Category: Security

Find blogs and articles on security from one of the world’s leaders in Internet security. Learn more from Private Internet Access, a leader in VPN services.
  • Sep 18, 2017 |
  • Caleb Chen |
  • Governments, Networking, News, Privacy, Security,

Reminder: the CIA has been able to hack your WiFi router for years

The CIA has had the tools to take over your router for over a decade, according to government documents leaked by Wikileaks. The software, CherryBlossom, is a custom Linux operating system (OS) that allows the attacker to use the device in a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack. The attack vector itself reminds us that our unprotected internet … Continue reading “Reminder: the CIA has been able to hack your WiFi router for years”

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  • Sep 15, 2017 |
  • Glyn Moody |
  • Governments, News, Privacy, Security,

The Chinese IT giant Huawei has big plans for the cloud in Western markets, with important implications for privacy

Some Chinese high-tech companies may be bigger than you think. The e-commerce giant Alibaba has a market capitalization of over $400 billion. The social media and gaming company Tencent is not far behind, and nearly a billion people use its WeChat messaging service. Baidu is the world’s second largest search engine, and is increasingly strong … Continue reading “The Chinese IT giant Huawei has big plans for the cloud in Western markets, with important implications for privacy”

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  • Sep 3, 2017 |
  • Caleb Chen |
  • Governments, News, Security,

US leads UK in VPN use and some security awareness, according to survey

A recent security study shows VPN use on the rise in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Wombat Security surveyed roughly 1,000 adults in the United States and 1,000 adults in the United Kingdom on their internet security habits – showing a clear leader in common VPN use. The author of the study, … Continue reading “US leads UK in VPN use and some security awareness, according to survey”

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  • Aug 31, 2017 |
  • Glyn Moody |
  • News, Privacy, Programming, Security,

Even encrypted data streams from the Internet of Things are leaking sensitive information; here’s what we can do

As the Internet of Things (IoT) begins to enter the mainstream, concerns about the impact such “smart” devices will have on users’ privacy are growing. Many of the problems are obvious, but so far largely anecdotal. That makes a new paper from four researchers at Princeton University particularly valuable, because they analyze in detail how … Continue reading “Even encrypted data streams from the Internet of Things are leaking sensitive information; here’s what we can do”

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  • Aug 29, 2017 |
  • Glyn Moody |
  • BitTorrent, Privacy, Programming, Security,

Is this the key to foiling phishing attacks? Spoiler alert: probably

As readers of this blog know, VPNs are a great way to protect your privacy and security. But they address only some of the online threats we all face every day. Another important class of problems are caused by attacks that lead to accounts being taken over, identities being appropriated, data theft and financial losses. … Continue reading “Is this the key to foiling phishing attacks? Spoiler alert: probably”

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  • Aug 25, 2017 |
  • Glyn Moody |
  • Copyright, Governments, Privacy, Security,

Welcome to the Internet of listening, eavesdropping, spying things

There’s a new frontier for digital privacy: home devices that understand spoken commands. That’s impressive and convenient, but it comes with definite risks, as Rick Falkvinge pointed out earlier this week. The product sites of the main players in the so-called “smart speaker” sector – Amazon, Apple, and Google – offer plenty of upbeat advertising … Continue reading “Welcome to the Internet of listening, eavesdropping, spying things”

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  • Aug 16, 2017 |
  • PIA Team |
  • News, Privacy, Security,

Libsodium Audit Results

Private Internet Access today releases the results of its Libsodium audit. Libsodium is an open source, cryptographic library that is used far and wide in projects such as Zcash as well as internal applications at Private Internet Access. Private Internet Access is proud to have another audited tool in its software suite. The Libsodium security … Continue reading “Libsodium Audit Results”

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  • Aug 14, 2017 |
  • Glyn Moody |
  • Governments, Privacy, Security,

Privacy issues with Palantir’s move into law enforcement, and how to tackle them

The name “Palantir” bespeaks mystery. Its original meaning is the powerful artefact in Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” that allows direct communications with distant lands. It is now also the name of a secretive company, Palantir Technologies, founded in 2004 by a number of Silicon Valley luminaries, chief among them Peter Thiel. At heart, Palantir … Continue reading “Privacy issues with Palantir’s move into law enforcement, and how to tackle them”

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  • Aug 7, 2017 |
  • Glyn Moody |
  • Governments, News, Privacy, Security,

Ireland planning to introduce national identity cards by stealth, with no debate and unclear privacy safeguards

National identity cards are an emotive topic. In the UK, the ID card debate raged for years before and after the authorities there passed a law in 2006 to introduce them. Five years later, a change of government saw the law being repealed as a result of widespread public concerns. The Irish government seems to … Continue reading “Ireland planning to introduce national identity cards by stealth, with no debate and unclear privacy safeguards”

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  • Aug 3, 2017 |
  • Glyn Moody |
  • News, Privacy, Security,

If you use a browser extension, your full Internet history may be for sale – and easily de-anonymized

The recent repeal of broadband privacy protection in the US has highlighted the highly-personal nature of browsing histories. One natural solution is to use a VPN in order to shield details of your Internet activities from your ISP. But research by a German journalist and data scientist, originally released last year at the 33rd Chaos … Continue reading “If you use a browser extension, your full Internet history may be for sale – and easily de-anonymized”

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