Encryption

* How Proton Mail Works

TechViews.org Email, Encryption, Security Videos

JUST ADDED: NEW INTERNET SECURITY VIDEO  

Sending an email message is like sending a postcard, says scientist Andy Yen in this thought-provoking talk: Anyone can read it. Yet encryption, the technology that protects the privacy of email communication, does exist. It’s just that until now it has been difficult to install and a hassle to use. Showing a demo of Proton Mail, an email program he designed with colleagues at CERN, Yen argues that encryption can be made simple to the point of becoming the default option, providing true email privacy to all.

Watch the video and share it with others.  

http://wp.me/P7re0I-c8   

12:13 minutes 

Be Safe – Backup Your Data Regularly!

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* VPN or TOR, which do I use?

TechViews.org Encryption, Internet Security, Privacy, Tips & Hints, VPN's

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TOR (The Onion Router)

Tor has become very a very popular online tool for leaving a minimal trace while moving through websites. Many people use their service to browse the Internet anonymously.

Tor (short for ‘the onion router’) was developed by the United States navy, and it helps bolster your online privacy by making it extremely difficult for online entities to track your online habits.

By moving your traffic through multiple Tor servers, someone who intercepts your data can’t trace it back to your computer. All you need to do to take advantage of these benefits is to download and install the Tor browser.

For the average computer user, Tor came to the limelight as a result of the revelation that Edward Snowden used Tor to help mask his Internet traffic when he exposed the inner workings of the NSA and GCHQ surveillance programs.

Tor is often used by social and political activists, reporters, businesses, and others, to simply help eliminate identity snooping from unauthorized players in Internet security.

But, you might be thinking that Tor provides the same services as a VPN, right? This begs the question, “Which is better? Tor or a VPN?”

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*Are You Encrypting Your Internet Activity?

TechViews.org Encryption, Internet Security, Tips & Hints

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We hear about the importance of encrypting our files, hard drives, even text messages. But are you also encrypting your Internet activity?

While browsing the internet, make sure you only fill in forms on websites that have addresses starting with “https” (the “s” stands for secure). Sites with plain HTTP don’t encrypt your data and are vulnerable to eavesdropping.

However, HTTPS does not conceal everything, and an experienced eavesdropper with the right software will still be able to monitor the sites and URLs you’re visiting (which sometimes contain sensitive information).

The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s HTTPS Everywhere extension for FireFox, Chrome, and Opera adds a layer of security by encrypting your traffic when you visit major websites.

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*ProtonMail is Still the Best Encrypted Email Service To Use

TechViews.org Email, Encryption, Privacy, Security Threats

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ProtonMail, an end-to-end encrypted email service, has confirmed that none of the CIA’s Vault7 documents indicate the company’s encryption has been compromised.

Founded in 2013 after Edward Snowden’s NSA revelations, ProtonMail has since become a popular and secure email service for journalists, activists, dissidents and privacy fans.

Last week we reported that Signal Messaging App was still safe to use. After the WikiLeaks/CIA information release many users were unsure of its safety. We were able to verify that Signal had not been compromised … its safety was intact.

Now we are able to report that ProtonMail is safe to use as well.

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*SIGNAL message app has NOT been compromised

TechViews.org Encryption, Gvt. Intrusion, Privacy, Security Threats

TechViews news   …..

Online rumors that the ‘Signal’ message app was compromised by the WikiLeaks latest information release is totally false.

As alarm bells sound around the latest document dump from WikiLeaks, misinformation has spread like wildfire. Journalists are just starting to pore over the files, but a number of security researchers and privacy advocates (including TechViews News) are hoping to quash the misconception that the encrypted chat app Signal has been compromised.

In spite of the misconceptions, some in security still see the WikiLeaks ‘Vault7’ data as a wake-up call for those who don’t yet take privacy seriously. Signal and other encrypted messaging services are still functioning exactly as originally intended as the hackers aren’t ‘breaking’ that encryption.

Ultimately, encrypted apps like Signal remain one of the most robust ways to protect your private communications — the recent WikiLeaks news didn’t change that.

So … what information was actually released?

Documents released in the 8,761 document and file dump dubbed ‘Vault 7‘ were obtained from an “isolated, high-security network” at the CIA’s Center for Cyber Intelligence in Langley, Va., a press release from WikiLeaks said. The trove had been “circulated among former U.S. government hackers and contractors,” one of whom allegedly turned the archive to WikiLeaks.

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*Simple Cyber-Security measures we should all practice

TechViews.org Cloud Computing, Email, Encryption, Hacking, Identity Theft, Internet of Things, Internet Security, Online Dangers, The Cloud, Tips & Hints

TechViews News   …..

It is time to give up the idea that security breaches are for big corporations and high profile figures. Any one of us can become a target. And we must learn the basics to protect ourselves.

Despite the stories you hear about the sophisticated methods employed by hackers, in most cases, it is simple negligence that allows them to carry out their attacks.

A 2014 report from IBM states that 95 percent of security breaches result from human carelessness. For example, despite all the warnings you see about creating strong passwords, you’d be surprised to learn that “12345” and “password” remain the two most common passwords on the internet.

Remember, it was “password” that was used by Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager, John Podesta, that allowed intruders to gain access to his emails that sank her campaign.

First things first … Keep backups of your data

Keeping regular backups of your data outside of your computer has many benefits, especially for data recovery situations. But it is also important from a security perspective, as some breeds of cyberattacks, such as ransomware , target and corrupt your data in order to extort money from you. In such situations, having backups of your data can save you time, money, and headaches.

It’s so important that we place “Be Safe – Backup Your Data Regularly!” at the bottom of every article on TechViews News.

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*Five ways to encrypt your data

TechViews.org Encryption, Internet Security, Privacy, Tips & Hints

There are multiple reasons people would want to encrypt their communications. You’re trying to conduct business that you don’t want others to know about; or you’re a doctor communicating sensitive health information to a patient; or you’re a journalist trying to communicate with your sources. Yes, you have many reasons to be concerned about the safety of your data.

Encryption refers to the technology that protects your communications from being read by unwanted third parties. It scrambles the text of messages when you send them; they can then only be unscrambled by their intended recipient.

Many government agencies and rogue groups eavesdrop on messages as they are transmitted across the Internet. Encryption ensures that whatever they pick up is unreadable to them, because they are not its authorized recipient.

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