Steganos – Innovative Protection for Digital Privacy

Steganos has been the reference for protecting digital privacy for over 20 years. Founded in 1997 by three school friends in a basement in Frankfurt am Main, today millions of users in a total of 142 countries trust Steganos products made in Germany.

Steganos has never had to close a security vulnerability in its encryption: the products have remained uncracked since their introduction.

There may be cheaper security programs out there, even free ones – but these are often manufactured abroad under questionable legal conditions, with unclear ownership structures and possible backdoors for government agencies. Steganos, by contrast, develops and tests its products through highly qualified software engineers in Germany.

Steganos has always invested in user testing and continuously improves the usability of its products. After all, security is worthless without simplicity of use.

Regular test wins in the trade press and satisfied customers are our best advertising. Almost all Steganos products can be tried extensively before purchase. There are no forced registrations, no spyware and no adware.

Fabian Hansmann, MBA

Founder

Fabian Hansmann M.B.A. is a member of the Entrepreneur's Organization and supports young founders in building their companies. He regularly volunteers as a judge for business plan competitions and is co-founder of netzshopping.de.

Gabriel Yoran, M.A.

Founder

Dipl.-Komm. Gabriel Yoran is an expert in product strategy and conception. Products designed by him have received awards worldwide, including two Webby Awards (the "Internet Oscars") and "Product of the Year" awards from magazines such as PC World. He teaches classes in entrepreneurship and product design.

A Success Story Made in Germany

1994

A lecture by security expert Prof. Dr. Andreas Pfitzmann inspires Fabian Hansmann and Gabriel Yoran to develop software for hiding data in images and music (so-called steganography)

1997

Launch of the world's first commercial steganography software

1999

The Zero Emission Pad is the world's first text editor with anti-Tempest technology against screen eavesdropping

2000

Steganos delivers the first software with the new AES encryption standard

2001

The Steganos Trace Destructor is released as a standalone product and becomes the generic term for an entire product category

2002

Steganos Internet Anonym brings web anonymization to a mass audience and offers solutions to stop unwanted calls from premium-rate dialers

2003

Steganos Secure FileSharing is released, helping prevent the blanket criminalization of file-sharing users

2004

Data protection increasingly becomes a social issue. Under the motto "Freedom Online," Steganos donates part of its proceeds to Amnesty International

2005

Steganos welcomes its three-millionth user

2006

Steganos expands into the USA. Products are now available in German, English, Italian, French, Polish, Dutch, Spanish and Japanese

2007

Steganos Secure Traveler addresses the needs of laptop users

2008

Steganos now protects sensitive data, trade secrets and, not least, the right to freedom of expression in more than 125 countries worldwide

2009

Steganos successfully defends, before a German regional court, its right to keep the connection data of Internet Anonym users confidential

2010

Steganos' founders increase their shareholdings and bring in Maik Klotz (Buhl Data, "WISO") as Managing Director. With Steganos Trace-Free Drives, Steganos presents another innovation for privacy protection

2011

Thanks to the new Steganos Online Banking, banking from home is now safer than in a web browser – and far more convenient

2012

With OkayFreedom, the VPN service against online censorship, Steganos expands its product portfolio in the VPN space

2013

With Steganos Online Shield 365, Steganos offers complete protection against hackers, encrypting the entire internet connection with just one click

2014

With Steganos Online Shield VPN, Steganos integrates the full functionality of Steganos Internet Anonym. With the premium license, users now also get VPN protection for Android smartphones and tablets. CHIP, PC Magazin and PC News all award top marks to the new software

2015

Steganos now offers its proven VPN protection, Steganos Online Shield VPN, as an iOS app for iPad and iPhone. Partnerships with strong partners also drive growing adoption of OkayFreedom VPN

2016

The overhauled Generation 18 of Steganos Privacy Suite, Steganos Data Safe and Steganos Password Manager, with a new, intuitive user interface, meets users' heightened security demands

2017

Steganos expands its portfolio with a new product in the "Windows optimization" category: Steganos Tuning PRO

2018

With mySteganos Online Shield VPN, Steganos presents its first cross-platform VPN solution, now bringing macOS devices safely online too. Users can surf protected and anonymously regardless of location, across four operating systems (Windows, macOS, Android & iOS)

2020

Generation 22 brings a comprehensively revised new version of Steganos Privacy Suite, Password Manager and Data Safe. Steganos also supports the worldwide Covid emergency relief effort by Aktion Deutschland Hilft

2022

Steganos celebrates its 25th company anniversary as the reference for protecting digital privacy with software made in Germany

Press Center

You can find the latest announcements and press releases, photos and videos here. Do you have any questions? Are you interested in a trial version of any Steganos product or do you want to contact our experts directly? Send us an e-mail.

Latest News

Berlin, September 10, 2020Steganos presents the new software generation 22 with innovative new features

Berlin, April 23, 2020Steganos supports Aktion Deutschland Hilft worldwide coronavirus emergency aid

Berlin, August 29, 2019The new Generation 21

Berlin, September 6, 201820 years of privacy protection with the new Anniversary Edition of Steganos Privacy Suite 20

Berlin, April 4, 2018mySteganos Online Shield VPN now even offers Internet security for macOS devices

Berlin, September 4, 2017New: Steganos Privacy Suite 19 - complete package for data protection and privacy

Berlin, January 19, 2017Steganos Tuning PRO: Professional Windows tuning that doesn’t require expert knowledge

Berlin, September 22, 2016Steganos Privacy Suite 18: One-stop data security

Berlin, October 2, 2015Critical TrueCrypt security bugs found: Steganos offers free migration to Steganos Safe 15

Berlin, August 31, 2015Out now: Steganos Privacy Suite 17 with Windows 10 compatibility and enhanced protection against online tracking

Older Press Releases17 more, 2012–2015

Berlin, July 21, 2015Vacation Time With Your Smartphone: Safe and Anonymous Surfing With the VPN Apps From Steganos

Berlin, June 24, 2015Surfing Safely at the Hotspot: Steganos Online Shield VPN Now Available as Mobile App for iOS

Berlin, February 9, 2015Safeguarded against WebRTC: Steganos Online Shield VPN still protects real IP-addresses

Berlin, September 4, 2014Post-Nude Selfie Hack: Steganos Privacy Suite 16 Puts PC and Mobile Users In Control of Data

Berlin, May 15, 2014The internet how I want it: Surf safely and privately with the new Steganos Online Shield VPN

Berlin, March 31, 2014After successful App launch: Use Steganos Online Shield on up to 5 devices with just one license

Berlin, March 17, 2014Interpol issues warning about public WiFi networks - Steganos offers protection with Android app

Berlin, December 3, 2013New partner 4M

Berlin, October 17, 2013New Japanese partner Akoni

Berlin, October 16, 2013Teletrust

Berlin, September 30, 2013Steganos Privacy Suite 15

Berlin, September 19, 2013Steganos Safe 15

Berlin, May 7, 2013Infografic: 3 good reasons to use VPN software

Berlin, November 7, 2012Steganos Software unveils OkayFreedom

Berlin, September 28, 2012Steganos Software Releases Password Manager 14

Berlin, September 18, 2012No Power to Censorship

Berlin, October 28, 2012Steganos Software Releases Privacy Suite 14

Press Contact

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Steganos Software GmbH
Rüppurrer Straße 1a
76137 Karlsruhe
Germany

Graphics

Graphics for our products, ready to download.

Steganos Logos (ZIP)

VPN Online Shield (ZIP)

Privacy Suite (ZIP)

Password Manager (ZIP)

Data Safe (ZIP)

Management

Patrick Heise
Managing Director

Free Online Web Proxy

Surf the internet anonymously - no installation, free of charge & in your browser

Why a VPN is the better choice

Steganos VPN Online Shield compared directly with the web proxy

	Web Proxy	VPN Online Shield
Encrypts your connection	✗ only the site you visit	✓ every connection on your device
Protects your whole device, not just the browser tab	✗ only that one tab	✓ all apps & programs
Access to blocked or geo-restricted content	✓ yes	✓ yes
Suitable for streaming movies & shows	✗ no	✓ yes
Safe on public Wi-Fi & hotspots	✗ no	✓ yes
Available server locations	4 countries	43 countries
Works instantly, no installation	✓ instantly in your browser	lightweight app, ready in seconds

FOR FREEOur Top Downloads

Full power at no cost: use our software here for free and benefit from all premium features.*

Deals & news straight to your inbox.

VPN Online Shield

The best VPN solution from Germany. Absolute security and privacy.

Downloads301200 Use for free

Password Manager

Generate, store, and manage strong passwords. Secure cloud-based access on the go.

Downloads102198 Use for free

Data Safe

Securely encrypt sensitive data. Protect yourself and your data at the touch of a button.

Downloads78115 Use for free

Privacy Suite

Digital safe & password management. Generate and manage secure passwords.

Downloads55710 Use for free

OkayFreedom VPN

Free and secure browsing – a global VPN solution from a German provider, no account needed.

Downloads50108 Use for free

LockNote 2

Securely encrypt important data against unauthorized access with our open source solution.

Downloads44183 Use for free

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the anonymous web proxy work?

The web proxy is a server placed between your PC and the website you visit – the website only ever sees the proxy's IP address, never yours. If the server is located abroad, it can also help bypass geo-blocking or network restrictions, though success isn't guaranteed in every case.

What should I use the anonymous web proxy for?

Use the web proxy when you don't want to be tracked or need to bypass regional blocking. For encrypted connections across your whole device, or for streaming, we recommend a VPN such as Steganos VPN Online Shield instead.

Can I stream movies, series or TV with the web proxy?

No, the web proxy only protects a single browser tab and isn't suited to streaming. For streaming services you need a VPN such as Steganos VPN Online Shield, which secures your entire connection.

Is the connection via the web proxy encrypted?

No, the web proxy does not encrypt your connection. If you also want to stay safe and anonymous in public WLANs and hotspots, use a VPN such as Steganos VPN Online Shield instead.

* Steganos VPN Online Shield can be used without restriction for 7 days without a subscription. Steganos Privacy Suite, Steganos Password Manager and Steganos Data Safe can be used without restriction for 30 days without a subscription. Steganos LockNote 2 and OkayFreedom VPN can be used permanently free of charge.

Legal Notice

The Steganos online service is edited by Steganos Software GmbH.

Steganos Software GmbH
Rüppurrer Straße 1a
76137 Karlsruhe, Germany
Fax: +49 30 75435452

Please note that we cannot offer customer support at the above address.
Please contact our customer service at:
/us/service/

Protected trademarks are not particularity labeled. The pages are carefully created; if they contain errors, we do not assume liability. The pages from our Steganos online offer and all articles are copyright protected. Price modifications or modifications that act for technical advantages are reserved.

For links to online services from other companies we apply: The editor has no influence on the pages that are linked from within the Steganos online services. Please also take a look at our privacy statement.

Company Details

Managing Director: Patrick Heise
Commercial Register: HRB 758 458
District Court: Mannheim
VAT ID: DE 2 666 08 651

Note: The European Commission provides a Online Dispute Resolution platform, which you can access here.

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