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VPN for Online Security: Hotspot Shield

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Online users need a VPN (virtual private network), a kind of service that gives you online security, and Hotspot Shield’s service has a free version. A VPN hides your device’s IP address and interferes with any company trying to track your browsing patterns.

7WMany online companies take peoples’ data without their authorization, and then share it with other entities—again without the user’s permission. A virtual private network will put a stop to this invasion.

Thanks to the fiasco with Edward Snowden and the political messes happening in Venezuela and other parts of the world, many people are turning to VPN services like Hotspot Shield. When you surf the ‘Net on a public network (including using social media), your personal information is up for grabs in the air by vultures.

Why is VPN online security important?

Your personal data is out there literally in the air, to get mopped up by Internet entities wanting your money—or oppressive governments just wanting to snoop or even block internet access to the rest of the world. If you use your device when traveling, you’re at particular risk for suffering some kind of data breach or device infection.

The unprotected public networks of hotel, airport and coffee house Wi-Fis mean open season for crooks and snoops hunting for unprotected data transmissions. The VPN protects these transmissions of data.

In fact, Hotspot Shield was used to escape the prying of government online censors during the Arab Spring uprisings. This VPN has been downloaded hundreds and hundreds of thousands of times.

This VPN service comes with periodic pop-up ads and some banner ads for the free version, but the $30 per year version is free of ads and has malware protection.

What else does a VPN like Hotspot Shield do?

Users are protected from cookies that track where the users visit online. If your online visits are getting tracked, this information can be used against you by lawyers and insurance companies. And who knows what else could happen when tech giants out there know your every cyber move.

More on Hotspot Shield’s VPN

  • Compresses bandwidths. All the traffic on the server side, before it’s sent to the user’s device, is compressed. This way users can stretch data plans.
  • Security. All of your online sessions are encrypted: HTTPS (note the “S”) is implemented for any site you visit including banking sites. You’re protected from those non-secure Wi-Fi networks and malware.
  • Access. Think of the protection as a steel tunnel through which you access the Internet.
  • Privacy. Your IP address is masked, and so is your identity, from tracking cookies.

Hotspot Shield is compatible with iOS, Android, Mac and PC. It runs in the background once it’s installed and guards all of your applications.

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to Hotspot Shield VPN. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him discussing internet and wireless security on Good Morning America. Disclosures.

Tightening up Security is Everyone’s Responsibility

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Most information technology (IT) experts are very much unnerved by cyber criminals, says the biggest study involving surveys of IT professionals in mid-sized businesses.3D

  • 87% send data to cloud accounts or personal e-mail.
  • 58% have sent data to the wrong individual.
  • Over 50% have confessed to taking company data with them upon leaving a post.
  • 60% rated their company a “C” or worse for preparation to fight a cyber threat.

Here is an executive summary and a full report of the survey’s results.

A second study as well revealed high anxiety among mid-size business IT professionals.

  • Over 50% of those surveyed expressed serious concern over employees bringing malware into an organization: 56% for personal webmail and 58% for web browsing.
  • 74% noted that their organization’s networks had been infiltrated by malware that was brought in by web surfing; and 64 percent via e-mail—all in the past 12 months.

The above study is supported by this study.

  • 60% of respondents believed that the greatest risk was employee carelessness.
  • 44% cited low priority given to security issues in the form of junior IT managers being given responsibility for security decisions.

The first (biggest) study above showed that about 50% of C-level management actually admitted that it was their responsibility to take the helm of improving security.

And about half of lower level employees believed that IT security staff should take the responsibility—and that they themselves, along with higher management, should be exempt.

The survey size in these studies was rather small. How a question is worded can also influence the appearance of findings. Nevertheless, a common thread seems to have surfaced: universal concern, and universal passing the buck. It’s kind of like littering the workplace but then thinking, “Oh, no problem, the custodian will mop it up.”

  • People are failing to appreciate the risk of leaving personal data on work systems.
  • They aren’t getting the memo that bringing sensitive data home to personal devices is risky.
  • Web browsing, social sharing and e-mail activities aren’t being done judiciously enough—giving rise to phishing-based invasions.

IT professionals are only as good as their weakest link: the rest of the employees who refuse to play a role in company security will bring down the ship.

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to AllClearID. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him knock’em dead in this identity theft prevention video. Disclosures.

5 Ways To Protect Your Data On Public Wi-Fi

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Wireless connections can cost hundreds of dollars annually, so it makes fiscal sense that many people seek out free connections when they are out and about. But free doesn’t necessarily mean secure.

By now you’ve heard all the warnings that publicly connected Wi-Fi, such as that found in coffee shops, airports and hotels, are vulnerable to sniffers. Sniffers read the wireless data as it is transmitted through the air and convert it into words, numbers and computer code so other devices and administrators (including those with poor intentions) can read it.

Public Wi-Fi usually means that access is free and not password protected—which often means the Wi-Fi is unsecured, unprotected, unencrypted and just plain open.

Here’s how you can protect your data when out on a public network.

#1. Turn on automatic Windows Updates. In older versions of the Windows XP operating system, updates were all manual. With Windows XP SP2, updates are automatic by default. Windows Vista, 7 and 8 all have auto updates on by default. Keep it that way—there’s a reason for that. The reason is that attackers use certain software programs to search out vulnerabilities from outdated, unpatched systems.

#2. Turn off file sharing. On an encrypted home network, it’s reasonable to share files and folders with everyone in your family or with all the devices you access from different locations of your home and office. However, when you are out and about and accessing unsecured Wi-Fi, your data will be vulnerable due to settings in your firewall. With new Windows versions, you can specify whether or not you are on a “home” network, as opposed to a “public” network. Choose wisely; Microsoft has all the information here. At the most basic level, it is best to turn off all file sharing when heading out. Depending on your operating system, use these instructions from Carnegie Mellon to find out more.

#3. Don’t automatically connect to Wi-Fi networks. When initially connecting to a wireless network, we are often faced with a checkbox or option to “automatically connect” to the network in the future. Uncheck this and always manually connect. If your home network is “Netgear” and you are somewhere and your device sees another network named “Netgear,” your device will connect to its namesake—which may not necessarily be as safe, potentially leaving your device vulnerable to anyone monitoring that new network.

#4. Confirm the network you are connecting to. Granted, this is easier said than done. There are rogue networks called “evil twins” that criminals set up; they are designed to lure you into connecting by spoofing the name of a legitimate network. For example, you may use what you see as “Starbucks Wi-Fi” to connect while you’re sipping your latte, but you may also see a listing for “FREE Starbucks Wi-Fi.” Which one—if either—is for real? Such setups are designed to lure you in—and once connected, your data might get filtered through a criminal’s device.

#5. Use a freeVPN for Wi-Fi security like Hotspot Shield. Hotspot Shield creates a virtual private network (VPN) between your laptop or iPhone and our Internetgateway. This impenetrable tunnel prevents snoopers, hackers and ISPs from viewing your web browsing activities, instant messages, downloads, credit card information or anything else you send over the network.

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft expert consultant to Hotspot Shield VPN. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him discussing internet and wireless security on Good Morning America. Disclosures.

10 Ways To Protect Kids Online

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Children engage in online shopping, social media, mobile web, and computers just like adults do. Many parents feel a bit overwhelmed by technology and often throw their hands in the air and give up. Unfortunately, that’s not an option. It is essential that parents educate themselves on safe, secure online practices in order to set a positive example and provide guidance for their children as they navigate the web.

Parents who lack experience with the Internet, computers, or mobile phones must learn the basics before they can adequately monitor their children’s habits. A parent’s discomfort or unfamiliarity with technology is no excuse to let a child run wild on the Internet.

As with any task, one should start with the fundamentals. Spend as much time as possible with kids in their online world. Learn about the people with whom they interact, the places they visit, and the information they encounter. Be prepared to respond appropriately, regardless of what sort of content they find. Remember, this is family time.

  1. Narrow down devices: Many parents set up the family computer in a high-traffic family area, and limit the time children may spend using it. This is still good advice, but it becomes less feasible as more children have their own laptops and mobile phones, which can’t be so easily monitored.
  2. Recognize predatory behavior: Teach children to recognize inappropriate behavior. Kids will be kids, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to say mean things, send racy pictures, make rude requests, or suggest illegal behavior. If it isn’t okay in the physical world, it isn’t okay on the Internet.
  3. Use parental controls: Consider investing in computer security software with parental controls, which limit the sites kids can access.
  4. Discuss right from wrong: Decide exactly what is and is not okay with regards to the kinds of websites kids should visit. This dialogue helps parents and children develop a process for determining appropriate online behavior.
  5. Clamp down: Children should be restricted to monitored, age-appropriate chat rooms. Spend time with your children to get a feel for the language and discussion occurring on the websites they wish to visit.
  6. Stay anonymous: Do not allow children to create usernames that reveal their true identities or are provocative.
  7. Be secretive: Children should be reminded never to reveal passwords, addresses, phone numbers, or other personal information.
  8. Limit exposure: Kids should not be permitted to post inappropriate photos or photos that may reveal their identities. (For example, a photo in which a t-shirt bears the name of the child’s city or school.)
  9. No strangers: Never allow a child to meet an online stranger in person.

10. No attachments: Children should be taught not to open online attachments from strangers.

Robert Siciliano, personal security expert contributor to JustAskGemalto. Disclosures

Do You Know What Your Teens Are Doing Online?

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A new study called “The Digital Divide: How the Online Behavior of Teens is Getting Past Parents” (conducted by Tru Research and commissioned by McAfee) shows an alarming 70% of teens have hidden their online behavior from their parents, up from 45% in 2010. And yet half of parents live under the assumption that their teen tells them everything he/she does online.

It’s perfectly normal for teens to be less than forthcoming during these years when their hormones are raging and teen angst boggles their brain and body. However the Internet has drastically changed our culture and teens today have access to an incredible amount of information that they didn’t have, just a decade ago.

This instant access to information and digital devices is having an impact on our teens that many of us as parents don’t realize. Some of the revealing consequences are:

Friendships – 20% of teens said they had ended a friendship with someone because of something that happened on a social network.

Physical safety – 7% feared for their safety because of something that happened online, and 5% reported getting into a physical fight because of a problem that started online. More than 1 in 10 (12%) of teens have met someone in real life that they only knew online.

Criminal record – 15% said they have hacked someone’s social networking account and 31% have pirated music and movies.

Cheating – 48% of teens admitted to looking for test answers online, and 16% have used a smartphone to do this.

Innocence – 46% of teens report accidentally accessing pornography online and 32% reported accessing pornography intentionally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And what about the parents? The study showed:

1 in 3 believes their teen to be much more tech-savvy then they are, leaving them feeling helpless to keep up with their teen’s online behaviors.

22% of parents do not believe their kids can get into trouble online.

Less than 1 in 10 parents are aware their teens are hacking accounts or downloading pirated content.

78% of parents are not worried about their kids cheating at school.

Only 12% of parents thought their children accessed pornography online.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parents, you must stay in-the-know. Since your teens have grown up in an online world, they may be more online savvy than their parents, but you can’t give up. You must challenge yourselves to become familiar with the complexities of the teen online universe and stay educated on the various devices your teens are using to go online.

As a parent of two young girls, I proactively participate in their online activities and talk to them about the “rules of the road” for the Internet. I’m hoping that this report opens other parent’s eyes so they’ll become more involved in educating their teens with advice and tools.

For more information, please visit:

Full report: http://www.mcafee.com/us/resources/misc/digital-divide-study.pdf

Press release: http://www.mcafee.com/us/about/news/2012/q2/20120625-01.aspx

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Evangelist to McAfee. Watch him discussing information he found on used electronic devices YouTube. (Disclosures)

70% of Teens Hide Online Activities from Parents—Why We Should be Concerned

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Most major media picked up on a study that McAfee released called “The Digital Divide: How the Online Behavior of Teens is Getting Past Parents” that shines a scary light on how much trouble kids are getting themselves in online and how clueless most parents are.

Many people commented saying “I don’t need McAfee telling me kids lie” and I get that. But those who recognize the obvious may not realize the actions and consequences of those lies.

I’ll be the first to admit, and I’ve said this on national TV and radio, I should be buried 6 feet under based on the way I lived my teen years. I lied as a means of survival to cover up my various acts that would have surely got me the belt. But what I did compared to what teens are doing today was a different kind of trouble.

People snicker when they learn that almost half of teens are looking at porn weekly. Really? This is no big deal? It’s true they say “we become what we think about” and a 13-year old isn’t in an emotional or physical position to be consuming hard core violent porn.

Another example is that more than 10% of 13-17 year olds are meeting strangers online then actually meeting them in the real world. I doubt before social media there were as many teenage girls meeting 30-year old men on the street and then getting in his car. But with the Internet these “friends” can seduce teens girls via text or social networking sites and fill her emotional needs until he’s “got her.”

Are you really aware what this hidden behavior and lying is concealing? From the study, McAfee revealed that teens readily admitted to:

Breaking into others’ social media accounts

Hacking and manipulating grades in school

Downloading illegally pirated movies, music and software

Bullying, whether it was actively being a bully, being bullied or witnessing bullying

All of these activities could potentially get you, as parents, involved in numerous lawsuits because of these illegal activities.

This study more than anything points out how outrageous kids are acting online and how oblivious and overwhelmed their parents are. Perhaps Kevin Parrish, journalist and parent of teens from Toms Guidesummed it up best when he said:

“The Internet can be a dangerous place, and allowing teens to run free in a virtual new frontier seemingly run by hackers is just downright insane. Allowing children to do whatever they want online is a huge security risk to your personal data, and a potential legal risk for them. Bottom line, the Internet is a privilege, not a right. Teens should be allowed to express themselves, but not to the point where predators come calling or the FBI comes knocking at the front door. Teens are propelled by emotion, not knowledge and experience, especially early on.”

At least one parent gets it.

Here’s the top 10 ways teens fool their parents. Are you aware of all these?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Expert to McAfee

5 Smart and Safe eBay Shopper Tips

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Shopping is for people with time and money. When I am a consumer, it’s because I need something, and not necessarily the biggest or the best something. I need something practical, safe, and smart. eBay allows consumers to search for exactly what they need, and can be a great place to find hard-to-get items.

Overall, eBay can be a good experience if you know what you are doing. But take it from me: knowing what you are doing takes time and focus. Don’t just jump on eBay and whip out your credit card. You may get burnt in more ways than one.

1. Avoid scams by looking at the sellers’ feedback ratings. A rating of one indicates that the seller is either a “newbie” or a criminal. Certainly, we all have to start somewhere. But personally, I draw the line at sellers with a feedback rating of at least 15, and I still check to see what they’ve bought and sold. If they’ve bought or sold 15 items at $1 each, that’s a red flag. Sellers with higher ratings are generally experienced professionals.

2. Search deeply before bidding. Check to see if the same item is available from a different seller, how the “Buy Now” price varies, and how much others are bidding. The highest bid may be much lower than the “Buy Now” price. Consider how much time is left to bid to help determine what the final sale price may be.

3. Walk before you run. If there are plenty of the item you want available but prices are all over the place, sit back and “Watch” a few to see where the final sales prices end up.

4. Set up alerts. I set up eBay alerts for any items I’m looking for. I receive messages with all the current items for sale, and then only the new ones being listed on eBay each day. This allows me to effectively manage my purchasing.

5. Use Auction Sniper. I never bid on eBay. The more your presence is known the more opportunities there are for criminals to contact you. Protect your identity with Auction Sniper, you bid anonymously the absolute highest dollar amount you’re willing to spend on that item, and walk away. Auction Sniper will snipe the bid for you in the last five seconds while people wonder where the heck you came from.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing ADT Pulse on Fox News.

5 Online Security Tips For Valentines Day

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For some, Valentines means they might be lonely. I’ve been there, and I know many who are there now. That loneliness can distort your perspective in a way that trumps common sense. This leads people to make badly considered decisions that only worsen their circumstances. Unfortunately, scammers use this raw emotion as leverage on online dating websites and social media.

These scammers are like loneliness relief valves. In a way, they provide a different perspective by making baseless promises that they never intend to fulfill. In the end, victims end up emptying their bank accounts.

The key to be safe and secure is awareness of yourself and your emotions and the intentions of others who contact you.

Don’t be an online dating statistic. Follow these tips:

#1 Look for red flags. If you are contacted online and they make no reference to you or your name, it may be a “broadcast” scam going to others.

#2  If they immediately start talking about marriage and love and showing immediate affection run really fast.

#3  Anyone asking for money for any reason is a con-man. Never under any circumstances wire money, send checks, cash etc.

#4 When communicating with someone online and it seems it takes days for them to respond, this may be a sign they are married.

#5 When communicating with a potential mate via online dating or even in the physical world, please do not give up any information to them until you are entirely sure they are “good”.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to ADT Home Security Source discussingGPS Dating Security on Good Morning America.

Resolve to Be Digitally Secure This New Year

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Let’s get one thing straight: it’s no longer possible to deny that your personal life in the physical world and your digital life are one and the same. Meaning, while you are present here on the ground, you continue existing online, whether you know it or like it or not.

Coming to terms with this reality will help you make better decisions in many aspects of your life.

1. Get device savvy: Whether you’re using a laptop, desktop, Mac, tablet, mobile, wired Internet, wireless, or software, learn it. No excuses. No more, “My kids know more than I do,” or, “All I know how to do is push that button-thingy.” Take the time to learn enough about your devices to wear them out or outgrow them.

2. Get social: One of the best ways to get savvy is to get social. By using your devices to communicate with the people in your life, you inevitably learn the hardware and software. Keep in mind that “getting social” doesn’t entail exposing all your deepest, darkest secrets, or even telling the world you just ate a tuna sandwich. Proceed with caution here.

3. Manage your online reputation: Whether you are socially active or not, whether you have a website or not, there are plenty of websites that know who you are, that are either discussing you or listing your information in some fashion. Google yourself and see what’s being said. Developing your online persona through social media and blogging will help you establish and maintain a strong online presence.

4. Get secure: There are more ways to scam people online than ever before. Your security intelligence is constantly being challenged, and your hardware and software are constant targets. Invest in antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing, and firewalls. Getting security-savvy is a great way to start a new year.

Robert Siciliano, personal security expert contributor to Just Ask Gemalto. Disclosures

How Much Fraud On Record-Breaking Cyber Monday?

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The Washington Post reports that this holiday season, Cyber Monday expanded into an entire week of record-breaking online shopping. From Sunday, November 27 through Saturday, December 3, consumers spent nearly $6 billion over the Internet, a 15% increase over the same week in 2010. During the first 32 days of the November-December holiday season, online spending had already reached $18.7 billion, also a 15% increase from last year.

Which begs the question: when the dust settles, how much of this uptick in online sales will equate to online fraud? It is inevitable that some consumers will detect unauthorized charges on their credit and bank accounts, and many retailers will suffer high chargebacks.

Consumers should seek out and patronize businesses that implement a comprehensive, in-depth approach to protecting customers from identity theft and financial fraud. They should also check credit and banking statements carefully, scrutinize each and every charge, and call their bank or credit card company immediately to refute any unauthorized transactions.

Retailers should consider adding device identification technology to prevent more crime upfront before product ships and stolen credit cards are charged. This emerging technology examines the PC, smartphone, or tablet being used to conduct an online transaction in order to determine whether the device’s characteristics, behavior, and history indicate a high level of risk. The leading provider of device identification and device reputation services is iovation Inc. Take a look at iovation’s stats from Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Fraud analysts from online retailers around the world interact with iovation’s database of device intelligence daily, and through sharing information and running real-time risk assessments, they block millions of online fraudulent attempts each year.

Robert Siciliano, personal security and identity theft expert contributor to iovation, discussesCyber Monday on Fox Boston. Disclosures