VPNS AND PROXIES WON'T SAVE YOU

With all the hullabaloo about the NSA's spying on every single U.S. citizen, the amount of internet users turning to encryption, proxy and VPN services, and other privacy tools has increased. But don't think those tools will keep you safe.

First of all, there's no guarantee your VPN won't turn over information to the government if they're served with paperwork that includes some serious threats. No matter what their policy is on keeping logs or monitoring traffic, keep in mind that you have no idea what the government can access and when. Say you had purchased some goods on the Silk Road and the seller, who used Tor Mail, didn't delete any of his order information, which included your shipping address. If the government were to seize those email servers, they would have evidence linking you to cyber crimes.

Nothing is safe. Images via Wikimedia Commons.

Secondly, if you are using a VPN or proxy, use common sense. Just because your real IP is blocked doesn't mean your actions can't be linked to you. Say you torrent some popular AMC shows and then decide to check your webmail. If you log into your webmail account through your proxy, that proxy will automatically be linked to your account and you, as will all the "private" downloading you did. The fact that your browsing is "anonymous" doesn't mean your identity will be protected.

As a final warning, be aware that just because you've taken every step possible to protect your identity and information, don't assume that your computer is safe. Maybe the NSA is logging every keystroke, recording audio and video from webcams and mics, or capturing your screen. Maybe they have a backdoor built into your OS.

In today's world, the only way to securely conduct any online activity is to find a public computer away from security cameras, wear a disguise and latex gloves, run the Tor Browser off an encrypted flash drive that you later destroy with thermite, all while using a fake identity and bitcoins purchased with VISA giftcards that were purchased with cash.

FINGERPRINT APPS MAY STEAL YOUR IDENTITY

If you live in the world of smartphones and tablets, you've undoubtedly been offered fingerprint apps. They advertise high-tech security and fun, but what do they really deliver? Your information and fingerprints in a database, shuffled across the internet highway for all to see.

There's Fingerprint Lock, Fingerprint Lock Free, Fingerprint Scanner FREE, Fingerprint Screen Lock ICS, and countless others. Check the permissions tab on those apps. They want approximate and precise GPS location information, full network access,  the ability to "read phone status and identity" and the ability to view your and edit your web bookmarks and history.

What do you think these app developers do with your fingerprint information?

• Is it secure? If multinational banks can't keep records safe, it's doubtful poor app makers can. Hackers and evildoers will be doing their best to get this info, and what's to stop them from planting your fingerprints at a crime scene? It's not that crazy.
• Is it sold? A buck an app isn't much money, but personally identifying information is worth boatloads in today's marketing culture. Is your identity being sold to marketers, or are the app makers the marketers themselves?
• What about the government? The government would love a database of everyone's DNA and fingerprints. And with the ability to link that fingerprint to browsing and download info, who knows how legally unscrupulous things could get.

The app world is filled with fun and innovative things, but you should always be wary of what permissions you have to give your apps, and what personal information they are using. This goes for fingerprint scanners, facial recognition software, photo apps, and more. Every app is a potential threat. Keep yourself and your information safe.

10 WORDS TO NEVER TYPE

Inside the 2011 Analyst Desktop Binder are 374 words the Department of Homeland Security uses to monitor "possible terrorist activity". These are our ten favorites, but if you want to read them all, they're under section 2.13 of the document we have embedded at the end of this post.

10. Exercise. Just another reason to keep "getting fit" off this year's list of resolutions.

9. Recovery. Having problems with your hard drive? Don't worry about getting the data off it. Just buy a new one.

8. Initiative. Trust us, it's better to be a lazy slob than get your act together and end up on a watch list at the same time.

7. Police. Interested in joining the force? Better head to the library with a fake ID if you want to read up on it.

6. Gangs. To the old lady concerned about the graffiti a couple blocks down, eh, you probably don't have a computer anyway.

5. Burn. Aloe vera is what you want. No need to Google it.

4. Outbreak. NO DUSTIN HOFFMAN MOVIES!

3. Pork. It may be the other white meat, but it's off limits round these parts.

2. San Diego. It's supposed to be one of the most beautiful cities in the US, but no, you cannot move there.

1. Smart. This is the one thing the US Government DOES NOT want you to be, so keep being a deaf, dumb, blind little sheep (not really).

GOOGLE CHROME DOESN'T BLINK AS IT WATCHES YOU

One thing we all know is that Google loves to make tongue-in-cheek logos. They have thousands of different logos that display in different localities on different days, from Tesla's birthday to Kwanza and more. Here's Google's "Doodle Archive".

It got us thinking, what other kinds of messages are they sending with their logos? Have you ever looked at the logo for Google Chrome? It looks like a giant eyeball, staring right at you. It's watching your every move. It's peering into your browsing habits and down into your soul. Why would they make Chrome's logo a terrifying robot eyeball?

Image copyright Google, Inc. Used here under fair comment and criticism usage.

We started looking into the news, and while there have always been privacy concerns about Google, there seem to be more and scarier stories popping up lately.

Researchers say "Android apps collect too much user data".

"Google's data collecting habits draw more scrutiny".

It even got so bad the EU's data chief asked Google to change their policy.

I recently helped someone create a Gmail account, and we were both shocked when we saw one of the agreements at the bottom that was already checked. It said, "Google may use my account information to personalize +1's on content and ads on non-Google websites". It was a frightening concept, and it was Google's default choice for us. It makes us wonder how safe Chrome really is.

What browser are you using to view this page? Vote in our poll at the top right.

INFORMATION FUNNEL

By Donovan Govan via Wikimedia Commons

Information control or obscuration is a detriment to the human race. Sooner rather than later all information will be funneled to individuals based on prior activities. Currently, it might not be possible to completely narrow everyone's minds. Given an article posted on Conspiracy Fury about a maleware called Flame, ultimate information control is not far off, though. Never underestimate the power of your government. Most of the information an individual views can be shared with second, third, countless parties with no consent from the individual. Example: buy something online, then check your email. Look at all the emails/junkmail directly related to that purchase. Should capitalism be allowed to continue in such a manner?

Perhaps in the future based on online transactions and social posts you could be pigeonholed into a direct demographic. Then be allowed to only view information or products based on your "likes" or purchases.  This would inhibit outside world views or information foreign because of your previous activity. Constriction of ideas would lead to further narrowing of human intellect. Thus making everyone easier to put into a category.  Potential threats to information totalitarianism could be easily located once all humans are categorized.

New information that would broaden human intellect would be hampered or inaccessible. Funneling of accessible information would destroy the ability to debate ideals outside your own fine tuned category.  In order to debate or constructively criticize one must also have knowledge of the ideas out side your own.  Progression of information filtering will create a fractured, egotistical, uninformed society. Ideas would be confirmed and not criticized within a category.

Criticism is crucial for self betterment. Without criticism there is no intelligence only an obscure and incorrect view of intellect. The narrowing of minds is the result. There is no shared knowledge only the individuals perception of a correct worldview. There is no societal benefit. Select groups will arise that cater to each human caricature. Each group molded with information funneling and inflated sense of right. This sense of right will consume each vs. the other. Debates will still happen but nothing constructive will come out of it.  Cooperation will disappear leaving only ignorance and violence.

WE'RE ALL GOING UP IN FLAMES

A month after a "malware attack" took an entire Iranian oil terminal offline, cyber-security group Kaspersky has  broken news of a new piece of malware called "Flame" that is "one of the most complex threats ever discovered". While they're still unsure who is behind the program (and may never find out without first being killed) there is quite a bit of information being released.
Read More at Securelist.com.

Some of the frightening facts:

• Flame is a huge package that access Bluetooth for nefarious purposes, take screenshots, monitor network data, log keystrokes and even record audio through microphones connected to the PC.
• It appears, due to its complexity and size and the fact that it is not interested in bank account information or general tomfoolery, that Flame is the creation of a nation state, such as the U.S., Britain, Israel, etc.
• Flame is mainly targeting 7 Middle Eastern countries: Iran, Israel/Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabi and Egypt.
• Flame may be related to the massive Stuxnet and Duqu malware that are basically Skynet 1.0.

Read More at Wired.com.

Virus interpretation by DROUET via Wikimedia Commons.

It's interesting that Israel is listed as one of the infected countries (though some people have indicated that only Palestinian computers were infected). This infection in Israel could be a ploy to draw attention away from them as culprits. 

Of course, most fingers are going to be pointing to the United States, as that's who is regularly mucking about in the Middle East and that's who has the biggest problem with Iran these days. This information gathering is likely the handiwork of the CIA and possibly the NSA in an attempt to more closely monitor Iran's nuclear progress. 

"SMART" EVERYTHING IS DUMB ANYTHING

Here's an interesting article about how Americans are giving up our freedoms for convenience.

Basically, the government is going to be relying more and more on our own devices to spy on us (anyone remember iPhones in India?).

What's frightening is that this isn't going to be just related to communication devices. In the future, it's quite obvious everything will be "smart". Pretty soon, your blender, toaster, microwave, TV, Blu-Ray player, etc. will be recording and monitoring your every move, every word and every action. Don't have sex with your wife unless you're under the blankets in the closet of a bunker in your backyard with six inches of lead wall. We know from the TSA's actions that the government loves making amateur porn.

Be careful what you say and do!