AnchorFree Blog

15 Great, Free Privacy Downloads
By Preston Gralla, PC World

Shielding Consumers from Privacy-Breaching ISP Tracking
By Mark Smith, DMNews

So who cares if my Internet service provider tracks my Web surfing behavior or e-mailing to better target advertising? After all, won’t that result in a more relevant user experience?

Well, not exactly and here’s why. The lines between content, context and advertising are becoming increasingly blurred, and as a result the consumer is caught dead in the middle with increasingly less and less control over the Internet’s most prized commodity: his own information. I’m referring to the growing reality that a process called deep packet inspection (DPI) is being used to build revenue streams based on your discreet — and what should be private — online habits.

DPI is the act of intercepting your online traffic and analyzing everything you do to build marketable profiles for advertisers. Technically, this could include any and everything that is transmitted through your ISP: keystrokes, Web pages, instant messaging, e-mail and so on. Of course, you’ll never see a dime of that direct monetary benefit the way these companies are behaving today. Oh, and what about all that invaluable marketing data that could be sold based on a completely unfettered and omniscient view of your personal online habits? That’s a gold mine in and of itself. This is powerful because it equates to building a profile about you based on everything you do online.

Current ad networks and Web sites look at only what you’re doing on the Web site itself or perhaps within a network of Web sites and, hence, are not nearly as invasive as the wealth of private information that is represented by your each and every move while online. While an emerging practice, the stakes couldn’t be greater and a number of companies are racing to commercialize user-profiling technologies at the expense of user privacy.

Globally, online advertising spend is expected to reach $25 billion in 2008 and projected to top $50 billion in four years. All trends point towards a continuing shift of ad spend towards performance-based campaigns, and thus the industry’s unquenchable thirst for better targeting and access to users’ data to build that targeting.

If DPI or related practices could generate incremental performance efficiencies, then ad rates would increase, and so would the resulting revenues. Just for sake of argument, assume 10% can be added to the bottom line by adding an order of magnitude to the user data and insight used for ad targeting. That represents a multibillion dollar opportunity — and exactly the set of change agents driving some organizations into objectionable privacy practices.

There are lots of moving parts to this equation, including recent government intervention into a specific case involving a domestic ISP, consumer watchdog groups, and even pundits of net neutrality. All told, these arguments threaten to upset the value-chain of broadband access and affect every constituent that touches it. What’s missing in all of this is the consumer, who really should be empowered to participate in this value chain. So while everyone is fighting it out and strategizing how to make money off of them, some consumers are part of a viral movement to simply make everything they do online anonymous, thereby making all such efforts completely ineffective.

A variety of companies offer anonymizing applications, proxies and VPNs (virtual private networks). Some are free, others paid, and all have unique feature sets. There’s lots of tech speak here, but the point is that tools that thwart tracking and shield consumer privacy are becoming increasingly accessible and represent an organic shift toward doing what a commercial industry has been unable and unwilling to do: Ensure my privacy and give me a choice as to how I barter my information.

Mark Smith is COO at AnchorFree.

This Week’s Top Downloads
Lifehacker.com

Windows only: Freeware application Hotspot Shield secures your public web browsing by connecting you to the internet through the Hotspot Shield virtual private network. What more people seem to use Hotspot Shield for is to access US-only websites from outside the US. We post a lot of content on Lifehacker, and sometimes we get guff for not identifying US-only services. Hotspot Shield has been the go-to service for tons of Lifehacker readers dying to try a site who’ve hit the US-only wall. Hotspot Shield is ad-supported and installs a toolbar (lame, I know), Windows only. Got another tried and true method for accessing region-specific sites? Let’s hear about it in the comments.

Want Free VPN for Public WiFi Hotspots?
By Chris Pirillo, Chris Pirillo Blog

When it comes to accessing the Internet when you’re away from home, you never really know what you’re going to get. You have to stay secure to protect yourself. A friend of mine emailed me the other day, talking about this exact situation. He was traveling, and had to check his Gmail from an unsecured public computer. He apparently forgot to log himself out, as well. I asked him if he at least had used the more secure httpS instead of the plain http prefix… and he had not.

I even get nervous at times connecting to my email via my Sprint PCS mobile broadband connection. When I’m sending information back and forth wirelessly, if it’s not being done in an encrypted fashion I get nervous. You never know who will be sniffing packets of information. This is what you need to be aware of when you’re connecting to the Internet via a wireless hotspot.

One way you can help keep yourself safe is by using a VPN, or Virtual Private Network. One program, called Hamachi is free for personal use. I’ve been using it for awhile now, as you’ll see if you check out that link. However, I want to tell you about another program that one of our community recently emailed me about.

HotSpot Shield is another free program that can be used on Mac or Windows machine. It’s been reviewed by people on CNN and CNET, with good ratings. Think of a VPN as a shield that surrounds you and whatever you are wanting to connect to. If you’re connecting to the Internet via an unsecured network, anyone can look at the packets of information you are sending out. What a program like HotSpot Shield does is to encrypt that data, so it cannot be seen and/or read by those would-be information stealers.

While on the road this week, I had a need to log into Ponzi’s machine at home in Seattle, via my mobile connection. She has VNC set up, but it was behind our firewall. I didn’t want to have to go through opening ports and all of that. Instead, I chose to use the new TeamViewer. TeamViewer can establish a connection to virtually any computer in the world with just a few clicks. It’s a way to share screens, or remote control another computer as long as the other person is at their computer and grants the access. It’s simple, and made things much easier on me. I was connected to her machine securely, and quick.

If you are going to connect to a wireless connection, whether wireless or wired… I urge you to use either HotSpot Shield or Hamachi. And of course, why not check out TeamViewer if you have a need to connect to another machine.

Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal - by Emma Ritch
In true Silicon Valley fashion, Mineta San Jose International Airport is letting its passengers surf the Web for free.
The airport officially began offering free Wi-Fi on May 29, although free Web access has been available in parts of the airport for several weeks. The San Jose airport, which serves 10.9 million passengers annually, is the only Bay Area airport to offer free Wi-Fi.
The airport spent $90,000 for the hardware, folding the Wi-Fi installation into the current airport renovation. The annual cost for broadband will be $41,000.
The airport gets about 30,000 passengers each day, so communications director David Vossbrink said a conservative estimate is that at least 1,000 people a day will use the free Wi-Fi. The network has a 15-megabyte bandwidth, airport technology director Diane Mack-Williams said.
“We probably didn’t need that much bandwidth, but we wanted to make sure all our passengers have a good experience,” she said.
The network will not block access to any Web sites, Mack-Williams said.
The network — called SJCfreewifi — will compete with fee-based Wi-Fi networks T-Mobile and Wayport. The airport’s cut of the profits from those networks is $139,000 a year, Vossbrink said, and that sum will decline if passengers opt to use the free service, which will include ads instead of the $8-per-day Wi-Fi without ads.
Vossbrink added that having paid and free Wi-Fi service in one location is “uncharted territory.” The airport is uncertain how much money will be generated, but officials were willing to take a chance because their first objective is to satisfy customers and then generate revenue, Vossbrink said.
Still, the airport demographic is so desirable to advertisers that the ads probably will generate enough money to cover all the airport’s costs and possibly create a revenue stream, said W. Scott Holmes, executive vice president of strategic development for Airport Marketing Income.
Mineta San Jose officials are working with Clear Channel as well as Beaverton, Ore.-based Airport Marketing Income and Sunnyvale-based AnchorFree Inc. to subsidize the Wi-Fi with ads. The ads are likely to start in about six weeks and could generate enough money within a couple of years to pay the annual cost and cover the initial investment, Vossbrink said.

SAN JOSE, CA May 29, 2008

Tomorrow [Friday, May 30] Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) will launch the first free full-service wireless Internet service in any Bay Area commercial airport, complete with 24-hour customer support and a free “virtual private network” security application that encrypts otherwise open Wi-Fi network connections

“Our primary goal is to make San José the airport of choice for Silicon Valley business travelers with services that help them be more productive, and free Wi-Fi is another step we’re taking” said Bill Sherry, SJC director of aviation.

“At the same time, we’re optimistic this service will create a new revenue stream through advertising or sponsorships that will contribute to the airport’s financial strength.”

Free wireless Internet in San José now is available in all public areas of both Terminal A and Terminal C, with the exception of the Terminal A baggage claim area. As the airport completes its comprehensive construction program to replace and renovate its terminals, free Wi–Fi also will be included in the new Terminal B and North Concourse when placed in service.

Commercial wireless Internet service currently provided by T-Mobile and Wayport will continue to remain available to their subscribers at the airport.

In a partnership with Clear Channel Airports and its partner Airport Marketing Income (www.airport-marketing.com), SJC’s full-service Free Wi-Fi is designed to enhance the passenger experience beyond conventional free Wi-Fi offerings.

The model offers 24-hour toll-free customer support for assistance in wireless access and usage, and it allows customers to avoid the potential security concerns of wireless access by activating Hotspot Shield, a free security application from AnchorFree that establishes a virtual private network (VPN) to keep Wi-Fi secure and anonymous for users.

The airport expects the costs of SJC Free Wi-Fi will be offset with revenue generated through its advertising concession agreement with Clear Channel that the San José City Council approved in May 2007.

“The potential revenue opportunities for Wi-Fi are promising, which will help us keep our airport very competitive in the Bay Area for our passengers and our airlines,” said Sherry.

“AMI has ‘cracked the code’ for free Wi-Fi that doesn’t disappoint, giving consumers an enhanced airport experience,” said Brad Jersey, president of AMI.  “This groundbreaking model features 24-hour customer support and VPN security that no other U.S. airport is offering.

“Equally important, the existing advertising model can be adapted to a sponsorship model that presents airports with a consistent revenue stream and advertisers with an opportunity to reach a highly targeted audience.”

AMI is partnering with AnchorFree (www.anchorfree.com), a Sunnyvale-based company that provides both the Hotspot Shield and a Wi-Fi advertising network.  AnchorFree will secure advertisers, whose ads will appear in a one-inch “billboard” on the screen after users have accepted terms of service and have been redirected to the airport’s website.

To provide the value-added customer support, AMI also has partnered with SR&J Customer Care (www.srjgroup.com) to provide assistance to Wi-Fi users 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

About Mineta San José International Airport (SJC)

Mineta San José International Airport, a self-supporting enterprise, is owned and operated by the City of San José.  SJC served 10.7 million passengers and handled approximately 209 million pounds of air cargo in 2007.  SJC has 166 flights a day on 13 domestic and international carriers to 30 nonstop destinations.  For more airport information, visit www.sjc.org, or call Airport Customer Service at (408) 501-0979.

About Airport Marketing Income (AMI)

AMI is a pioneer in the field of airport-based marketing.  The firm presents its clients with unique marketing and sponsorship opportunities, leveraging the realities of today’s air travel and the untapped potential of airport properties.  AMI’s comprehensive approach to marketing in the airport environment brings together the country’s top port authorities with major consumer brands to create impactful multi-touch experiences that include the medium of sound, product sampling and innovative visuals. Clients include: Airborne, Bank of America, Dunkin’ Brands, Glad, Under Armour and Yahoo!. For more information on AMI, visit www.airport-marketing.com.

About AnchorFree

AnchorFree, the largest Hotspot media network, is a new marketing channel for brand and direct response marketers to deliver interactive, timely and targeted advertisements to laptop and mobile device users when they are away from the home or office. The AnchorFree network connects advertisers with millions of consumers in a captive, persistent manner that is highly measurable and geo-targeted to these users’ exact locations. AnchorFree is also the first advertising network to offer consumers full control over their privacy and security through the company’s Hotspot Shield, a free advertising-supported VPN client available for download at www.anchorfree.com . AnchorFree is a privately held company based in Sunnyvale, California.
-SJC-

David Vossbrink, Communications Director

Mineta San José International Airport

1732 North First Street, Suite 600, San José, CA 95112

Direct: (408) 501-7656 | Fax: (408) 573-1676

24-Hour Media Line: (408) 501-7700

dvossbrink@sjc.org | www.sjc.org

HotSpot Shield: Keep yourself safe at public hot spots — for free
By Preston Gralla, PC World

Feeling safe when you connect to a hot spot at cafe, airport, or some other public location? You shouldn’t. There are plenty of potential dangers lurking there, including nearby hackers who may try to sniff your packets, or figure out other ways to snoop at what you’re doing online. Particularly dangerous is if you visit any Web sites and type in your user name and password — they could be hijacked. This freebie promises to solve the problem. It claims to encrypt all of your data and packets while you’re in a public location, shielding you from any danger. The program is simplicity itself — install it, run it, and it claims to protect you. A few notes about its use. When you install it, make sure to turn off the Dealio toolbar so that the toolbar doesn’t install — it’s annoying adware. The program works fine without it. Also, when you launch the program, your default browser will launch, and ads may appear in it. You can just close that down, though, and Hotspot Shield will still work fine.

–Preston Gralla

AnchorFree and WebAds UK Bring First Broadband Media Network to EMEA
By Anamika Singh, TCM

AnchorFree, provider of Hotspot media network, announced a partnership with WebAds UK, an independent, interactive advertising network to serve the EMEA region. This partnership will enable AnchorFree to expand its reach by connecting UK advertisers with thousands of mobile Internet users across Europe.

This innovative media network provides opportunity to reach targeted users in an unobtrusive manner with banner-like advertisements. The messages are delivered through AnchorFree’s broadband network which helps 100 percent accurate location-based targeting of users as per their particular interests, behavior and location. This also enables marketers to use it as a strategic tool to increase user engagement and brand interaction when mobile consumers are on the go and connected to the network.

“We are very pleased to support AnchorFree’s expanded presence in Europe and believe that this unique service will prove to be the future of the mobile Internet,” stated Jonas Jaanimagi, managing partner, WebAds UK. “Mobile professionals need to constantly access the Internet on the move, so in response to this demand we want to be able to offer advertisers access to this high-net-worth audience across Europe via a service that will quickly become an industry-standard model.”

Given the diversity of the EMEA region, it is critical to differentiate the delivery as per region and interest. This is where the networks ability to geo-target message delivery brings in a game changing differentiation for the advertisers. With ever-expanding Internet access points, it offers advertisers with an ideal environment to reach a large number of attentive, relevant traveling audiences.

As per AnchorFree, its broadband media network gets hundreds of millions of page views per month and serves more than one hundred brand advertisers internationally, including AirTran, Circuit City, Clorox, Ford, Harrah’s, Kaiser Permanente, Major League Baseball, McDonald’s, Princess Cruises, Prudential,Qwest ( News - Alert) and Toyota.

“Advertisers are looking for new and more impactful ways to reach targeted online consumers, and our broadband media network has been built explicitly to meet this need,” commented Mark Smith, COO of AnchorFree. “We already have millions of users in the EMEA region, and are committed to scaling this continued growth and creating compelling opportunities for advertisers. WebAds has established itself with a solid presence in the UK and surrounding countries, and tapping into this network footprint aligns with the three-fold AnchorFree value proposition: providing consumers with a free way to go online, encouraging distribution partners to generate revenue, and providing advertisers with a means to speak to the right audience at the right time.”

Anamika Singh is a TMCnet contributing editor.

Quick Fix: Secure Laptop on the Go
By Paola Singer, Wall Street Journal 05/13/2008

Problem: Keeping a laptop’s information private on the road.

Solution: Hackers can easily monitor a public Wi-Fi connection, which means using a hot spot can be unsafe. Even wired connections in hotel rooms may be vulnerable. To protect your laptop’s data, subscribe to a service that encrypts the information sent over the Internet by creating a virtual private network, or VPN. AnchorFree’s Hotspot Shield (anchorfree.com) is a free download that employs VPN technology to prevent others from viewing email, instant messages or credit-card information. The ad-supported service works with Windows and Mac computers. With Publicvpn.com, you can create a safe “tunnel” between a computer and the site’s server. There’s nothing to download; the service is set up through your built-in network connections interface (Windows or Mac), using a password. The ad-free subscription costs $6.95 a month or $69.95 a year. HotSpotVPN (hotspotvpn.com) offers several levels of security and starts at $8.88 a month, or $3.88 for a day pass. It supports Windows and Mac PCs, as well as iPhones and other mobile devices.

Caveat: HotSpot Shield, HotSpotvpn and Publicvpn work with both wired and wireless Internet connections. But other VPN services may work only with wireless.

Write to Paola Singer at paola.singer@wsj.com

Advertising to Fund the New Wireless Internet Service
By Ann- Marie Covin, Media Week

A new ad-funded service providing free and subsidised access to wireless Internet connections is to launch in the UK, following a partnership between US broadband firm AnchorFree and UK online ad network WebAds.