Avira Launches Phantom VPN for Secure and Anonymous Internet Access, Anywhere

PRESS RELEASE

TETTNANG, Germany – March 30, 2016 – Avira, developers of the award-winning Avira Antivirus, today announced the release of Avira Phantom VPN (Virtual Private Network) to give Windows and Android users encrypted, secure, and anonymous internet access, even when using unsecured public Wi-Fi hotspots.

Avira’s Phantom VPN encrypts all communications between the Internet and your Windows computer or Android smartphone, preventing eavesdroppers from listening in on private communications and stopping cybercriminals from capturing your data. Avira Phantom VPN also masks users’ true IP addresses in order to browse anonymously, and lets users choose which country they want to virtually be identified, in order to allow unlocking geo-restricted content. 

The Avira Phantom VPN is available free for Windows and Android.

Despite the well-known risks of using unsecured public Wi-Fi networks, use of VPN among consumers is shockingly low. A BITKOM survey on cybercrime found 68% of users had antivirus software installed on their devices – but only 9% used a VPN. These low usage figures lag far behind the growth of online shopping and banking activities done via smartphones – activities that are often done over public Wi-Fi networks.

Without a VPN, data packets sent to and from users’ devices can be sniffed out and read by a passerby (‘man-in-the-middle’ attack) or captured from the router itself.  This captured data includes more than just the message content, because these packets of data also tell where the user is and give out details about their device. 

The benefits to using a VPN, where the data packets are placed in a secure and encrypted envelope, are well known within the business sector. VPNs are a mandatory component in most corporate laptops used for travelling and remote office log-ins.

“As more people bring their laptops into cafes and log into banking sites and online accounts from their smartphones, they need to have secure and encrypted connections to the Internet from anywhere,” stated Melanie Weber, head of the VPN project at Avira. “We’ve made Phantom VPN free and very simple to install on both your Windows and your Android devices. There’s no reason not to get it today.”

Avira Phantom VPN provides superior benefits in four major ways:

·         Protects individual privacy.  Without a VPN, online activities are being constantly tracked and analyzed. With Avira Phantom VPN, you can control what personal data is collected.

·         Secures and anonymizes browsing. Avira Phantom keeps others from eavesdropping on online activities and the data exchanged with friends, online shops, and banking websites.

·         Opens up the Internet. Some news channels, social media, and video-streaming websites cannot be accessed from certain regions and countries. Avira Phantom unlocks these geo-restrictions.

·         Applies across all your devices. Phantom VPN can be used on almost all devices, including PCs with Windows 7 or newer operating systems and Android devices running 4.0.3 and above

The Avira Phantom VPN is available free to all users, both for registered and unregistered users. Unregistered users have a data allowance of up to 500MB/month and registered users with a higher limit of 1GB/month. Users subscribing to the Pro version also receive unlimited data traffic.

About Avira GmbH

Avira protects people in the connected world – enabling everyone to manage, secure, and improve their digital lives. The Avira umbrella covers a portfolio of security and performance applications for Windows, Android, Mac, and iOS. In addition, the reach of our protective technologies extends through OEM partnerships. Our security solutions consistently lead in independent tests for detection, performance, and usability. Avira is a family-owned company with headquarters near Lake Constance, in Tettnang, Germany, and additional offices in Munich, Bucharest, Beijing, and Silicon Valley. A portion of Avira's sales support the Auerbach Foundation, which assists education, children, and families in need.

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