The Internet

Emergency Surveillance Laws. Invisible Claws.

July 14, 2014 — Leave a comment

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Is not this a crazy world we live in? In the USA the Supreme Court orders the police to keep their hands away from your smartphone. On the other side of the ocean, the UK lawmakers are busy little bees. In a blink of an eye, they have passed some important data surveillance laws.

The bloody attacks in London were the very trigger for the UK security plans. It has not been an easy thing to make telecommunication companies and Internet providers to keep a record of data for as long as it may be necessary for the police. And, now you have it the main boxing event privacy vs security.

Security and police officers in the UK can access your phone data and Internet records more easily. And, there is not too much you can do about it. To make things even worse this story is the stubbornness of both parties. Both privacy and security protectors feel strong about their causes.

And yes, they want more authority. What does it mean? A little bit of less warranty requirements can improve our security. We all know where this one leads, don’t we? There has to be some compromising solution, but it seems we cannot find it for the time being. Until then, stay safe and eyes open all the time.

A Phishing Season is Open

July 10, 2014 — Leave a comment

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It seems, that the guys at the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) were busy little bees. They gave us some cold shower data for the first quarter of this year. The phishing activities have apparently reached the 10% increase in this period. Have not we thought something out of it?

The business is going well for the phishing industry. What do you know they have even decided to spread their activities. For some time, we thought that the phishing targets will only be major financial and bank related websites. Unfortunately, nowadays you can easily get caught on some grocery chain’s website.

There is one more intriguing fact in this story. More than one half of all phishing websites in the world are located in the USA. On the other hand, the absolute majority of all victims comes from the USA, as well. Do not get the wrong idea that the phishing is mainly the US domestic problem.

New problems definitely ask for new genuine solutions. We should do something about it, but what exactly? That is not quite sure for the moment. Here is a challenge worth accepting for the IT security industry. We need a hero, who will bring down the phishing threat to zero.

The Blind Man Who Taught Himself How To Hack

July 3, 2014 — Leave a comment

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Although, you may find this story hard to believe, we are actually referring to a true event, which took place in Zambia. Believe it or nor, a blind hacker is facing a two years imprisonment for his crimes. Yes, you got that one right. He is a blind person. He lives in one of the last countries you could possibly expect for a hacking to occur.

And yes, he was able to successfully hack one of the leading Zambian telecommunication companies. In addition, this extraordinary hacker was able to ensure access to mobile phones used by the Zambian minister of defense and minister of foreign affairs. So, what was the damage caused by his hacking activities?

Well, no more than $4,000 for the period of four years. Pay attention, only for the phone bills on the “borrowed” phones. For what is worth, we do not favor or support crime in any form or situation. However, this remarkable individual, who was able to overcome his disability, definitely deserves a better fate than a jail time.

At least what Zambian government can do in his case, is to offer him a well-paid full-time job in either some telecommunication department or in the police. He has proven his talents already, hasn’t he? A man like him you definitely need to have as your most trusted ally. Never as your worst enemy. Right?

E-mail Untold

July 2, 2014 — Leave a comment

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There are so many things your e-mail can tell about you, which are beyond your control or influence. The very first thing is your location. Your e-mail comes with your IP address. Almost anyone can learn more about your location with the use of the following link: http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/visual-tracert/. And, that is not all.

People, who have received your email, can easily run it through various social networks. This is a simple way to determine for which apps your e-mail has been used for registration purposes. All they have to do is to identify your Facebook profile with the help of your e-mail. What possibly more they could have asked for?

Here is one extremely useful site, which can be used to list all networks and websites your e-mail has gone through for the registration purposes: knowem.com. Here is an appropriate word of advice in this matter. Create two e-mails. One for communication and the other for registration purposes. Even a couple of them, if necessary.

Some people have even found a way to make money out of these situations. On http://www.spokeo.com for a few bucks per month you can get a detailed report about an e-mail of your greatest interest. What is the moral of this educational story? The worst enemy, when it comes to your IT security, are you yourself. Think about it.