How to improve your security with better passwords
Passwords are one of the easiest (and first) ways to fail. We're always told to have secure password but not told how to make one or why. It might shock…
Cybersecurity
Behavioral biometrics: Websites and apps are learning from how you type, hold your phone, and use your mouse
How often do you hold your phone in your left hand? How big are your hands? Do your hands shake when you type or move a mouse? If your pointer…
After call to implant microchips in people awaiting trial, are they about to become the next threat to our privacy?
Last year, Privacy News Online wrote about the Swedish SJ Railways allowing customers to use under-the-skin microchip implants for "easy" ticket purchases. That might have seemed a one-off bad idea,…
TLS 1.3 is Coming – an Opportunity for Amazon, Google and Microsoft to End Censorship
A new standard for cryptography is on the horizon, called Transport Level Security 1.3 (TLS 1.3). TLS 1.3 is a major update to cryptography, and fundamentally changes how websites and…
PMKID Dumping: WiFi Password Attacks are Easier Than Previously Thought
It’s a little easier to attack some wireless networks than previously thought. That’s because Jens Steube, the developer of the popular password cracking tool hashcat, has found a new way…
Big Telecoms with Questionable Motives are Starting VPN Services
We are in a world where everyone is trying to get a hold of your information. Corporations and governments want to know what you're buying, what you're saying, and essentially…
Dedicated first responder network raises privacy, transparency and net neutrality issues
Providing first responders such as the police, fire services and paramedics with the best available technology makes sense. Lives can be saved and disasters averted if action is taken as…
When the threat is in your home: Online privacy, security and domestic violence
As digital citizens, we often think about how to secure our internet activity and communications from external sources, including Internet Service Providers, governments, and malicious hackers. For some, including journalists…
Why Gmail’s new “confidential mode” is not so great for privacy, and potentially awful for the open Web
Gmail is used by well over a billion people worldwide, making it one of the most important online services. Google has recently started rolling out a new design that includes…
Performing Ethical Hacking Through a VPN Service for a Full Attack Simulation
A major difficulty in defending against attackers and performing accurate attribution, lies in the fact that threat actors often route their traffic through the proverbial seven proxies. Defenders often spend…