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What You Should Know About Hackers and Hacking
Not all hackers are inherently bad. When used in mainstream media, the word “hacker” is usually used in relation to cyber criminals. But, a hacker can actually be anyone, regardless of their intentions, who utilizes their knowledge of computer software and hardware to break down and bypass security measures on a computer, device or network.
Hacking itself is not an illegal activity unless the hacker is compromising a system without the owner’s permission. Many companies and government agencies actually employ hackers to help them secure their systems.
Hackers are generally categorized by type of metaphorical “hat” they don: “white hat,” “grey hat,” and “black hat.” The terms come from old spaghetti westerns, where the bad guy wears a black cowboy hat, and the good guy wears a white hat. There are two main factors that determine the type of hacker you’re dealing with: their motivations, and whether or not they are breaking the law.
1) Black Hat Hackers
Like all hackers, black hat hackers usually have extensive knowledge about breaking into computer networks and bypassing security protocols. They’re also responsible for writing malware, which is a method used to gain access to these systems.
Their primary motivation is usually for personal or financial gain, but they can also be involved in cyber espionage, protests or perhaps are just addicted to the thrill of cybercrime. Black hat hackers can range from amateurs getting their feet wet by spreading malware, to experienced hackers that aim to steal data, specifically financial information, personal information and login credentials. Not only do black hat hackers seek to steal data, they also seek to modify or destroy data as well.
2) Grey Hat Hackers
As in life, there are grey areas that are neither black nor white. Grey hat hackers are a blend of both black hat and white hat activities. Often, grey hat hackers will look for vulnerabilities in a system without the owner’s permission or knowledge. If issues are found, they’ll report them to the owner, sometimes requesting a small fee to fix the issue. If the owner does not respond or comply, then sometimes the hackers will post the newly found exploit online for the world to see.
These types of hackers are not inherently malicious with their intentions; they’re just looking to get something out of their discoveries for themselves. Usually, grey hat hackers will not exploit the found vulnerabilities. However, this type of hacking is still considered illegal because the hacker did not receive permission from the owner prior to attempting to attack the system.
3) White Hat Hackers
White hat hackers choose to use their powers for good rather than evil. Also known as “ethical hackers,” white hat hackers can sometimes be paid employees or contractors working for companies as security specialists that attempt to find security holes via hacking.
White hat hackers employ the same methods of hacking as black hats, with one exception – they do it with permission from the owner of the system first, which makes the process completely legal. White hat hackers perform penetration testing, test in-place security systems and perform vulnerability assessments for companies. There are even courses, training, conferences and certifications for ethical hacking.
Hackers Live in the World of NETWORKING
WHAT IS NETWORKING? Simply means the inter-connection of computer or devices to share resources. We have various kinds of networking and their protocols.
BLUETOOTH
Bluetooth is a telecommunications industry specification that describes how mobile phones, computers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) can be easily interconnected using a short-range wireless connection. It’s one of the most commonly uses networking apps in the world.
As Hackers we also use Bluetooth to gain unauthorized access to people information. Know that one you done networking with somebody the information in your devise is no longer secure.
One of the chipest hacking tools we use to hack Bluetooth phones is the Bluetooth share app that we download and install in our phones.
REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD TURN OFF YOUR BLUTOOTH DEVICE AFTER SHAREING RESOURCES:
1) Battery Drain
Although Bluetooth is an energy-efficient technology, it does slowly drain the battery of your cell phone or other mobile device. When enabled, Bluetooth continually scans for signals, looking for new devices to connect with, but using energy in the process. Check your device’s settings and turn Bluetooth off when you’re not using it.
2) Poor Security
Virtually every network technology has some security built into it to prevent hackers from accessing your data without your permission. However, Bluetooth security is weak compared to WiFi and other wireless data standards. A determined attacker can, for example, gain access to your wireless device through a Bluetooth connection, although he or she would have to be nearby for the attempt to work.
3) Slow Data
All wireless technologies have limits on how fast they can transmit data; generally, faster connections mean higher energy consumption. Because Bluetooth is intended to be very energy-efficient, it sends data relatively slowly. The Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy standard, at 26 megabits per second, is much faster than Bluetooth used to offer and suitable for occasional syncing and small backup operations. However, Bluetooth is not a substitute for faster technologies such as Wi-Fi and USB.
Bluetooth Tips
Disabling Bluetooth when you aren’t using it improves security, as the connection can’t be hacked if it’s off. Another option to consider disabling is Bluetooth’s discoverability feature; it sends identification signals to all devices within range, essentially inviting a connection. Remove Bluetooth connection settings on devices paired with accessories that may have been stolen to prevent thieves from gaining access to your PC or smartphone. Use firewall and anti-virus programs for PCs and other devices to keep hackers at bay.
HOW TO STOP HACKER FROM HACKING YOU
1. Be suspicious of emails
Cale Guthrie WeissmanClick “Show original” to find the source of the email. A lot of cyberattacks are launched through simple malicious email campaigns. Email is a wonderful communication platform because you can sending anything to anyone, but that means it can be a huge security risk. Phishing, for example, sends victims seemingly innocuous emails that will lead victims to fake websites asking to update their personal information.
The best way to avoid being scammed by phony emails is to just make sure the sender is who you think it is. Check their email address to see if they match with the website you think it’s from. To be extra cautious you can check the IP address of the sender.
You can do this by finding the source information from the email and looking for the IP address that follows the line “Received: from.” You can then Google the IP address to learn the email’s source. (Here is a good primer on finding email IP addresses.)
2. Check link locations
Unknown messages contain links to unknown sites. Surfing to a mysterious website can bring about unintended consequences. For one, it could mimic a site you know and trust and help you fall prey to a phishing scam. Or, it may be unsecure or infected with malware.
If you are tempted to click on one of these links, you better know exactly where it’s taking you. The best way is to copy and paste the link location into a new browser to see what site is on the other side. If it’s a shortened link, you can use tools like URL X-ray that figure out the real destination before you click it.
Also, encrypted sites are the safest ones to visit. You know they are safe when you see HTTPS in the URL and the lock icon on your browser.
3. Never open attachments (unless you’re really sure)
A good rule to follow is never open attachments unless you are 120% sure of where they came from. One of the easiest ways for hackers to download malicious code onto victim computers is by sending emails with virus-laden files.
A frequent way companies get hacked is by one unsuspecting employee downloading malicious software that infiltrates the entire network. The most dangerous file types are Word, PDFs, and .EXEs.
4. Use two-factor authentication
As bigger companies get hacked, the likelihood that your password is leaked increases. Once hackers get passwords, they try to figure out which personal accounts they can access with the data they stole.
Two-factor authentication — which requires users to not only enter a password but to also confirm entry with another item like a code texted to a phone — is a good way to stop attackers who have stolen passwords. More companies are making it standard for logging in.
Slack, for example, instituted two-step authentication once it owned up to a recent data breach. This meant that if hackers did steal Slack user data, the hackers would still most likely not be able to get into a user’s account unless they had another personal item that belonged to the user, like a phone. If two-factor authentication is an option for your accounts, it’s wise to choose it. (Business Insider/Julie Bort)
5. Use advanced passwords
This may be the most obvious yet overlooked tip. A strong password includes uppercase, lowercase, numbers, punctuation, and gibberish. Don’t make the password a personal reference, and don’t store a list in a saved file.
Most importantly, don’t use the same password for multiple accounts. There are some great tools like LastPass and 1Password that securely store passwords. Also, it’s crucial to change passwords frequently — especially for vulnerable accounts like email and banking.
PASSWORD USAGE
Passwords are simpler and cheaper than other, more secure forms of authentication like special key cards, fingerprint ID machines, and retinal scanners. They provide a simple, direct means of protecting a system or account. For the sake of this article, we’ll define a ‘password’ as a word, a phrase, or combination of miscellaneous characters that authenticates the identity of the user. Passwords are generally used in combination with some form of identification, such as a username, account number, or e-mail address. While a username establishes the identity of the user for the computer or system, the password, which is known only to the authorized user, authenticates that the user is who he or she claims to be. This means that their function is to “prove to the system that you are who you say you are” (Russell).
Password Cracking
While passwords are a vital component of system security, they can be cracked or broken relatively easily. Password cracking is the process of figuring out or breaking passwords in order to gain unauthorized entrance to a system or account. It is much easier than most users would think. (The difference between cracking and hacking is that codes are cracked, machines are hacked.) Passwords can be cracked in a variety of different ways. The most simple is the use of a word list or dictionary program to break the password by brute force. These programs compare lists of words or character combination against password until they find a match. If cracking codes seems like science fiction, search “password cracker” on Packetstorm or Passwordportal.net. There are also numerous password cracking tools available that any average person can use. (For more information on password cracking tools, please see the SecurityFocus article Password Crackers – Ensuring the Security of Your Password.)
Another easy way for potential intruders to nab passwords is through social engineering: physically nabbing the password off a Post-It from under someone’s keyboard or through imitating an IT engineer and asking over the phone. Many users create passwords that can be guessed by learning a minimal amount of information about the person whose password is being sought. (For more information on social engineering please see the SecurityFocus series Social Engineering Fundamentals) A more technical way of learning passwords is through sniffers, which look at the raw data transmitted across the net and decipher its contents. “A sniffer can read every keystroke sent out from your machine, including passwords” (University of Michigan). It’s possible that someone out there has at least one of your passwords right now.
How To Choose Good Passwords
Now that we have established the importance of passwords and some of the ways in which they may be vulnerable to cracking, we can discuss ways of creating good, strong passwords. In creating strong, effective passwords it is often helpful to keep in mind some of the methods by which they may be cracked, so let’s begin with what NOT to do when choosing passwords.
No Dictionary Words, Proper Nouns, or Foreign Words
As has already been mentioned, password cracking tools are very effective at processing large quantities of letter and number combinations until a match for the password is found, as such users should avoid using conventional words as passwords. By the same token, they should also avoid regular words with numbers tacked onto the end and conventional words that are simply written backwards, such as ‘nimda’. While these may prove to be difficult for people to figure out, they are no match for the brute force attacks of password cracking tools.
No Personal Information
One of the frustrating things about passwords is that they need to be easy for users to remember. Naturally, this leads many users to incorporate personal information into their passwords. However, as is discussed in the Social Engineering Fundamentals, it is alarmingly easy for hackers to obtain personal information about prospective targets. As such, it is strongly recommended that users not include such information in their passwords. This means that the password should not include anything remotely related to the user’s name, nickname, or the name of a family member or pet. Also, the password should not contain any easily recognizable numbers like phone numbers or addresses or other information that someone could guess by picking up your mail.
Length, Width and Depth
A strong, effective password requires a necessary degree of complexity. Three factors can help users to develop this complexity: length, width & depth. Length means that the longer a password, the more difficult it is to crack. Simply put, longer is better. Probability dictates that the longer a password the more difficult it will be to crack. It is generally recommended that passwords be between six and nine characters. Greater length is acceptable, as long as the operating system allows for it and the user can remember the password. However, shorter passwords should be avoided.
Width is a way of describing the different types of characters that are used. Don’t just consider the alphabet. There are also numbers and special characters like ‘%’, and in most operating systems, upper and lower case letters are also known as different characters. Windows, for example, is not always case sensitive. (This means it doesn’t know the difference between ‘A’ and ‘a’.) Some operating systems allow control characters, alt characters, and spaces to be used in passwords. As a general rule the following character sets should all be included in every password:
Depth refers to choosing a password with a challenging meaning – something not easily guessable. Stop thinking in terms of passwords and start thinking in terms of phrases. “A good password is easy to remember, but hard to guess.” (Armstrong) The purpose of a mnemonic phrase is to allow the creation of a complex password that will not need to be written down. Examples of a mnemonic phrase may include a phrase spelled phonetically, such as ‘ImuKat!’ (instead of ‘I’m a cat!’) or the first letters of a memorable phrase such as ‘qbfjold*’ = “quick brown fox jumped over lazy dog.”
What may be most effective is for users to choose a phrase that is has personal meaning (for easy recollection), to take the initials of each of the words in that phrase, and to convert some of those letters into other characters (substituting the number ‘3’ for the letter ‘e’ is a common example). For more examples, see the University of Michigan’s Password Security Guide.
Extra Protection
All of the good password cracking programs include foreign words, backwards words, etc. And the easiest way to steal a password is by asking for it, so it’s simpler to never give it away.
OUR RECOMMENDATION TO ORGANIZATIONS
Tips for Organizations and Network Administrators
Managers and administrators can enhance the security of their networks by setting strong password policies. Password requirements should be built into organizational security policies. Network administrators should institute by regular changes/updates of passwords. They should also regularly remind users of how easy it is for hackers to get their passwords through social engineering and online attacks. New users should be taught about good password practices. Providing intranet resources on network security and password security can also be helpful. Finally, the organization’s password policy should be integrated into the security policy, and all readers should be made to read the policy and sign-off on it.
Systems administrators should implement safeguards to ensure that people on their systems are using adequately strong passwords. They should set password expiration dates on all programs being run on the organization’s systems. Keep a password history to prevent reuse, and lock of accounts after 3-5 password attempts. Keep the number of people in the organization who have these passwords as small as possible. The organization should also use newer versions of OSs that have more secure password files and authentication protocols. Keep your individual account passwords updated as well. Finally, when installing new systems, make sure default passwords are changed immediately.
HTTPS VS HTTP
Use HTTPS instead of HTTP whenever possible. Websites that have an https:// before the website name, add an extra security layer called SSL by encrypting your browser. It is recommended to use https:// whenever possible especially when performing banking or financial transactions online. In other words, communications sent over regular HTTP connections are in plain text and can be read by intruders that break into the connection between your browser and the website. With HTTPS, all communication is securely encrypted. Due to SSL (Secure Socket Layer), an intruder cannot decrypt data that passes between you and a website.
Don’t use security questions when you forget your password. Most companies ask customers to answer “security questions” when registering for an online account. When a user forgets their password, they are asked to answer a few security questions. The problem with this is approach is that many users answer easy questions like favourite food, mother’s maiden name, city of birth or favourite sport. Hackers have a reasonably good chance of guessing the right answer by monitoring your social activity. Google recommends having an alternative email address or an SMS option, instead of providing answers to security questions. Verifying a password by answering security questions should be a last resort.
Hacking itself is not an illegal activity unless the hacker is compromising a system without the owner’s permission. Many companies and government agencies actually employ hackers to help them secure their systems.
Hackers are generally categorized by type of metaphorical “hat” they don: “white hat,” “grey hat,” and “black hat.” The terms come from old spaghetti westerns, where the bad guy wears a black cowboy hat, and the good guy wears a white hat. There are two main factors that determine the type of hacker you’re dealing with: their motivations, and whether or not they are breaking the law.
1) Black Hat Hackers
Like all hackers, black hat hackers usually have extensive knowledge about breaking into computer networks and bypassing security protocols. They’re also responsible for writing malware, which is a method used to gain access to these systems.
Their primary motivation is usually for personal or financial gain, but they can also be involved in cyber espionage, protests or perhaps are just addicted to the thrill of cybercrime. Black hat hackers can range from amateurs getting their feet wet by spreading malware, to experienced hackers that aim to steal data, specifically financial information, personal information and login credentials. Not only do black hat hackers seek to steal data, they also seek to modify or destroy data as well.
2) Grey Hat Hackers
As in life, there are grey areas that are neither black nor white. Grey hat hackers are a blend of both black hat and white hat activities. Often, grey hat hackers will look for vulnerabilities in a system without the owner’s permission or knowledge. If issues are found, they’ll report them to the owner, sometimes requesting a small fee to fix the issue. If the owner does not respond or comply, then sometimes the hackers will post the newly found exploit online for the world to see.
These types of hackers are not inherently malicious with their intentions; they’re just looking to get something out of their discoveries for themselves. Usually, grey hat hackers will not exploit the found vulnerabilities. However, this type of hacking is still considered illegal because the hacker did not receive permission from the owner prior to attempting to attack the system.
3) White Hat Hackers
White hat hackers choose to use their powers for good rather than evil. Also known as “ethical hackers,” white hat hackers can sometimes be paid employees or contractors working for companies as security specialists that attempt to find security holes via hacking.
White hat hackers employ the same methods of hacking as black hats, with one exception – they do it with permission from the owner of the system first, which makes the process completely legal. White hat hackers perform penetration testing, test in-place security systems and perform vulnerability assessments for companies. There are even courses, training, conferences and certifications for ethical hacking.
Hackers Live in the World of NETWORKING
WHAT IS NETWORKING? Simply means the inter-connection of computer or devices to share resources. We have various kinds of networking and their protocols.
BLUETOOTH
Bluetooth is a telecommunications industry specification that describes how mobile phones, computers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) can be easily interconnected using a short-range wireless connection. It’s one of the most commonly uses networking apps in the world.
As Hackers we also use Bluetooth to gain unauthorized access to people information. Know that one you done networking with somebody the information in your devise is no longer secure.
One of the chipest hacking tools we use to hack Bluetooth phones is the Bluetooth share app that we download and install in our phones.
REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD TURN OFF YOUR BLUTOOTH DEVICE AFTER SHAREING RESOURCES:
1) Battery Drain
Although Bluetooth is an energy-efficient technology, it does slowly drain the battery of your cell phone or other mobile device. When enabled, Bluetooth continually scans for signals, looking for new devices to connect with, but using energy in the process. Check your device’s settings and turn Bluetooth off when you’re not using it.
2) Poor Security
Virtually every network technology has some security built into it to prevent hackers from accessing your data without your permission. However, Bluetooth security is weak compared to WiFi and other wireless data standards. A determined attacker can, for example, gain access to your wireless device through a Bluetooth connection, although he or she would have to be nearby for the attempt to work.
3) Slow Data
All wireless technologies have limits on how fast they can transmit data; generally, faster connections mean higher energy consumption. Because Bluetooth is intended to be very energy-efficient, it sends data relatively slowly. The Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy standard, at 26 megabits per second, is much faster than Bluetooth used to offer and suitable for occasional syncing and small backup operations. However, Bluetooth is not a substitute for faster technologies such as Wi-Fi and USB.
Bluetooth Tips
Disabling Bluetooth when you aren’t using it improves security, as the connection can’t be hacked if it’s off. Another option to consider disabling is Bluetooth’s discoverability feature; it sends identification signals to all devices within range, essentially inviting a connection. Remove Bluetooth connection settings on devices paired with accessories that may have been stolen to prevent thieves from gaining access to your PC or smartphone. Use firewall and anti-virus programs for PCs and other devices to keep hackers at bay.
HOW TO STOP HACKER FROM HACKING YOU
1. Be suspicious of emails
Cale Guthrie WeissmanClick “Show original” to find the source of the email. A lot of cyberattacks are launched through simple malicious email campaigns. Email is a wonderful communication platform because you can sending anything to anyone, but that means it can be a huge security risk. Phishing, for example, sends victims seemingly innocuous emails that will lead victims to fake websites asking to update their personal information.
The best way to avoid being scammed by phony emails is to just make sure the sender is who you think it is. Check their email address to see if they match with the website you think it’s from. To be extra cautious you can check the IP address of the sender.
You can do this by finding the source information from the email and looking for the IP address that follows the line “Received: from.” You can then Google the IP address to learn the email’s source. (Here is a good primer on finding email IP addresses.)
2. Check link locations
Unknown messages contain links to unknown sites. Surfing to a mysterious website can bring about unintended consequences. For one, it could mimic a site you know and trust and help you fall prey to a phishing scam. Or, it may be unsecure or infected with malware.
If you are tempted to click on one of these links, you better know exactly where it’s taking you. The best way is to copy and paste the link location into a new browser to see what site is on the other side. If it’s a shortened link, you can use tools like URL X-ray that figure out the real destination before you click it.
Also, encrypted sites are the safest ones to visit. You know they are safe when you see HTTPS in the URL and the lock icon on your browser.
3. Never open attachments (unless you’re really sure)
A good rule to follow is never open attachments unless you are 120% sure of where they came from. One of the easiest ways for hackers to download malicious code onto victim computers is by sending emails with virus-laden files.
A frequent way companies get hacked is by one unsuspecting employee downloading malicious software that infiltrates the entire network. The most dangerous file types are Word, PDFs, and .EXEs.
4. Use two-factor authentication
As bigger companies get hacked, the likelihood that your password is leaked increases. Once hackers get passwords, they try to figure out which personal accounts they can access with the data they stole.
Two-factor authentication — which requires users to not only enter a password but to also confirm entry with another item like a code texted to a phone — is a good way to stop attackers who have stolen passwords. More companies are making it standard for logging in.
Slack, for example, instituted two-step authentication once it owned up to a recent data breach. This meant that if hackers did steal Slack user data, the hackers would still most likely not be able to get into a user’s account unless they had another personal item that belonged to the user, like a phone. If two-factor authentication is an option for your accounts, it’s wise to choose it. (Business Insider/Julie Bort)
5. Use advanced passwords
This may be the most obvious yet overlooked tip. A strong password includes uppercase, lowercase, numbers, punctuation, and gibberish. Don’t make the password a personal reference, and don’t store a list in a saved file.
Most importantly, don’t use the same password for multiple accounts. There are some great tools like LastPass and 1Password that securely store passwords. Also, it’s crucial to change passwords frequently — especially for vulnerable accounts like email and banking.
PASSWORD USAGE
Passwords are simpler and cheaper than other, more secure forms of authentication like special key cards, fingerprint ID machines, and retinal scanners. They provide a simple, direct means of protecting a system or account. For the sake of this article, we’ll define a ‘password’ as a word, a phrase, or combination of miscellaneous characters that authenticates the identity of the user. Passwords are generally used in combination with some form of identification, such as a username, account number, or e-mail address. While a username establishes the identity of the user for the computer or system, the password, which is known only to the authorized user, authenticates that the user is who he or she claims to be. This means that their function is to “prove to the system that you are who you say you are” (Russell).
Password Cracking
While passwords are a vital component of system security, they can be cracked or broken relatively easily. Password cracking is the process of figuring out or breaking passwords in order to gain unauthorized entrance to a system or account. It is much easier than most users would think. (The difference between cracking and hacking is that codes are cracked, machines are hacked.) Passwords can be cracked in a variety of different ways. The most simple is the use of a word list or dictionary program to break the password by brute force. These programs compare lists of words or character combination against password until they find a match. If cracking codes seems like science fiction, search “password cracker” on Packetstorm or Passwordportal.net. There are also numerous password cracking tools available that any average person can use. (For more information on password cracking tools, please see the SecurityFocus article Password Crackers – Ensuring the Security of Your Password.)
Another easy way for potential intruders to nab passwords is through social engineering: physically nabbing the password off a Post-It from under someone’s keyboard or through imitating an IT engineer and asking over the phone. Many users create passwords that can be guessed by learning a minimal amount of information about the person whose password is being sought. (For more information on social engineering please see the SecurityFocus series Social Engineering Fundamentals) A more technical way of learning passwords is through sniffers, which look at the raw data transmitted across the net and decipher its contents. “A sniffer can read every keystroke sent out from your machine, including passwords” (University of Michigan). It’s possible that someone out there has at least one of your passwords right now.
How To Choose Good Passwords
Now that we have established the importance of passwords and some of the ways in which they may be vulnerable to cracking, we can discuss ways of creating good, strong passwords. In creating strong, effective passwords it is often helpful to keep in mind some of the methods by which they may be cracked, so let’s begin with what NOT to do when choosing passwords.
No Dictionary Words, Proper Nouns, or Foreign Words
As has already been mentioned, password cracking tools are very effective at processing large quantities of letter and number combinations until a match for the password is found, as such users should avoid using conventional words as passwords. By the same token, they should also avoid regular words with numbers tacked onto the end and conventional words that are simply written backwards, such as ‘nimda’. While these may prove to be difficult for people to figure out, they are no match for the brute force attacks of password cracking tools.
No Personal Information
One of the frustrating things about passwords is that they need to be easy for users to remember. Naturally, this leads many users to incorporate personal information into their passwords. However, as is discussed in the Social Engineering Fundamentals, it is alarmingly easy for hackers to obtain personal information about prospective targets. As such, it is strongly recommended that users not include such information in their passwords. This means that the password should not include anything remotely related to the user’s name, nickname, or the name of a family member or pet. Also, the password should not contain any easily recognizable numbers like phone numbers or addresses or other information that someone could guess by picking up your mail.
Length, Width and Depth
A strong, effective password requires a necessary degree of complexity. Three factors can help users to develop this complexity: length, width & depth. Length means that the longer a password, the more difficult it is to crack. Simply put, longer is better. Probability dictates that the longer a password the more difficult it will be to crack. It is generally recommended that passwords be between six and nine characters. Greater length is acceptable, as long as the operating system allows for it and the user can remember the password. However, shorter passwords should be avoided.
Width is a way of describing the different types of characters that are used. Don’t just consider the alphabet. There are also numbers and special characters like ‘%’, and in most operating systems, upper and lower case letters are also known as different characters. Windows, for example, is not always case sensitive. (This means it doesn’t know the difference between ‘A’ and ‘a’.) Some operating systems allow control characters, alt characters, and spaces to be used in passwords. As a general rule the following character sets should all be included in every password:
- uppercase letters such as A, B, C;
- lowercase letters such as a, b,c;
- numerals such as 1, 2, 3;
- special characters such as $, ?, &; and
- alt characters such as µ, £, Æ. (Cliff)
Depth refers to choosing a password with a challenging meaning – something not easily guessable. Stop thinking in terms of passwords and start thinking in terms of phrases. “A good password is easy to remember, but hard to guess.” (Armstrong) The purpose of a mnemonic phrase is to allow the creation of a complex password that will not need to be written down. Examples of a mnemonic phrase may include a phrase spelled phonetically, such as ‘ImuKat!’ (instead of ‘I’m a cat!’) or the first letters of a memorable phrase such as ‘qbfjold*’ = “quick brown fox jumped over lazy dog.”
What may be most effective is for users to choose a phrase that is has personal meaning (for easy recollection), to take the initials of each of the words in that phrase, and to convert some of those letters into other characters (substituting the number ‘3’ for the letter ‘e’ is a common example). For more examples, see the University of Michigan’s Password Security Guide.
Extra Protection
All of the good password cracking programs include foreign words, backwards words, etc. And the easiest way to steal a password is by asking for it, so it’s simpler to never give it away.
OUR RECOMMENDATION TO ORGANIZATIONS
Tips for Organizations and Network Administrators
Managers and administrators can enhance the security of their networks by setting strong password policies. Password requirements should be built into organizational security policies. Network administrators should institute by regular changes/updates of passwords. They should also regularly remind users of how easy it is for hackers to get their passwords through social engineering and online attacks. New users should be taught about good password practices. Providing intranet resources on network security and password security can also be helpful. Finally, the organization’s password policy should be integrated into the security policy, and all readers should be made to read the policy and sign-off on it.
Systems administrators should implement safeguards to ensure that people on their systems are using adequately strong passwords. They should set password expiration dates on all programs being run on the organization’s systems. Keep a password history to prevent reuse, and lock of accounts after 3-5 password attempts. Keep the number of people in the organization who have these passwords as small as possible. The organization should also use newer versions of OSs that have more secure password files and authentication protocols. Keep your individual account passwords updated as well. Finally, when installing new systems, make sure default passwords are changed immediately.
HTTPS VS HTTP
Use HTTPS instead of HTTP whenever possible. Websites that have an https:// before the website name, add an extra security layer called SSL by encrypting your browser. It is recommended to use https:// whenever possible especially when performing banking or financial transactions online. In other words, communications sent over regular HTTP connections are in plain text and can be read by intruders that break into the connection between your browser and the website. With HTTPS, all communication is securely encrypted. Due to SSL (Secure Socket Layer), an intruder cannot decrypt data that passes between you and a website.
Don’t use security questions when you forget your password. Most companies ask customers to answer “security questions” when registering for an online account. When a user forgets their password, they are asked to answer a few security questions. The problem with this is approach is that many users answer easy questions like favourite food, mother’s maiden name, city of birth or favourite sport. Hackers have a reasonably good chance of guessing the right answer by monitoring your social activity. Google recommends having an alternative email address or an SMS option, instead of providing answers to security questions. Verifying a password by answering security questions should be a last resort.
Friday, July 15, 2016
Social Media Risks and Controls
For many, the use of social media is second nature, but care should always be taken. This is particularly true in the case of the use of corporate Twitter accounts, and how your organization is represented to the outside world. It’s not a case of acceptable use policies (AUP), but more about common sense.
This list is not exhaustive and additions can be made.
Risks
Controls
Do not Forget To comment. or Share
– Thanks –
This list is not exhaustive and additions can be made.
Risks
- People may post derogatory or inappropriate comments about the organization or staff on social media website walls.
- Username and passwords may be shared between staff who update information.
- Information entered could contain inappropriate content, confidential information, personal information or whereabouts.
- Photos or video of events may contain images of other people. Data/identity protection – no consent.
- The company does not have control on the duration social media sites hold information, videos and photos.
- Email accounts used to register on social media are prone to scams, spams and malicious emails.
- Usernames and passwords may get compromised, if the account is accessed from non-work computer (Home, Internet café, etc.) or auto logon was enabled.
- Many people can’t separate business and personal use of social media sites during work time.
- The organization has little control over configuration and functionality of social media websites.
- Weak passwords may not be changed regularly.
- Social media sites can be compromised or axed.
- When authorized social media users leave the organization or change jobs, social media details (username, password and password hint) aren’t usually changed.
- Users may download apps or click on links containing malware.
- Some part of social media may be blocked (like web email features). Yet, these parts may have to be unblocked, bringing additional risks.
- Companies may have no control of who’s posting company information (if the username and password are shared).
- Information is not kept up to date and in line with other websites/channels.
- Sometimes, copies of company copyrighted material may be made by external users or the company breaches copyright of others by not seeking permission.
Controls
- Periodical spot checks can be performed directly on respective channels and with channel owners / facilitators to ensure robust monitoring is being conducted.
- Companies may restrict syndication where necessary via user accounts. Also, they may monitor other sites for copies of content.
- Use of robust passwords and controlled distribution of user account information can mitigate risks.
- Regular monitoring and moderating of comments can ensure few personal details or dangerous information is released.
- Ensure staff reads and understands company policies on employee protocols for business use of social media.
- All essential information should be published on the organization’s website. Channels should always signpost back to the organization’s website – as far as possible.
- Use anti-spam facilities available to reduce impact.
- Ensure staff understands roles and responsibilities around user account management.
- As part of user account management, ensure passwords are changed whenever staffing changes occur.
- When any functionality changes, additional risks should be be identified and necessary additional controls put in place.
- Clear indications of company copyrighted material should be made by use of either a watermark or Creative Commons Attribute.
- If a generic logon is required, a log can be maintained to show login statues. If there’s a breach, the log can be useful.
- Restrict open-ended posting of items on social media walls.
Do not Forget To comment. or Share
– Thanks –
What’s Fog Computing?
Hi All! Today, I’m going to share something about the new Cloud Technology called “The Fog Computing.” Applications such as health-monitoring or emergency response require near-instantaneous response and the delays caused by contacting and receiving data from a cloud data-center can be highly problematic.
“Fog Computing” is a response to this challenge. The basic idea is to shift some of the computing from the data-center to devices closer to the edge of the network. Companies are moving the cloud to the ground (hence “fog computing”). The computing work is shared between the data-center and various local IoT devices (e.g. a local routers or smart-gateways).
“Fog computing is a paradigm for managing a highly distributed and possibly virtualized environment that provides computer and network services between sensors and cloud data-centers”
While cloud computing (using large data-centers) is perfect for analysis of Big Data “at rest” (i.e. analyzing historical trends where large magnitudes of data are required and cheap processing necessary) Fog computing may be much better for dynamic analysis of “data-in-motion” (data concerning immediate ongoing actions which require rapid analytical response).
Privacy concerns are also relevant. By moving data-analysis to the edge of the network (e.g. a device or local mobile phone) that’s is often owned and controlled by the data-source, the user may have more control over their data. For example: an exercise tracker might aggregate and process its GPS data and fitness data on a local mobile phone rather than automatically uploading it to a distant server. It might also undertake data-trimming so reducing the bandwidth and load on the cloud.
Another challenge is the climatic damage this new architecture poses. While data-centers are increasingly efficient in their processing, and often rely on clean-energy sources, moving computing to less efficient devices at the edge of the network might create a problem. We are effectively balancing latency with CO2 production.
Thanks and I hope this was helpful.
“Fog Computing” is a response to this challenge. The basic idea is to shift some of the computing from the data-center to devices closer to the edge of the network. Companies are moving the cloud to the ground (hence “fog computing”). The computing work is shared between the data-center and various local IoT devices (e.g. a local routers or smart-gateways).
“Fog computing is a paradigm for managing a highly distributed and possibly virtualized environment that provides computer and network services between sensors and cloud data-centers”
While cloud computing (using large data-centers) is perfect for analysis of Big Data “at rest” (i.e. analyzing historical trends where large magnitudes of data are required and cheap processing necessary) Fog computing may be much better for dynamic analysis of “data-in-motion” (data concerning immediate ongoing actions which require rapid analytical response).
Privacy concerns are also relevant. By moving data-analysis to the edge of the network (e.g. a device or local mobile phone) that’s is often owned and controlled by the data-source, the user may have more control over their data. For example: an exercise tracker might aggregate and process its GPS data and fitness data on a local mobile phone rather than automatically uploading it to a distant server. It might also undertake data-trimming so reducing the bandwidth and load on the cloud.
Another challenge is the climatic damage this new architecture poses. While data-centers are increasingly efficient in their processing, and often rely on clean-energy sources, moving computing to less efficient devices at the edge of the network might create a problem. We are effectively balancing latency with CO2 production.
Thanks and I hope this was helpful.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Tools and Technologies used in Mr.Robot Season 1
With Season 2 of the hit show Mr. Robot coming out soon, let’s go over the hacker tools used throughout Season 1.
Wget – Utility used to download files
Kali Linux – Penetration Testing Distro
John the Ripper – Password Cracking Utility
candump – Show traffic on a CANBUS
Bluesniff – Bluetooth Utilities
Meterpreter – Everyone’s favorite payload
Social Engineer Toolkit (SET) – Tool used to target the number one risk, the end user
FlexiSpy – Tool used to spy on other mobile devices. Requires root / jailbreak
Deepsound – Used to hide information in sound files via stenography
Wget – Utility used to download files
Kali Linux – Penetration Testing Distro
John the Ripper – Password Cracking Utility
candump – Show traffic on a CANBUS
Bluesniff – Bluetooth Utilities
Meterpreter – Everyone’s favorite payload
Social Engineer Toolkit (SET) – Tool used to target the number one risk, the end user
FlexiSpy – Tool used to spy on other mobile devices. Requires root / jailbreak
Deepsound – Used to hide information in sound files via stenography
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
WIFI HACKER APPS – HOW TO HACK WIFI PASSWORD ON ANDROID?
Let´s see wifi hacker for Android. These are some of the applications to hack wifi Android that I have been testing. Let´s see to wifi password hacker for Android.
CR WIFI
CR WIFI can hack wifi android on 50 Routers, this hack wifi app has the bigger password dictionary , It´s very easy to use. This app is free. It´s a new app. I recommend you check this app first to hacker wifi.
Download CR WIFI
Download Link
ANDRODUMPPER – WIFI PASSWORD HACKING ANDROID
AndroDumpper is really app new and it wifi hack android works very well, it´s a diferent app to the rest of the list, this app attack the WPS protocol like wifislax, AndroDumpper really hack a wifi.
There are two ways (root way and no root) to wifi hack.
Download AndroDumpper apk
ROUTER KEYGEN – THE FIRST OF THE APPLICATIONS WI FI PASSWORD HACK ON ANDROID
With Router Keygen for hacking wifi, first thing you need to do is to scan the wireless networks around you. With this wifi password hacking application you’ll be able to WiFi passwords hacker with WEP and WPA encryption. This app is a wifi password hack android.
For the tests I could do, Router Keygen is one of the best programs to hack wifi Android, it is able to tell the wifi password of a network if the SSID and password that brings the default router has not been modified and only with some Router models. it can password cracking on Android.
This App is one of the best known to hack a wifi from Android, it is recommended to be used especially if you’re in the center of large cities, you’ll find a good chance to find a wireless network that is in the database of Router Keygen.
WLAN AUDIT – WIFI PASSWORD HACK
This App is use to wifi passwords hack but it is different from Router Keygen. WLAN Audit let you how to hack wifi password the router’s MAC and display it. It also shows the same signal. With this application, you cannot do much, or hack wifi password android.
Overall, this application is useful to check the coverage of your home, check all parts and to take the decision to purchase an access point to boost the signal for example in the garage or attic.
HHG5XX WEP SCANNER – WIFI PASSWORD HACKING APP
This is an application to hack wifi routers of Huawei model, specifically HHG5XX models.
The application is able to hack all passwords of Huawei model and get into their routers. The App is able to do this, thanks to Huawai mac2wepkey algorithm.
This router is quite common, so it good to have this app installed to wifi password hack.
WIFIPASS – WIFI PASSWORDS HACKER APP
How to hack wifi in Android?
This hack wifi app use to network of JAZZTEL_XXXX type and WLAN_XXXX among others. This wireless password crack is able to give you the wifi password instantly if the SSID is in its database and has not changed the default password installed in the router. Check out the video to see how to hacking wifi password using android.
At least in Spain this type of network is very common, I could try applying in 30 different times in 30 different networks and have to say that 30% of the time, it has given me an incorrect password, so I don’t think I can recommend this application.
PULWIFI – WI FI PASSWORD HACK
How to hack wi fi password? This is one of the applications to hack wifi and can crack wifi password.
As Wifi Password hack JAZZTEL_XXXX networks and WLAN_XXXX type and also the WLANXXXXXX, YACOMXXXXXX, WIFIXXXXXX types, some of the type uses D-Link default routers and also some of the Huawei models.
It is another “Must Have” application that must be installed if you want to crack wifi password.
WIRELESS CRACKER – WIFI HACKER ANDROID
This wifi password hacks app is another to be taken; it is one of the programs to hack wireless networks that I like. What I recommend is that you create a folder on your Android device called WIFi for example and there may contain all applications and testing them one by one until you are able to crack the wifi, you may be very unlucky not to get wifi network decrypt with a decent signal.
Wireless Cracker allows users to decrypt password for many type of networks: Bbox-XXXXXX, DMAXYYYYYY, Discus-XXXXXX, INFINITUMXXXXXX, SpeedTouchXXXXXX, ThomsonXXXXXX and Orange-XXXXXX.
WPA TESTER – WIFI HACK APP
How to hack wifi with Android? Let’s see how to hack wifi passwords with this application. This app works in a similar way to others and can also decrypt the default password and it is one of the most commercial routers in the market even better than Ono routers, this is what the app creator says, although it did not work for me on Ono network.
ROUTERPWN – WIFI HACKING APP
how to hack wifi password using Android? It is one of the programs that at least I have used to hack wifi passwords, it is one of many applications to hack wifi that you can find in the market, I don’t really know how it works very well (I have not found much information on it) but one of the times I tried, I was able to correctly say the password of a wifi when I was sitting in a cafe in Santiago de Chile.
PENETRATEPRO – CRACK WIFI PASSWORD
how to hack a wifi network? This is one of the most famous wifi passwords hack applications to hack wifi and it is one of the applications that work best. I’ve seen it in various forums, but today I couldn’t even try it.
WIFIMANAGER – WIFI HACKER APP FOR ANDROID THAT REALLY WORKS
how to brak wifi password? It is one of the latest wifi hacker app to hack wifi that has appeared in the market, it has a very simple interface, and I could test it on several occasions and have never managed to crack a wifi password, so I don’t recommend downloading it. I think with the above list of applications to hack wifi, it is quite possible to find a wifi network and discover the password.
Now, yo have a lot of wifi password hacking apps.
Top 10 Activities To Do When There’s A Power Outage
As a technology addict, when the power is out and electrons quit flowing, my world can lock up pretty quickly. Thanks to batteries, a short power outage goes unnoticed. However, if you live in an area beleaguered with storms, multiple car-into-a-pole vehicle accidents, or poor electrical service, you may often see a longer term power outage.The first thing that happens when the power goes out is that the food in the refrigerator begins to thaw. The second thing is that the house begins to heat up (or get cold, depending upon where and when). These two things mean very little. Somewhere within driving range the power is on and food is available. As long as the car starts, heat or air conditioning is nearby.
During a long term power outage, you milk every electron for all it’s worth. You keep working on your computer, draining the battery, certain the power company workers will flip the right switch and you’ll be saved. As luck has it, you get the ‘Critical Battery Level’ warning and you curse the weather or the power company, or both. Oh well, your smart phone still has plenty of juice. Another hour playing with ring tones, free pre-loaded games, and sending emails, and you notice the dreaded red-rimmed battery indicator. You look for your charger only to realize the power is still off, and it will do you no good.
Before you end up on the verge of a nervous breakdown and you are found by the rescue squad cowering and crying in a corner with a flashlight in your hand, flicking it on and off; take heart. There is a world out there that is not hard wired to electricity. Here are the top ten power outage activities you can do to maintain your sanity.
- Take a walk, bike ride, or exercise at your desk. Your neck, back, and posture will be surprised, but will thank you. A power outage is probably a sign telling you to get off your chair and out into the open. One of my favorite wellness websites, WebMD has a great article discussing various office exercises you can do. Just be careful doing these in the dark.
- Take a nap. Your brain needs a break. If you are at home, no one will care. If you are at work, the boss won’t be able to see you in the dark. Just don’t snore.
- Play a game of solitaire with REAL cards. Dogmelon has a list of about fifty variations on solitaire, complete with rules and graphical explanations.
- Socialize. The computers may not work but phone lines do. Pick up the phone and call a loved one.
- Read a REAL book. Candles or flashlights can aid this effort. And contrary to popular belief, you won’t do permanent damage to your eyes.
- Raid the refrigerator. The food might go bad. Use it or lose it! How long can food last? Find out at the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
- Sit by a window and write a letter. It’s like an email only you use a PEN or PENCIL and PAPER and it’s a bit more formal. Someone may appreciate it.
- Make a shopping list. Do a stock-check around the house. Let’s see, batteries, flashlight, a deck of cards, a board game or two, candles, pencil, paper, more food…
- Drive to the nearest home improvement center that has electricity. Buy a generator. Check out this Honda power equipment website before the power is off to help determine the size you might need.
- Grab a pencil and paper and get in your car for a mini-expedition. Map out Wi-Fi hot spots outside your local area where the power might be on when yours is off. (You might also check out, 5 Wi-Fi Hotspot Finders to Find Wi-Fi Spots Near You.) When the power comes back on check out Zeemaps, a free online mapping service that makes use of Google Maps. A simple email/password registration allows you to save and share your maps.
What is unique about Zeemaps is that you can upload your CSV files and map them. If you want to map customers, suppliers, friends, or WiFi spots this site can do it simply by uploading the CSV file with the address. Of course, you can manually locate markers as well, or use GPS coordinates.
So get busy creating a list of your WiFi spots and mapping them before the power goes out again. You can color code markers or use special icons – basic hot spots get a green marker, ones that also have plenty of electrical outlets available get a yellow marker and hot spots with outlets, real books, java, and board games get a red marker!
In addition to the tips I’ve offered, other MUO authors have provided tips like 20 Ways to Increase Your Laptop’s Battery Life and Five Ways to Reduce the Power Consumption of Your Computer. Make sure to check them out as well.
What do you do when there is a prolonged power outage?
Apple’s A10 Chip Could Lead to a Record Third Quarter Revenue for TSMC
Despite a slowdown in iPhone sales, many analysts expect TSMC’s revenues to soar in the third quarter of this year thanks to the rising shipments of Apple’s A10 chip. The chip will be used by Apple inside its upcoming iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus handsets.
The company is now expected to hit record revenue levels of $7.14 billion to $7.45 billion in the third quarter.
The news originates from a report fromCommercial Times which states that Apple will also be using TSMC’s in-house developed backend integrated fan-out (InFO) wafer packaging. The upcoming iPhones are said to come with a new type of EMI shielding to reduce electromagnetic interferencefrom other components on the mainboard.
TSMC lost the majority orders for the A9 chip being used by Apple inside the iPhone 6s to Samsung, but for the A10, the company is once again expected to supply Apple with the majority of the chips.
Almost all other suppliers have seen a reduction in their orders from Apple and a fall in their revenues due to a slowdown in iPhone sales, but TSMC has somehow managed to buck that trend. It will be interesting to see what impact this has on Samsung’s chip business that managed to post a healthy profit last year after bagging the majority supply of A9 chips.
Android Secret Codes Every H@ck3r Should Know
These codes Vary according to Different Platforms,so if one fails on one device it works on another,Try them and leave the comment for your Feedback,You can even Give other secret codes that you know.
*#1234# (View SW Version PDA, CSC, MODEM)
*#12580*369# (SW & HW Info)
*#197328640# (Service Mode)
*#0228# (ADC Reading)
*#32489# (Ciphering Info)
*#232337# (Bluetooth Address)
*#232331# (Bluetooth Test Mode)
*#232338# (WLAN MAC Address)
*#232339# (WLAN Test Mode)
*#0842# (Vibra Motor Test Mode)
*#0782# (Real Time Clock Test)
*#0673# (Audio Test Mode)
*#0*# (General Test Mode)
*#2263# (RF Band Selection)
*#9090# (Diagnostic ConfiguratioN)
*#7284# (USB I2C Mode Control)
*#872564# (USB Logging Control)
*#4238378# (GCF Configuration)
*#0283# (Audio Loopback Control)
*#1575# (GPS Control Menu)
*#3214789650# (LBS Test Mode)
*#745# (RIL Dump Menu)
*#746# (Debug Dump Menu)
*#9900# (System Dump Mode)
*#44336# (Sofware Version Info)
*#7780# (Factory Reset)
*2767*3855# (Full Factory Reset)
*#0289# (Melody Test Mode)
*#2663# (TSP / TSK firmware update)
*#03# (NAND Flash S/N)
*#0589# (Light Sensor Test Mode)
*#0588# (Proximity Sensor Test Mode)
*#273283*255*3282*# (Data Create Menu)
*#273283*255*663282*# (Data Create SD Card)
*#3282*727336*# (Data Usage Status)
*#7594# (Remap Shutdown to End Call TSK)
*#34971539# (Camera Firmware Update)
*#526# (WLAN Engineering Mode)
*#528# (WLAN Engineering Mode)
*#7412365# (Camera Firmware Menu)
*#80# (Unknown)
*#07# (Test History)
*#3214789# (GCF Mode Status)
*#272886# (Auto Answer Selection)
*#8736364# (OTA Update Menu)
*#301279# (HSDPA/HSUPA Control Menu)
*#7353# (Quick Test Menu)
*2767*4387264636# (Sellout SMS / PCODE view)
*#7465625# (View Phone Lock Status)
*7465625*638*# (Configure Network Lock MCC/MNC)
#7465625*638*# (Insert Network Lock Keycode)
*7465625*782*# (Configure Network Lock NSP)
#7465625*782*# (Insert Partitial Network Lock Keycode)
*7465625*77*# (Insert Network Lock Keycode SP)
#7465625*77*# (Insert Operator Lock Keycode)
*7465625*27*# (Insert Network Lock Keycode NSP/CP)
#7465625*27*# (Insert Content Provider Keycode)
Monday, July 11, 2016
10 Methods for Staying Anonymous Online
echnology – and most importantly, the internet – is a major part of our daily lives. Some use and rely on it for almost all of their day to day tasks. But, despite it’s many wonderful qualities and uses, it can be a dangerous place for those who aren’t educated in the safety measures one must take in order to remain anonymous.
Here are ten basic and simple ways to protect your identity and stay anonymous online.
1) Avoid Social Media Sites
I know what you’re thinking. Social media is extremely popular in today’s world. But, with this popularity also comes the countless scams and other numerous nasty bugs and leaks – especially on sites like Facebook and Twitter where you don’t hesitate to share your sensitive information. So, the best way is to just delete your account and keep yourself safe. But, if you must use social media, make sure you tweak and adjust all available options and security settings to protect your privacy as much as possible.
2) VPN
A VPN is a very effective way to encrypt your identity. This virtual private network provides you with an alternative IP address that lets your traffic be untraceable to your device. It can also help you gain access to some restricted websites in your area.
3) Alternative Search Engines Preferred
If you’re a conscious user and not ready to compromise your privacy, then it’s time to change your search engine. It’s because the most popular ones extract a lot of information about you and your browsing preferences. They give you good speed, but not security.
4) Delete Cookies
It’s a fact that cookies help to trace your activities online. Websites use cookies, which are downloaded on your device. You need to manually clean them from the settings of your browser in order to wipe off all traces of your online activities.
5) Email Security
Everyone has an webmail email account these days with service providers like Google, Yahoo, etc. But, these are not entirely secure and extensions are needed to increase the security. For example, Google mail users can use SecureGmail for the privacy of their emails.
6) Secure Protocol Websites
Websites with the https:// protocol offer a secure connection, which means your connection is encrypted. Still, many websites have not yet adopted this secure protocol. You can have the HTTPS Everywhere extension, which keeps you away from unsecured connections.
7) Password Strength
Authentication is facilitated with the help of passwords. If you want your personal information and accounts to be secure, you need to use a strong password, which will not be easy to remember. For this, you need a password manager where you can store all your passwords and use just one master password for access.
8) Private Mode Browsing
If you’re browsing using one of the browsers like Chrome, IE or Firefox, storing of cookies on visiting a site each time can be avoided by just browsing in private mode.
9) The Onion Router (TOR)
TOR is a network used for improved online security by providing anonymous tunnels. The TOR browser was initially designed for the US military and makes it difficult to track activities on the web. This browser sometimes get slow and beginners might have difficulty adjusting to it at first.
10) Secure OS
The choice of operating system remains a challenge when it comes to security. Some operating systems like Whonix guard your privacy. It’s designed based on the TOR network and security is its main priority. The best part is, it’s free.
Thanks!
Here are ten basic and simple ways to protect your identity and stay anonymous online.
1) Avoid Social Media Sites
I know what you’re thinking. Social media is extremely popular in today’s world. But, with this popularity also comes the countless scams and other numerous nasty bugs and leaks – especially on sites like Facebook and Twitter where you don’t hesitate to share your sensitive information. So, the best way is to just delete your account and keep yourself safe. But, if you must use social media, make sure you tweak and adjust all available options and security settings to protect your privacy as much as possible.
2) VPN
A VPN is a very effective way to encrypt your identity. This virtual private network provides you with an alternative IP address that lets your traffic be untraceable to your device. It can also help you gain access to some restricted websites in your area.
3) Alternative Search Engines Preferred
If you’re a conscious user and not ready to compromise your privacy, then it’s time to change your search engine. It’s because the most popular ones extract a lot of information about you and your browsing preferences. They give you good speed, but not security.
4) Delete Cookies
It’s a fact that cookies help to trace your activities online. Websites use cookies, which are downloaded on your device. You need to manually clean them from the settings of your browser in order to wipe off all traces of your online activities.
5) Email Security
Everyone has an webmail email account these days with service providers like Google, Yahoo, etc. But, these are not entirely secure and extensions are needed to increase the security. For example, Google mail users can use SecureGmail for the privacy of their emails.
6) Secure Protocol Websites
Websites with the https:// protocol offer a secure connection, which means your connection is encrypted. Still, many websites have not yet adopted this secure protocol. You can have the HTTPS Everywhere extension, which keeps you away from unsecured connections.
7) Password Strength
Authentication is facilitated with the help of passwords. If you want your personal information and accounts to be secure, you need to use a strong password, which will not be easy to remember. For this, you need a password manager where you can store all your passwords and use just one master password for access.
8) Private Mode Browsing
If you’re browsing using one of the browsers like Chrome, IE or Firefox, storing of cookies on visiting a site each time can be avoided by just browsing in private mode.
9) The Onion Router (TOR)
TOR is a network used for improved online security by providing anonymous tunnels. The TOR browser was initially designed for the US military and makes it difficult to track activities on the web. This browser sometimes get slow and beginners might have difficulty adjusting to it at first.
10) Secure OS
The choice of operating system remains a challenge when it comes to security. Some operating systems like Whonix guard your privacy. It’s designed based on the TOR network and security is its main priority. The best part is, it’s free.
Thanks!
Why Programmers Prefer Linux Over Windows
Introduction
Hello everyone – Today’s topic is why programmers prefer Linux over Windows. I think almost everybody knows about Linux and Windows. If not, let me tell you.
Linux is an open-source operating system. It’s a UNIX-like system with codes that are open to customization, allowing you to change the operating system according to people’s need.
Linux did not have a user-friendly environment, but it’s growing and giving Microsoft a tough time in the desktop war.
Windows is also an operating system with a user-friendly interface that uses a GUI (Graphic User Interface). It’s the most popular and heavily used operating system in the world
The Preferences of Linux Over Windows
apt-get install <package name>
yum install <package name>
There are many flavors of Linux, so you can decide how you like your Desktop. You won’t have the same old windows with the same ideas.
Just for fun…Oh shish! An error message popup!
-On Windows- Uh, ok :/
-On Mac- Perhaps if I could upgrade to the newest version, this wouldn’t happen
-On Linux- Let’s see if someone has already solved the issue. Oh cool, there’s a hack! (copied from a Quora answer…)
More Reasons to Love Linux
Another reason why I love Linux and programmers love Linux is that it’s open source. You have control over everything (and I do mean everything). The codes are open – everything is open. You have the power to change things.
Additionally, there are so many things that a programmer can learn from Linux. When I started learning Python, I came across some scripts and I learned many things from them. Before that, I always thought I know how to use Python. But, after that, I learned more and how it really worked.
It’s also robust. Linux can run an entire year without any restarts or without crashing once. (Linux doesn’t crash very often.)
Linux also has Bash
Did I mention there are tools that help you replace a work or a character etc. and help you find the particular text? That’s very useful when you’re programming tools (sed, awk, grep). There are also a lot of open source tools that integrate with Linux to help you with your programming.
Conclusion
Well, now it’s up to you to choose wisely, young grasshopper. If you’re new to Linux, I’m sure you’ll learn more than in Windows (in my experience). Keep learning, keep moving forward, keep calm and love Linux.
Hello everyone – Today’s topic is why programmers prefer Linux over Windows. I think almost everybody knows about Linux and Windows. If not, let me tell you.
Linux is an open-source operating system. It’s a UNIX-like system with codes that are open to customization, allowing you to change the operating system according to people’s need.
Linux did not have a user-friendly environment, but it’s growing and giving Microsoft a tough time in the desktop war.
Windows is also an operating system with a user-friendly interface that uses a GUI (Graphic User Interface). It’s the most popular and heavily used operating system in the world
The Preferences of Linux Over Windows
- Linux comes with most of the compilers or interpreters, so you don’t have to download them yourself. Windows does not have any compilers pre-installed.
- If Linux doesn’t have what you need, don’t worry. You can get what you need from the command line. Enter a command and it will automatically download the package and install it. Wow, that’s a cool thing that saves many efforts!:
apt-get install <package name>
yum install <package name>
- Linux contains the best suite of low-level tools like sed, grep, awk piping etc. It’s a programmers playground and it’s also great for the people who want to create command line tools.
- Programmers love Linux because of its versatility, power, security and speed.
- Linux has a big community that helps and welcomes all newcomers.
- It has a built-in package manager.
There are many flavors of Linux, so you can decide how you like your Desktop. You won’t have the same old windows with the same ideas.
Just for fun…Oh shish! An error message popup!
-On Windows- Uh, ok :/
-On Mac- Perhaps if I could upgrade to the newest version, this wouldn’t happen
-On Linux- Let’s see if someone has already solved the issue. Oh cool, there’s a hack! (copied from a Quora answer…)
More Reasons to Love Linux
Another reason why I love Linux and programmers love Linux is that it’s open source. You have control over everything (and I do mean everything). The codes are open – everything is open. You have the power to change things.
Additionally, there are so many things that a programmer can learn from Linux. When I started learning Python, I came across some scripts and I learned many things from them. Before that, I always thought I know how to use Python. But, after that, I learned more and how it really worked.
It’s also robust. Linux can run an entire year without any restarts or without crashing once. (Linux doesn’t crash very often.)
Linux also has Bash
Did I mention there are tools that help you replace a work or a character etc. and help you find the particular text? That’s very useful when you’re programming tools (sed, awk, grep). There are also a lot of open source tools that integrate with Linux to help you with your programming.
Conclusion
Well, now it’s up to you to choose wisely, young grasshopper. If you’re new to Linux, I’m sure you’ll learn more than in Windows (in my experience). Keep learning, keep moving forward, keep calm and love Linux.
DNS – What It is and How to Spoof It
DNS stands for Domain Name System and it does the job of translating the name of websites you enter in the address bar into an IP address.
When you enter www.google.com into the address bar, it gets translated to the respective IP address and after that, a connection is established.
Here’s how the process goes:
1. You enter the hostname www.xyz.com into the address bar
2. Your computer searches for the IP in the local DNS cache. If it’s not found, a DNS query is performed.
3. The query is sent to recursive name servers – these are with your ISP and have their own cache.
4. If the recursive servers don’t have the answer, they will query the root nameserver.
5. The root nameserver will look at your request from right to left for TLD (.com , .in , .us)
6. The query is then directed to the top level domain (TLD) nameserver
7. The query is looked at (from right to left minus the TLD part) for specific domain.
8. Finally, the query goes to the authoritative DNS servers. These know everything there is to know about a domain. These have DNS records like – A, mx etc. and the recursive server will retrieve the record and give it back to you.
Common DNS records:
A = forward DNS lookup
MX = mail exchange record
PTR = reverse DNS lookup
What’s a nameserver?
A computer that’s permanently connected to the internet and translates a domain name into an IP address.
What’s Ettercap?
Ettercap is a free and open source network security tool for man-in-the-middle attacks on a LAN. It can be used for computer network protocol analysis and security auditing
Spoofing DNS using Ettercap
The victim will try to connect to msn.com and instead will see the attacker hosted webpage.
Scenario: 2 machines – Kali Linux and Windows 8
On Kali Linux
1. locate a file by the name etter.dns
#locate etter.dns
the file will be under /etc/ettercap
open the file using the nano editor
scroll down and you’ll ee a line
*wildcards in PTR are not allowed
there will be examples given and like them, add your entry.
for instance -> www.msn.com A 192.168.1.8
where A is the DNS record, and the IP is of your Kali Linux machine
ave and exit.
2. go to this directory
/proc/sys/net/ipv4
there will be a file by the name ip_forward.
open the file with nano and you’ll find that it’s set to 0. make it 1.
save and exit.
3. use the dns_spoof plugin of ettercap
# ettercap -T -q -M arp:remote -P dns_spoof //
and the plugin will start
(enter q to abort)
(enter ettercap –help to see options)
go to your Windows machine and ping the msn website.
you’ll see that reply being received is from 192.168.1.8 – the Kali machine – instead of the msn.com’s IP.
Smilarly, if you were to enter www.msn.com in the browser on Windows, you’ll be redirected to the Kali Linux machine where you can host your own page for malicious / non malicious intent.
All of this will make much more sense if you familiarize yourself with ARP spoofing.
When you enter www.google.com into the address bar, it gets translated to the respective IP address and after that, a connection is established.
Here’s how the process goes:
1. You enter the hostname www.xyz.com into the address bar
2. Your computer searches for the IP in the local DNS cache. If it’s not found, a DNS query is performed.
3. The query is sent to recursive name servers – these are with your ISP and have their own cache.
4. If the recursive servers don’t have the answer, they will query the root nameserver.
5. The root nameserver will look at your request from right to left for TLD (.com , .in , .us)
6. The query is then directed to the top level domain (TLD) nameserver
7. The query is looked at (from right to left minus the TLD part) for specific domain.
8. Finally, the query goes to the authoritative DNS servers. These know everything there is to know about a domain. These have DNS records like – A, mx etc. and the recursive server will retrieve the record and give it back to you.
Common DNS records:
A = forward DNS lookup
MX = mail exchange record
PTR = reverse DNS lookup
What’s a nameserver?
A computer that’s permanently connected to the internet and translates a domain name into an IP address.
What’s Ettercap?
Ettercap is a free and open source network security tool for man-in-the-middle attacks on a LAN. It can be used for computer network protocol analysis and security auditing
Spoofing DNS using Ettercap
The victim will try to connect to msn.com and instead will see the attacker hosted webpage.
Scenario: 2 machines – Kali Linux and Windows 8
On Kali Linux
1. locate a file by the name etter.dns
#locate etter.dns
the file will be under /etc/ettercap
open the file using the nano editor
scroll down and you’ll ee a line
*wildcards in PTR are not allowed
there will be examples given and like them, add your entry.
for instance -> www.msn.com A 192.168.1.8
where A is the DNS record, and the IP is of your Kali Linux machine
ave and exit.
2. go to this directory
/proc/sys/net/ipv4
there will be a file by the name ip_forward.
open the file with nano and you’ll find that it’s set to 0. make it 1.
save and exit.
3. use the dns_spoof plugin of ettercap
# ettercap -T -q -M arp:remote -P dns_spoof //
and the plugin will start
(enter q to abort)
(enter ettercap –help to see options)
go to your Windows machine and ping the msn website.
you’ll see that reply being received is from 192.168.1.8 – the Kali machine – instead of the msn.com’s IP.
Smilarly, if you were to enter www.msn.com in the browser on Windows, you’ll be redirected to the Kali Linux machine where you can host your own page for malicious / non malicious intent.
All of this will make much more sense if you familiarize yourself with ARP spoofing.
Messenger Starts Testing End-to-End Encryption with Secret Conversations
We put people first in everything we do at Messenger, and today we are beginning to roll out a new option within Messenger to better support conversations about sensitive topics. Your messages and calls on Messenger already benefit from strong security systems — Messenger uses secure communications channels (just like banking and shopping websites) as well as Facebook’s powerful tools to help block spam and malware. We’ve heard from you that there are times when you want additional safeguards — perhaps when discussing private information like an illness or a health issue with trusted friends and family, or sending financial information to an accountant.
To enable you to do this we are starting to test the ability to create one-to-one secret conversations in Messenger that will be end-to-end encrypted and which can only be read on one device of the person you’re communicating with. That means the messages are intended just for you and the other person — not anyone else, including us. Within a secret conversation, you can also choose to set a timer to control the length of time each message you send remains visible within the conversation. Our technology uses the Signal Protocol developed by Open Whisper Systems. You can read more about the technical details here.
Starting a secret conversation with someone is optional. That’s because many people want Messenger to work when you switch between devices, such as a tablet, desktop computer or phone. Secret conversations can only be read on one device and we recognize that experience may not be right for everyone. It’s also important to note that in secret conversations we don’t currently support rich content like GIFs and videos, making payments, or other popular Messenger features.
Secret conversations are available on a limited test basis right now, but we will be making the option more widely available this summer. During this test, we will gather feedback about the functionality, measure performance and introduce tools to enable you to report objectionable content to us. We are putting a lot of thought into the design and implementation of this feature, and we are grateful to the security and privacy experts who have given us their valuable input.
Categories of Hackers and Their Description
Introduction:
Hey everybody – This article is all about Hackers: who they are and to become one. Let’s start from the beginning. Hacker is a term that began to be used in 1960. Hackers were people who hacked computer code. Later, hackers came to be known as individuals who had advanced knowledge on computers, networks etc.
According to Wikipedia, “a hacker is someone who seeks and exploits weaknesses in a computer system or computer network. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, such as profit, protest, challenge, enjoyment, or to evaluate those weaknesses to assist in removing them.”
In gaming, hackers are the ones who cheat.
Fundamentally, there are three types of Hacker “Hats,” which we’ll discuss later:
1. Black Hat
2. White Hat
3. Grey Hat
Everyone Has Their Own Opinion and Here’s Mine:
When I first got interested in the great world of computers and networks, I too, thought that Hackers took advantage of a weakness and steal sensitive information. But, as I began to learn and grew and my knowledge increased, I realized Hackers are problem solvers and are completely different from the average person. They’re super curious, they don’t really care about their social life or money or anything, they have a different perspective of the world and seem more positive than the average person. They think out of the box. They really have the ability to change the world – it’s just that they don’t care what’s happening if they have their computer with internet, they’re happy. Unless someone challenges them to do something, like Anonymous, they’re harmless. If they take on the challenge, wait and watch what happens.
You might be thinking: “What do you mean by problem solving?” I mean if they have a 5-hour task, they’d likely automate their task, sit back and enjoy their cup of coffee. That’s real hacking in my opinion.
Not everyone likes to “get into a computer” Does this mean they can’t be Hackers?
I’m sure you have asked yourself this question, “How can I call myself a Hacker if I never hacked anything?” You can hack your work by creating some scripts or anything. In my early days, when I was sending resume for a job, I searched the website for the email address and sent my resume to that email. It was very time consuming, so I wrote a script that scrapped the email from the website and and sent my resume to that email. That is hacking, in my opinion.
How Can One Become A Hacker:
Well, you must have problem solving skills. Learn about computers and how they operate. Learn about networks and learn a programming language. But, the main point is that you use the right solution at the right time.
It’s Time for the hats 🙂
1. Black Hat:
Black Hat Hackers or Crackers are simply terrorists who steal sensitive information from a server, or the Hacker shares the information publicly, or sells the data. They discover or create loopholes or vulnerabilities in software, etc. They’re considered the bad guys
2. White Hat:
Where there are bad guys, there are also good guys to help the people hide their precious information. A White Hat Hacker is as skilled as a Black Hat, but they use their skills for good. They find vulnerabilities or loopholes and immediately report them to the admin.
3. Grey Hat:
Grey Hat Hackers are the combination of both Black Hat Hackers and White Hat Hackers. They sell the information of loopholes or vulnerabilities – not to the terrorists, but to the government. The governments then use those loopholes or vulns to hack into the systems of adversaries or criminal suspects.
Conclusion:
Everything in this article is my opinion. You should have your own opinion. I just wanted to let people know that a Hacker is not just exploiting computers, but they are also problems solvers.
I hope you all enjoyed this article 🙂
Hey everybody – This article is all about Hackers: who they are and to become one. Let’s start from the beginning. Hacker is a term that began to be used in 1960. Hackers were people who hacked computer code. Later, hackers came to be known as individuals who had advanced knowledge on computers, networks etc.
According to Wikipedia, “a hacker is someone who seeks and exploits weaknesses in a computer system or computer network. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, such as profit, protest, challenge, enjoyment, or to evaluate those weaknesses to assist in removing them.”
In gaming, hackers are the ones who cheat.
Fundamentally, there are three types of Hacker “Hats,” which we’ll discuss later:
1. Black Hat
2. White Hat
3. Grey Hat
Everyone Has Their Own Opinion and Here’s Mine:
When I first got interested in the great world of computers and networks, I too, thought that Hackers took advantage of a weakness and steal sensitive information. But, as I began to learn and grew and my knowledge increased, I realized Hackers are problem solvers and are completely different from the average person. They’re super curious, they don’t really care about their social life or money or anything, they have a different perspective of the world and seem more positive than the average person. They think out of the box. They really have the ability to change the world – it’s just that they don’t care what’s happening if they have their computer with internet, they’re happy. Unless someone challenges them to do something, like Anonymous, they’re harmless. If they take on the challenge, wait and watch what happens.
You might be thinking: “What do you mean by problem solving?” I mean if they have a 5-hour task, they’d likely automate their task, sit back and enjoy their cup of coffee. That’s real hacking in my opinion.
Not everyone likes to “get into a computer” Does this mean they can’t be Hackers?
I’m sure you have asked yourself this question, “How can I call myself a Hacker if I never hacked anything?” You can hack your work by creating some scripts or anything. In my early days, when I was sending resume for a job, I searched the website for the email address and sent my resume to that email. It was very time consuming, so I wrote a script that scrapped the email from the website and and sent my resume to that email. That is hacking, in my opinion.
How Can One Become A Hacker:
Well, you must have problem solving skills. Learn about computers and how they operate. Learn about networks and learn a programming language. But, the main point is that you use the right solution at the right time.
It’s Time for the hats 🙂
1. Black Hat:
Black Hat Hackers or Crackers are simply terrorists who steal sensitive information from a server, or the Hacker shares the information publicly, or sells the data. They discover or create loopholes or vulnerabilities in software, etc. They’re considered the bad guys
2. White Hat:
Where there are bad guys, there are also good guys to help the people hide their precious information. A White Hat Hacker is as skilled as a Black Hat, but they use their skills for good. They find vulnerabilities or loopholes and immediately report them to the admin.
3. Grey Hat:
Grey Hat Hackers are the combination of both Black Hat Hackers and White Hat Hackers. They sell the information of loopholes or vulnerabilities – not to the terrorists, but to the government. The governments then use those loopholes or vulns to hack into the systems of adversaries or criminal suspects.
Conclusion:
Everything in this article is my opinion. You should have your own opinion. I just wanted to let people know that a Hacker is not just exploiting computers, but they are also problems solvers.
I hope you all enjoyed this article 🙂
Google protects Chrome against quantum hacking before it can even happen
Current internet encryption methods would have no way to stand up to quantum computers. Luckily, Google's working on it.
Worried about quantum computers accessing your precious, precious encrypted data? Well, you're probably not worried about that yet, but Google wants to make sure you never will be.
The search giant is working on post-quantum encryption for its Chrome internet browser, it announced today in a blog post from software engineer Matt Braithwaite.
Quantum computers, while still only in their infancy, use advanced aspects of quantum physics to solve problems exponentially faster than today's binary computers. That means that modern encryption, like the current internet go-to of HTTPS, wouldn't stand up to quantum attacks.
Quantum computers are still extremely experimental today, and there's no guarantee that a large quantum computer capable of that kind of attack will ever be built. The issue is that even a hypothetical quantum computer could "retrospectively decrypt any internet communication that was recorded today...thus even the possibility of a future quantum computer is something that we should be thinking about today," wrote Braithwaite.
Enter Google's post-quantum cryptography. Rolled out over a small number of connections between Chrome and Google's servers already, the new style of encryption key is being tested alongside current security measures. If the key is successful, Google says, it should stand up to future quantum computers.
Friday, July 8, 2016
GetRwanda.apk
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Thursday, July 7, 2016
Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator review:
THE GOOD The Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator is the best-looking and most fully featured fridge we've ever tested. The touchscreen and its assortment of apps are a cinch to use, and the refrigerator's camera feed is surprisingly useful thanks to clever drag-and-drop expiration trackers.
THE BAD You can't delete any of the touchscreen's superfluous apps, and you can't download new ones. Voice control and SmartThings integration are both currently absent -- both feel like missed opportunities. The fridge is also slightly less spacious than high-end French door competitors.
THE BOTTOM LINE Samsung's Family Hub is a very expensive fridge, but it's also a very good one. You don't need to spend this much to have a nice fridge in your kitchen, but it's still a justifiable splurge if your budget is big enough.
8.5OVERALL
Nobody needs the Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator and its 21.5-inch touchscreen. And its ingredient-tracking fridge-cams. And its assortment of fridge apps. That's a valid argument against this extraordinarily expensive fridge.
So what?
We don't buy things just because we need them -- we buy things because we want them. And the best-looking, most fully featured fridge on the market is a perfectly reasonable thing to want.
With a retail price starting at $5,600, the Samsung Family Hub is a beautiful appliance that performs like the high-end fridge that it is, and it's loaded with easy-to-use features you won't find anywhere else. Plenty of those features feel mighty superfluous (I'm just as skeptical of fridge-based web browsing as you probably are), but enough of them offer legitimate utility, convenience, and luxury to earn my approval. Bottom line: it's a top-of-the-line fridge that's absolutely worth wanting -- and yes, worth buying, too, if that's the kind of budget you're rolling with.
(The Family Hub fridge isn't available outside of the US yet, but the starting price comes out to about £4,200, or roughly AU$7,500. Similar-looking four-door Samsung models without the touchscreen or cameras retail at outlets like Currys, John Lewis and Appliance City in the UK for about £2,800 and at Harvey Norman in Australia for around AU$5,500.)
Fridge of the future, roots in the past
If Samsung's aim was to create the most modern fridge on the market, then mission accomplished. There's really nothing else like the Family Hub Refrigerator, not even among smart fridges. Samsung'sFour-Door Flex build already felt like a logical, desirable evolution from today's near-ubiquitous French door stylings -- the Family Hub fridge takes it and adds in a 21.5-inch touchscreen loaded with apps, inventory-watching cameras on the inside, and an especially attractive black stainless-steel finish. It's a beautiful, futuristic appliance that pushes beyond what we expect from contemporary fridge design.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1707"]
Samsung's Family Hub Fridge is a fantastic-looking appliance.[/caption]And yet, even with the futurism, this fridge is rooted in the past. It's right there in the name, "Family Hub." Refrigerators have always been something of a town post for busy families -- a place for calendars, pictures, report cards, to-do lists, and reminders about soccer practice. That's the history Samsung is trying to tap into here.As a result, you'll find apps aimed at helping this fridge of the future do what fridges have always done. There's a shopping list app, and an app for displaying photos. There's a whiteboard app for drawing a quick doodle or writing a note to Mom. There's a calendar app called StickiBoard that imports everyone's existing calendars into a shared, family fridge calendar. All of it keeps the Family Hub grounded in the sort of normal, everyday use we expect from a fridge -- but it also makes you wonder if any of it is really necessary, given that magnets and scratch paper have gotten the job done for generations now.
Perhaps to that end, other features seem designed solely to let you do things that you could never do with your refrigerator before. The fridge cameras are the most obvious example. They snap a picture of your groceries each time you close the doors -- press the "View Inside" button on the touchscreen, and you'll see the latest set of images, complete with the option to drag little countdown icons over specific ingredients to help track expiration dates. Download Samsung's app on your Android or iOS device, and you'll be able to view the inside of the fridge and all of your timers while you're out at the store. It's a little clunky as far as apps go, but it works.
The drag-and-drop timers are my favorite part of that pitch, and one of my favorite Family Hub features in general. They won't follow ingredients around if you move them, but they're still surprisingly useful -- and you won't find them on any other fridge but this one.
Let's talk touchscreen
At 21.5 inches from corner to corner, the Family Hub's touchscreen is the obvious star of the show, offering a dedicated kitchen command center. It's a huge size upgrade over the comparatively puny touchscreen on Samsung's previous stab at the smart fridge, and one that helps the Family Hub feel fully realized. The calendar, the photos, the web browsing -- none of it would have made any sense with a small screen. It had to be big.
Size isn't everything, though. We've all grown accustomed to smooth, responsive touch controls on our phones and tablets, and it's fair to expect the same from a touchscreen fridge that costs this much. And, while they still aren't as smooth or as snappy as you'd get with a high-end tablet, I found that the touch controls on the Family Hub's screen felt much better than they did two months ago, when I tested out a preproduction model in the CNET Smart Home. Chalk one up for software updates.
Along with the widgets for time and weather that stay locked at the top of the home screen, the Family Hub Fridge comes with the following apps:
- White Board: app for scribbling notes and sketching doodles
- Internet: app for browsing the web
- View Inside: app that pulls up pictures of the interior and lets you track expiration dates using drag-and-drop countdown timers
- Club des Chefs: app with recipes and instructional cooking videos
- Allrecipes: app for organizing personal recipes and finding new ones
- StickiBoard: app that imports calendars from Google and Outlook into a shared family fridge calendar
- Pandora: app for streaming music
- TuneIn: app for streaming podcasts and internet radio
- Photo Album: app for organizing photos into a fridge screensaver
- Shopping List: app for organizing your grocery list
- TV Mirroring: app that displays the picture from current-gen Samsung smart TVs
- InstaCart/Groceries by MasterCard: apps for ordering groceries for home delivery
- Timer: app with timers for things like marinating steak and chilling beer
- Fridge Manager: app for viewing and changing the fridge temperature and settings
Apps like the web browser and the TV mirror seem to offer fringe utility at best, and others simply seem superfluous (two recipe apps? Two grocery delivery apps?) And no, you can't delete any of these apps (or download different ones), but you can at least drag the ones you don't use as much to the second screen.
iOS 10 public beta arrives today, and this is what you can do with it
Wonder what Apple's new software can do for your iPhone? I tried it for a few days, and found its best features still a work in progress.
Apple's newest version of its mobile software iOS becomes available today for a public test drive. Is the beta for iOS 10 worth it? I've been using it for a long weekend, with a preloaded version on an iPhone 6S provided by Apple. As always, going with a beta OS is a bit of a risky journey on your everyday phone -- if you're curious, read Apple's FAQ and sign up, but I recommend you do it on a secondary device.
iOS 10 does have a handful of things that make it worth trying. That being said, it feels largely familiar at first, or second, or third use. I'd say it's a pretty subtle set of updates: call it the Service Pack for iOS 9. And some things -- like the more advanced Siri that works with third-party apps -- can't even be tested yet because no apps exist that fold into it. So I came away feeling a little less than excited about iOS 10. But hey, as a free update, it has a lot to offer.
If you do decide to download iOS 10's public beta, here's what you should check out.
Raise to Wake: Yes, it's been on Android phones for years, but it's really nice to have on an iPhone. I pick up the 6S and my messages are there. No button-pressing. It also means, since I'm not pressing Touch ID, that I don't just zip past the on-screen notifications. I linger there a bit longer. Now, however, you have to press the Home button to get past the lock screen, which sometimes feels like one step too many (or I've become truly lazy).
Gentle wake-ups: Did you know that iOS 10 has a new bedtime and wakeup reminder system in the Clock app? It's pretty great. Similar to what Fitbit just added, it recommends a bedtime schedule to stick to. In the mornings, it'll wake you up with gentle, rising music. New tones are available: "Early Riser," "First Light," "Helios" and "Birdsong." My morning music test was a lot more comforting than the stock set of Apple alarms. I slept through a few minutes of music, but I still woke up on time.
Apple Music: The beta shows off Apple Music's touted new redesign. It's really just a fresh coat of paint, but it does make finding things seem a little simpler. Menus are cleaner. I still think there are too many features and alleys in the Apple Music labyrinth. Apple hasn't claimed the new Apple Music will be any more or less harsh to your iCloud Music library (mine has been mutated over time the more I've used Apple Music, as downloads have weirdly merged with my own files). So far, I've noticed it's easier to search for things.
Messages get funky: You've probably heard, but Messages can now do all sorts of wacky things. Open the app and try it with someone else who has iOS 10 beta. Invisible ink. Slamming. Super-large emoji. Balloons, lasers, stickers. You can type something and have the emoji-translating keyboard convert words for you. Scribbling on video clips, sending simulated heartbeats like Apple Watch: it's all there, but scattershot. I found it hard to locate where all the parts were. Messages will support third-party apps, but right now all you can play with are four sticker packs that just feel like more emoji.
Delete Stocks, or iTunes, or nearly anything: You can remove Apple's core nonremovable apps...or most of them. No, they're not really erased, but they do disappear from your phone. They can be restored via the App Store like a regular app. Be careful, because you might forget which apps you've removed! It's a welcome thing for Stocks and News (or Apple Watch if you don't want to buy one), but some apps still can't be removed: Health, Photos, Wallet. Or the App Store.
Photos gets Memories: All your photos in Apple's iCloud Photo Library are now scanned using machine learning to collect into moments, or are organized by faces and places like Google Photos. This worked with my photo library, splitting things up in various discoverable categories. It took a day to get everything scanned, but then I saw Memories such as "Best of the Year 2015," "United Kingdom 2014 Trip," "Best of Last 3 Months" and "Father's Day 2015." The only problem was, I couldn't play any of the Apple-generated memory videos that collate your bests into a musical montage like Google andFacebook already do. Maybe it's a bug.
3D Touch Notifications, app widgets and Control Center: If you have a 3D Touch iPhone 6S, there's more you can do now. Apps now have little widgets with extra info, and the control panel has new settings for things like flashlight or the camera. I'm not wild about the Control Center redesign, which shifts music playback to a second pane and doesn't add anything new to the first pane. Home appliances will appear in a third pane if you add things to Apple's Home app. But the extra use of 3D Touch could mean a lot less app opening down the road.
Yes, a Home app: Confused about Smart Home? Apple's new app is here, and it lets you connectHomeKit-ready appliances in one convenient place. Unfortunately, I have no HomeKit-ready appliances. And the app didn't start me off in a way that helped me understand what I needed to buy next. So I couldn't test it.
Predictive text: You can type something like "I'm free at," or "Where are you," or "What is Jane's phone number?" and iOS 10 will fill in the missing pieces for you. In theory. For me, it didn't work. I have no idea why. Maybe you'll be luckier.
Redesigned Maps: I actually tried driving using the new design, and the clean look made it easier to see on a dashboard. But the third-party apps that can hook into Maps aren't here yet.
Redesigned News app: I'd say the redesign here is so subtle you might not even notice it. And, you may or may not have even used Apple's News app in the first place. It's a fine news aggregator, but nothing great.
I'd say iOS 10's first beta on the iPhone adds up to some useful additions, but nothing that's hugely groundbreaking. And I started to find all the various sub-features and functions confusing to keep track of, or even to manage.
The biggest improvement it could bring still isn't here: third-party apps that can hook into these new, more open features like Messages, Siri and Maps. Whether apps will step up and make the most of it remains to be seen. There's more to come with iOS 10, of course: this is just the first dip in the pond. The full feature set is still not fully available to use.
Apple's newest version of its mobile software iOS becomes available today for a public test drive. Is the beta for iOS 10 worth it? I've been using it for a long weekend, with a preloaded version on an iPhone 6S provided by Apple. As always, going with a beta OS is a bit of a risky journey on your everyday phone -- if you're curious, read Apple's FAQ and sign up, but I recommend you do it on a secondary device.
iOS 10 does have a handful of things that make it worth trying. That being said, it feels largely familiar at first, or second, or third use. I'd say it's a pretty subtle set of updates: call it the Service Pack for iOS 9. And some things -- like the more advanced Siri that works with third-party apps -- can't even be tested yet because no apps exist that fold into it. So I came away feeling a little less than excited about iOS 10. But hey, as a free update, it has a lot to offer.
If you do decide to download iOS 10's public beta, here's what you should check out.
Raise to Wake: Yes, it's been on Android phones for years, but it's really nice to have on an iPhone. I pick up the 6S and my messages are there. No button-pressing. It also means, since I'm not pressing Touch ID, that I don't just zip past the on-screen notifications. I linger there a bit longer. Now, however, you have to press the Home button to get past the lock screen, which sometimes feels like one step too many (or I've become truly lazy).
Gentle wake-ups: Did you know that iOS 10 has a new bedtime and wakeup reminder system in the Clock app? It's pretty great. Similar to what Fitbit just added, it recommends a bedtime schedule to stick to. In the mornings, it'll wake you up with gentle, rising music. New tones are available: "Early Riser," "First Light," "Helios" and "Birdsong." My morning music test was a lot more comforting than the stock set of Apple alarms. I slept through a few minutes of music, but I still woke up on time.
Apple Music: The beta shows off Apple Music's touted new redesign. It's really just a fresh coat of paint, but it does make finding things seem a little simpler. Menus are cleaner. I still think there are too many features and alleys in the Apple Music labyrinth. Apple hasn't claimed the new Apple Music will be any more or less harsh to your iCloud Music library (mine has been mutated over time the more I've used Apple Music, as downloads have weirdly merged with my own files). So far, I've noticed it's easier to search for things.
Messages get funky: You've probably heard, but Messages can now do all sorts of wacky things. Open the app and try it with someone else who has iOS 10 beta. Invisible ink. Slamming. Super-large emoji. Balloons, lasers, stickers. You can type something and have the emoji-translating keyboard convert words for you. Scribbling on video clips, sending simulated heartbeats like Apple Watch: it's all there, but scattershot. I found it hard to locate where all the parts were. Messages will support third-party apps, but right now all you can play with are four sticker packs that just feel like more emoji.
Delete Stocks, or iTunes, or nearly anything: You can remove Apple's core nonremovable apps...or most of them. No, they're not really erased, but they do disappear from your phone. They can be restored via the App Store like a regular app. Be careful, because you might forget which apps you've removed! It's a welcome thing for Stocks and News (or Apple Watch if you don't want to buy one), but some apps still can't be removed: Health, Photos, Wallet. Or the App Store.
Photos gets Memories: All your photos in Apple's iCloud Photo Library are now scanned using machine learning to collect into moments, or are organized by faces and places like Google Photos. This worked with my photo library, splitting things up in various discoverable categories. It took a day to get everything scanned, but then I saw Memories such as "Best of the Year 2015," "United Kingdom 2014 Trip," "Best of Last 3 Months" and "Father's Day 2015." The only problem was, I couldn't play any of the Apple-generated memory videos that collate your bests into a musical montage like Google andFacebook already do. Maybe it's a bug.
3D Touch Notifications, app widgets and Control Center: If you have a 3D Touch iPhone 6S, there's more you can do now. Apps now have little widgets with extra info, and the control panel has new settings for things like flashlight or the camera. I'm not wild about the Control Center redesign, which shifts music playback to a second pane and doesn't add anything new to the first pane. Home appliances will appear in a third pane if you add things to Apple's Home app. But the extra use of 3D Touch could mean a lot less app opening down the road.
Yes, a Home app: Confused about Smart Home? Apple's new app is here, and it lets you connectHomeKit-ready appliances in one convenient place. Unfortunately, I have no HomeKit-ready appliances. And the app didn't start me off in a way that helped me understand what I needed to buy next. So I couldn't test it.
Predictive text: You can type something like "I'm free at," or "Where are you," or "What is Jane's phone number?" and iOS 10 will fill in the missing pieces for you. In theory. For me, it didn't work. I have no idea why. Maybe you'll be luckier.
Redesigned Maps: I actually tried driving using the new design, and the clean look made it easier to see on a dashboard. But the third-party apps that can hook into Maps aren't here yet.
Redesigned News app: I'd say the redesign here is so subtle you might not even notice it. And, you may or may not have even used Apple's News app in the first place. It's a fine news aggregator, but nothing great.
I'd say iOS 10's first beta on the iPhone adds up to some useful additions, but nothing that's hugely groundbreaking. And I started to find all the various sub-features and functions confusing to keep track of, or even to manage.
The biggest improvement it could bring still isn't here: third-party apps that can hook into these new, more open features like Messages, Siri and Maps. Whether apps will step up and make the most of it remains to be seen. There's more to come with iOS 10, of course: this is just the first dip in the pond. The full feature set is still not fully available to use.
U.S. regulator probes July 1 crash of Tesla Model X in Pennsylvania
A logo is seen on the new Tesla Model X P90D at the 86th International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland, March 1, 2016. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse[/caption]The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating a July 1 crash in Pennsylvania of a Tesla Model X to determine whether automated functions were in use at the time of the accident, the agency said on Wednesday.
NHTSA is looking to learn whether Tesla's Autopilot function, a semi-autonomous technology that helps drivers steer and stay in lanes, was at play. NHTSA is currently probing a May 7 fatality of a Tesla Model S driver using Autopilot.
In a statement, Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA.O) said, "Based on the information we have now, we have no reason to believe that Autopilot had anything to do with this accident."
Tesla said it had received an automated alert from the car indicating airbags had been deployed, but never received logs containing details about the state of vehicle controls - which would indicate whether Autopilot was on or off. Multiple attempts to reach the car's owner were unsuccessful, Tesla said.
NHTSA said it was collecting information from state police, Tesla and the driver, Albert Scaglione of Farmington Hills, Michigan.
NHTSA's disclosure last week of its probe into the May crash in Florida that killed a Model S driver using Autopilot has focused attention on the nascent technology that Tesla has said is still in "beta," or test, mode.
While Tesla has said drivers are responsible and their hands should be on the wheel even as the car takes over more control, some industry experts have questioned whether such partially autonomous systems lull drivers into a false sense of security.
In the Pennsylvania crash, state police said the Model X struck a turnpike guard rail, then veered across several traffic lanes and into the median, where it landed on its roof in the middle of the roadway. The driver and a passenger were injured, according to the police report.
NHTSA is looking to learn whether Tesla's Autopilot function, a semi-autonomous technology that helps drivers steer and stay in lanes, was at play. NHTSA is currently probing a May 7 fatality of a Tesla Model S driver using Autopilot.
In a statement, Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA.O) said, "Based on the information we have now, we have no reason to believe that Autopilot had anything to do with this accident."
Tesla said it had received an automated alert from the car indicating airbags had been deployed, but never received logs containing details about the state of vehicle controls - which would indicate whether Autopilot was on or off. Multiple attempts to reach the car's owner were unsuccessful, Tesla said.
NHTSA said it was collecting information from state police, Tesla and the driver, Albert Scaglione of Farmington Hills, Michigan.
NHTSA's disclosure last week of its probe into the May crash in Florida that killed a Model S driver using Autopilot has focused attention on the nascent technology that Tesla has said is still in "beta," or test, mode.
While Tesla has said drivers are responsible and their hands should be on the wheel even as the car takes over more control, some industry experts have questioned whether such partially autonomous systems lull drivers into a false sense of security.
In the Pennsylvania crash, state police said the Model X struck a turnpike guard rail, then veered across several traffic lanes and into the median, where it landed on its roof in the middle of the roadway. The driver and a passenger were injured, according to the police report.
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
What is Hacking?
In computer networking, hacking is any technical effort to manipulate the normal behavior of network connections and connected systems. A hacker is any person engaged in hacking. The term "hacking" historically referred to constructive, clever technical work that was not necessarily related to computer systems. Today, however, hacking and hackers are most commonly associated with malicious programming attacks on the Internet and other networks.
Origins of Hacking
M.I.T. engineers in the 1950s and 1960s first popularized the term and concept of hacking. Starting at the model train club and later in the mainframe computer rooms, the so-called "hacks" perpetrated by these hackers were intended to be harmless technical experiments and fun learning activities.
Later, outside of M.I.T., others began applying the term to less honorable pursuits. Before the Internet became popular, for example, several hackers in the U.S. experimented with methods to modify telephones for making free long-distance calls over the phone network illegally.
CONTINUE READING BELOW OUR VIDEO
How To Speed Up Your Home Wifi
As computer networking and the Internet exploded in popularity, data networks became by far the most common target of hackers and hacking.
Well-Known Hackers
Some of the world's most famous hackers began their exploits at a very young age. Some were convicted of major crimes and served time for their offenses. To their credit, some of them also rehabilitated and turned their skills into productive careers.
More - Famous Crimes and Criminals on Computer Networks and the Internet
Hacking vs. Cracking
Malicious attacks on computer networks are officially known as cracking, while hacking truly applies only to activities having good intentions. Most non-technical people fail to make this distinction, however. Outside of academia, its extremely common to see the term "hack" misused and be applied to cracks as well.
Common Network Hacking Techniques
Hacking on computer networks is often done through scripts or other network programming. These programs generally manipulate data passing through a network connection in ways designed to obtain more information about how the target system works. Many such pre-packaged scripts are posted on the Internet for anyone, typically entry-level hackers, to use. More advanced hackers may study and modify these scripts to develop new methods. A few highly skilled hackers work for commercial firms with the job to protect that company's software and data from outside hacking.
Cracking techniques on networks include creating worms, initiating denial of service (DoS) attacks, or in establishing unauthorized remote access connections to a device.
Effective hacking requires a combination of technical skills and personality traits:
ability to work with numbers and background in mathematics - hacking often requires sorting through large amounts of data, code and computer algorithms
memory recall and logical reasoning - hacking involves assembling small facts and details (sometimes from many sources) into a plan of attack based on the logic of how computer systems work
patience - hacks tend to get very complex and requite large amounts of time to plan and execute)
Origins of Hacking
M.I.T. engineers in the 1950s and 1960s first popularized the term and concept of hacking. Starting at the model train club and later in the mainframe computer rooms, the so-called "hacks" perpetrated by these hackers were intended to be harmless technical experiments and fun learning activities.
Later, outside of M.I.T., others began applying the term to less honorable pursuits. Before the Internet became popular, for example, several hackers in the U.S. experimented with methods to modify telephones for making free long-distance calls over the phone network illegally.
CONTINUE READING BELOW OUR VIDEO
How To Speed Up Your Home Wifi
As computer networking and the Internet exploded in popularity, data networks became by far the most common target of hackers and hacking.
Well-Known Hackers
Some of the world's most famous hackers began their exploits at a very young age. Some were convicted of major crimes and served time for their offenses. To their credit, some of them also rehabilitated and turned their skills into productive careers.
More - Famous Crimes and Criminals on Computer Networks and the Internet
Hacking vs. Cracking
Malicious attacks on computer networks are officially known as cracking, while hacking truly applies only to activities having good intentions. Most non-technical people fail to make this distinction, however. Outside of academia, its extremely common to see the term "hack" misused and be applied to cracks as well.
Common Network Hacking Techniques
Hacking on computer networks is often done through scripts or other network programming. These programs generally manipulate data passing through a network connection in ways designed to obtain more information about how the target system works. Many such pre-packaged scripts are posted on the Internet for anyone, typically entry-level hackers, to use. More advanced hackers may study and modify these scripts to develop new methods. A few highly skilled hackers work for commercial firms with the job to protect that company's software and data from outside hacking.
Cracking techniques on networks include creating worms, initiating denial of service (DoS) attacks, or in establishing unauthorized remote access connections to a device.
Effective hacking requires a combination of technical skills and personality traits:
ability to work with numbers and background in mathematics - hacking often requires sorting through large amounts of data, code and computer algorithms
memory recall and logical reasoning - hacking involves assembling small facts and details (sometimes from many sources) into a plan of attack based on the logic of how computer systems work
patience - hacks tend to get very complex and requite large amounts of time to plan and execute)
Know more about Internet Security
Definition - What does Internet Security mean?
Internet security is a catch-all term for a very broad issue covering security for transactions made over the Internet. Generally, Internet security encompasses browser security, the security of data entered through a Web form, and overall authentication and protection of data sent via Internet Protocol.
Techopedia explains Internet Security
Internet security relies on specific resources and standards for protecting data that gets sent through the Internet. This includes various kinds of encryption such as Pretty Good Privacy (PGP). Other aspects of a secure Web setup includes firewalls, which block unwanted traffic, and anti-malware, anti-spyware and anti-virus programs that work from specific networks or devices to monitor Internet traffic for dangerous attachments.
Internet security is generally becoming a top priority for both businesses and governments. Good Internet security protects financial details and much more of what is handled by a business or agency’s servers and network hardware. Insufficient Internet security can threaten to collapse an e-commerce business or any other operation where data gets routed over the Web.
Internet security is a catch-all term for a very broad issue covering security for transactions made over the Internet. Generally, Internet security encompasses browser security, the security of data entered through a Web form, and overall authentication and protection of data sent via Internet Protocol.
Techopedia explains Internet Security
Internet security relies on specific resources and standards for protecting data that gets sent through the Internet. This includes various kinds of encryption such as Pretty Good Privacy (PGP). Other aspects of a secure Web setup includes firewalls, which block unwanted traffic, and anti-malware, anti-spyware and anti-virus programs that work from specific networks or devices to monitor Internet traffic for dangerous attachments.
Internet security is generally becoming a top priority for both businesses and governments. Good Internet security protects financial details and much more of what is handled by a business or agency’s servers and network hardware. Insufficient Internet security can threaten to collapse an e-commerce business or any other operation where data gets routed over the Web.
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