5 Best VPNs for Torrents and P2P File Sharing

Torrents have become incredibly popular for sharing files online, and as networks continue to grow for P2P file sharing, increasingly more people are tuning in to this massive content sharing system. Of course, there are inherent security risks with any type of file sharing. This, coupled with the fact that the content of torrent files is usually something copyrighted, such as music or movies, is making users look deeper for ways to protect their privacy and stay anonymous.

Most people have at least basic anti-malware software installed on their devices, which is really helpful in screening files that may have viruses tucked away in them somewhere. However, this type of software really doesn’t do anything to secure your actual connection, it just secures your device.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and VPNs have answered the call. VPNs - Virtual Private Networks—offer users a secure and anonymous connection, along with global access to any content they want, regardless of their location. Not all VPNs are created equal though, and if you’re frequently downloading and sharing torrent files, you’re going to want a VPN that’s fast enough to get the job done.

Here are the top five VPNs for torrents and P2P file sharing, and how they compare in terms of price and connection quality.

#5. EarthVPN

Monthly Rate: $3.99

EarthVPN is a great, simple way to protect your privacy online. The connection is relatively fast - definitely fast enough for downloads - and the rates are some of the lowest you’ll find. Although the software is simple and the website doesn’t seem like much to look at, these guys offer loads of features and provide one of the better VPNs I’ve seen.

EarthVPN has the strongest 256-bit encryption available, so your connection is secure from snoops and hackers on public networks. You also get unlimited bandwidth, so there’s never any worry about hitting a monthly cap.The software is compatible with all major operating systems, and even allows three simultaneous connections, so you can use it on just about any device. The only real drawback? No live chat support.

#4. TunnelBear

Monthly Rate: $4.99
 

Okay, I am a huge fan of TunnelBear. The prices are low, the software is great, and let’s face it, the TunnelBear marketing gimmick is downright cute. These guys really know how to sell a product, and their product is awesome all the same.

TunnelBear’s encryption is tough stuff—256-bit and military grade, with settings in the software that you can use to optimize your connection for speed versus security. While TunnelBear is not compatible with Linux, it works on just about everything else—Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.What I love about TunnelBear is how easy it is to use. There is no manual connection configuration and no compressed files to mess with. It’s a simple download and install procedure. To top it all off, they even offer a free version to take for a spin before you sign up for a service plan.

#3. HideMyAss

Monthly Rate: $9.99

Where HideMyAss really shines is its server network. Often, the speed of your connection can really be impacted by the number of servers a VPN has. Too few and there’s not enough bandwidth to go around, not enough locations and you can have a hard time establishing a reliable connection. However, with servers in 190 countries, HideMyAss has one of the largest networks in the world.

With HideMyAss you get software that is compatible with just about every operating system but Linux. You can also use their software simultaneously on up to two devices.The customer support is really comprehensive too, with 24/7 help available on their live chat, phone and e-mail support lines. With unlimited bandwidth and a 30-day, money-back guarantee, there’s not much to lose by giving these guys a try.

#2. IPVanish

Monthly Rate: $10.00

IPVanish is another great VPN to try, with unlimited bandwidth and up to two simultaneous connections under one account. The one major drawback with these guys is that their software isn’t compatible with iOS, so mobile Apple users won’t have much use for it.

However, they do offer 24/7 customer support, with a live chat feature on their website you can use for immediate assistance and an e-mail ticket system for less pressing issues. Plus, they offer a 7-day refund policy for customers who do not find the service works well for them.

Like most other VPNs, IPVanish offers unlimited bandwidth and 256-bit encryption, plus a huge network of servers. Their network includes locations in 60 countries, so wherever you are, you should be able to connect with IPVanish.

#1. ExpressVPN

Monthly Rate: $12.95

ExpressVPN is definitely the best VPN I’ve ever seen. The software is incredibly simple and user-friendly, and the support staff is awesome when you need some assistance. They have the standard e-mail and live chat support, but what’s really incredible is that they usually get back to you within 20 minutes of sending them an e-mail—totally unheard of in this business.

The software works on all operating systems, including Linux, so you can use it seamlessly on all of your devices. It allows two simultaneous connections too—one on a mobile device and one on a home connection.

They offer a rock solid 30-day, money-back guarantee and will give you a refund—no questions asked—if you decide their service isn’t for you. If you do decide to keep it, you can even get a month of free service for you and a friend through their unique referral program.

Their connection is lightning fast, thanks to their massive server network, and with unlimited bandwidth, you’ll never have to worry about too many torrent downloads. Hands down, ExpressVPN is absolutely the best VPN for the job, and worth every penny.

Even if you only do your file sharing at home, most countries have government surveillance programs for internet users, so your connection is anything but anonymous. With a VPN, you get an IP address and access to remote servers to make your connection totally untraceable back to you. ExpressVPN is, in my opinion, the best VPN to keep you protected.

If you’re on public networks frequently, this software is particularly indispensable. These networks are absolute hotbeds of criminal activity, and hackers specifically target them to infiltrate your connection and steal your information. With an encrypted tunnel for your web traffic, your information stays secure from your device to the server.There’s no need to get paranoid and modify your routine—share away, my friends. But messing with torrent files can be a bit like a virtual game of hot potato, so be smart. Protect your devices with anti-malware software, and always use a VPN to keep things private and anonymous.

How To Improve Your Online Privacy With These Easy Steps

The good news is that it's really easy to beef up your online security. These quick and simple steps will considerably strengthen your systems against criminals and snoops.

1. Get a quality VPN service

The quickest and easiest way to improve your online privacy is to get a quality VPN provider. The best services, like ExpressVPN, will secure your internet connection from prying eyes. A VPN will make your internet connection completely private and will keep no record of your internet activity.

2. Use a password manager

It goes without saying that a strong password will protect you more. You should also always use a different password for each account you have online. The best way to do this is with a password manager. It will encrypt and store all of your credentials for every site, so that you don't have to remember them all. Logins will fill out automatically, which means you'll spend less time frantically trying to remember your pet's birthday. Pick a strong master password and let the program do the rest.

3. Keep your system up to date

Setting your OS to update automatically requires minimal effort, and will considerably strengthen your defence against cyber attacks. It's important that you always have the latest security updates on your machine. They are released for a reason - to fight the increasingly sophisticated criminals who are constantly searching for ways to attack you and harvest your data.

4. Don't forget Your Mobile Connections

Connecting from a mobile device is increasingly the way most people get online. There's no point securing your desktop if you leave your iPad connection open. That's why it's important to choose a VPN service which will work across all devices and operating systems.

5. Don't trust Free and Public Wifi.

In many cases, it's free because they are harvesting your data. And that's just the provider. Criminals and snoops can also use the same connection to gain access to your files.

Getting secure online is more common sense than cost. A few straight thinking minutes can have your systems operating far more securely. VPNs are worth more than their weight in gold.

VPNs Weigh Nothing

Literally. There's no bulky equipment, It's just software. It's also lightweight software that won't hog any resources. In fact, it can often speed up your system. ISPs increasingly throttle traffic to certain websites. They do this without telling you, or even admitting it. They may use phrases such as "Traffic Shaping", but don’t be fooled. It's throttling. A VPN hides the sites you are looking at, so it's impossible to have your connection "trafficked".

Honorary Mentions: What about Tor?

There are other methods of securing your data online. Perhaps by using the Tor network. And while it is not as tricky (or dangerous!) as some make out, it just isn't as simple as a good VPN service.

ExpressVPN will get you browsing safely within minutes. A quick install and a few clicks is all you need to increase your online security and protect your privacy. And with a 256 key encryption, it is near impossible to hack.

How Private is Google's Incongito Mode?

With the increase in the number of users of internet globally cyber crimes have also increased remarkably and people should try to be more careful while using the internet than ever before. In the age where almost everyone has access to the internet privacy is one of the most important things that you should worry about while browsing on the internet.

If you are using a public computer for general search like for the schedule of the football world cup fixtures or look for the weather report, privacy is not entirely necessary. But if you are booking a table in a restaurant online, shopping online by using your credit card, checking your bank account, logging into your social media profile or checking your email you need your browsing to be private.

If you are browsing in a public computer you need to be aware that the data you search can easily be accessed by someone else who uses the same computer after you. Mostly people who want their browsing to be private and don’t want anyone to see what they search on the internet remove the history manually after they are done. The traces are removed by clearing the cache and cookie files to completely remove the history. It can also be used specifically for the sites you want to be cleared. They can be removed selectively and the process which does not take much of your time.

Privacy on the internet is now taken very seriously and most modern browsers ship have a private browsing mode that you can be start independently. This helps to avoid keeping the record of the sites visited and the information browsed in that session cannot be restored once the browser is closed.

Private modes of browsing of all the browsers are the same. A new window opens that is independent from the main session. Just like the main session users can open as many sites as they want to open.

There is however a difference between the functioning of Firefox private browsing mode and google chrome's incognito mode.

In google chrome when you close the browser after using the incognito mode the data cannot be restored. Not everyone needs the private mode of browsing as If you search of a website of something that you need and after finding it you close the window than this information that you searched cannot be restored and if you do not remember the exact site that you searched you cannot reopen it as the data is not saved.

But in Firefox this feature is different. In Firefox data can be restored in the same way just like in the normal browser which is by using ctrl+shift-t. It can also be achieved by right click on the tab bar and undo close tabs from the context menu.

Other browser like opera and internet explorer also use private browsing. Opera is chromium based so its private browsing mode is just like that of google chrome’s incognito and the closed tab cannot be restored while internet explorer handles private browsing just like Firefox.

Comparing these browsers and their private browsing a question arises that is why these applications are different in re-opening the tabs once after they are closed. There is no official answer to this but an appropriate and logical reason can be that the browser that can re-open the closed tabs holds data on a window level while the browsers that cannot re-open the closed tabs in incognito mode like google chrome and opera hold data on tab level.

It makes google chrome’s incognito mode more private as there is no restoration of a tab once after it is closed.



Author Bio:
Brooke fill in as Parental and Tech expert and writer has earned her an exhibited accumulating of readers who are needing for the most recent news and audit about Tech updates. Her work turns around the most recent in spy app for mobile phones like Mobile Tracker.

Seven Ways to Prevent Software Viruses from Infecting your Personal Data

Computer viruses are manifested through software programs that replicate and infect other computers. Normally these are spread through emails and data transfer devices such as flash disks. Other than infecting your computer or laptop, viruses can be transferred to your cell phone, e-reader or tablet. So long as these gadgets can get into contact with the internet, they are always at risk. A viral attack can lead to a malfunction or expose your personal data such as the passwords you use. If an intruder gets hold of your password he/she can hack into your phone or emails.

There are three basic ways to steer clear of viruses:

• Avoid opening email attachments from people you don’t know
• Always use sites that are trusted when downloading files
• Scan suspect documents or devices that you use

Below are some measures you can take to prevent viruses from getting into your personal data:

1. Exercise caution when opening email attachments either from your phone or tablet. The same way you treat suspect attachments with caution when working from your computer should be replicated in other gadgets. If you get an email from someone who is not in your mailing list, don’t open it. Do the same in case the message title or sender’s name looks suspicious.

2. Be on the lookout for links that look questionable. These are normally sent through text or email messages. The people who send them are spammers or hackers. Some do this on purpose with the intention of establishing whether that email address has a user. Once you open it, some trigger is raised on their end and they get an opportunity to either spam your mail box or send viruses. Others may not be aware that their phones are infected. You can try sending a text to the sender to inquire whether he/she sent the link. If the person is genuine and honest you will get a response and an apology. Otherwise, delete such messages instantly.

3. With respect to applications, download only those that are legitimate. You can tell whether a store is legit by reading online reviews about it. Since there are many people looking for mobile phone applications, some malicious people have taken advantage by spreading viruses in form of fake games, social networking applications and financial tracking apps.

4. While using Bluetooth, apply undiscoverable settings. There are viruses that pass through Bluetooth connections. This is a tricky attack. If you walk near a device and your connection is in discoverable mode, the virus in the infected device can easily be transferred to your tablet or smartphone. Currently, there are some malicious viruses that disable your phone and steal your contact details.

5. In order to protect your smartphones, iPhones, e-readers and tablets download anti-virus applications. These can be obtained from trusted providers. Make sure the company you source the app from is well known. Examples include Lookout Mobile Security app and SmrtGuard Solutions’ Snap Secure app. These help protect iPhones as well as provide data backup. The applications are available from Lookout Inc. There are a host of many others.

6. For Android phones, you should be able to get reliable anti-virus such as Kaspersky Mobile Security app. This incorporates spam and virus protection. Other examples are Norton Mobile Security and Bullguard Mobile Security. These protect data during an attack, theft or loss of your phone. You can download them online.

7. Look for anti-virus applications that help secure your personal information from falling into the wrong hands. Some can help keep track of your phone while others rid your phone’s memory from a remote location. This works well when someone steals your phone.
Image Credit: jesadaphorn



Author Bio:
Agency Fusion, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, is an ad agency focused on the intersection of design and technology. They specialize in web design, web development, branding and software development. Learn more about Fusion Agency here.

Tips for Better Online Shopping

Shopping online has become a modern trend as it eliminates the need for waiting in long queue for purchasing a product online. Some worry that their credit card details may be given to a wrong person. Some believe that shopping online is better and safer than shopping in person or over the telephone. With the e-stores offering Free home delivery, Product replacement, etc., Online shopping has become a most preferred way of shopping nowadays. Here are some tips for a better shopping experience online.

Be Secure:

Millions of dollars are spend everyday in online shopping over the world. There are people who are trying to steal some from it, Be sure you are not a victim to them. When visiting a site to purchase anything online, ensure that the site is secure. Nowadays Phishing attacks are getting popular as shopping online is getting popular. So to ensure that the page you are visiting is secure, look for a tiny padlock icon over the beginning of the url in your browser's address bar. Also the site is secure if there is "s" as "https" and not "http" as seen on the picture.

Paying with Credit or Debit Card?

When shopping online, sites offer different modes of payment. Among them Credit and Debit card are the most preferred way by people. And here comes another question on what mode of payment to prefer, Credit or Debit card? It's advisable to prefer Credit card rather than Debit Card. Because Debit card draw directly from your bank account, so in case if your debit card details get in wrong hands, they may do much more damages to your finances than in the case of Credit card. So, prefer credit card for payment when shopping online.

Nowadays most credit card companies offer single-use credit card numbers for the purpose of online shopping, that expires after a single purchase, avoiding being misused even if the credit card details get's into wrong hand. And only the credit card company knows the account that these credit cards are linked to.

Shopping with Coupon Codes:

Hope you got some idea on choosing secure sites and making secure payments online. Now let's look into the way of purchasing your favorite products with reduced price online. Yes it's possible! Earlier we got coupons through newspaper, magazines or through our nearest store to avail discount when purchasing something.

Now with the advent of Technology/ Electronic ​coupons, it's possible to purchase your favorite products online at reduced/discount price. First you need to find a Coupon providing website. Then access the shopping website (where you want to use the coupon) through the coupon providing site. And select a deal to get the coupon code. Use those coupons or deals  during the checkout process on the shopping website to avail the discount.

Some final tips to be more secure:

• Add a Phishing filter to your browser as extension to avoid being a victim to phishing scams. These filter warn you when entering a insecure site. A simple google search will yield you with various phishing filters to compatible with your browser.
• When purchasing online, use credit card with online fraud protection. Many credit card company offers protection against purchases made with your credit card without your consent.
• Always keep a record of the purchase details that includes the time, date, receipt number, and order confirmation. It's better to take a hard copy of it.
• Email scams are increasing nowadays, So be aware of them. Never reply to mails asking your credit/debit card details to send money to your account.

Hope you had some idea on making your online shopping a Better one :) See you in next post buddies..
Image credit: iosphere, stuartmiles

How to Avoid Online Shopping Fraud?

Whether it is the latest tech gadget, new clothes, your next holiday trip, or car insurance - there are few things that you cannot buy online. But as great the pleasure of having everything delivered to your door step may be, the hard is the awakening once you realize you've become a victim of online shopping fraud.

During the past five years, every third online shopper has experienced fraud while shopping online according to a recent global consumer study. Beyond that, about USD 3.4 bn are lost each due to online shopping fraud - money from consumers like you and me!

Fortunately, there are a few simple rules that can help you to stay safe from becoming a victim of online shopping fraud and save a lot of money. The below infographic will show you how!

Courtesy of: TrustedCompany.com

Are You Sure Of Not Having a keylogger in Your System? Then, Be Sure!

I am sure that you would have heard about keylogger. Many of you might be of the notion that keylogger is a software, but this is not so. Keylogger could be hardware or software. It is meant for both legitimate and illegitimate jobs, but most of the times, it is used by the bad guys to spy on other's information.

If you do not want anybody to have an illicit access to your information, you need to know to catch hold of this kind of process that might run in your system without your knowledge. Here is how, you can have a check on this process.

Hardware keylogger:

Hardware keylogger is the device that needs to be connected to the keyboard port. If you happen to locate it, you can have it disconnected, so that the keystrokes are not traced. 

An alternate method of having the hardware keylogger installed is by soldering it into the circuit of the keyboard. To make sure that you do not have it soldered into the keyboard, you need to disassemble the board and find if there is any such thing fixed.

Software keylogger:

There are innumerous Software keyloggers that can be found online. Certain virus or malware programs have the ability to install keyloggers in your computer while running in your system. Most often, the keyloggers are used to have the credentials of important accounts, such as bank, social media, etc.

There are few things that you can do to identify a software keylogger and here they are!

1) Run an antivirus program

You can run an antivirus program to find, if there is any keylogger installed in your system. You can land on the computer review sites to find which product is the suitable one to detect a software keylogger.

2) Get rid of the malicious files

Run your antivirus and anti-spyware programs almost daily, so that these programs protect you from the malware that is capable of running and sliding keylogger into your system. Make sure that the detected malicious files are either quarantined or removed from the system.

3) Update antivirus software regularly

We would suggest you to schedule updates for your antivirus program on a daily basis. If the virus definitions are open to updates more often, then there is less chance that your computer will be attacked by the trouble making malicious files.

Hardware keyloggers are easy to find when compared with the software keylogger. However, you can make use of updated antivirus or anti-spyware to get rid of it.

Image Credit: adamr

Author Bio:

Robert R. is an avid guest blogger who writes on behalf of Mytechgurus. He enjoys sharing his knowledge with the everyday computer user, by helping them with common errors, especially Windows installer errors and slow computer problems.

Dacloud.me, The perfect VPN!

I will begin this article by citing benefits of a VPN, then advantages of another type of VPN that's based on SSLv3/TLS.

First of all, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) allows you to access the local network of your company through a secure internet connection when you are in a remote location (at home, at a customer ...). Thus, you get access to resources at your local network (shared files, intranet, external, printers, emails, games ...) in the same way as if you were at work / home, without having to open a port on your router or reconfigure your local resources.

So, what? I heard that VPN are secured, but how? Nope, they are not! I'm talking about average VPN, which are used to connect with at least one or more remote machines via an internet connection. We are talking about virtual tunnels where the data is encrypted.

And SSL/TLS VPN ? Here is another thing! These VPN are highly secured, the data transiting inside are totally obscure. They are so obscure that even servers admin can’t know what you are doing. Why ? Because here, the server use a certificate between the customer (you), and the server, and establish an encryption key 256 bits, which is impossible to hack.

In addition to this, they give you a shield against sniffers and hackers who are trying to hack you through public Wi-Fi network, or even your own network at home, because remember, all is encrypted!

Now that you know everything (what a genius!), let’s talk about Dacloud.me

Dacloud.me is a SSL/TLS VPN provider, and it is the best pay VPN! They don’t force you to install their software on your PC as others do. An SSL VPN connection is made to give you anonymity and maximum confidentiality and security. It’s not the case when you install a VPN provider’s software on your PC, since it can read titles of your navigation tabs, read your cookies and also your browser cache, and can thus determinate what you are doing for advertising purposes.

Dacloud.me work with the OpenVPN Connect client, which is open source and free to download on different platforms as Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Android, iOS…, which makes it a good service.

My first subscription was three months ago, when I was looking for a VPN to play online with my friends in a little virtual local network, everyone at home. What a surprise to fall on Dacloud.me. They have been excellent , they answered back in a few seconds and have been very helpful. They helped me to achieve what I wanted.

Furthermore, they have premium servers in USA, which allow me to watch my favorite TV shows on Netflix (not available in France). Your American Dacloud.me IP will allow you to do so. (Netflix is now my entire life!).

Let’s get back to the technical side, the connection speed, forbidden websites by your provider (torrents, etc), and the famous question: the private life.

Connection Speed

Personally, I’m very happy with Dacloud.me, and I encourage you to give a try. More than this, Dacloud.me offers you to take part of their expansion politic by advertise their product and win 2$ by subscription you have sponsored for the One Month Plan (7$), and more than 10$ for the One Year Plan (45$)! That’s easy money.

It’s one of the few VPN services that satisfied me. I could also say that Dacloud.me is the best ! So, what ? Don't wait anymore !

Connect them on Dacloud's Facebook Page to receive latest updates of their services.

What Is the Purpose of a DDoS Attack?

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are usually done by individuals calling themselves “hacktivists.” Their purpose is to crash a website server by overwhelming it with activity by “bots” and is generally an aim with a political purpose. These attacks can take up 111gbps to 179gbps, and in April of 2013, took 144 million packets-per-second. If the “hacktivists” are against a company’s stance on a specific issue or multiple issues, the “hacktivist” will attack in an attempt to show opposition and illustrate the company’s weakness. A “hacktivist” may also attack a company, such as a bank or finance company, which they believe makes money off of the downtrodden of society. Some hackers have used DDoS attacks for extortion in an attempt to make companies pay a designated amount before their servers can go back online. A DDoS attack can even be carried out by hackers who deem the company in competition with another company the hacker supports. It is also beginning to look like DDoS attacks are being used in fraud techniques and many alerts have been issued to companies to be aware of these possible attacks.

Created by the marketing team at Prolexic Technologies.

What To Do If Your Hotmail Account Gets Hacked ?

Have you been receiving a lot of junk mail lately ? Have your email contacts reported receiving an email from you that you have absolutely no recollection of sending ? Or have they reported getting an instant message from you which you have never sent ? If the answer to any of these questions is a 'yes', then it is very likely that somebody has hacked your Hotmail account or stolen your Hotmail password. This is a very serious situation, and it is possible that this hacker may make use of your Hotmail account for illegal and even criminal purposes.

Steps To Be Taken By You Once You Find Out Your Hotmail Account Is Hacked :

Now that you have a strong idea that your Hotmail account has been hacked, you shall need to take immediate steps to retrieve the situation. We present a list of immediate actionable steps to be taken by you. However, before we go into the details, in case of any confusion in following the instructions given by us, we advise you to please use the Hotmail customer service contact number and get the help of the Microsoft service team to help deal with the problem.

Step 1 : Free Your PC From Malware Or Virus

Download and install a reputed anti-virus and anti-malware system such as the Microsoft Security Essentials (for a Windows 7 operating system) and Microsoft Defender ( for a Windows 8 operating system). Make certain of running a full scan of your system. And only after that, change your Hotmail account password.

Step 2 : Reset Your Hotmail Account Password

Once you have fully completed the scanning of your system, log in to your Hotmail account and reset your password. While selecting a new password, you shall need to make completely sure that you use something that is totally different from the old one. Please do not use any of the commonly used passwords that may be found in many accounts, such as "passwd" or "admin". Use something much more complicated. Make use of capital letters, symbols, lower case letters and numbers. But do make sure that this new password may be easily remembered by you. Run your password through Microsoft's password checker to make sure it has never been used before by anyone. And once set, make sure of changing your password at regular intervals.

Step 3 : Change Your Account Settings

Make sure of resetting your Hotmail account settings. Click on the "more mail settings" field in the "Options" tab and follow the instructions given on how to reset the various options available in your Hotmail account.

Step 4 : Get Back The Deleted Mail

One of the most important signs that your Hotmail account has been hacked is the sheer number of deleted mail. Once the Microsoft mail server has an inkling that your account is being hacked, it saves all the deleted mail in a special "Deleted" folder. Click on this folder, and opt for for "restore deleted mail" option. Now you are good to go!

Summary:

Hacking of the Hotmail account of private individuals is a serious problem that has become very common of late. The first step in dealing with it is to check for the signs that tell you whether your Hotmail account has been hacked or not. Then the instructions given in this article should be followed step by step to help in retrieving the situation.
Image Credit: Stuart Miles

Author Bio:

Smith is a professional programmer from NewYork , who has often been the victim of a Hotmail hack, and has found using the Hotmail customer service contact number a mighty useful way to deal with this mini-crisis. Besides helping out people who are under attack from dangerous hackers, He dabbles in photography and hates global warming.

How to Safeguard Your USB Drive - 10 Easy Steps!

USB drives are a fantastic way to share information from computer-to-computer. While many people use email to send documents, USB drives can take just about anything that your computer has and move it to another system with minimal effort. Plus, USB drives can be used to share information without actually putting it in someone’s possession. Doing so can keep sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands. If you have a USB drive, though, there are still extra measures you should take to secure its contents. Continue reading for 10 easy steps that you can take to safeguard your USB drive.

Proper Password Management Protects Your USB Drive

First, let’s make sure that if anyone gets a hold of your USB drive, they won’t be able to use it.

• Insert your USB drive into your computer.
• Find the USB drive in your computer’s “Devices with Removable Storage” section or similar area.
• Right click on it and choose, “Turn on Bitlocker.”
• Once you choose this, Wizard will open up, and you’ll see the option to “use a password to unlock the drive.”
• Type in the password that you would like to use for your USB drive and click next.
• You’ll be asked how you’d like to “back up Recovery Keys.” Simply choose from the menu.
• Next, you’ll be asked to confirm whether or not your USB drive is already being used or if it’s brand new.

Encrypt Your USB Drive

Now you’ll want to encrypt the information that is found on your USB drive. This is a further measure that will make sure that your drive is protected from prying eyes, no matter how badly they want your information. After the above 7 steps, Wizard will ask you how much of your drive you’d like to encrypt.

• You’ll be given the option to encrypt the entire drive, which is best for those that are already in use, or just the used disc space, which is preferable for a new drive. The former option will take longer.
• After you make your choice, the encryption process will start.
• When the encryption process is complete, you can remove your USB drive, confident that its contents are now safe.

Going forward, whenever anyone wants to use the USB drive, they’ll be prompted to enter your password first. You can follow the same steps to change the password, as well, if you should so choose.

Keep in mind it’s also important to store your USB drive in a safe place at all times. Even if someone doesn’t have your password, possessing your USB drive can still be damaging, as you no longer have access to the data, either. If the USB drive contains information related to your company, check with human resources or your management. There are often official guidelines specific to securing USB drives that carry company data.

While USB drives are extremely convenient, they can easily expose you to information leaks if not controlled properly. Maintain your USB drive in a secure place at all times, and use the above 10 steps to encrypt the information and protect it with a password.

Source:
http://geekofreak.com/2013/03/encrypt-and-password-protect-your-usb.html

Password Management Strategies Do Not Have To Be Complicated

Despite advances in cyber security, passwords are still the best first line of defense against account infiltration because of their fluid customization. If an account becomes compromised, it is relatively easy for users to reestablish their defenses by changing how it is protected.

News outlets are regularly reporting tales of hacker devastation due to inefficient passcode strength. Although it is simple for users to change their passwords and optimize their security measures, according to PCWorld, there are simple strategies that businesses and consumers alike can consider in order to optimize their defenses from the start.

Tips for password fortification

Business 2 Community reported that password management software can do the work of creating complex and hard to hack passcodes without forcing the end user to memorize long strings of characters, across multiple accounts. With this cost-effective solution, the software will do this work for the customer, requiring minimal setup or maintenance. Furthermore, for businesses that need to manage various online presences over different account names, password management software provides users with an easy to use administrative interface.

Single sign-on solutions (SSO) are also worthwhile investments because of their instant authentication capabilities. When this software is deployed, users can connect to their accounts instantly, without requiring troublesome and often frustrating reset validations. Additionally, this strategy prevents business professionals who manage multiple password-protected accounts from having to spend time constantly signing into them as they perform their daily tasks.

There can never be enough security when dealing with the Internet. People who are invested in preserving their online identity should consider these optimized password strategies.

Top 10 Tips for Online Shopping Security

Just as fun as it can be to shop online, it can equally be risky at times. Not because you might just end up ordering the wrong size (thank god to the fact that there’s always an exchange window and you can courier it back) but because there are some safety issues that you need to keep in mind while swapping that plastic card of yours. With a dramatic increase in numbers of online purchasing portals, online flick stores, shopping windows, etc. it is becoming more and more crucial to keep a watch on where exactly you are stashing your card numbers in. There are scammers flopping in the online world like never before. So it helps to keep an eye before you decide to lay your hands on that beautiful dress or shoe you just spotted on the screen.

Here we lay down few safety procedures which once you ensure will make your experience equivalent to one that you have while visiting your nearest mart for picking stuff up.

1) Your computing environment should be very secured

Almost a no-brainer yet half the online population neglects this as a safety step. When you make purchases online, everything is encrypted. So if your computer is not protected of malicious software, your financial information and passwords will be stolen (as a matter of fact everything stands the chance of being stolen that are saved in your computer). So it is the first thing to ensure that the firewall is on. Also adding to it, try avoid shopping online from cyber cafes or using a public network. Financial transactions are better done through trusted computers.

2) Verify as to just how much you trust the store

There are correct ways of going about the shopping portal/ website you are trusting:

- If you already know the outlet of the brand or store you are purchasing form, go-ahead and have trust. In case anything goes wrong during the financial transaction, you can always walk in to the relevant store and get the problem sorted.

- If you have friends or family buying from a particular store/ portal, there’s nothing to worry much in that case then.

- If you do not know the store at all, BEWARE! Keep your eyes open. Read customer reviews or best is, do the store’s background check by looking at sites dedicated to reviewing e-stores. You find your store there, go ahead and make your picks.

3) Avail discount

Why pay extra when there can be options o availing discounts. There are many sites like indianprice.com, etc. which provide massive discounts via coupon codes. They have lots of stores registered with them and if your chosen store is registered, there you go hitting the jackpot. Cross-check and who knows you might just be lucky!

4) The too-good-to-be-true offers are not all that good always

You got no idea about the extent deceits can stretch. It’s not just on the online space but everywhere but when you are putting your money online, you can just be extra careful. It won’t hurt after all. Do not fall for the too-good-to-be-true offers. If they sound too unrealistic, there is no harm checking their reliability. They can be pretty unreal. Often purchasing from those sites can just be calling for bad luck. They can be low quality or stolen items or can also be cheap substitute of tall brands. The products might just never reach you or the portal merchant might just be playing all of it up for trading your bank details with someone else.

5) Stay alert while buying a gift-card

It is always nice to make your dear ones happy with the fabulous gift cards which are available online these days. But always read the terms and conditions carefully when buying one. Also, ensure the store from where you are buying is legitimate.

6) Do not trade too much of information

If the purchasing site is asking more information than you think is required, back off. It clearly is not reliable. The reliable sites would not go beyond asking name, contact details, email address, some method of payment, and at max your interest/ hobbies. But if you come across ones asking for driver’s license number, bank account information, social security information, etc. be cautious. It is a fraudulent one. There are hints that the merchant resell, rent or share your information. Alternatively, check the site’s privacy policy.

7) Make a unique password if required

Often online purchasing stores ask you to create an account with them. You need not do it but just in case it seems important to you or easy, then carry on. But ensure you choose a very strong password for the account. Make it unique.

8) Go a step high to ensure the security of the site

Hold on! Just before you enter any personal or credit card info onto a shopping site please do look at the URL. See if the web address on the page begins with "https:" and not "http." That little ‘s’ tells you the information is being encrypted to protect your information.

9) Wiring money through Western Union or Money Gram is not suggestible

Reliable sites generally do not make it a mandate for you to pay through wires. It is always wise to pay via credit or debit card. Wiring is suggestible to people you know but not to random strangers. So do not take the risk unnecessarily.

10) The grammar matters!

Might just sound very funny but do read the content that has gone on the website. If the content hosted by the portal/ the site is full of errors, typos, poor content, you can already sniff danger. They are not professional.

All in all, novice shoppers who are going to just start buying online should better stick with well known brands and famous online shopping portals rather than breaking their head in the smaller, less known ones. Once you get a grip of the online shopping fundamentals, you can always start your journey towards becoming the pro online shopper. But till then, have patience.

Author Bio:

This is a guest article contributed by Ajeet Sharma who works for IndianCoupons.com - a coupon site helps user shopping online by providing discount coupons, promotional codes and deals for all major online shopping stores.

Kids And Texting - 3 Dangers They May Face

Many of my friends communicate with their children via text message. It’s easy for the kids to send a quick message from school or when they are at a friend’s house to update so their parents know what they are up to. In my generation, you didn’t need a cell phone when you were in middle school or high school, but now with families having busy schedules, it almost has become a necessity. Keeping in contact with your kids is the biggest benefit of text messaging. You can see an example of how text messaging was a lifeline to this parent whose child was on lockdown during the Arapaho shooting. Without his child having a cell phone, he would have been in the dark if his child was okay.

Despite some obvious benefits, there are some drawbacks to allowing your kids access to text messaging as well. Here are just 4 dangers that they may face when they have a cell phone and send texts.

Cyber Bullying

It seems like everyday that you turn on the news there is a new story about kids getting bullied or committing suicide because they were bullied. The attacks can come from people they know or even people that they meet on the internet. It’s becoming an epidemic.

Sexting

As kids get older and head into their teens, they start to get curious about their bodies and start wondering about their sexuality. Some teens have started to practice sexting, which involves sending naked pictures or suggestive text to people they know or would like to know. Many scandals have arisen from those text messages getting forwarded. Teens need to work hard to protect their reputations in a digital age and refraining from sexting is one way to do so. Since their relationships are young and volatile, a person who they trust now may be an enemy next week. What’s to stop that person from sharing those private texts that were sent?

Phishing Scams

Another way kids can become victims is through phishing scams. Even with the FCC cracking down, they still exist and kids are easy pray. They usually come in the form of a text message that tricks someone into replying. Once they reply, they are signed up for a premium service and their bill gets charged. They may never know they are being scammed.

Predators

Online predators are everywhere. They lurk on social media, forums and chat rooms. Make sure that your kids aren’t making themselves susceptible to these predators. Tell them to be wary of anyone who they don’t know contacting them online.

What’s the solution? Teach your kids to not give their number out to just anyone. Also, they should never be sharing their phone number on social media sites like Facebook. Unfortunately many have their number on Facebook right on their profile and may not even realize it. Some of those phone numbers show up in their “friends” contacts in their phones. I was surprised when I linked my social media accounts to my phone how many private phone numbers showed up. If their phone number is in their profile someone that they don’t know could be text messaging them.
Image Credit: David Castillo

Author Bio:

Jill Myers is a mom and drivers education instructor. When not helping others learn to drive, she is contributing her knowledge to the blog at Phone Sheriff, parental control software that helps parents keep track of what they are doing online.

Four Years in Jail For Using Facebook

In August 2011 the UK was plagued by riots following a protest in Tottenham after the death of a local man. Thousands of people in London boroughs and in cities and towns across the UK were involved in the riots, which were alternatively dubbed the ‘BlackBerry riots’ as people were using mobile devices and social media to organize groups of rioters.

As of the 15th August, more than 3,000 people had been arrested, more than 1,000 of which were charged. Included in this figure were two males in their twenties, who set up an event on Facebook, called ‘Smash Down in Northwich Town’ for the night of August 8th. Following a court appearance, the pair were sentenced to four years in jail for seeking to take advantage of crime elsewhere in the country, invoking fear and anticipated violence in the local vicinity.

Whilst this is an extreme case of social media being taken seriously by the law, it does highlight the important role that it plays in our lives today. You only need to send a total of two messages which are offensive, rude or designed to provoke a reaction can be classed as harassment and could land you in jail for anything between 6 months and 10 years.

So stop and think about the message you’re about to send, and the implications of what you plan to say.

For more information on this infographic visit Cartwright King Solicitors

How People Can Protect Themselves

Companies, government and medical institutions should know what to do to protect their business assets, customers and employees. Some data breaches take place after the physical theft of electronic equipment. Businesses should install security measures such as cameras, to record break-ins. Security alarms can scare off thieves who want to gain access to personal or financial information. Business owners can also use the Kensington lock port located on desktop and laptop computers and physically secure them to desks with a strong cable.

Businesses, employees and customers can protect their personal data, such as credit card account numbers, Social Security numbers and bank routing numbers, by encrypting them.

Wireless networks are vulnerable to a theft technique called “wardriving.” Hackers drive through business areas, using a laptop to scan for wireless networks that are not password-protected. These unprotected networks allow the hacker to break into the network, looking for medical and financial data, as well as passwords.

Created by the marketing team at GreyHeller.

Car Theft Worldwide [INFOGRAPHIC]

Below is an infographic with statistics on Car Theft Worldwide!

Infographic by Smf.ie

Software Bugs Really Bite

This infographic takes a look at the Top 6 software bugs and what they have caused. Below is an exerpt of the infographic.

The advances of time and technology bring new and difficult challenges for software programmers. With the creation of new programming languages and software coding comes new issues or glitches within the application. These glitches are known as bugs.

While software bugs cause unwanted operations with in the program, they are mostly harmless. However, a small oversight during programming or testing can mean a huge issue for the developer, particularly when it comes to the sensitive nature of client information.

Here’s a look at some of the top software bugs from the past few years.

When the ATM becomes a lottery: In 2011, an operation issue with ATMs in Sydney, Aus. gave out more money to customers than they should have.

This bug caused the ATM to run in stand-by mode, meaning that it didn’t recognize the customers’ account balance, allowing them to withdraw more money than they had in their account.

The bug lasted for more than 5 hours and affected more than 40 ATMs across the city.
It was reported that one ATM had a line of over 50 people once the word got out.

Did You Know? It's more cost-effective to code and test carefully than to just fix glitches that come up..

Software Bugs Really Bite

Author Bio:

Kris Dietz loves creating something amazing then spreading the word about it! My mission is to develop and mold SEO into an amazing outlet of sharing valuable resources. I enjoy networking and meeting like-minded individuals.

Making E-mail As Secure As Possible

It can be all too easy for businesses to downplay the importance of security when it comes to e-mail. Many people wrongly assume that the products available on the e-mail encryption market are vastly unnecessary and simply tools for the companies that sell them to make money whilst capitalising on people’s fears. However, many businesses have become unstuck after underestimating the security concerns attached to e-mail.

Staying Up To Date with Threats

With every new development in the online world comes another series of risks that can be exceptionally damaging. E-mail encryption plays a pivotal role in protecting businesses from the activities of criminals and others into whose hands information can fall all too easily. The information that is included in e-mails can be of a highly-sensitive nature, and can result in huge security breaches taking place. Encryption can protect everything from business plans to employee bank details from being used by outside sources. It is as necessary and as useful for private individuals as it is for companies small and large.

Reputable Software

Identity thieves have been known to intercept millions of e-mails in the past, using information such as insurance details and social security numbers for their own illegal means. Even Government departments have come under fire in the past after not taking advantage of the tools available to them to prevent interception from taking place. It’s important for businesses to always stay one step ahead of criminals, by choosing the most reputable companies and software possible for protecting the content found in e-mails. It’s also essential that quality is not compromised when it comes to finding the most reliable sources possible. Companies should never opt for a low-cost service just to save capital, or the results could be disastrous. No confidential information or indeed anything that you don’t want others to see should be sent in an unencrypted e-mail.

Eliminate the Risks

There’s no real denying that e-mail isn’t a risky way to do business, but if there are no realistic alternatives available, you should ensure that you achieve the highest level of security possible. Ways of keeping e-mail activity secure include using personal e-mail certificates to prove that you are who you say you are when communicating with others and asking others to do the same. Spam and malware have regularly been sent out to contacts without the consent or even knowledge of e-mail account owners, but if your contacts know that you only ever send e-mail with a security certificate attached, they will be unlikely to open any e-mail that doesn’t feature a certificate, leaving them protected from harm.

Author Bio:

Egress Software Technologies offer a simple to use email encryption product. You can also find out more about their service for secure large file transfer at www.egress.com/solutions-large-file-transfer

Using iOS 7 to Optimize iPhone Security

The latest iOS upgrade has brought with it new and unique ways to secure the iPhone. TechRepublic reported that although much of operating system has remained the same, updates to its design and improvements to workplace integration makes it a worthwhile change. Additionally, Apple's passcode features have improved with a new alphanumeric password option.

Managing an iPhone with iOS 7

The bring your own device (BYOD) model for workplace integration has taken off, with more businesses allowing their employees to utilize smartphones, tablets and laptops, in place of their company-provided tools. As if in response to this trend, Apple released iOS 7 with features that enhance the functionality of the iPhone in an office setting.

According to TechRepublic, features such as AirDrop make sharing photos and documents fast and simple by connecting employees to one another, enabling a collaborative workplace environment for those who are utilizing this technology. Additionally, the source reported that Apple has also improved its overall app security by enabling a data protection function automatically, preserving any information transferred across these third-party app providers.

Another new resource that speaks to the iPhone's updated security is the single sign-on (SSO) capability that will allow end-users to set a password once across applications that contain sensitive information. This option is especially useful for businesses that hope to safeguard the data employees might be accessing through the cloud because it can prevent code sharing.

The first step is securing the phone itself

None of the above options are innately secure, however. According to Tom's Guide, it's essential that end-users with a mind for safety make optimal use of their iPhone's built-in security feature - the passcode.

The source reported that it's one of the easiest ways to prevent accidentally or intentional breaches of data. Additionally, the upgrades to the iOS 7 platform have provided end-users with new options for creating and maintaining security. Traditionally, the lock screen was protected by a 4-digit passcode. Now, after Apple's latest upgrade, it is possible to set alphanumeric protection, utilizing ten or more upper- and lower-case characters and numbers.

Tom's Guide noted that the 4-digit PIN code has 10,000 combinations, which is difficult to hack but not impossible. With the newest option, it is much more challenging for individuals to break through this defense. In addition to this new safety measure, the iOS 7 upgrade enables users to program how often the device will ask for authentication. Rather than the traditional method, which asked for authentication every time the screen was opened, the iPhone can be set so that it will lock on a timed interval instead.

Does it really matter?

According to Security Watch, mobile devices have become a major part of the lives of users everywhere. The source referenced a study by Sprint that reported how frequently smartphones are accessed on a daily basis, and the one unifying factor is the risk associated with information exposure.

Because of the ability to access the Internet on the go, data security has become a constant concern that responsible individuals are having to overcome. Additionally, without utilizing passcodes and other features meant to preserve the integrity of stored information, issues with privacy are growing.

In order to preserve what Security Watch calls "our most personal computers," it's important that smartphones are protected with verification features that are built into their operating systems. Additionally, it is possible to reinforce these safety precautions with password management software, which can provide an extra layer of defense against unwanted access.