mcafee . What is McAfee Safe Connect?

What is McAfee Safe Connect?

Summary

McAfee Safe Connect allows you to:
Protect your privacy and identity
Access blocked websites, and
Browse the Internet anonymously
Safe Connect does this on your Windows, Android, and iOS devices, by connecting you to the Internet through a Virtual Private Network (VPN). All network data that travels through a VPN is encrypted. This encryption protects your data by preventing anyone else from reading it.

VPNs do not make you completely anonymous on the Internet, but they can greatly increase your privacy and security. VPNs are commonly used by businesses to protect sensitive data and allow their employees to securely connect to their work networks, from home or from the road. Personal VPNs, such as Safe Connect, are becoming increasingly popular with home users.

You can use a VPN when you need privacy and security, while connecting to the Internet:
Privacy: The VPN can replace the IP address of your device, with a completely different IP address, effectively 'hiding' your location.
Security: The VPN can encrypt your data as it is sent over the Internet. This encryption ensures that third parties are unable to read your communications.
Safe Connect changes the IP address of your device so that you appear to be accessing the Internet from somewhere other than your physical location. For example, you might be using your device in the U.S. state of Texas, but Safe Connect can make it look as though you are connecting from somewhere else, such as London in the U.K.

VPNs and other applications
A VPN does not stop other applications from working as they are designed. For example:

Your Internet browser still tracks your browsing history and stores cached data when the VPN is enabled.
NOTE: You can prevent your browser from capturing this type of data by switching to a private or 'incognito' mode.

File sharing applications continue to log connections as files are uploaded or downloaded.

Why do I need to install Safe Connect?
If you use public Wi-Fi in places like coffee shops and airports, you are vulnerable to many different threats. These threats include password 'sniffing' and 'man-in-the-middle' attacks, where hackers who 'listen in' to the connections made to the Wi-Fi network, could steal your private data like passwords, bank details, and credit card details.

To stop such theft, Safe Connect encrypts your data to make it more secure. This security measure means that cyber criminals cannot see what you are doing online, or capture your private information.

What devices are supported with Safe Connect?
You can install Safe Connect on the following devices:

Android
Devices running Android OS 4.0.3 and later
Device must not be rooted

iOS
Devices running iOS 9.0 and later
Device must not be jailbroken

Windows
Windows 8.x, 10.x

Comparison between free and premium
You can download and use Safe Connect on your device for free. If you upgrade to a premium account, you get enhanced features and functionality. This table shows the differences between the free and premium Safe Connect accounts:

  Free Account Premium Account
Bandwidth Limit Bandwidth cap of 250 Mb per month No bandwidth cap
Virtual Location Optimized is the only virtual location option available, which means that the server closest to your location is used as a VPN. 18 virtual locations† are available, allowing you to access online content without restrictions.
Devices protected One device only Multiple devices † To view a full list of the available virtual locations, see: TS102657.


What if I have a problem with Safe Connect?
Safe Connect has some built-in troubleshooting tips that you might find useful. To see them:
Open Safe Connect and tap, or click Settings.
Tap, or click Help, Troubleshooting.
Review the topics.