How to Easily Block Port 445 in Windows 10

Microsoft Windows 10 uses port 445 for direct TCP/IP MS networking access. It doesn't require the NetBIOS layer. Port 445 is related to SMB (Service Message Block) which is an application layer network protocol basically used for file sharing, printer, and serial ports sharing. Security researchers admit that port 445 is vulnerable to security attacks and should be blocked or disabled. Last year (2017) the WannaCry Ransomware used the port 445 exploit to gain control over targeted computers.

So, suppose if your computer is connected to an intranet and SMB is enabled then this kind of ransomware will spread like wildfire to other connected computers. Keeping the port 445 open simply means that you are giving access to your computer's hard drive to anyone who has access to the port 445 on your computer. So, it's better to disable this vulnerable port in Windows 10.

How to Disable SMB Port 445 in Windows 10

• To disable SMB first go to 'Settings>Apps>Programs and Features'.
• Click 'Turn Windows features on or off'.
• Here find 'SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support', and 'SMB Direct'.
• If they are checked then uncheck them. Then click 'OK'.

• If you are using Windows Firewall on Windows 10 then go to control panel and open Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security.
• If you are unable to find this then use the Windows search box and type 'firewall'. Click the first option to open the Windows Defender Firewall.
• Click 'Advanced settings'. Now click 'Inbound Rules' and then click 'New Rule' in the right side pane.

• Select 'Port' and click 'Next'.
• In this step make sure 'TCP' and 'Specific local ports:' are selected. Enter 445 in 'Specific local ports'. Then click 'Next'.
• In the next step select 'Block the connection' and click 'Next'.
• In this step make sure to check 'Domain', 'Public', and 'Private'. Then click 'Next'.
• Now in this final step name your new rule and click 'Finish'.

Add a Firewall Rule for Blocking Port 445 via Command Prompt

Open a command prompt as admin and type this following command.

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule dir=in action=block protocol=TCP localport=445 name="Block_Port-445"

The above command will add a rule named 'Block_Port-445' in Windows Defender Firewall to block TCP port 445.

Note: If your firewall is managed by your antivirus then Windows Defender firewall gets disabled. If it is disabled then the above two tutorials of blocking the port 445 will not work. If this is the case then skip the above tutorial and follow the tutorials below.

Disable SMB in Windows Registry

You should add one registry key to disable SMB in Windows 10 registry. Simply copy the text and paste it into notepad.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\NetBT\Parameters]
"SMBDeviceEnabled"=hex(b):00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

Before adding the value backup your Windows 10 registry. Now save the file as 'smb.reg'. Here .reg is the registry extension. Double-click this file to add the key in the registry.

Disable LanmanServer Service

To effectively block port 445 on Windows 10 you should disable the 'Lanman Server'. To disable it open 'Services'. Simply press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog and type 'services.msc'. Here look for 'Server'. Right click on it and select 'Properties'. In 'Startup type' select 'Disabled' and stop the service if it is running. Click 'OK' and close the 'Services' window. Restart your computer.

How to Check if TCP Port 445 is Closed or Open

After restarting your PC open command prompt and type 'netstat -an'. It will show the list of open TCP and UDP ports. Make sure that port 445 and 139 shouldn't be on this list. To confirm this we used Avast Internet Security's Wi-Fi inspector as an SMB vulnerability scanner and found that the port was properly closed after applying the above tutorial.

You have successfully blocked SMB server and port 445 in Windows 10 that will prevent various malicious and ransomware attacks. And most of all your computer is now not accessible on TCP port 445 which means your hard drive's data is safe from unauthorized access. No tutorial will guarantee 100% security. We also recommend you use a good antivirus that is at least not free.

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[Updated] Cheap Chinese Android Phones Sold In The US Have Spyware Says Kryptowire

Kryptowire is a Virginia based security firm that has reported spyware on the cheap Chinese android phones that were being sold in the United States via amazon.com. Kryptowire reported that software tools collectively called Adups which came pre-installed on phones like BLU R1 HD and sold in US have spyware capabilities. In its security analysis Kryptowire found that Adups collects personally identifiable information (PII) from a users phone and sends the entire data to a Chinese company name Shanghai Adups Technology. This data includes text messages, call logs, IMEI numbers, number of installed apps, contact names, and IP addresses. The data is transmitted every 72 hours on this company's server.

This Spyware software can be found on phones manufactured by Huawei and ZTE that are also available in the US market. According to Kryptowire Adups has created this spyware intentionally and installed on the phones to monitor people's usage behaviour. On this spyware Adups defends itself by saying that it is a 'big-data' company and helps smartphone manufacturers to know about their customers like and which part of the world do they belong. According to Adups, this spyware runs on 700 million devices.

Blu R1 HD manufacturer 'Blu products' immediately released a software update to remove this security flaw from its 1,20,000 mobile phones. Most popular android antivirus apps are unable to find this spyware. This raises a question why should we use or buy an android antivirus which is unable to secure our phones.

Right now the complete list of affected phones is not clear. But if you have Blu, ZTE or Huawei android phones then you should check for latest OTA updates to remove this backdoor.

Update 16/11/2016: ZTE cleared that they didn't install the Adups spyware on their phones at least not in the U.S. Here is their official statement below.

"We confirm that no ZTE devices in the U.S. have ever had the Adups software cited in recent news reports installed on them, and will not. ZTE always makes security and privacy a top priority for our customers. We will continue to ensure customer privacy and information remain protected"

Source: Kryptowire

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Over the past several years android smartphones storage has grown from fewer MBs to massive GBs. For this specific reason, the need of SDcards is slightly vanishing. Whenever you sell or donate your phone then you simply factory reset the phone after taking an entire backup of your data. You simply wipe the phone which deletes all of your personal data. But are you sure that simply wiping any android phone deletes your data permanently?

If your answer is Yes, then it is wrong. Whenever we factory reset an android phone then the system only deletes the file references. A file reference is a particular address in the storage for accessing that file. A thorough wipe only removes these file references and all the files are still present on your android smartphone’s internal storage. Whenever a file is deleted some storage space is released which is equivalent to the size of that deleted file. Now that deleted file still exists in the internal storage and will only be removed when new files are added to the internal storage. This is the physical working principle of any storage device existing around us today.

So if you are selling or just planning to donate your android cell phone after performing a factory reset then beware. Your deleted data can still be recovered from your phone by using several android data recovery software. These type of software has an ability to access the internal storage of an android phone by gaining root access. After gaining root access any android data recovery software can recover data from phone including all of your personal data like photos, videos, emails or WhatsApp chat history. So, in this tutorial, we will teach you how you can secure erase your android phone so that you can sell it and no one can recover your data by any means.

Warning: Never wipe an android device from recovery mode when there exists a Google account on it. If you reset the device in recovery mode then factory reset protection will be activated and your phone will be locked for 24 hours. Read more about factory reset protection.

How to Secure Erase an Android Smartphone

• First of all backup entire data stored on your phone’s internal storage. A PC or an external hard drive is a good option for data backup.
• After backing up your photos, videos, emails, contacts, call logs and WhatsApp folder we are ready to factory reset the phone.
• You should only factory reset the phone by going to “Settings>Backup & reset”. Tap “Factory data reset” and draw the unlock pattern or enter PIN to confirm the deletion.
• Now your phone is completely wiped and reset to its factory state. Nothing exists on it except some apps and your previously deleted data.
• Now, I told you earlier that deleted data can be recovered by scanning the internal storage with help of a recovery software after gaining root access. We have to make your previously deleted data completely unrecoverable and inaccessible.
• We can only do this by overwriting random data in the internal storage by copying random files to the phone’s internal storage until its completely full.
• You can just copy junk files or your favorite movies or game ISOs or any file that has specifically no important use.
• In my case, I will copy movies or large files like game files that have random extensions and bigger size. You can find these files in your PC games folder.
• Once you have copied multiple unknown files to the internal storage then again perform a factory reset from android “Settings”.
• Repeat the overwriting and factory reset process 3-4 times to completely delete your personal data from the phone’s storage. If possible use different random files each time.

When you do this 3-4 times then there would be no chance of your deleted data recovery because it doesn’t even exist on the storage because you did secure delete data. And it is not possible to recover data that doesn’t even exist on your phone because it was replaced by the junk files that you had copied 3-4 times earlier. If someone gets to recover the data then it will only find the junk files and nothing else.

Using the Android Encryption For Even More Security

If after performing 3-4 overwriting operations on your android phone you are still not convinced then you can use android encryption. Believe me, this is an overkill for this situation and after full encryption, nothing can be recovered, not even the junk files. To enable full disk encryption android first connect the charger to your phone then go to “Settings>Security>Encrypt Phone”. Make sure to remember the PIN or password that you enter during encryption setup. Now let the phone encrypt itself. Once the encryption completes just switch off the android smartphone. It will ask you to enter PIN or password to decrypt the phone when you power it.

Enter the PIN/password to decrypt then again go to “Settings>Backup & reset”. Here tap “Factory data reset”. After this, you will achieve the highest security level where nobody can ever recover your personal data since it was non-existent on the internal storage. You can now sell or donate your phone to anyone.

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Hide My Ass! is a UK based VPN service provider which currently has 920+ VPN servers at 350+ locations in 190+ countries with 120000+ IP addresses. These metrics make Hide My Ass! the world's largest Virtual Private Network. No other VPN can beat them in this regard. When you connect to the internet then your device either a computer or a smartphone is assigned a unique address called IP address. This IP address is publicly visible on the internet and anyone can track your details through this address. So to hide our identity on the internet we should use a VPN.

Now the question arises which VPN to use since the smartphone apps store is already flooded with VPN apps. It's hard to say which is the best VPN app for your PC and smartphone. Most of them free but doesn't provide much security. Using a VPN service greatly affects the internet bandwidth if the server location is too far from your own country. In this case, the best VPN would be, that provides great speeds from international servers.

Why We Use Virtual Private Network

A Virtual Private Network provides an encrypted tunnel between your devices and the server itself. All internet traffic goes through this encrypted tunnel. The information sent through this tunnel is decrypted at the server side. So if any hacker somehow gets into this tunnel then he would only see some scrambled information which is of no use to him.

Well, this situation is totally impractical because encrypted internet traffic can't be decrypted without the original VPN server. Hide My Ass! Pro VPN is good at hiding your original IP address and encrypt your internet traffic so you can browse safely. You can even connect to public WiFi while using HMA. In this post, we are going to review the HMA Pro VPN android app and will tell you whether you should buy it or not.

HideMyAss Pro VPN Review: Anonymize Your Identity With The World's Largest VPN Service

1. Price: Hide My Ass! one month licence costs $11.52 which is 7 times expensive than Avast SecureLine. But when you are getting 920 servers in 190 countries with 1,20,000 IP addresses then $11.52 is not a big price. Once you purchase it then you can use the same licence for your PC, router and on an OpenVPN client.

To use it on a PC or a MAC you have to download the appropriate software client. It comes with a 30-day money back guarantee but you should read their refund policy before buying. But the same licence can be used across multiple devices and Avast SecureLine app doesn't allow this. Avast SecureLine should be purchased separately for every device you want to secure.

2. App UI: Hide My Ass! for android provides the simplest UI. You only have to login in the app with your registered account. The navigation is also simple. On the main screen, you can connect or disconnect, view your IP address and see account details. To change location tap 'LOCATION' anytime and select from a list of 350+ locations worldwide. There are no confusing settings to make. You just have to connect, that's it. Tap 'ACCOUNT' to view your

           

3. Built-In Customer Support: The app has built in customer support form. You can go to the menu and tap 'Contact Support'. You can directly send your messages from within the app to get support about any problems that you face. You will get response on your registered email.

4. Speed Test: When you use a VPN then your browsing speed will reduce depending on the server location. But while using HMA Pro VPN app we saw a negligible difference in browsing and downloading speeds. Because Hide My Ass! provides 920+ servers worldwide so you can easily choose a fast server from this list. With 920+ servers worldwide internet speed is not a problem at all while using a Virtual Private Network.

5. Built-In Network Monitor: Hide My Ass! app provides a built-in network monitor that displays your downloading speed and how much data you have downloaded in the android notification panel.

Why Should You Buy Hide My Ass! Pro VPN

• Provides one month account. You are not bound to purchase a yearly.
• It is the world's largest VPN with 920+ servers in 190+ countries worldwide.
• Internet speeds are not affected much. You can enjoy fastest VPN connection with 920+ servers.
• Change your IP address anytime.
• Watch geo-locked websites in your country. By using this VPN you can watch US NetFlix in the UK.
• The same licence works across a PC, android phone, iPhone, MAC, L2TP/PPTP and with OpenVPN client configuration.
• Unlimited bandwidth allows you to send /receive unlimited data without restrictions.
• Built-in customer support.
• Ideal VPN for NetFlix, Amazon Prime and Hulu.
• Browse safely on public and free WiFi.

The only reason why you should not buy it is the price. One month subscription of HMA costs $11.52. The price is justified since you are getting 920+ servers to access worldwide. You can use the same license across iPhone, a router, a MAC, a PC, android, OpenVPN client, and L2TP/PPTP configurations. Avast VPN doesn't allow this since you have to purchase it separately for a separate OS. In our opinion if you want to use a VPN only on your android phone then go for Avast SecureLine otherwise if you have many devices and you want to secure their online identity then Hide My Ass! is the best choice.

What We Say About Hide My Ass! Pro VPN

Well, we have reviewed many VPN apps like ExpressVPN, Hide My IP, Avast SecureLine etc. All these are good at what they are offering. But all these VPN providers have only less than 100 servers worldwide. Also, you are not allowed to change the IP address anytime just like in HMA Pro. I personally recommend ExpressVPN because this is the only Virtual Private Network that can be used with any device that supports the internet, it even works on gaming consoles.

But at the same price of just $12 a month Hide My Ass! is providing much more features than any other VPN app. It allows you to manually change your IP anytime, the desktop app provides 'Secure IP Bind'. You can access 920+ servers worldwide without getting internet speed problems.

One thing you may not like is that HMA logs your internet data associated with your real IP according to laws in the UK. But it is necessary to identify hackers who also use VPN to hide their identities. But you don't need to worry because your data will be kept safe and never be used or shared anywhere.

Well if you are looking for a fast VPN service that you can use on every device connected to the internet then Hide My Ass! is the best choice which comes with speed, reliability, and better virtual private network security. If you need an affordable VPN then read Avast SecureLine review.

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ExpressVPN Review: Best VPN For Android to Anonymize Online Identity

ExpressVPN is a British Virgin Islands-based VPN service provider with over 100 servers in 78 locations worldwide. ExpressVPN provides services to protect your online identity on your phone, desktops, and even gaming consoles. With growing internet network the online threats are also increasing and each time you connect to the internet you are in an unknown world. So to stay protected while being online one should use a VPN.

VPN (Virtual Private Network) is an encrypted secure tunnel which lies between your device and VPN service. Whatever information you are sending/receiving on your device will pass through this encrypted tunnel only preventing hackers from getting into your system and ISPs from tracking you. However, anonymizing oneself is not necessary always if one is browsing only reputed sites with SSL connections. However, VPN comes into play when you don’t want to let others see your internet activity.

If you use a VPN then you can safely browse on unsecured Wi-Fi networks also because the information will be totally encrypted. There are many apps available on the market today but it's difficult to choose the best one. If you have never used any VPN app till yet then you can consider using ExpressVPN for android. Before purchasing, you can try it for a full day that will let you decide whether to buy it or not.

ExpressVPN App Review: Protect Your Identity On Android

1. Buy Once Use Everywhere: If you buy ExpressVPN for your android phone then you can use it on every other device you have. These devices include the desktops, iPhones, MAC OSX, PS4, XBOX, DNS, PPTP/L2TP on android etc. With the help of PPTP protocols, you can use the inbuilt VPN in android settings see here.

2. Unblock Geo Locked Content: If you live in a country which has some Geo-locked content then using ExpressVPN will solve the problem. For example, you reside outside of USA and want to watch Netflix or Hulu videos then you can use the USA based proxy in the app to access the content.

3. Speed Test: ExpressVPN has a built in server speed test which tests the ping of a particular best VPN server. The server which returns lower ping values to give higher browsing speeds. Connecting to a VPN server definitely reduces browsing/downloading speeds. But it mostly depends on your network bandwidth. Also connecting to a server nearest to your country will give better speed than others located in farther countries.

4. Excellent Help/Tutorial Articles: Once you buy ExpressVPN, you will receive an email on your registered mail that contains a unique link. This link gives you access to all support articles on how you can setup ExpressVPN on android, iOS, Windows 10, MAC, PS4, XBOX, DNS, android PPTP/L2TP. You don’t have to buy it separately for each of your devices. Please also note that the unique link also contains usernames, server addresses and different passwords for all the supported devices. Make sure not to share these credentials with anyone outside your knowledge. You can simultaneously use their service on a phone and a desktop computer.

5. Money Back Guarantee: ExpressVPN comes with a 30-day money back guarantee so if you are not satisfied with their service you can get your money back. You just need to contact the customer service to initiate a return.

How To Setup ExpressVPN On Android Phones

• Download the app from here and install it.
• If you have not bought the license key then open the app, enter your email and start your one day trial.
• If you have bought the license then sign in with username and password that you receive on your email address.
• After signing in you will see three tabs in the app, ‘Recommended’, ‘Favorites’, ‘All’.
• The ‘Recommended’ tab automatically displays a list of VPN servers that you can use to connect.
• You can see a white start in front of every country’s flag. You can touch this star and that location will be visible in your ‘Favorites’ bar.

• Tap the ‘ALL’ tab to select your desired VPN server from a list of 100 servers in 78 locations worldwide.
• Tap the ‘Clock’ icon next to search to run a ping test. The server with lowest ping value will deliver best speeds.
• Go to ‘Menu>Settings>Set preferred protocol’. Either choose ‘TCP’ or ‘UDP’ and check which protocol is giving better speed.
• Go to ‘My Account’ in options to see your subscription details. It will show the validity of your account.
• Now select your desired VPN server from the list and tap it. A popup will appear. Put a check on ‘I trust this application’ and tap ‘OK’.

• The app will now connect you to that VPN server. A key icon can be seen in the notifications panel. You can tap it anytime to disconnect.

Why Should You Buy ExpressVPN

I have used many VPN software and apps like Hide-My-IP, Opera Max and Avast SecureLine. All of these apps are good at what they are offering. But these software services should be bought separately for every device you use. However, you can use ExpressVPN across all your devices including gaming consoles. Some strong reasons why you should buy it are as follows.

• You need to purchase it once to use across all devices. This is a value for money package which comes with a 30-day money back guarantee.
• Also comes with an L2TP/PPTP/IPSec configuration so that you can use it even without the app or Windows client. Android, Windows, and MAC have built in PPTP/L2TP/IPSec configuration.
• Gives you more control over configuring your VPN service like choosing the server, protocol and use it on different devices.
• Simple to use and doesn’t have confusing options.
• Very good for high-speed Wi-Fi networks. The speed drop is small. 
• Watch Geo-locked NetFlix and Hulu videos.
• 256-bit encryption ensures the highest security even when using open Wi-Fi hotspots.
• Unlimited bandwidth allows you to send /receive unlimited data without restrictions.
• Your personal data is not stored anywhere and they also don’t log your activities.

Plans And Pricing

If you have finally decided to buy ExpressVPN then there are three flexible plans which are monthly, half yearly and yearly. For one month it will only cost you $12.95, while if you buy it for half yearly subscription then it will cost you $9.99 per month and for a yearly subscription, it is $8.32 per month as of now. There are various payment options available like a credit card, PayPal, bitcoin, and paymentwall. Please go to the link below to buy anytime.

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Hide My IP - Best VPN Software For MAC And Windows PC

What is vpn, A VPN is an extension of Private Network that provides an encrypted security tunnel between your android device and the VPN server to send and receive information, so that no one can pry upon your network activity. A VPN is created by establishing a virtual point-to-point connection through the use of dedicated connections, virtual tunneling protocols, or traffic encryption. Major implementations of VPNs include OpenVPN and IPsec.

VPN is best suited for unsecured Open WiFi networks that can compromise your personal data anytime you connect to them. Employees of an Organization should also use the company's VPN in order to access the intranet, to prevent security breaches. VPN services are not free, but they are also not much costly. Cost depends on the type of the device you are using. Currently a popular VPN service is Avast VPN which costs you around $45 per year. Yes it is costly. But if are looking for a free VPN service then Hide My IP PC/MAC VPN is the best choice, because it is most easiest to configure and its license is valid for lifetime, no yearly renewals required.

Is Your PC Safe

Few years ago when computer security came into existence, experts recommended use of antiviruses and internet security suits to protect our PCs and MACs from viruses and spyware. Yes, antivirus software greatly help to reduce the damage caused by viruses, but again these security software doesn't have control over your network identity until you buy their VPN service. Such antivirus software can not protect your network identity and your computer's IP address is publicly available to be seen by anybody. Anybody can find your location from the email you sent with your original IP address.

Once your IP gets compromised then your PC becomes more vulnerable to online threats. Hiding your IP behind a VPN is the best way to protect your network identity, since nobody can see your original IP.

With a VPN like Hide My IP you can access blocked websites, hide your IP address, surf anonymously on the web and can send anonymous emails to anybody without getting tracked. If you want that nobody can track your online activity then you should install the Hide My IP PC VPN software for PC and MAC.

Click the image below to download or buy it at $29 whose license is valid for lifetime.

How To Use The Hide My IP VPN For MAC OSX And Windows PC

• Download and install the VPN software by clicking the image above.
• Open the program and click 'Hide My IP' button. Your original IP address will be instantly hidden and VPN will be activated.

• Put a check mark on 'Require US Based IP', if you want.
• You can select the required proxy server.
• The trial version is valid for seven days. I recommend you buy the product, check it out here.

Advantages Of Hide My IP VPN For PC/MAC

• Easy to use software.
• Provides you a list of 90 worldwide proxy servers.
• Does not slow down your browsing experience.
• Best VPN software for hiding your IP and provide security even on public and open Wi-Fi networks.
• There is an app for android also. Check Hide My IP android VPN.
• Comes with 30-Day money back guarantee.
• You can use this VPN with all internet programs on your PC or MAC.

If you have any questions feel free to ask via comments.

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We live in a World surrounded by network of networks called the Internet. Today Internet has become the basic need of every human being. By means of Internet we connect to other computers worldwide for sharing information. Every computer or any android device using the Internet has an IP address which uniquely identifies your device on the network. Two device can not have same IP address. By default your IP address is unsecure which means if any hacker gets to know your IP, be it of your computer or android, he can track your online activity and intercept your information before it reach to the desired server and can roll back malicious instructions back to you in order to hack your personal info.

However it is also not easy to find one's IP address if you have not shared with anyone, but there are many tools available that can scan your wireless routers to find your IP address, there make, model and configuration settings. If your network is wired then you should not worry much, but being online on a wireless network opens gates to many security risks. But one should not worry much if they are using a dynamic IP instead of static IP.

How To Protect Your Android Phone From IP Tracking

To protect your android IP address, you should use a VPN service. A VPN service is best known for anonymizing your identity on the internet, so that nobody can know your original location. A VPN also provides an encrypted tunnel to send an receive information between your device and VPN server. For this purpose you should use Hide My IP VPN app.

What Is A VPN

What is vpn, A VPN is an extension of Private Network that provides an encrypted security tunnel between your android device and the VPN server to send and receive information, so that no one can pry upon your network activity. A VPN is created by establishing a virtual point-to-point connection through the use of dedicated connections, virtual tunneling protocols, or traffic encryption. Major implementations of VPNs include OpenVPN and IPsec.

VPN is best suited for unsecured Open WiFi networks that can compromise your personal data anytime you connect to them. Employees of an Organization should also use the company's VPN in order to access the intranet, to prevent security breaches.

VPN services are not free, but they are also not much costly. Cost depends on the type of the device you are using. Currently a popular VPN service is Avast VPN which costs you around $20 per year. Yes it is costly. But if are looking for a free VPN service then Hide My IP android app VPN is the best choice, because it is most easiest to configure, includes an option to use your own proxy server and an inbuilt network data monitor. Currently no app in play store is that much easy to use.

Hide My IP - Best VPN Android App To Anonymize Your Identity

Hide My IP is a Free Android VPN app that secures your android phone from malicious threats and phishing attacks by providing an encrypted tunnel between your device and the Hide My IP servers. This encrypted tunnel cannot be forged by hackers or attackers. If they somehow get this encrypted data then they need to run it on Hide My IP servers, for this they have to hack the Hide My IP servers, which is practically impossible, therefore the encrypted information is totally unusable for hackers. So, if you are using this app then you are on the safe side.

• Download Hide My IP android app. Download Link.
• After installing the app, open it and tap 'Connect'.

• A popup will open asking your permission to create a VPN profile on your android phone. Check 'I trust this application' and tap 'OK'.
• Wait for few seconds.
• If it does not connect automatically then close the app.
• Now relaunch the app and tap any of the VPN servers from the list to connect automatically.
• You can see a key in the android status bar, which indicates that the VPN is active on your android.
• Tap 'Menu>Verify IP' and open the link in a browser to see your anonymized location and IP address.

Enable Network Monitor/Meter In Hide My IP Android VPN App

While you are connected to the VPN server you can measure your internet data traffic from within the app. The app shows the received and sent internet traffic data by means of a real-time 2D graph. To enable the network meter graph, just open 'Menu>Show Graph'. However you can view the network speed, downloaded and uploaded data details in status bar without enabling the graph.

Setup Your Own Proxy Server In Hide My IP VPN App

You are given an option to setup your own proxy server, if you think that the proxy server is much more secure. To enter the proxy details just tap 'Menu>Settings'. Here check the 'Proxy Setup' and enter the 'Proxy Host', "Proxy Port", 'Username' and 'Password'. Finally tap 'Save'. 

Choose Between TCP and UDP Internet Protocols

You can choose which internet protocol to use for the VPN connection either TCP or UDP. UDP is faster than TCP because it does not check for packet errors. But TCP is more reliable. Its your call which protocol to use. but by default you should use 'TCP'. To select go to 'Menu>Settings' and select your desired protocol.

How To Buy The Hide My IP Pro Version

The Hide My IP pro version provides lifetime access to all VPN locations. To buy the pro version just follow the steps below.

• Open 'Menu' and tap 'Upgrade'. Choose a payment option either 'Google-in-app Purchase' or 'Buy on hide-my-ip.com' and tap 'Continue'.
• Enter your credit card details to checkout. Also do not forget to mention your email address where you will be receiving your license code.
• After getting the license code. Go to 'Menu>Unlock'. Enter license code.
• Now you have a lifetime access to all VPN locations.
• You can buy 1 month license at $2.95, 3 months license at $7.95 and lifetime license at $29.95.

Note : If you are not seeing any 'Upgrade' or 'Unlock' option in 'Menu' then you can not buy the pro version, because it may be totally free in your country for a limited time. Also you can use all the VPN servers in the app free of cost.

Features Of Hide My IP VPN For Android

• Easy to use, connect and configure.
• Provides a wide range of high speed VPN servers without compromising network speeds.
• Provides an option to setup own proxy server. Currently no other android VPN app have this feature.
• Have an inbuilt network meter. This feature is also not found in other apps.
• Protects your online identity and secures your activity even on public open Wi-Fi.
• You have an option to choose between 'TCP' and 'UDP' protocols for your VPN internet connection.
• It is totally free from ads.
• There is no limit of time, speed and bandwidth.
• There is no registration required and no personal information is asked by the app.
• No root access required.

Verdict

Hide My IP VPN app for android is the best app for anonymizing your identity on internet. The app is light weight and can be configured quickly. Unlike other VPN apps that require your email or Google+, Facebook or Twitter profiles, Hide My IP works without registration this makes this app more customer centric as we are not forced to share our personal profiles. The app does not slow down your internet speed and provides a great free VPN solution for your android phone and tablet.

I have previously used Avast SecureLine, and Opera Max both of them are good. But Hide My IP is the more reliable VPN app for android because it does not crash, does not stop working after 7 days like Avast SecureLine and does not slow down your network like Opera Max.

This is the best android VPN app that you can install on your phone without any issues in order to get the best network security and anonymizing your IP address.

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Review Of Avast Internet Security 2015 [Paid] After Using It For A Year

Since 1988 Avast has evolved as the best antivirus for personal computers and enterprises. There are many antivirus available in the market today, but I think Avast is the world’s first and best antivirus available for Windows and MAC computers. In this review article you will know why I am calling Avast antivirus as the best. I am using Avast Internet Security paid version since 1 year now and I will tell you about all my experiences that will help you decide why to buy Avast antivirus for securing your PCs from online threats, malwares, spywares, trojans and viruses.

About My Product

I bought Avast Internet Security for my Windows PC back in Aug 2014. The offer was 3 PCs for $23 dollars per year. So I am securing my two notebooks and one desktop computer. I bought the product online and after few minutes of transaction I got my ‘Activation Key’ on my email registered with Avast. The activation key worked on all the three computers.

Reason For Using Paid Version Of Antivirus

I am not the only one in my house that uses all the three computers. I can see anytime that the desktop computer was crashing, restarting, and freezing and there was no problem at all from my side. The Microsoft antivirus always showed no problems, and no malware since it is 99 percent effective in catching malware but this effectiveness doesn't come under free antivirus software.

Then I installed the free version of avast antivirus and it did catch some of the malwares, but being free it was unable to provide required protection for my PCs. So finally I decided to upgrade and bought the paid version of Avast Internet Security 2014 and now it is automatically upgraded to 2015 version.

Review Of Avast Internet Security 2015 [Paid] After Using It For A Year

1. Types Of Scans : Avast Internet Security 2015 provides the following scans that can address the minimum possible issues associated with the security of your computer.

• Smart Scan : Automatically scans hidden viruses, outdated software, browser addons and your network. If any problem found, it will be displayed.
• Outdated Software : Scans for outdated software installed on your PC. It can also automatically update them.
• Network Threat : Scans you network and the router. It will also tell you whether the router is properly configured or not for security purposes. For e.g. if you forgot to set a password for your Wi-Fi router, then avast will address the issue.
• Browser Addons : Scans for malicious browser addons like iLivid and removes them.
• Full System Scan : A complete scan of PC.
• Removable Media : Scan removable media like USB drives, memory cards, external hard disks.
• Folder Scan : Scan any folder with just one click. Just right click on any folder and click ‘Scan’.
• Quick Scan : Performs scans on the areas on your computer that are most susceptible to malware infection.
• Boot Time Scan : This scan is performed during boot and just immediately before PC boots to desktop. It can scan entire system and auto-start programs for malware and PUP infections.

2. Firewall : The Firewall in Avast Internet Security 2015 is great at doing its job. It monitors your network activity in real time and blocks the network threats before it can reach to your PC. It regularly monitors the incoming and outgoing requests on your computer. You should not change the firewall settings yourself.

3. Safezone : Safezone is Avast’s own private browser that lets you shop online safely. It lets you make online transactions without letting to know anybody about it. This private browser doesn’t save any cookie or data on your computer and  is highly secure than any browser. You can add your bank and shopping websites in safezone. When these sites are opened on your computer’s browser then safezone will automatically activate. It is highly effective against keyloggers and password sniffers.

4. Sandbox : Avast sandbox is a useful tool to run programs in an isolated manner, so that they can’t affect other files and your computer. You can even run malicious programs in Avast sandbox and see what the software is doing without actually installing it on your PC. But Avast sandbox sometimes crashes and gives a BSOD error with some programs.

5. Firewall : What can I say about firewall. It is the shield between the internet and your PC. It filters malicious traffic and blocks harmful network threats. It monitors your network traffic in real time and blocks any malware before it can infect your computer. You should always set your firewall to ‘Private’ and should not change any settings because it is automatically configured. However you should set it to ‘Public’ if you are using an open Wi-Fi.

6. Remote Assistance : With remote assistance you can control a desktop that have avast antivirus installed.

7. Email Security : Whether you are using Gmail for desktop or Outlook, every email that you send or receive on your computer is scanned by avast to ensure that they are safe and malware free.

8. Parental Controls : With Avast Internet Security 2015 you can block certain websites that are not suitable for your children. To enable website blocking go to ‘Settings>Active Protection>Web Shield> Customize’.  Click ‘Site Blocking’ and check ‘Enable Site Blocking’. Now enter as many URLs that you want to block and finally click ‘OK’.

9. Password Protect : You can password protect your antivirus program so that no one change settings or uninstall the program. To set a password go to ‘Settings>General>Password>Protect Avast With A Password’. Then enter your password.

10. Avast VPN : This is a separate service that you have to buy separately if you want. Avast VPN totally anonymizes your internet identity. It encrypts the internet traffic on your computer so nobody can breach your computer network security. You can read more about What Is VPN.

Avast Internet Security 2015 [Paid] vs Free Antivirus Programs

If you are using a best free antivirus doesn’t matter if it is free avast, Microsoft security essentials, AVG or Norton then these free security suites are unable to provide required protection to your PC. The free version doesn’t include a firewall, antispam, anti keylogger, and anti password sniffer. The free antivirus programs provide only basic protection against some malwares and viruses, and will only be effective if you are not connected to internet. They won’t even detect spywares, keyloggers and harmful trojans. If they do then they will force you to upgrade to paid version to remove the PUPs.

But the paid version of Avast Internet Security 2015 is worth every penny that you spent on it. It protects you from all kinds of harmful network threats, automatically blocks malicious websites, scans malicious links, blocks malicious programs from executing. It also makes your bank transactions more safer than ever before.

What AIS 2015 Is Not Good At

Avast Internet Security 2015 cannot remove browser hijacker programs and addons. To remove them read this tutorial.

Don't Activate Your Avast Illegaly

Don't fall short for scams like Avast Internet Security License File till 2050 or any kind of key generator. As these two techniques are not going to work for you. Because people at Avast are much smarter than you think of them. So, buy the product and secure your computer today.

System Requirements

You need at least Windows XP (with SP2) installed. Windows Vista, 7, 8, and even 8.1 are fully supported (unless your device runs the Starter or RT edition) in both the 32- and 64-bit variant. A 10-year old Pentium 3 processor will do, with 128 MB RAM and 2 GB of hard-drive space. It doesn't even slow down your PC.

My Verdict

I have been using AIS 2015 since one year and it has protected me against network threats, malwares, viruses, trojans, keyloggers. With free version I was not safe. Now I do not care much about security because I have the paid version of Avast Internet Security 2015. It monitors my network activity and gives me all security statistics. By investing some amount of money in AIS 2015 you can secure your computers.

Buy Now

Click the link below to buy Avast Internet Security for MAC and Microsoft Windows. It comes with 30 days money back guarantee.

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Lock Android Apps With Avast Antivirus For Android

Avast antivirus is the best antivirus for android. Avast for android is greatly influenced by the desktop version of avast antivirus as we find similar features in the mobile app. It provides great features like virus scanner, web page scanner, task killer and includes various security shields like app shield, web shield, message shield, file shield and firewall (requires root). So it is the best free antivirus app for android.

Recently avast antivirus for android is updated to new version which includes a new feature known as 'Application Locking' which is used to lock android apps on your phone or tablet. The good thing is that if you are using avast on your android smartphone then you don't need to download another application locking app. But in free version you can lock only two android apps. You can upgrade to premium features at very low price and can unlock unlimited apps. In this tutorial I will teach you how you can lock android apps with avast antivirus for android.

Lock Android Apps With Avast Antivirus For Android

1.Download and install avast antivirus here.
2.Open avast antivirus app and click the lock icon and click 'SETTINGS' on top right corner.

3.Now click 'Enable'. A popup will open which will ask you to enter a pin for application unlocking. This pin will be used to unlock locked android apps.
4.There are 2 more types of unlock options along with avast pin. One is gesture password and other is text password.
5.To set up gesture password (pattern lock) click 'Password type' and choose 'gesture password'.
6.Now draw your desired unlock pattern and click OK.

7.To change password type to text password again click 'Password type' and choose 'text password' and enter your desired unlock password.
8.Now you have successfully set up an unlock password and you are ready to lock android apps with avast antivirus.
9.Click the lock icon again and put check marks on apps which you want to lock.
10.You can only lock 2 android apps in the free version. To lock more apps buy the premium version of avast.

Time Based Application Locking

In time based application locking you can choose the days and time range in which your android apps will be automatically locked and unlocked. To enable time based application locking follow the steps below.

1.Click the lock icon and click 'SETTINGS' on top right corner.

2.Put a check mark in 'Time range' and enter your password, whether it is gesture or avast pin.
3.Enter your time range in From and To and touch 'Sa' and 'Su' in days list below.
4.On all days between time range your android apps will be automatically locked. Rest of the time they will remain unlocked.

Advantages Of Avast App Locker

1.No need to purchase or install other locking app.
2.Offer time and day based application locking.
3.If you buy the premium version then you will get antivirus and this feature with unlimited application locking.

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