make A Strong Master Password
As we’ve already noted, password manager apps are a great way to make sure your passwords are as robust as possible. But to use a password manager you need a single master password. And you need it to be very strong. Here’s how to create an excellent master password. Password Myths Most people think that the best way to make …
How To: Manage Passwords Securely
Passwords are often the only thing standing between your private data and people who would like to steal it. Creating and managing secure passwords can be difficult, but password management tools make it much simpler. Here’s how to use them to keep your data private. The best way to make sure all of your passwords are strong and secure is …