Hotspot Shield 12.3.3

★ Winner of Best VPN in 2017 and 2014.

Overview

Are you having trouble accessing certain websites and pages because they are banned in your country or blocked by your ISP? Do you want to be certain that your computer is safe from malware regardless of where you are navigating? Then it is time to learn more about Hotspot Shield!

As you probably already figured out from the name of the application, this program is especially designed to guarantee a secure web session, while protecting your IP and identity at the same time. The great thing about Hotspot Shield is that it enables you to access sites that are normally unavailable in your region, including the typical snoopers at the office, airport and hotel WiFi hotspots.

Installation

After downloading the installation kit onto your computer, you will get a window that permits customization, such as the preferred language, the partition where you want to install the software and whether you want to include the Hotspot Shield Community Toolbar, which is optional. After the installation is complete, you will need to wait for just a few seconds so that the application identifies your current internet settings. Hotspot Shield works on various operating systems, from Windows 2000 to 7 and Mac OS X 10.5 to 10.7. You will also see a few security pop-ups from Windows asking you to allow Hotspot Shield to work.

Interface

The application does not have an interface in the true sense of the concept. It can be found in the icon tray of the desktop and its emblem is a green shield (or red shield when it is Off) with basic commands. By right clicking on the icon you can turn the protection On and Off, set the language, learn about your IP and the time passed since you have connected, accessible via properties. In addition, you can find out more about the capabilities of the software by clicking on “about” and accessing the website indicated.

Pros

In both its free and paid version, the Hotspot Shield provides all the basic security and privacy every user needs nowadays when browsing on the internet. The biggest gains of the program are that it can make all websites safe for navigation, hide your IP for anonymous browsing and allows you to access out-of-reach sites. The newest version of the application also incorporates malware protection and so you will benefit from additional security while browsing.

Cons

There is very little to be said against the Hotspot Shield. However, we considers that the free version could have benefited from ad free browsing, or at least less excessive ads, since the paid version incorporates an array of extra protection.

Alternatives

There are some similar applications on the market, such as Tor (used with Vidalia as a GUI) or Ultrasurf, just to name a few.

Conclusion

If you are looking for an efficient method to guarantee a secure web session, then this is definitely a software application that deserves trying out. In addition to hiding critical data about you, such as passwords, IP or credit card numbers, Hotspot Shield also protects your device from malware and other internet threats, regardless of whether you are browsing from home or in a public place.