New ISP Promises Privacy But Until Then Use The Best VPN Service You Can Find

The best VPN service providers will still be necessary to keep private data private until this new organization gets their idea off the ground: An ISP that will protect their customer's privacy as far as the law allows. Nicolas Merrill plans to field just exactly that through the non-profit Calyx Institute. His claim is that all technical and legal measures will be brought to bear including data log limiting, connection encryption, and demanding warrants for any data being requested by an agency.

He's Fought Them Before

So he really knows what it takes to insure for his customers privacy. While huge internet companies like AT&T and Verizon happily complied with any requests being made by law enforcement officials, with or without a warrant, Merrill was fighting the good fight for his Qwest customers. He was one of the first ones to sue the government claiming he wasn't handing anything over without a warrant...and he won. Later, Congress made it legal for the NSA intrusions without a warrant. But you still need the best VPN service possible...he still has a long ways to go.

Plans In The Works

He has a goal of $2 million to reach in order to get the project started, and as of this writing he had reached a little over $55,000. In a statement on the CI website he said that since inception, massive amounts of interest has been expressed from angel investors and private capitalists, and presently is operating on a travel grant generously provided by the Ford Foundation. The business model will implement end-to-end encrypted internet connections, and there are also plans to offer cellular service with the same privacy privileges. He told Cnet that intentions are to keep prices highly competitive at around $20 monthly, no caps, but pre-paid annually. As fantastic as all this sounds, still, you will need only the best VPN service available...

I'm Not A Big Time Criminal

Think you aren't worth looking at because the worst that happens on your internet connection is that your teenaged daughter downloads a Lady Gaga MP3, or video? Well, you may already be under surveillance...by your ISP and the RIAA...without anything like a warrant or true justification. When the invasions of the SOPA and PIPA bills were exposed and the threat averted, the RIAA promptly went to the internet providers and asked them to implement a program that looks almost exactly like the ones defeated in Congress. Huge reason to enlist the aid of the best VPN service available.

Think What You Want

Well, at very least it's time to discuss those MP3's with your teen daughter...and get the best VPN service. Between the authorities having access without warrants, now the ISP employees will. Government agencies with supposed high ethical standards have been exposed to have abused these kinds of powers before...and if this data is easy to obtain, the abuse is highly likely to happen again.

Changing Your Password To Improve Your Website Security   How To Keep Users and Data Safe On The Web   Reality Overtakes Fiction: We Are Already at War, Albeit Electronic, But War All the Same   Protect Your Privacy With Reputation Management   An Explanation of CISPA for Small Businesses   Why Ignoring IDS Could Lead to Substantial Damage for Businesses   

Penetration Testing, As Part Of Information Security Audit, A Must And A Boon

For the smooth functioning of a company, computer networks and internet connectivity is a must. But with these requirements, is associated the risk of getting hacked or inviting virus from different sources. The ability to provide a secured system of protection from unauthorized entry, relives the companies of huge mind racking troubles.

Reams and reams of pages of information and innumerable data are located in the computer systems and servers of some companies. Not only are these important for the day to day functioning of the organization, but also they have a bearing on the working of many people. Such data protection is mandatory for the organizations and for this, they will have to entrust their system in the hands of a competent information security audit agency.

By doing a detailed audit of the security system in the network, the agency comes to know about the loopholes that might be present. In a computer network, there are a number of points of entry because there are a number of computers and these are being used by people for different works. Moreover, the link is also present to the servers. Despite of sufficient antivirus, or malware protections, it is possible to breach the information security cordon.

When the audit is done, the experts in the agency work with the method of penetration testing. In such a method, these experts use their know how to first try and enter into the given network by ethical hacking measures. Any network is penetrable and this is what these experts believe in and they try to find as many possible entry points as they can find. With the penetrability tests, the agency comes to know about the possible modifications and the points at which these modifications are required.

Most of the companies dealing in information security are nowadays adopting these measures so that the baseline assessment of the security of the computer network is done from the outside. The penetration test is a simulation of the hostile network attacks which are done in a covert manner by possible hackers or virus makers. By means of such tests, the information security personnel are able to know about the points of vulnerabilities and potential entryways into sensitive data in the given IT infrastructure security system.

The information security audit is done by means of port scanning, vulnerability identification of operating system, web application, antivirus, and other components of the networks. Then the audit is analyzed and reports of penetration testing are put under scrutiny. This helps in charting out an organized network security system. The expenditure, blue print of security programming, and operational procedures of the future securities are laid down for the benefit of the client companies.

By means of the information security audit, companies will be able to lay bare their existing system. This will also lead them to rethink their information security strategy and give them an opportunity to upgrade it or renew it. Without the proper assessment of the security system, it is not possible to know if it is weak or is providing adequate protection. With advanced means of data theft being rampant in the IT world, the line differentiating the risk and protection is quite thin. With proper information security audit and its correctional measures, it can be a boon for any company depending on computer networks.

Changing Your Password To Improve Your Website Security   How To Keep Users and Data Safe On The Web   Reality Overtakes Fiction: We Are Already at War, Albeit Electronic, But War All the Same   An Explanation of CISPA for Small Businesses   Protect Your Privacy With Reputation Management   

The Importance of IT Security Rules for Information Management

Many people dismiss corporate IT rules as something trivial but such regulations can be determining for the safety of important and sensitive business information.

A big number of business operations are moving to the computing and web realm. Just think about the number of operations and transactions that require a computer and internet access. The fact that such methods of communication and corporate interactions are gaining importance and popularity makes it imperative for companies to introduce strict IT rules that all employees follow to the final letter.

Following specific procedures and adhering to corporate IT rules will minimize the chance of a security breach that will result in major financial losses for the company.

Hackers are becoming exceptionally skillful. They are constantly attacking new networks, in order to gain access to sensitive information or to financial resources used in web transactions. A failure to follow corporate IT rules will simply provide hackers with an opportunity to attack and to cause a lot of damage.

Today, cyber criminals are actually perfectly trained and well-organized. Dismissing such threats leads to unexpected negative results that will be difficult to handle and overcome.

A failure to adhere to corporate IT policies may also give the competition some advantage. Most market sectors are seeing intense competition. Corporate information is much more valuable than other aspects of the business. A security breach will often give malevolent individuals access to information that will put an end to a company's success.

A virus seems like a minor threat in comparison to all other dangers listed in the article. Still, it can cause a lot of problems.

Corporate IT rules allow specific types of online and computing behavior. Some of the bans are created precisely to minimize the chance of having a virus in the network. Viruses can shut down corporate operations for a long period of time. Some of them may even destroy vital information that is determining for the company's success. Software damage is another problem to having a network virus.

All of these dangers make it imperative for employees to stick to IT and computing rules. Although some of the restrictions may appear rather simple and deprived of any logic, they are designed to prevent the appearance of a specific threat. We are living in a world of communication and information exchange. Thus, information is a highly important commodity that should be protected in a professional manner.

Strict corporate IT rules can make all the difference between company success and a major fiasco. The web world is full of dangers and the fact that it has turned into the primary communication channel has made it even more unsafe. All of these factors turn corporate IT security rules into a prerequisite for the success and prolonged existence of a company.

Changing Your Password To Improve Your Website Security   How To Keep Users and Data Safe On The Web   Reality Overtakes Fiction: We Are Already at War, Albeit Electronic, But War All the Same   An Explanation of CISPA for Small Businesses   

Internet Crime Prevention Tips

In spite of the fact that most of us think that we would never succumb to something similar to this, Internet crime is very real, and something we are faced with each and every time we start using the World Wide Web. Fake lotteries, spam messages offering you thousands or even millions of dollars, fraudulent promotions, and identity thefts - all of these might seem unreal, but this is exactly why so many people fall victim to Internet crime. If you would like to avoid being the victim of any type of Internet crime, read on to find some great tips on how to prevent the most common Internet crimes.

Spam Messages

If you own an email address, there's virtually no way you haven't received spam messages. Furthermore, there's been research which claimed that more than 90% of email messages sent throughout the world turn out to be spam messages, as well as that only one person in 12 million answers spam messages. So, remember to never open or answer any spam messages or any email messages that sound too good to be true; never disclose any information about yourself such as name, address, phone and credit card number and so on; never give out your email address to anyone who asks for it; always have more than one email address. By following these tips, the chances you will be tricked through spam messages will be greatly reduced.

Fake Lotteries

Most of us would like to win the lottery and stop struggling to make ends meet every month. This is the main reason why many people persuade themselves to believe in fake lotteries. First of all, you have to think if you have even entered a lottery before you believe you are the lucky winner. Aside from this, be aware that no lottery will ask of you to make any upfront payments in order to be awarded the grand prize. Federal law says that you are not allowed to enter any lottery programs in foreign countries via email or phone, so this is another great reason to steer clear from email lotteries or online lotteries in general.

Online Payments and Credit Card Fraud

Online shopping has become very popular today, and most of the online purchases are made with credit cards. If you are using your credit card online, make sure that the site you are using is trustworthy. Do this by researching and finding out everything you can about the site in question. What's more, if you are asked to give out your credit card information via unsolicited emails, never agree to do this.

Summary

In a nutshell, if you are using the Internet on a regular basis, be it for business purposes, shopping online, or even simply having fun, you should always be aware of the following: use the World Wide Web responsibly. Much like the real world, the Internet is full of scammers and people who are always on the lookout for new victims and you should do everything in your power to avoid being caught in these traps.

Changing Your Password To Improve Your Website Security   How To Keep Users and Data Safe On The Web   Reality Overtakes Fiction: We Are Already at War, Albeit Electronic, But War All the Same   Protect Your Privacy With Reputation Management   

Securing WordPress User Accounts? Try Two-Factor Authentication

According to the folks from WordPress, over 60 million people have chosen it to power their space on the web. That's a pretty impressive number and well deserved. I've been using WordPress since it's earliest versions and goodness it's been a great ride. Sadly, popularity also makes it a bigger target for nasty people like hackers.

It really doesn't matter what you use WordPress for - a profitable venture or just a place to share your creativity. I bet if you lost your site today you'd be crushed. That's why you should take precautions to avoid it as much as possible, or at the very least minimize the impact.

If you go to WordPress.org's Codex, there is a list of things you can do to help you close some loops and tighten the security of your site. Among the items in the list is to secure administrative access.

This can be done by password protecting your wp-admin folder. It requires no extra cost other than a few minutes of your time to set up and it is often effective enough.

Another method I've tried lately is using a plugin called Duo Two-Factor Authentication. Here's how it works. When you log in to your WordPress powered site, it'll present you with another authentication screen this time, you are given the option to approve the login either through an app installed on your cell phone or by entering a numeric code sent to your cell phone via text or a phone call.

Sounds super high tech right? And it is, but the plugin developers have made is easy to integrate into WordPress. There are a few easy steps you need to take.

You first install the plugin. Next, sign up for a free account at DuoSecurity.com. You'll receive an email with your logins. It took us a while to get that email so you may have to be patient when you first sign up. Once in, you set up an integration so you can receive the necessary application keys. When you are given the keys, simply paste them into your site, select who you want two-factor authentication to be turned on for.

Next time you log in, you will be asked to set up your 2nd level authentication. That will require some answering of your phone or checking your cell for text messages as the system verifies and links your phone to your user account for this website. Once you're done with that, you're set.

If you're concerned about the number of steps needed to log in every single time, don't be. Because they've made it quite seamless and easy especially if you have the app installed on your phone. All you need to do is just hit approve and you'll automatically be logged into your admin area.

I find it very interesting to see the information of people trying to log in to my site using my account. It'll probably be even more satisfying when I get the chance to hit Decline to lock people out. Thankfully that has not happened at time of writing.

Next time you want to secure your administrator account on WordPress, give two-factor authentication a go. There are other plugins in the repository other than Duo that you can check out as well - by the way, I don't represent Duo or earn anything from sharing their product here. Just a happy and very impressed user.

Changing Your Password To Improve Your Website Security   How To Keep Users and Data Safe On The Web   Reality Overtakes Fiction: We Are Already at War, Albeit Electronic, But War All the Same   An Explanation of CISPA for Small Businesses   Protect Your Privacy With Reputation Management   Top 5 Reasons to Check Website Security   

Dumpster Diving For Gold

Dumpster diving is the legal practice of searching through trash, whether it be commercial or residential, to find valuable information. This may sound like a sick thing to do, but many companies have dealt with serious data breaches as a result of someone braving the smell of trash. What do dumpster divers look for? The following list will give you an idea:

Phone lists: Useful for conducting social engineering attacks. Memos: Can give someone an idea of what is going on within an organization, such as new product plans. Calendars of events: A possible intruder can find out travel dates, or future events that will keep employees away from their systems so that gaining access will be easier. System manuals and packing material: Finding these items will give an intruder an idea about the systems that are in use, making preparation for the attack easier. Printouts: Source code, customer lists, account names and numbers, employees, network maps, and utility bills will give an intruder valuable information that can be used in a variety of ways. Disks, tapes, and CD-ROM's: These types of media usually contain sensitive information that is rarely if ever wiped clean before discarding.

Before discarding information in paper form, it is always a good idea to shred the documents. One thing I like to do is to throw away half of the document in one trash bag and the other half in another bag just to make sure that no one will put them back together. One thing you can do to make it harder for someone to read personal information is to use a black marker to mark through names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. This adds security when shredding.

All system manuals and network plans need to be taken to a professional shredding service, or contact a mobile shredding service. These type of documents do not need to be in the wrong hands, as they will make the intruders job a lot easier.

All media, whether it be cd-rom's, tapes, or disks need to be wiped clean before being thrown away. Software that can do this is abundant online. Another way to make the information unreadable is to physically destroy the media. Breaking them into several pieces will ensure that no one will access the information. If you aren't the physical type, simply running a magnet over the disks or tapes will usually do the trick.

For the individual, common sense will usually take care of most of these issues. Simply running a marker over your personal information and shredding it will deter most criminals, since they seek the easiest route to the information. As explained earlier, discard documents in several different bags. This will make putting two and two together more difficult.

Changing Your Password To Improve Your Website Security   How To Keep Users and Data Safe On The Web   Reality Overtakes Fiction: We Are Already at War, Albeit Electronic, But War All the Same   Protect Your Privacy With Reputation Management   An Explanation of CISPA for Small Businesses