5 TrueCrypt Alternative Services

Securing your privacy has never been more important than it is now for several reasons. Not only does the average computer user need to protect data from hackers and viruses, but the NSA’s PRISM program is still active and ISPs are now allowed to spy on you, too.

It seems there are endless ways for third parties to capture your data. Even if you use a cloud storage service that encrypts data during transport and storage, it’s possible for cloud storage employees and hackers to access your data (with the exception of zero-knowledge providers).

Unfortunately, some services like Dropbox are notorious for poor security practices that make data easier for hackers to pluck than low-hanging fruit. In the past, the solution was simple: just use TrueCrypt to encrypt data before shipping it off to the cloud for storage.

The problem with that solution is, however, that TrueCrypt has gone the way of the dinosaur and is now defunct.

This link will take you to an article on cloudwards.net that discusses their take on The 5 Best TrueCrypt Alternative Services

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Ransomware

Ransomware is currently the subject of the hour.  Attacks are happening more frequently and are costing users time and money to resolve.  Often the simplest solution is to pay the ransom to give you access to your documents again.

We at UA Technology Services believe that prevention is better than cure.  A robust backup strategy that is both offsite and incorporates versioning will allow you to recover your documents without needing to pay the perpetrators.

A new website Fight Ransomware has been launched to try and bring together news and information about the subject, to help users be aware about the current state of play and to inform them about what can be done to combat this malware.

A few Statistics about Ransomware to give you an idea about the size of the problem

$445 Billion

The amount cybercrime will cost the global economy in 2016. The primary driver of loss will be ransomware.

+300%

The increase in ransomware attacks from Q1 of 2016 compared to Q1 2015. That’s as many as 4,000 ransomware attacks per day.

60 Seconds

The time it takes a hacker to compromise a computer with ransomware.

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Barclays wants to give you some security advice….

Unfortunately it is not very good….

Always check…
• a website is secure before entering account or card details. Look for the ‘https’ in the web address and the padlock or unbroken key icon at the top of the page.

This is no good as any domain can have an HTTPS address and a padlock. All it tells you is that the site has paid for a certificate. You need to check that the address you are seeing in the address bar is actually what you think it should be. i.e. paypal.com NOT paypa1.com

Never share…
• your personal or security information on a website you’ve clicked to from a link in an email or text. We will never email or text you a link that takes you straight to the Online Banking page.

WRONG!! Never click on link in email or text in the first place. It is trivial to hide the real address that a link is taking you too (in an email or even on a website). If you want to go to a site obtained from an email, type the address YOURSELF. That way you know it is what it says it is.

Act with care…
• by keeping your internet security software up to date. Help protect yourself with our free* Kaspersky™ security software at barclays.co.uk/kaspersky

OK, this last one is fair comment. But don’t assume that the scanner will save your bacon. You need to take care where you go and what you click on.

Look here Keeping safe on the internet for more tips.  If you move your mouse over that link, and look in the bottom left of your browser window, you will see where it is taking you.

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Lastpass Security

I have been a very busy person over the last few months, so I have not really had time to post.  But I do feel that the following warrants some time.

I have repeatedly recommended Lastpass to my friends, family and customers as a great way of storing your passwords.  Unfortunately, as was bound to happen, they have suffered a security breach.

Fortunately their internal architecture was well designed (unlike some others (Sony!  I’m looking at you)) and so the impact is minimal.

The Lastpass Blog gives full report from Lastpass themselves.

In Essence…

  1. There is nothing to worry about
  2. Change your Lastpass password
  3. Change the password of any sites that you have used the same password (bad idea anyway)

Don’t have nightmares 🙂

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5 passwords you should never use

 

Create strong passwords and protect them. Get tips
for managing your kids passwords too.

Security for Home Computer Users

5 passwords you should never use

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Security
updates for September 9, 2014

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to get security updates automatically

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Microsoft Update

Watch a video about the updates

 


 

Q&A

Can
I run more than one antivirus program?

You
should never run more than one antivirus program at the same
time. The two programs could slow down your computer, and they
might even identify each other as a virus, which could lead to
file corruption or other conflicts and errors that make your antivirus
protection less effective—or not effective at all. 

 

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recommendations for antivirus protection

 


 


 

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HOW TO: Remove the MS Removal Tool

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TO: Remove the MS Removal Tool
  

Get
step-by-step guidance on how to identify and remove the “MS
Removal Tool,” a type of malicious software that restricts
you from accessing your desktop. 


What is a trusted device?

What is a trusted
device?

A
trusted device is a computer, smartphone, or other device that
you’ve identified as belonging to you. On trusted devices, you
don’t have to enter security codes to access sensitive
information. 


Back-to-school checklist: Clean up my digital life

Back-to-school
checklist: Clean up my digital life

As
you or your kids go back to school, learn how to #Do1Thing to
manage your online persona and help set yourself up for digital
success this year. 

Why do I have to update my email account information?

Why
do I have to update my email account information?

To
help protect your personal data, we ask everyone who has a
Microsoft account to make sure that the security information
associated with their account is correct and up to date.

 


 


 

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Yes, Virginia, TrueCrypt is still safe to use

TrueCrypt, a fantastic free whole disk encryption tool has recently vanished of the face of the planet.  No one quite knows why, but everyone is wondering if it is safe to use (the last comments from the authors tend to indicate that it is not!).

Rather than reinventing the wheel, I thought I would pass on the following blog entry by Steve Gibson, a respected Tech/Security Guru, that gives his take on it and an answer to the question “Is TrueCrypt safe to use?”

Steve Gibson posted: “So opens the short editorial I wrote this morning and placed at the top of GRC’s new TrueCrypt Final Version Repository page. The impetus for the editorial was the continual influx of questions from people asking whether TrueCrypt was still safe to”

Yes, Virginia, TrueCrypt is still safe to use.

by Steve Gibson

So opens the short editorial I wrote this morning and placed at the top of GRC’s new TrueCrypt Final Version Repository page.

The impetus for the editorial was the continual influx of questions from people asking whether TrueCrypt was still safe to use, and if not, what they should switch to, and so on. By this time, one of the TrueCrypt developers, identified as David, had been heard from, and his interchange confirmed the essential points of my conjectured theory of the events surrounding the self-takedown of TrueCrypt.org, etc.

Rather than repeating that entire editorial here, I’m posting this as a pointer to it since folks here have thanked me for maintaining a blog and not relying solely upon Twitter.  And also, this venue supports feedback and interaction which GRC’s current read-only format can not.

/Steve.

Steve Gibson | May 30, 2014 at 3:05 pm | Tags: GRC, TrueCrypt | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/pV3mA-7n

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