Should I block it?
No, this file is 100% safe to run.
Additional versions
(Note, AnchorFree Inc publishes each variation of this file with the same version, but the hashes are unique.)
Relationships
Parent process
Related files
hsswd.exe
By AnchorFree Inc (Signed)
| MD5: | f4c1b3c4847bba031acfdce5a3f0cfcb |
| SHA1: | 285a09a857160d1a6fbf93369e0cdb244b5f676a |
| SHA256: | 0b12b03de93d845ca87f597284d75675a478b0e090368c73c083c000bb884823 |
About hsswd.exe (from AnchorFree Inc)
“Hotspot Shield creates a virtual private network (VPN) between your laptop or iPhone and our Internet gateway. This impenetrable tunnel prevents snoopers, hackers, ISP‘s, from viewing your web browsin”
Overview
hsswd.exe runs as a service under the name ExpatWd (ExpatWd) within the local user context. This is typically installed with the program Hotspot Shield 2.67 published by AnchorFree Inc and is most likely removed by most users once installed (64% removed). The file is digitally signed by AnchorFree Inc which was issued by the VeriSign certificate authority (CA).
Details
| File name: | hsswd.exe |
| Typical file path: | C:\Program Files\hotspot shield\bin\hsswd.exe |
| Size: | 378.36 KB (387,440 bytes) |
| Certificate |
| Issued to: | AnchorFree Inc |
| Authority (CA): | VeriSign |
| Effective date: | Sunday, March 27, 2011 |
| Expiration date: | Sunday, April 13, 2014 |
| Digital DNA |
| PE subsystem: | Windows Console |
| Entropy: | 6.591774 |
| File packed: | No |
| .NET CLR: | No |
More details
Programs
The following program will install this file
If you are using the free Service, AnchorFree may deliver third-party Advertisements within the content of any web page accessed. Advertisements may be injected into the top of the page, inserted directly into the page content, or even displayed to overlay the page. A “hotspot” is a Wi-Fi connection access point. Usually this type of connection is public; therefore, it is completely insecure. Hotspot Shield allows you to create a VPN, ...
Behaviors
Services
Runs under 'SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services' by the Service Controller (services.exe)
- ExpatWd
- 'ExpatWd' (Expat Shield Monitoring Service)
- 'HssWd' (Hotspot Shield Monitoring Service)
Resource utilization
(Note: statistics below are averages based on a minimum sample size of 200 unique participants)
Averages
| CPU |
| Total CPU: | 0.00613444% | |
| Kernel CPU: | 0.00345030% | |
| User CPU: | 0.00268414% | |
| Kernel CPU time: | 31,651 ms/min | |
| Context switches: | 24/sec | |
| Memory |
| Private memory: | 3.44 MB | |
| Private (maximum): | 3.53 MB | |
| Private (minimum): | 2.37 MB | |
| Non-paged memory: | 3.44 MB | |
| Virtual memory: | 49.75 MB | |
| Virtual memory (peak): | 53.66 MB | |
| Working set: | 3.2 MB | |
| Working set (peak): | 7.1 MB | |
| Resource allocations |
| Threads: | 5 | |
| Handles: | 126 | |
| GUI GDI count: | 4 | |
| GUI USER count: | 1 | |
Process properties
Distribution by Windows OS
| OS version | distribution |
| Windows 7 Ultimate |
38.31% |
|
| Windows 7 Home Premium |
21.43% |
|
| Microsoft Windows XP |
14.29% |
|
| Windows 8 Pro |
6.49% |
|
| Windows Vista Home Premium |
4.55% |
|
| Windows 7 Professional |
3.90% |
|
| Windows 7 Home Basic |
2.60% |
|
| Windows 8 Enterprise |
2.60% |
|
| Windows 7 Ultimate N |
1.95% |
|
| Windows 8 Pro with Media Center |
1.30% |
|
| Windows 8 Single Language |
0.65% |
|
| Windows 8 Enterprise N |
0.65% |
|
| Windows XP Professional |
0.65% |
|
| Windows 8 |
0.65% |
|
Distribution by country
United States installs about 20.69% of hsswd.exe.
Distribution by PC manufacturer
| PC Manufacturer | distribution |
| Toshiba |
24.19% |
|
| Dell |
19.35% |
|
| ASUS |
12.90% |
|
| Hewlett-Packard |
10.48% |
|
| Lenovo |
9.68% |
|
| Acer |
7.26% |
|
| Intel |
3.23% |
|
| Sony |
3.23% |
|
| MSI |
3.23% |
|
| GIGABYTE |
3.23% |
|
| American Megatrends |
1.61% |
|
| Gateway |
1.61% |
|
