Safe Web browsing

Today, February 10, is Safer Internet Day. Therefore, we want to share with you some tips for safer browsing.

Most of the time, when you browse the Internet, shop online or simply check your bank accounts, all you need is a little common sense and these guidelines to keep all of your devices free from viruses and threats. 

Tips for Safe Web browsing

1. SHOP ONLINE WITH CAUTION

When shopping online make sure that the site’s URL is the same as the website you think you are browsing and that the address starts with HTTPS. Do not forget to check the privacy policy.

2. KEEP YOUR ANTIVIRUS UPDATED

Android, Windows, Mac… When browsing the Internet it is essential that your device is secure and updated. There is specialized malware for each of them and therefore, it is vital to have an antivirus software to protect your identity online and that of your family.

3. USE A KNOWN WI-FI NETWORK

It is very convenient to connect to networks in bars, shopping malls or stores but bear in mind that they are not usually very secure. The data packets transmitted over public connections can easily be intercepted by hackers or cyber-criminals.

4. KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR INBOX

When you receive an email from an unknown sender, do not click on the links or attachments. Similarly, do not respond to these emails providing personal data or login details for different accounts.

5. TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN

Children use smartphones and tablets just as easily as adults and this is good, provided that they know what they should not do. Above all, it is very important for adults to supervise their online activity.

6. LOOK AFTER THE ‘INTERNET OF THINGS’

There are many Internet-connected home appliances: televisions, microwaves, security systems… The best thing you can do is keep the operating system updated.

And remember that you should put these tips into practice every day of the year, not just today. 

Google, Mozilla Considering Limiting Certificate Validity to 60 Months

In the wake of a parade of problems with certificate authorities and attackers using stolen digital certificates, both Google and Mozilla are poised to enforce new rules in their browsers for how long end-entity certificates should be trusted.

The changes will begin taking effect at the beginning of 2014, at least in Google Chrome, and will result in the browser no longer trusting any certificate that’s more than 60 months old. Mozilla also is considering a similar move for its Firefox browser. The change is the result of the adoption of the CA/Browser Forum Baseline Requirements, a document that lays out a long list of requirements for the operation of a certificate authority and issuance of certificates. The requirements specify that CAs should not issue any certificates with a validity period longer than five years.

In a message Aug. 19 on the CA/B Forum mailing list, a Google employee said that the company is planning to comply with this rule in Chrome and Chrome OS beginning in 2014 with Developer and Beta channel builds, eventually moving to the Stable channel sometime during the first quarter.

“These checks, which will be landed into the Chromium repository in the beginning of 2014, will reject as invalid any and all certificates that have been issued after the Baseline Requirements Effective Date of 2012-07-1 and which have a validity period exceeding the specified maximum of 60 months. Per the Chromium release cycle, these changes can be expected to be seen in a Chrome Stable release within 1Q 2014, after first appearing Dev and Beta releases,” Ryan Sleevi of Google said in the message.

“Our view is that such certificates are non-compliant with the Baseline Requirements. Chrome and Chromium will no longer be considering such certificates as valid for the many reasons that have been discussed previously on this list.”

Mozilla developers also have begun the process of making the same change to Firefox, creating an entry in its Bugzilla change system.

Certificate authorities have had a rough go of it for the last couple of years, beginning with the attacks on Comodo and DigiNotar and following with the use of stolen digital certificates in a number of pieces of malware recently. One of the results of the attacks on CAs is that the browser vendors end up being the ones who have to clean up the mess, removing trust for compromised certificates and helping to make sure users aren’t harmed by attackers using the bad certificates. The new restriction on the validity period of certificates won’t solve those problems, but it is a move to help limit the practice of continuously reissuing certificates once they’ve been approved.

Courtesy By Dennis Fisher

Google Blocks High Profile Sites After Advertising Provider NetSeer is Hacked

Google Chrome users, among others, couldn't access some of the most popular Web sites Monday after an advertising network's corporate Web site was injected with malware. But, according to the ad company's chief executive, those sites were safe.

Those who called up sites such as The Huffington Post, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and many other media sites, among others, were greeted with a warning that the sites contained malware. An example of a warning: "Content from cm.netseer.com, a known malware distributor, has been inserted into this web page. Visiting this page now is very likely to infect your computer with malware." Another warned that the virus peddler was images.buddytv.com.

In both cases, the culprit turned out to be the Santa Clara, Calif. startup Netseer, an advertising provider with a considerable global digital footprint.

"Early this morning we received alerts that our 3rd party hosted corporate website (netseer.com) was hacked and infected with malware. Consequently, Google added our domain to the list of malware affected websites and Chrome and some other browsers started blocking any sites that had ‘netseer.com’ code," according to a letter from the CEO on the company's homepage.  

 

"Our ad serving infrastructure is completely different from the corporate website but shares the same domain (netseer.com). So although the malware never impacted the ad serving all our ad serving partners saw Chrome and other browsers flagging malware warnings to users. To reiterate, the malware was never served into ad serving stream and the browser behavior was completely due to ad serving and the corporate website sharing the same domain name."

The company said Google had removed the site from its malware impacted site list by 9:30 a.m. Pacific time, but users continued to report blocked sites hours throughtout the day.

According to various news reports, Internet Explorer users had no trouble accessing the impacted sites with that browser.

Courtesy by Anne Saita

Facebook Proposes Eliminating User Voting System for Privacy Changes

Facebook today announced plans to eliminate its voting system that gave users a say in how their privacy is handled.

In a statement issued Wednesday 21st November, Elliot Schrage, Vice President, Communications, Public Policy and Marketing for the Menlo Park, Calif.-based social media company, said the voting system set in place in 2009 hasn't worked as well as planned. It allowed users to publicly post comments on proposed changes to Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities (SSR) and Terms of Use. If the site received 7,000 comments, users could then vote on alternatives -- provided at least 30 percent of all active users participate. The site currently has 1 billion users.

Schrage said the system initially worked well but as of late had become a mere numbers game.

"In the past, your substantive feedback has led to changes to the proposals we made. However, we found that the voting mechanism, which is triggered by a specific number of comments, actually resulted in a system that incentivized the quantity of comments over their quality," he wrote. "Therefore, we’re proposing to end the voting component of the process in favor of a system that leads to more meaningful feedback and engagement."The company plans to keep its seven-day comment period open and hold a Q&A with its Chief Privacy Officer, but it did not say how privacy decisions would be made once the voting system is eliminated.

"We will also provide additional notification mechanisms, including email, for informing you of those changes," Schrage said.

Other proposed updates include:

• setting up new filters to manage incoming messages
• making sure people understand where "hidden" posts may still appear (like others' timelines or news feeds)
• providing tips for deleting posts, activity logs and others' posts where you're tagged.

Courtesy by Anne Saita

Google Sheds Light on New Android App Scanner

Google has divulged more information about its forthcoming application verifier for the Android operating system. The feature is being rolled out over the air alongside the latest build of the OS, Jelly Bean 4.2, on Nexus 7 and Galaxy Nexus devices as of yesterday.

While it can be disabled, the app verifier feature is turned on by default according to a new description from Google/Nexus that describes the process as follows:

If users attempt to download and install an unsafe app, they’ll see one of two notifications warning them the app is either potentially dangerous – recommending they cancel installation - or informing them the app is dangerous – blocking installation.

The description mentions that by allowing Google to verify your applications, the company will receive information from your phone including URLs related to the app along with general information about the device, including its ID, the current build of the operating system, IP addresses and cookies.

Users can reach the new verifier, which analyzes apps from all app stores, even those not found in Google’s Play store, by clicking Settings > Security > Verify apps.

Users wishing to sideload apps from third-party app stores without Google analzying them will simply need to turn off the service.

Google announced the verifier, along with other security plans for 4.2 late last month but it wasn’t until yesterday that one of the company’s Android developers, Michael Morrissey, highlighted an expanded description of the service in a post on Google+.

It still appears unclear if or how Google’s acquisition of VirusTotal earlier this fall, feeds into Android’s new app verifier. Despite being obtained in September, the online virus scanning company claimed it would continue to operate independently.

 Courtesy by Christopher Brook

Have We Learnt to ……?

Have we learnt to smile amidst tears?

Have we learnt to overcome our fears?

Have we learnt to walk on an edge?

Have we learnt to forget old grudge?

Have we learnt to find difference in brick and stone?

Have we learnt to sit on a horny throne?

Have we learnt to fight against injustice?

Have we learnt to shun ill will and malice?

Have we learnt to help each other?

Have we learnt to be together?

Have we learnt to gaze thru those deceitful eyes?

Have we learnt to perceive those cunning smiles?

Have we learnt to listen to a good advice?

Have we learnt before speaking to think twice?

Have we learnt before live alone and separate?

Have we learnt to love and hate?

Have we learnt to pray longer, harder?

Have we learnt to make our faith stronger?

Courtesy by Shalini Jalali Koul

To My Conscience

Your being with me is a blessing,

For you are so friendly and so caring.

                             In my despair

                             You give me solace,

                             And in my happiness

                             You smile with me.

Your guide me whenever

I need your advice any ill will

Warn me against any ill will

Unmindful of which I may be.

                                                     You always remain

                             With me in my strife,

                             Stand by me through all

                             The ups and downs of my life.

Thanks to you.

For you have kept me alive,

You are the only one,

For whom I really strive.

Courtesy by Shalini Jalali Koul