Online security tools
Aug 17, 2019, 3:20 pm
#16
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: UK. BAEC AAdvantage
Programs: Mucci Des Oeufs Brouilles et des Canards
Posts: 3,671
I use NordVPN and am happy with the tradeoff (they claim to delete files after a set period, iirc) and speed of a paid VPN.
For any UK readers, if you're looking at getting NordVPN, check the cashback sites like TopCashBack before buying. There's 65% cashback on offer at the moment. Ping me for details if you need to. I think TCB is in some of the Americas countries too.
For any UK readers, if you're looking at getting NordVPN, check the cashback sites like TopCashBack before buying. There's 65% cashback on offer at the moment. Ping me for details if you need to. I think TCB is in some of the Americas countries too.
Aug 23, 2019, 3:36 am
#17
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Online security is maximized via doing that which maximizes online privacy.
Whether or not a VPN is a great way to thwart hacking efforts on a public network, VPNs can be a rather good way of trying to maintain some online privacy in a world where governments, companies and those with access to government- or company-collected data try to use IP addresses and other means to try to monitor and/or control internet users.
My suggestion is to use VPNs and remote proxies, preferably accessed from relatively highly-trafficked publicly-accessible networks. Adding TOR into the mix of tools used isn't a bad idea. Whether the concern is that of being hacked or of being stalked.
Whether or not a VPN is a great way to thwart hacking efforts on a public network, VPNs can be a rather good way of trying to maintain some online privacy in a world where governments, companies and those with access to government- or company-collected data try to use IP addresses and other means to try to monitor and/or control internet users.
My suggestion is to use VPNs and remote proxies, preferably accessed from relatively highly-trafficked publicly-accessible networks. Adding TOR into the mix of tools used isn't a bad idea. Whether the concern is that of being hacked or of being stalked.
Aug 23, 2019, 4:21 pm
#18
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,918
Online security is maximized via doing that which maximizes online privacy.
Whether or not a VPN is a great way to thwart hacking efforts on a public network, VPNs can be a rather good way of trying to maintain some online privacy in a world where governments, companies and those with access to government- or company-collected data try to use IP addresses and other means to try to monitor and/or control internet users.
My suggestion is to use VPNs and remote proxies, preferably accessed from relatively highly-trafficked publicly-accessible networks. Adding TOR into the mix of tools used isn't a bad idea. Whether the concern is that of being hacked or of being stalked.
Whether or not a VPN is a great way to thwart hacking efforts on a public network, VPNs can be a rather good way of trying to maintain some online privacy in a world where governments, companies and those with access to government- or company-collected data try to use IP addresses and other means to try to monitor and/or control internet users.
My suggestion is to use VPNs and remote proxies, preferably accessed from relatively highly-trafficked publicly-accessible networks. Adding TOR into the mix of tools used isn't a bad idea. Whether the concern is that of being hacked or of being stalked.
Aug 25, 2019, 2:20 am
#19
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
That which maximizes an individual’s online privacy, whether for web browsing or otherwise, maximizes online security for the individual too.
Aug 26, 2019, 10:56 pm
#20
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Somewhere in Florida
Posts: 2,621
I'd have to agree with StuckinYYZ -- privacy != security. A VPN will keep your data away from an open WiFi snoop. Facebook will still track you whether you use a VPN or not. You can use a privacy-centric web browser, or tracker-blocking browser plug-in which will stop Facebook from tracking you, but anyone watching the packets can still see what you're doing.
Yes, TLS may encrypt the data content, but there's still a ton of useful data from DNS queries and other metadata alone. If you want to see something worrisome, watch the DNS queries your mobile phone makes, especially when you're not using it. If that doesn't convince you to reduce the amount of apps on your phone AND restrict background data for the apps, nothing will.
Yes, TLS may encrypt the data content, but there's still a ton of useful data from DNS queries and other metadata alone. If you want to see something worrisome, watch the DNS queries your mobile phone makes, especially when you're not using it. If that doesn't convince you to reduce the amount of apps on your phone AND restrict background data for the apps, nothing will.
Aug 27, 2019, 1:40 am
#21
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,613
Yes, TLS may encrypt the data content, but there's still a ton of useful data from DNS queries and other metadata alone. If you want to see something worrisome, watch the DNS queries your mobile phone makes, especially when you're not using it. If that doesn't convince you to reduce the amount of apps on your phone AND restrict background data for the apps, nothing will.
Aug 27, 2019, 7:58 am
#22
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: The shape-shifting urban sprawl that is El Lay. FT member #71.
Programs: UA Gold & MM; DL & AA credit card dirt status; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Fool's Gold
Posts: 4,690
Aug 28, 2019, 11:05 am
#23
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,613
Aug 28, 2019, 10:48 pm
#24
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Somewhere in Florida
Posts: 2,621
+1 on Pi-Hole. I run it at home and believe it or not, we have two RaspPis at my office running it as our DNS service. Some would say it's dicey to use "non-enterprise" gear in an enterprise environment...that's why there's two of them, and spares ready-to-go on the shelf. Not only does it block ads, but it also blocks malware as well, and it's such a polished piece of software.
Aug 29, 2019, 6:58 am
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: ORD
Posts: 14,231
I have found that it causes a lot of spurious block responses on legit domains (returning an address of 0.0.0.0 for a site). I have one at my parents' house, for example, and their complaints about the internet randomly not working stopped when I turned off PiHole. Dad got a "can't connect to the internet" error when I sent him a link to Ars Technica, for example.
I use it at home and it does seem to be a little aggressive in what it blocks. It blocks interstitial trackers for links clicked from Twitter or Google, for example.
I use it at home and it does seem to be a little aggressive in what it blocks. It blocks interstitial trackers for links clicked from Twitter or Google, for example.