All Posts by Paul

Encrypt your Email with VPN4ALL the Chrome Extension! (Chrome OS Also)

Paul

 

VPN4All does It again!

Since VPN4ALL is a Sponsor, any links in this article supports my efforts in blogging!  They told me about this new product they developed.   At first it was on their website and I liked it but I am glad they made it to where you can use it with any Chrome web browser or even the Chrome Net books!  I installed it on my Chrome OS laptop and it works just as easily on it as on my Windows 7 system.

It was easy and very easy to encrypt your emails to prevent people who don’t know the password.   I had no problems with it encrypting or decrypting emails.   I tested this with two different email addresses and each one sent and receive the email.   I just had to right click and either encrypt it or decrypt it.   

A Simple Test!

I have thought hard and long and here is the easiest way to tell if your extension is working right.  Send an email to a friend or family and see what they see or say.   It seemed to work really well for my purposes.  I used Google mail web site with my this extension and it worked like a charm.   Just highlight what you want to encrypt and it and past the encrypted text in place of the text your are wanting to encrypt.

The Meta Data!

This however will not stop people from getting the meta data as some would say.   This is simply the normal stuff like:

  • Name and Email address
  • IP of where it was sent from and to
  • the Route the email went (Headers show all this stuff)
  • Anything else outside of the encryption such as signatures!

As you can tell VPN4ALL has proven time and time again that they want to protect your privacy.   They even allow you to have your own password to prevent NSA or any others from getting the emails and decrypting them.   The only ones who can decrypt the email is those who have the password and you have to tell those who you are intending to send email to with this encryption the password and a way for them to decrypt it.

Last thought is that you need to remember to have the password pretty strong and a way to commnicate that password through another channel other than email to prevent someone from grabbing that email very easily.

Unable to read SIM Card on the HTC Inspire 4G!

Paul

Reading the SIM card!

I’ve had one reader who says they are having an issue with the SIM card not being able to be read on the HTC Inspire 4G phone.   Some of the things that I have foundto be case are how people insert the card into the Inspire but we are going to give out a quick tip that will help keep that sim from sliding out ever so slightly.   This workd for me and while I do not use the phone anymore.

Best Hack ever!

This is some what a really good way to keep that sim from loosening the connection to the phone.  I found on SIM card that you can make them thicker. 

Use thin tap on the back of the SIM card.   Basically, you keep putting tape on the back until it is snug.   Usually on need to it once or twice but no more than that.   You can not put tape on the side with all the metal but only on the plastic.  It has to be tape that is really smooth so if you use use ruff tape it might not work as well. 

This will help those who have been problem. It might solve your problem but it also might not, it just varies from device to device!

Those really BAD passwords you shouldn’t use! The list is out for 2013!

Paul

Who uses these?

It isn’t everyday that I come across some really interesting passwords.   Among the list of the 25 that Spashdata has released!  The Ones that really stand out for me are: “trustno1” (Gives a new meaning to TNO), Adobe123 and my favorite “photoshop” are on the list of those the top 25 passwords you should NEVER USE.  I don’t know if people are just trying to come up with something no one would think of or if they really want there Facebook Account to be hacked in the first place!

Randomness is everything!

I keep telling people to go check out Lastpass to be safe but it some people will never learn.   I believe in Lastpass so much I pay for the mobile version for a year.   Only 12$ a year but it is for a good cause, and I am really happy with their service!  Lastpass is truely the Last password you will ever have to remember.  

I don’t know about you but I think it is time to go change some passwords! 

5 Minute Guide to Making your iPhone more Secure

Paul

An iPhone is an incredible device but don’t think that it is secure enough that no one can access your important information. It is not a security fortress and is prone to the same risks as other cell phones. However, following these simple guidelines can help you make your iPhone a secure device and protect it from those who want to lay their hands on your information.

Use a passcode:

This is literally the first thing any mobile phone user should do. You should use a passcode to access your phone. Though it is not the strongest security measure you can take, it will help ward off those who want to access your phone and everything in it. You can even set your iPhone to erase all data stored on it automatically if someone tries to unlock it with a wrong passcode for ten times. Passcodes can also be set on many individual apps.

Don’t use unnecessary features:

It is very important that you turn off all the features and services that you are not using. Turn off Bluetooth, WiFi, voice control, email syncing, location tracking and such as they can let anyone with some knowledge of phone hacking could exploit the flaws in these services and access your information and data.

Update:

Apple releases firmware updates on a regular basis. These are meant to update your iPhone against any security loophole and performance hiccups that you encounter in your daily use. You should update your phone immediately after an update is available. These updates can also bring some new functionality to your phone.

Tinkering with your phone:

Tinkering with your phone’s protected software, or jailbreaking, can be risky. This allows users to bypass Apple’s security layer and change settings in the phone’s software. It will also allow you to install apps that are not downloaded from Apple’s App Store. This is a potential security risk as you can’t be sure if any such app is secure or not, and whether it is accessing your private info or not.

Privacy settings:

The iPhone allows you to protect your information in many ways. One of those is to use the privacy settings in Safari, found in settings menu. Safari is iPhone’s web browser and allows you to connect with the internet. It is crucial that you review your privacy settings and tune them to your needs. Otherwise, you could leave your information unprotected and at the risk of being hacked. You could become a victim of iPhone spyware, malware and other malicious codes without even knowing.

Use ‘Find my phone’ feature:

Another cool feature of iPhone is its ‘Find my phone’ option. This practically allows you locate your phone in case you have lost it. You can lock your phone, make it ring, show warning information, and erase your data to make in case you cannot retrieve it or it is taking too long to retrieve it.

Erase your data before return, repair or resale:

One of the common mistakes that most users make is that they do not erase their data when they return, repair or resell their iPhones. This way you are actually handing out your information to the

person you are giving your phone to. Make sure you have erased all your data, including messages, contacts, call logs, images and videos, notes, calendar entries and other important information, when you return your phone to the seller, send it for repairs or resell it to someone.

Follow these simple security tips and make your iPhone a secure device to use.

Author Bio: Jessica Carol is a tech writer who has written articles based on developments and new trends in the world of tech for Mobistealth. She can be reached at @Jcarol429.

How to Avoid Social Media Scams

Paul

Photo credits: Nate & Tilly Ritter

Social media networks can be a lot of fun – not to mention useful – but you really need to make sure you take steps to stay safe. Knowing how to avoid social media scams is an important skill to have in the Information Age. The good news is that it’s not that difficult to avoid them if you use common sense and are careful when you’re online. We’ve put together a list of several specific tips you can use to make sure you don’t run into any problems.

How to Avoid Social Network Scams

Here’s a look at some specific ways that you can avoid scams no matter what social media network you visit frequently.

  • Privacy Settings – The first thing you’re going to want to do is spend some time learning about the privacy settings for whatever site you’re on. For some – like Facebook – this can take quite a bit of time before you understand, but it’s essential if you want to protect yourself from scams.

  • Know Your Friends – While you may want to get as many “friends” as you can, this isn’t really that smart. Try to only allow people you really know in real life to be part of your social circles online.

  • Ignore Unknown Links – If you see a link from a source you don’t recognize, ignore it or delete it if possible. Following links from strangers online is usually not a good idea on social media sites.

  • Avoid Public Computers – Like public bathrooms, you should avoid using public computers as often as possible. You never know if one is infected with a keystroke logger that will allow others access to your social media accounts.

  • Be Cautious – This is common sense, but it can be easy to get caught up in the moment online. Learn to take your time and not get involved – by clicking links – until you know exactly what’s going on and that you’re dealing with someone who can be trusted completely.

  • Software and Firewalls – You should also make sure your anti-virus programs are up to date with their definition file. Additionally, you might think about installing a firewall so that you can add another layer of protection between you and the bad guys online. Luckily, you can usually find free software that will help protect you. Just make sure you set it up correctly.

By following the advice above, you’re going to be able to avoid the scams while still being able to keep up with the fam. You don’t need to avoid social networks completely, but you should be very selective about which sites you visit and how you interact with people you might not know personally.

Written by: Maegred Mithi is working in copper industry. Her job is to buy ethanol and remove the rust from the raw copper. She is also studying on line reputation management, because she has special interest in online world algorithms that affects the search engine results.