diff --git a/vt.py b/vt.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 9769c4d..8a95ac8
--- a/vt.py
+++ b/vt.py
@@ -8,11 +8,17 @@
 import json, urllib, urllib2, argparse, hashlib, re, sys
 from pprint import pprint
 
+
 class vtAPI():
     def __init__(self):
-        self.api = '<--------------PRIVATE-API-KEY-GOES-HERE----->'
-        self.base = 'https://www.virustotal.com/vtapi/v2/'
-    
+        try:
+            your_private_api_key = '<--------------PRIVATE-API-KEY-GOES-HERE----->'
+            assert "KEY-GOES-HERE" not in your_private_api_key
+            self.api = your_private_api_key
+            self.base = 'https://www.virustotal.com/vtapi/v2/'
+        except AssertionError:
+            raise ValueError("Private API key not provided.")
+
     def getReport(self,md5):
         param = {'resource':md5,'apikey':self.api,'allinfo': '1'}
         url = self.base + "file/report"
diff --git a/vtlite.py b/vtlite.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 8ef60e6..861d6a1
--- a/vtlite.py
+++ b/vtlite.py
@@ -8,11 +8,17 @@
 import json, urllib, urllib2, argparse, hashlib, re, sys
 from pprint import pprint
 
+
 class vtAPI():
     def __init__(self):
-        self.api = '<--------------PUBLIC-API-KEY-GOES-HERE----->'
-        self.base = 'https://www.virustotal.com/vtapi/v2/'
-    
+        try:
+            your_public_api_key = '<--------------PUBLIC-API-KEY-GOES-HERE----->'
+            assert "KEY-GOES-HERE" not in your_public_api_key
+            self.api = your_public_api_key
+            self.base = 'https://www.virustotal.com/vtapi/v2/'
+        except AssertionError:
+            raise ValueError("Private API key not provided.")
+
     def getReport(self,md5):
         param = {'resource':md5,'apikey':self.api}
         url = self.base + "file/report"