Just one reason I walked away..

One of today’s delightful headlines.. Rather ordinary, sadly.

* Unsecured server exposes 4 billion records, 1.2 billion people

“Two security researchers have uncovered four billion records on 1.2 billion people on an unsecured Elasticsearch server impacting what is estimated to be hundreds of millions of people.” Read more..

Yes. That’s “billion”. 1,200,000,000

By the time the masses wake up, it’s always far, far too late.

Copyright 2007-2019 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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A great How To guide for Online Privacy

The reality is, though we really shouldn’t be using this technology¹, we kind of have to. If you have a brain, you should be taking at least a few simple steps to secure your devices, and your activities, from the bad guys – whomever they happen to be today.. This PC Magazine resource can help, regardless your skill level, or device type (Yes, you Apple people need to read this too!)

* How to Stay Anonymous Online

“We live in a world of mass surveillance. Here’s how to stay anonymous online without ditching the internet entirely.” Read more..

If this information is nothing new to you, you can probably think of a few friends and relatives who really need to learn it..

¹ daily headlines like this, for example..

Copyright 2007-2019 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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Yet another major theft..

Just one more example of why we’re fools to keep using this tech.

Image-I-Nation supply chain breach exposes data of major credit agencies’ customers

Image-I-Nation Technologies, Inc., which provides hosting services and software to consumer reporting agencies like Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, experienced a supply chain breach that left users’ personal information exposed for as long as two weeks.

“This breach disclosure highlights just how little control individuals have over the security and location of their personal data..” Read more..

You are the problem

And you don’t care.

My ‘Must Read of the Month’.

Lotta words to read here. But it’s important you know – and think.

* Your forgotten IoT gadgets will leave a disastrous, toxic legacy

“With IoT devices increasingly a part of the real, physical world, something needs to be done to avoid disaster in the event of a cyberattack against connected systems.” Read more..

* * *

Today’s quote:

Copyright 2007-2017 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
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Okay.. Let’s cast a critical eye..

At the bottom of an article about how, for a few bucks, ANY-one can buy a ‘kit’ and make their own Android Ransomware (see, Easy-to-Use Apps Allow Anyone to Create Android Ransomware Within Seconds) we are advised how to ‘stay safe’ from such unhappy things..

How to Protect Your Android Devices from Ransomware Attacks

In order to protect against such threats on mobile devices, you are recommended to:

1. Always keep regular backups of your important data.
2. Make sure that you run an active anti-virus security suite of tools on your machine.
3. Avoid downloading apps from unknown sites and third-party app stores.
4. Always pay close attention to the permissions requested by an app, even if it is downloaded from an official app store.
5. Do not open any email attachments from unknown sources.
6. Finally, browse the Internet safely.

And let’s analyze that advice with our critical eye:

1. Always keep regular backups of your important data. Because it’s not a question of if you’ll get screwed, it’s a question of when.
2. Make sure that you run an active anti-virus security suite of tools on your machine. No arguements. If it connects to the Internet you NEED this. But KNOW THIS: it’s only a semi-effective shield, NOT bulletproof armor.
   
3. Avoid downloading apps from unknown sites and third-party app stores. Or even regular ‘stores’, as we’ve seen them get ‘poisoned’ already (Google Play Store, recently [see https://thehackernews.com/2017/08/android-ddos-botnet.html]). So let’s just change it to: Do NOT download apps.
   [edit 9/18: and yet again. See this http://thehackernews.com/2017/09/play-store-malware.html.]
4. Always pay close attention to the permissions requested by an app, even if it is downloaded from an official app store. Utterly pointless to advise this. First of all no one will. Second, were ‘average people’ to start doing this, they’d have no clue what all that ‘tech jargon’ means. And 3rd, most apps don’t offer you any choices with ‘Permissions’ – if you want the app, you have to accept the ads and the spying. So let’s just use my #3 as our guide.
   
5. Do not open any email attachments from unknown sources. Um. People who still do this have never read a tech article in their life. So they aren’t seeing this.Those who do (read articles) KNOW email is still a favorite way for the criminals to infect your machine. MY advice? Unless someone you know has told you, “I’m sending you a document”, don’t open it – period.
6. Finally, browse the Internet safely. What? Great advice! Only one problem — there is no such thing. ( Um … I guess that translates to “don’t look at pron”?)
7. Do not ‘jailbreak’ or ‘root’ your device. (Okay.. so I had to add one.)

* * *

Today’s quotable quote: “Lighten up, just enjoy life, smile more, laugh more, and don’t get so worked up about things.” ~ Kenneth Branagh

Copyright 2007-2017 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
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More on Layer 8

“Layer 8” is a snarky, insider reference to you, the ‘End User’. (Also referred to as “pebcak” and “ID:10t” [ as in, “we have another ten-tee error”. ])

* 100% of government IT workers said employees are biggest threat to cybersecurity

“Only 14% of government organizations consider themselves to be well-protected against cyber threats, according to a report from Netwrix. Here’s why.” Read more..

And I wager those 14% aren’t as well-protected as they think they are..
And this is why you don’t want gov’t agencies making ‘databases’.

Copyright 2007-2017 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Just don’t download any apps..

Guys, I have long told people, if you don’t absolutely need it, don’t install it (and you sure as shooting don’t need five media players..). Well now there’s even more reason to repeat that advice.

* More than 1,000 Spyware Apps Found On Android App Stores

“If you think you are downloading apps from Google Play Store and you are secure, then watch out! Someone has managed to flood third-party app stores and Google Play Store with more than a thousand malicious apps, which can monitor almost anything a user does on their mobile device from silently …” Read More..

Update: 500+ Android apps found containing program that can download spyware plug-in

“More than 500 mobile apps on Google Play were recently discovered containing an advertising software development kit capable of downloading malicious plug-ins that can spy on Android users’ call histories.. Apps using the ad SDK, a product called Igexin, were downloaded over 100 million times by Android device owners before Google removed these programs from its store..” Read more..

Tell your friends.

Addenda: I have been asked my thoughts on Wikileaks and the (alleged) CIA hacking tools (such as this one, posted today) often enough now that I think I should mention them here.. please don’t think the CIA are the only folks who can do/are doing these ‘exploits’. They basically copied from the hackers. These things are possible because all our devices/technologies are inherently, fundamentally, insecure. (Don’t believe me? Read this.)

* * *

Today’s quote: “I am thankful the most important key in history was invented. It’s not the key to your house, your car, your boat, your safety deposit box, your bike lock or your private community. It’s the key to order, sanity, and peace of mind. The key is ‘Delete.'” ~ Elayne Boosler

Copyright 2007-2017 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.