Last updated February 1st, 2024
Samsung Knox devices provide defense-grade VPNs and continually offer new and evolving VPN capabilities to satisfy the strictest requirements for data in transit.
The Knox Partner Portal provides two apps to enable advanced Knox VPN features:
- Android VPN Management for Knox
- USB Tethering Authentication for VPN
Android VPN Management for Knox
Version 3.0.18
The built-in Android VPN client is one of the VPN clients that enterprises can use. It is available on all Samsung devices but has been limited to simple VPN configurations as seen in the Android Settings app. Samsung devices come with an enhanced version of the Android VPN Service. The built-in Android VPN client wasn’t designed to take advantage of our advanced VPN capabilities, limiting its use in enterprise environments. Modifying the client to support our enhancements would have required us to maintain our own version of the client and have our client separately certified for FIPS compliance.
We chose to leave the built-in Android VPN client unmodified and instead added a management app to sit in between our enhanced VPN framework and the Android VPN client. This management app is called Android VPN Management for Knox and unlocks advanced Knox VPN features such as:
- Per-app connections
- On-demand connections
- Device-wide connections
- Always-on connections
- Blocking routes to prevent data leakage if a mandatory VPN connection drops
- Proxy support, with and without authentication
To deploy our Android VPN Management for Knox app:
Log in to Knox Developer Dashboard.
Download the Android VPN Management for Knox APK.
Push the APK to a device or work profile on a device.
The new Knox app is backwards compatible with devices running earlier, pre-3.6 versions of Knox.
USB Tethering Authentication for VPN
Version 1.2
With Knox 3.5, Samsung Knox devices could extend a VPN tunnel to a laptop connected through USB. This provided laptop users with the ability to access internal enterprise resources using our defense-grade mobile VPN network. In addition to providing convenience when laptops do not have network connectivity, this offers company cost savings by removing the need to buy additional VPN licenses for laptops.
Knox 3.6 enhanced this feature with better security through a new app that enables Samsung Knox devices to verify that a laptop is owned by the device user. When the user connects a laptop to a Samsung Knox device via USB, the app validates the user certificate on the laptop with allowed certificates installed by the IT admin on the device.
To deploy the new app to authenticate connected laptops:
Log in to Knox Developer Dashboard.
Download the USB Tethering Authentication for VPN APK.
Configure a UEM profile to push and deploy the APK to devices.
Identify the certificates of laptops allowed to connect via USB to each device for VPN access.
The APK provided on the Knox Partner Portal supports only Samsung One UI flagship devices such as the Galaxy S/A/J and Tab S/A. We also have One UI Core devices such as the A21, Tab A7, M51, M31s, and A12. To deploy USB-tethered VPNs on a One UI Core device, please contact us to get another APK that uses a different Samsung platform signing key.
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FAQs
Knox constantly checks your core layers in real-time, keeping unauthorized attempts from accessing or changing the kernel. It also blocks malicious code from accessing system-level permissions. Knox Suite is a comprehensive set of solutions made by Samsung and optimized for Galaxy devices.
What is the advanced VPN option in Knox? ›
Here are the advanced VPN features provided by the Knox platform: Per-app VPN — The admin can set a policy to make sure that the traffic from a single app, or a set of apps, is routed through VPN. User-wide VPN — The admin can set a policy to make sure that the traffic from the entire user is routed through VPN.
Does Samsung Knox use VPN? ›
Samsung Knox devices provide defense-grade VPNs and continually offer new and evolving VPN capabilities to satisfy the strictest requirements for data in transit.
Do Samsung phones have a built-in VPN? ›
Samsung devices contain an enhanced version of the built-in Android VPN client. If you want to use this enhanced VPN Service, you can do so by pushing the Android VPN Management for Knox app and configuring the VPN profile with Knox Service Plugin.
Can police get into Samsung Knox? ›
Thanks to the control they get with Knox, they can simply disable that feature and instead let officers use fingerprint unlocking, so the devices remain secure.
Can someone hack Samsung Knox? ›
One UI is protected by Samsung Knox, a combination of hardware and software-level encryption on the device. The chances of your device being hacked are incredibly small unless you do something foolish like downloading suspicious files online.
What is the most secure VPN setting? ›
OpenVPN and WireGuard are protocols that can offer the most robust encryption and the highest level of security. OpenVPN uses an AES 256-bit encryption key, widely used by top-tier entities, such as NASA and the military. Meanwhile, WireGuard® uses a comparatively new and sturdy encryption protocol called XChaCha20.
What happens if you remove Knox? ›
(Optional) Select Remove Work Profile only (The device will not be factory reset.) to remove installed Knox Manage agents and all management polices from the company-owned device. The work profile is deleted but all other data and settings are left as-is, and the device user can continue using the device.
Is Knox VPN free? ›
Knox Settings VPN Plug-in is a free Android application developed by Samsung Electronics Co.
Can I trust Samsung Knox? ›
Knox Platform trusted environment
Maintains trust while the device is in use, through features like Real-Time Kernel Protection. Proves its trustworthiness on demand, through Device Health Attestation.
Samsung Knox can protect your devices against viruses although it is not an antivirus software in its own right.
Should I have a VPN on my Samsung phone? ›
VPNs are important because internet connections can be eavesdropped easily by malicious cybercriminals. Whether you are using wireless or wired connections, your data might be visible to others that can access the network.
How do I get free VPN on my Samsung phone? ›
ProtonVPN is currently the best free Android VPN.
That's because it has a free version that uses the WireGuard protocol, offers unlimited simultaneous connections, and has a kill switch. Yet, if you're looking for a more advanced VPN solution, NordVPN offers a free 7-day trial.
What is the best free VPN for Android? ›
Best Free VPN for Android: Quick Recap
ProtonVPN – the most secure free VPN. Hide.me – best free no-log VPN for Android. TunnelBear – servers in almost 50 countries. Hotspot Shield – applications for all platforms.
What is the symbol for VPN on Samsung? ›
The key or lock icon is the Android symbol for VPN service. It will remain within the notification bar when Safe Browsing is enabled.
How to check if a phone has malware? ›
Use a virus scanner app. These apps will scan your device for malicious files and give you instructions on how to remove them if they detect anything suspicious. Use a factory reset or bootable antivirus tool.
Can I detect malware on my I phone? ›
However, there are common signs you can look out for. A sudden decrease in performance, battery drain, overheating, unwanted pop-ups, or unexplained data usage may all indicate a malware infection. It's essential to take note of these changes and take immediate action to prevent further damage.
