Tag: privacy

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Thieves try to steal a Tesla

Thieves steal Tesla carTake a look at a recent attempt of a couple of U.K. thieves to steal a Tesla Model S. They’re smart enough to actually gain entrance to the vehicle without the fob but they’re not smart enough to unplug the charger!

The owner of the vehicle does admit to not doing a couple of things that could have actually prevented the bad guys from gaining entrance including setting a PIN and using a Faraday pouch for the fob (while would block fob’s signal).

But it just goes to show that even “sophisticated” criminals who use technology aren’t always the brightest.

Source: electrek

 

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Google To Stop Scanning Your Gmail

By year’s end, Google will stop scanning your Gmail folders in order to deliver targeted advertising.
According to their blog post, “This decision brings Gmail ads in line with how we personalize ads for other Google products. Ads shown are based on users’ settings. Users can change those settings at any time, including disabling ads personalization.” Google has maintained for years that users can change their privacy settings at any time and still use the service.

Google has come under fire for years for forcing users to give up privacy in exchange for the popular service. Microsoft has even created ad campaigns that directly attacked Google for their scanning tactics.

Many privacy groups are excited for the change of position by Google.
“Whilst it could be seen as closing the stable door once the horse has bolted, there is no doubt that the end to the intrusive and frankly creepy process will be appreciated by a great many Gmail users,” said Renate Samson with Big Brother Watch.
While this is a win for privacy, it’s important to note that Gmail messages will still be scanned by Google to provide AIP (Artificial Intelligence Powered) “smart replies” and malware protection.

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Happy Data Privacy Day!

Today marks Data Privacy Day all across the globe. It is a day when people everywhere are reminded of the importance of keeping personal information safe online. After the attacks on Sony, JP Morgan, and Staples, and many other large corporations and with the rampant use of stolen payment credentials, data privacy is now more important than ever. And it can only get worse as more and more everyday items are being connected to the internet.

Individuals and businesses need every data protection reminder they can get. Thankfully, security is starting to keep up with the ever-changing technology. According to USA Today, Michael Kaiser, director of the National Cyber Security Alliance, said the future of cyber security is right around the corner.

“There’s a ton of stuff coming, it will address fundamental, ecosystem-wide flaws in the system,” said Kaiser.

The future protection tools may include software or gadgets that know if it’s really the right person logging in to a device.

While online tools and gadgets are important, they will never take the place of personal responsibility and staying smart online. There are countless ways an identity can be stolen. This can be a headache for consumers. However, a worse headache would be when all of your bank accounts are drained by hackers. Here are catmandu’s best tips for protecting your identity and your data:

  1. Don’t put anything you wouldn’t want seen online. This includes watching what you write in private emails and messages, in a Google Doc, anywhere. Think about the embarrassing Sony Executives’ emails.
  2. Don’t use the same email or pin number for every account. If one gets hacked, they all get hacked.
  3. Turn on two-step verification for any account that allows it.
  4. Be wary of ALL emails, especially those with attachments, and NEVER give out login credentials or credit card numbers via email no matter who is asking.
  5. Unfortunately, you have to think before clicking any link online. Install a free antivirus like Avast, which will place a handy green checkmark beside links that are okay to click.
  6. On your phone, always require a passcode. It takes no technical skill whatsoever for someone who finds your lost phone to steal valuable information. Also, install an app that allows you to access your phone remotely and erase its content if necessary.
  7. When connecting to Wi-Fi, be sure that your home connection requires a password. When using a public connection, don’t engage in transactions you want to keep private like online shopping or accessing your bank account.
  8. Protect yourself with a good firewall and security software. This is the cornerstone of stopping hackers from gaining access to your devices. The slogan of Data Privacy Day says it best: “Stop. Think. Connect.”
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Healthcare.gov Shares Your Personal Information

An individual’s age, zip code, income level, whether or not they smoke or are pregnant, and more information is now the knowledge of third party websites that will use the information to serve consumers ads online. The Associated Press reports that the website can obtain a computer’s IP address, which, when mixed with other information can locate a person’s address or name. Researchers at the Electronic Frontier Foundation have confirmed that sites such as Google, Yahoo, Twitter, YouTube, and many more have received this personal data. The site Doubleclick, which has obtained information, has the ability to match this data up with an already vast collection of online reading and buying habits, thus creating a detailed account of an individual. Healthcare.gov is sending this data even if a user has turned on Do Not Track, according to Gigaom.com. The third party sites are prohibited from using the data for their own use but the Obama Administration did not explain how they would monitor and control the use of the data. Instead, Administration spokesman Aaron Albright said that the government is only using the personal information to create “a simpler, more streamlined and intuitive experience” on Healthcare.gov. (AP) This all comes in the wake of President Obama’s new plans to protect personal data online and make corporations responsible for the data they store. The dangers go deeper than information used to serve advertisements. If one of the third party sites was breached by a hacker, millions of individuals’ private data would be exposed and as the world has seen in recent events, the possibility of this happening is extremely high. “You don’t need all of that data to do customer service,” said Theresa Payton to AP, former White House chief information officer. “We know hackers are just waiting at the door, salivating to get at this data.” The Electronic Frontier Foundation recommends installing Privacy Badger, which will block these third party connections.

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Don’t Let The NSA Spy On You

2013 brought us the revelation that the government is all over our personal information, snooping through phone records and internet activity. To combat this, 2014 brought us new tools and methods to stop this (unfortunately legal) invasion of privacy.Though it is impossible to completely block out the National Security Agency from your life, there are a few steps you can take to make it slightly more difficult to be spied on.

On the internet:

If you are going to store data online, use Google services. Google has spent a lot of money this year working to make themselves the safest place on the internet, according to IT World.

Google chairman Eric Schmidt said. “We massively encrypted our internal systems,” he said. “It’s generally viewed that this level of encryption is unbreakable in our lifetime by any sets of human beings in any way. We’ll see if that’s really true.”

When surfing the internet, you may have noticed your recent searches spawning advertisements on unrelated sites. If it bothers you that your searches are being tracked, you can browse in private mode in most browsers. For the extreme individual, there is also the Tor Project, which allows you to browse privately over encrypted channels, according to the The Blaze.

On your phone:

Make sure you buy an encrypted phone. Apple and Google phones have the highest level of security and their newest phones will lock down messages, contacts, and photos stored on the phone, keeping them away from anyone (including the NSA) who might want your data. However, many phones automatically store data in the cloud, which is not safe from government spying. Turning off automatic cloud storage is simple to do but you risk losing all data if your phone is lost or broken, according to The Hill.

Android users should use encrypted apps such as TextSecure or WhatsApp to send and receive messages and iPhone users should use Apple’s iMessage serve. To protect yourself when making phone calls, use Whisper System’s apps RedPhone for Android users and Signal for iPhone users.

Completely shutting yourself off from the government is impossible while using devices. Your phone is, at its core, a tracking device that allows anyone with the technical skills to locate your exact location.

“Spying on the content of cell phone communications is trivially easy,” said Eva Galperin, who works for digital rights advocate Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), according to The Hill.

However, these tips can allow for a small amount of privacy in an age where nothing is private.

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The NEW Anti-NSA Smartphone

Silent Circle, along with Geeksphone ,developed a privacy-protecting smartphone. After Snowden leaked NSA secrets, developers became more interested in protecting the public’s privacy. The communication and encryption software with the new “Blackphone” is designed for maximum privacy.

 

In terms of hardware, the phone has 4.7-inch HD screen, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage, and an 8 megapixel rear camera. The phone is packed to the brim with software to protect your location, unless you allow it. For example, if you want to use Google Maps to get traffic directions, you can simply allow the program to track you for however long you wish. The phone is also able to set a “dummy” location if the app requires GPS location. WiFi base stations can pick up the location of any wifi able mobile device being used in that area, even if the wifi isn’t being used. The Blackphone software blocks the location and data, until the user is home or at the office.Silent Circle is not about tricking the government, the company is about “ Putting a stake in the ground for your right to have truly private conversations and to conduct your business without fear of compromise”.  The phones will be released three weeks from now and the starting price is about $629.