If you’re a frequent user of public WiFi but are fearful of having sensitive data being intercepted over such open networks, you may want to take a look at Cloak.
Cloak (https://www.getcloak.com/) is a VPN (Virtual Public Network) application for your iPhone, iPad and Mac computers that automatically detects unsafe connections and secures them, ensuring that your online sessions on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Amazon are safe.
Founded by three Microsoft veterans, Cloak was born from a personal need to protect information while using public WiFi in places like coffee shops and public libraries. The VPN technology automatically encrypts all communications transmitted over public WiFi, protecting users from hacker-type activities.
“Cloak is sort of the antidote to (hacker tools like) Firesheep,” says Cloak founder and CEO Dave Peck, referring to the Firefox browser extension that hackers use to break into social networks, shopping sites thru an unencrypted WiFi signal.
“We looked around to see what kinds of services would protect our information over public WiFi, but found that either the service didn’t work or it was just too complicated to set-up and use,” Peck adds. “Our goal was to create a service that was super easy to use and just works by pushing a button.”
“At the end of the day, we just want to make it simple for people to stay safe online.”
Cloak is currently offering a 30-day free account to all new users. Users also have the option to sign up for a Basic or Pro account, which costs $8 to $15 per month depending on data needs.
