encryption

All Wi-Fi now hackable – this affects everyone!

This topic is so serious, I feel obliged to tell as many people as possible. This affects everyone! An extremely serious vulnerability has been exposed affecting everyone. We all use WiFi and we are all vulnerable to this latest attack.   KRACK ATTACK Two Belgian researchers discovered a vulnerability in the WiFi protocol (last year! …

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11 Choices to Discover Your Perfect Messaging App

Messaging

What’s your messaging personality? Do you want to send secure and anonymous messages, make your own memes, or chat with your favorite 200 friends all at once?

Whatever your preference, there’s an app for you. Check out these 11 choices to see which fits your personality and messaging style the best.

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How Safe Is Your Data From Ransomware?

It announces its presence with a giant screensaver announcing that ALL your files are completely locked up.  And in 72 hours the perpetrator will throw away the key.

Or you suddenly view a “surveillance” webcam-selfie with an official warning that you’re wanted by the FBI.  A message demands payment of a fine if you ever want to use your computer again.

Welcome to Ransomware

Ransomware is a newer form of cyberattack that can:

  • encrypt your files
  • freeze your computer screen
  • storm you with pop-ups
  • and literally hold all your precious data for ransom.


It vows to return everything to normal after you pay up.  But of course, it’s run by criminal cyber gangs, and they don’t necessarily keep their promises.

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Important facts about encryption on smartphones

With recent security and privacy issues resulting from the San Bernardino iPhone dispute, it’s a good time to learn more about encryption.

What is encryption?

Basically encryption is a method used to secure information stored on any electronic device. This includes data such as text messages, photos, emails, and documents on smartphones.

When data is “encrypted,” it means it’s in a scrambled format, which makes it unreadable for computers or people without a key (such as a PIN code or passphrase) to the device.

It’s actually more complex than simply requiring a PIN code – Apple for example, requires several pieces of information in order to access data within the device. In addition to a PIN code or a fingerprint required from the user, there is also a key embedded in the device’s processor (secure enclave), which is unknown to anyone.

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What is the dark web (aka deep web, deepnet, hidden web, invisible web, undernet)?

Many of you have likely heard the terms dark web, deep web, deepnet, hidden web, invisible web, or undernet in some of your discussions, books, or even movies. This is another layer of World Wide Web (WWW) content that exists on these darknets which is overlayed using the public Internet however you require specific software and configurations to access. This hidden content is not considered part of the surface web we all use on a daily basis. Big search engines like Google or Bing do not crawl and index this darknet content.

One of the most well-known underground sites was the anonymous narcotics bazaar called the Silk Road. It had been running for 2.5 years until the FBI shut it down in the fall of 2013. When they seized the website, they also got $4 million in bitcoins which was the cryptocurrency being used to buy drugs on the Silk Road. The Silk Road generated an estimated $1.2 billion in revenues since its creation.

How do you access the dark web?

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