Kaspersky Secure Connection: VPN service is a new application of Russian Kaspersky security company for the Android mobile operating system.
The application is available for free but also for a fee. The free version of the application gives you daily traffic to 200 Megabytes, while the premium version eliminates the limitation, and can be used up to five devices.
The app promises to protect its users' privacy and data when they're online by encrypting connections and not logging what users do users online.
Nevertheless requests access to your contacts, the calls and location and if you drop any of them it doesn't start. If you check the full list of permissions requested by the app, you'll find many more like Identify (locates accounts on the device), device and app history (reads your bookmarks and web history) and also reads what's on storage devices USB.
It is not clear why these rights are required and the basic reason for a service provider to work VPN, but rather that's why it has negative reviews on Google Play.
The quota of 200 Megabytes per day is enough for a little bit of browsing and perhaps your email control, but do not expect it to last long. 200MB are these.
If you need VPN to start streaming media or open up heavy sites in your preferred browser, 200MB does not get anywhere.
But we should mention one more theme related to your privacy which only becomes visible if you allow the rights. The app is powered by Hotspot Shield. The Center for Democracy and Technology has filed a complaint against Anchorfree, Inc, the company behind Hotspot Shield. (PDF)
Center for Democracy and Technology Asks Federal Trade Commission to Investigate Hotspot Shield Free's Security and Data Sharing Practices Virtual Private Network (VPN), a product of AnchorFree, Inc. Hotspot Shield Free VPN promises secure, and anonymous internet access. As detailed below, this complaint is about the undisclosed and undisclosed data sharing and traffic redirection that takes place on Hotspot Shield Free VPN. It is something that should be considered an unfair and deceptive trade practice under Section 5 of the FTC Act.
To say it nicely: Avoid the Kaspersky Secure Connection application until Kaspersky has a mind. However you can try it out F-Secure Freedome VPN, an application that requires fewer permissions to run.
