Security & Privacy with technology in (2016-2019, depreciated and needs updating)

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valis
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Re: Security & Privacy with technology in (2018 and beyond)

Post by valis »

Arstechnica.com article on 2 Factor Authentication apps (2FA) which might interest some:

Choosing 2FA authenticator apps can be hard. Ars did it so you don’t have to

I largely agree with what is written here, though the article didn't make it clear that if you use Lastpass the 2FA app they offer actually backs your 2FA account up to your main password account. And they ignored 2 other open source password manager apps that also come with their own 2FA app similar to lastpass. In any case, this is still an information article with some good options for most people and adequate explanation over the threat models and how security is accounted for with each app discussed.

(added to parent post)
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ronnie
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Re: Security & Privacy with technology in (2018 and beyond)

Post by ronnie »

Thank you for such detailed information. I have been using Kaspersky Password manager with great success.

Your social media tips are invaluable!

Since 2006 I have been saying that Google is a front for the NSA and CIA. I have worked for too many Alphabet Swamp agencies and I finally resigned almost 13 years ago, about when I got my Scope system, no thanks to severance or pension. I had to do what I loved and sleep at night and never looked back. The truth is finally coming into the light now, but the corruption and bedfellows have been at it for at least since 2001.

Another good site to check out is https://haveibeenpwned.com/ to see if you're email has been compromised.

Here I am back in the day. I had the grill customized to match the car, The window posts made black, the mags were from an impounded Mercury where I switched the wheels before auction and put the Ford trim on it. I also installed Bilstein adjustable shocks and a traction bar, because those Crown Vics would pitch and yaw at the slightest bumpI After that it handled like a BMW and fast as hell. While undercover I would put magnetic car service signs all over it. LOL. I had to do things my way. They didn't like that, especially when I opened my mouth.

I also put the issued spray and pray Glock away and customized a nice Kimber .45, with a laser pointer. Thank God I only used it once. I didn't even have to fire it. The joker had a .380 Saturday night special. When I pointed the laser at his dick, he peed in his baggy pants and dropped his weapon!

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"I’ve come to the conclusion that synths are like potatoes, they’re no good raw—you’ve got to cook ‘em, and I cooked these sounds for months before I got them to the point where they sounded musical to me." Lyle Mays
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valis
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Re: Security & Privacy with technology in (2018 and beyond)

Post by valis »

Glad you're still following along, I'll add the site you referenced to the parent post. I was aware of it but it's good to make sure everyone is, will put it in the section with the digitaldetox kit (done)

If you haven't done that yet (I would presume you have) it's perhaps one of the most valuable things listed above as it reveals exactly what the psychometric profile is for each of us that does it.
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valis
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Re: Security & Privacy with technology in (2018 and beyond)

Post by valis »

Added a new email provider from basecamp, which was made by 36 signals (they taught yahoo & google how to implement modern web scripted platforms with "Getting Real" and their basecamp project:

Hey.com has come along as a non-free alternative which might be interesting to some, both because it has a new attempt at updating your workflow with your inbox and also because it focuses more on simplicity rather than end-to-end encryption but is still reasonably secure.
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Re: Security & Privacy with technology in (2018 and beyond)

Post by ronnie »

I haven't tried this yet but it's not biased like Twitter or Facebook.

It was recommended highly to me by an in-the-know colleague.

Parler

https://parler.com/auth/access
"I’ve come to the conclusion that synths are like potatoes, they’re no good raw—you’ve got to cook ‘em, and I cooked these sounds for months before I got them to the point where they sounded musical to me." Lyle Mays
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valis
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Re: Security & Privacy with technology in (2018 and beyond)

Post by valis »

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/202 ... ader-data/

If local municipalities and executive departments (police) can buy license plate data, I wonder what they can buy from data aggregators?
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Re: Security & Privacy with technology in (2018 and beyond)

Post by valis »

Hi guys, whatever your political leanings I would suggest giving the parent post a once-over. The only side I'm concerned with at this point is your personal safety & privacy, and wish everyone the best as we go through some tumultous weeks ahead.
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Re: Security & Privacy with technology in (2016-2019, depreciated and needs updating)

Post by valis »

Added the following to the parent topic post:
Keep windows updated!
This goes without saying, but did you know there are a variety of tools available to help keep your windows applications, drivers and even windows updates current in ways that might also improve privacy and security?

When it comes to apps, I used to use a tool called Secunia Personal Software Inspector to speed up maintaining a Windows installation, but this was discontinued in 2018 (for personal use). Initially, I tried using a combo called SUMo (Software Update Monitor) and DUMo (Drivers Update Monitor) but shortly afterwards (likely because so many migrated from Secunia PSI) they stopped the automatic processes in the free version(s) and all you could basically do was double click an entry to spawn a web browser and download the update from a given vendor. The issue with this is that the links sometimes didn't work, and given my thorough nature I would then spend too much time hunting down said update. So it wound up being LESS efficient (because of my habits) than simply keeping things up to date the old fashioned way. A notification or two, followed by a broken download link, followed by time wasted, and repeated every day or so as the notifications were constant. Still, the paid versions work well, so they're still recommended.

Other alternatives given in a search at the time would have been:
uCheck & Patch My PC Home Updater, but since then a few more interesting options have come along (or evolved, in the case of the last recommendation):

First up is Ninite which is free to use and covers a fair number of commercial and free applications. The Pro version has the added bonus of a web interface that allows you to manage all your windows machines from a single browser.

Second (and I believe more comprehensive) is Chocolatey which is open source and makes installation of updates on Windows as simple as on linux. This is worth a look, imho.

And then of course [url=https://www.ccleaner.com/]CCLeaner has added a built in driver update process (this might be Pro only, I subscribe to Pro) and will notify you of application updates as well.

In the commercial space, there is enterprise level software that sysadmins can use to remotely manage (install patches) and take inventory of a company or network's machines from companies like SolarWinds and Spiceworks (and many others). I've actually used Spiceworks in the studio, it also uses a webmin interface but it's not the simplest tool to get running so I'm simply mentioning it here for reference.
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Re: Security & Privacy with technology in (2016-2019, depreciated and needs updating)

Post by valis »

Note I still consider this post to be woefully out of date, but it's a good primer to reference or send others to. I'm willing to spend time later this year keeping things up to date, so if anyone wants to comment to contribute, I'll reference any posts when I spend that time. Thanks!
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