The Best Seedboxes With VPNs 2020

A seedbox is a dedicated, high-speed server for downloading and uploading files. Most people rent seedboxes to achieve very fast torrent or Usenet transfers.

Three Hardware Wallets For Storing Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies

Here are three hardware wallets that can be used for the long term storage of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. These devices are separated from your computer — and thus virtually hacker proof. I recommend storing these wallets in a fireproof safe. For daily use, you can keep a small amount of bitcoins in a smartphone app like Breadwallet. I do …

A Field Guide To Malware In 2016

Malware is used for a wide variety purposes from sleazy business practices to blatant crime. Discussions of malware often mix up the technology of malware and their uses. You will see below that the same technology can be used to direct ads to you that normally you would not see, or steal your credentials to your online banking account. It’s …

New Tails OS 2.0 Release Updates Privacy Features

Tails OS 2.0, the latest version of the privacy-focused Linux-based operating system, is out this week. It features a new interface and many application updates, including version 5.5 of the Tor browser. Tails 2.0 is designed to provide comprehensive, out-of-the-box privacy features. It comes with built-in Tor encryption for all network connections (not just the browser), as well as extra …

How To: Manage Passwords Securely

Passwords are often the only thing standing between your private data and people who would like to steal it. Creating and managing secure passwords can be difficult, but password management tools make it much simpler. Here’s how to use them to keep your data private. The best way to make sure all of your passwords are strong and secure is …

Windows 10 May Monitor the Apps You Use

It’s no secret that Windows 10 collects lots of data about users. But a recent blog post by the company suggests that it might be tracking more information than previously thought, including which apps you have open. There are a number of settings you can change in Windows 10 to make it more private (or you can use a privacy …

VPN Traffic Can Be Decrypted through Juniper Bug

Juniper Networks, a popular provider of network firewalls, has disclosed a bug in its software that could have allowed third parties to decrypt VPN traffic. The bug, which Juniper reported on Dec. 17, involves networking hardware devices running the company’s ScreenOS. These are the type of devices used in major datacenters or by ISPs to route and control network traffic. …

How North Korea’s “Red Star OS” Implements Censorship

Security researchers have revealed new details about the censorship features in North Korea’s homegrown operating system, Red Star OS, which monitors the files people store on their computer and traces them back to their source. Red Star OS is an operating developed by the North Korean government for use by the country’s citizens. It is based on Fedora Linux but …

How To: Configure Windows 10 Privacy Settings

Privacy concerns in Windows 10 have spawned a number of apps designed to improve privacy in Microsoft’s operating system. Here’s a list of several apps you can use to help stop Windows 10 from collecting private information about you and sending it to Microsoft. You can, of course, configure privacy settings on Windows 10 manually. But the following apps aim …

Which VPN Protocol Should You Use? PPTP vs. OpenVPN vs. IPsec

All VPNs encrypt traffic, but the underlying encryption schemes are not always the same. There are three main types of encryption and data transfer protocols that VPNs can use: PPTP, OpenVPN and IPsec. Many VPN services let you choose which protocol to use. Read on for an overview of each option. PPTP PPTP is one of the oldest forms of …

Open Wireless Offers Novel Way to Increase Anonymity

Could opening your wireless router to strangers increase your privacy? That’s what the Open Wireless Movement says to encourage people to share their wifi connections with others. The Open Wireless Movement’s goal is to increase Internet access by providing open wireless networks everywhere. Instead of requiring WEP or WPA passwords to connect to wifi networks, people could simply log in. …

Qubes OS Offers Privacy and Security by Compartmentalization

In a world where it’s impossible to guarantee that code is free of security vulnerabilities, how can you guarantee your privacy? Qubes OS, a Linux-based, privacy-focused operating system, offers a solution. Qubes takes a somewhat unconventional approach to privacy and security. Rather than focusing on guaranteeing that their code is free of security bugs — a promise that is essentially …

Report: Russia Is Building an Internet “Off Switch”

Could Russia be pursuing a policy of “Internet sovereignty” that would allow the government to isolate the country’s Internet users from the rest of the world at will? That’s what Newsweek suggests in a recent report on Russian online censorship. As the article notes, Internet censorship in Russia has increased steadily in recent years as the government has moved to …

Microsoft Adds Small Privacy Improvement to Windows 10

Microsoft may be improving privacy in Windows 10, but only very slightly. The company has added a feature that prompts users for permission before collecting certain information about them. A few days ago, a Twitter user reported that build 10568 of Windows 10, which has leaked for download on the Internet, gave him the option to review files that Windows …

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ConfigFox Helps You Configure Firefox for Security and Privacy

There are a lot of privacy and security settings in Mozilla Firefox that you can tweak to maximize your privacy. But configuring Firefox through the built-in “about:config” interface is tricky. ConfigFox offers a user-friendly alternative. The idea behind ConfigFox is to provide a way to change Firefox settings that is less complicated than the about:config panel. about:config contains hundreds of …