The strange case of malware that protects your PC

What if some secret, Internet vigilante was protecting PCs from threats? In a shroud of mystery, he would type out code in the middle of the night, a dark hoodie pulled over his face…

And load malware onto your router.

It may seem like the plot of a high-stakes thriller novel, but it’s a real-life scenario (minus, perhaps, the hoodie). The Internet security firm Symantec has reported code, named Wifatch, that attacks home routers. The twist?

Wifatch actively protects its victims from other forms of malware.

What is Wifatch?

Wifatch is a piece of code that connects routers to a peer-to-peer network of similarly infected devices. If that doesn’t sound familiar, review our post on botnet to learn about how an infection like this can turn your PC into a zombie.

The original detector of the code was an independent security researcher, L00t_myself, who noticed it on his own home router. Symantec has been following Wifatch for a while now, noting the following about the sophisticated code:

• It is written in the Perl programming language


• It targets following architectures: ARM (83%), MIPS (10%), and SH4 (7%)


• It connects infected devices to a peer-to-peer network

What’s especially odd is that router infections are generally secured for pretty evil reasons. But Wifatch hasn’t delivered any kind of payload…at least, not yet.

So far, it seems, Wifatch is actually protecting systems against malware.

Wifatch is…protecting you?

Wifatch is using this botnet of infected routers to distribute threat updates and remedy malware infections, instead of issuing DDoS attacks like you would expect.

What’s more, Symantec reports that the malware is trying to harden the infected devices. It even tells owners when to change passwords or update firmware. In a sense, Wifatch is fighting fire with fire – or malware with malware.

Wifatch seems suspiciously helpful. Source: Symantec

But the plot thickens. The creator of Wifatch reached out to Symantec, and was subsequently interviewed for their blog. He admits that while he has no malicious intentions, Wifatch could have an exploitable bug or someone could steal the key.

Can I trust you to not do evil things with my devices?


Yes, but that is of no help – somebody could steal the key, no matter how well I protect it. More likely, there is a bug in the code that allows access to anybody.

So ultimately, even if the creator of the code has good intentions, your PC is at risk for a malicious payload as a result of Wifatch.

The bottom line

While Wifatch is very interesting malware, it isn’t one you should be trying to contract. The reality is, a secure PC wouldn’t have Wifatch to begin with. You wouldn’t like it if a superhero was hiding in your house all the time just in case someone broke in. It’s still an invasion of your privacy, so Wifatch is ultimately malware.

Remember to have a secure anti-malware program and to create complex passwords. As the creator of Wifatch himself said:

Linux.Wifatch doesn’t use elaborate backdoors or 0day exploits to hack devices. It basically just uses telnet and a few other protocols and tries a few really dumb or default passwords (our favourite is “password”). These passwords are well-known – anybody can do that, without having to steal any secret key.

Basically it only infects devices that are not protected at all in the first place!

Have a great, vigilante-free day!

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The strange case of malware that protects your PC

What’s the deal with protection vs cleaning?

Ever wonder why you need to have protection when you can just use a removal tool if you get a virus? This video aims to help you realize the importance of real-time protection through several examples and demonstrations.

Malware is dangerous – don’t forget that it can permanently destroy or encrypt your files. If you read our previous article on cleaning vs protection, you know how important it is to stop malware in its tracks. Luckily, our video producer Leo walks you through how Emsisoft Anti-Malware can prevent infection in the first place. It’s a great way to recap this importatn topic and see protection in action.

Have a great, infection-free day!

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What’s the deal with protection vs cleaning?

Why every Android user should take the Stagefright leak very seriously

A vulnerability in Android called Stagefright was exposed at the 2015 Black Hat conference in early August. You may have heard of it, if only because the media frenzy that followed claimed that hundreds of millions of phones could be hacked with a single text – but is any of that true? If that were the case, surely Google, the developer of the popular operating system, would have fixed it by now…right?

(image: pocket-lint.com)

 

What is Stagefright and why should you care?

You may have grown accustomed to all of the vulnerabilities, bug and alerts out there in technology land. You’re calm because you know that ultimately there will be a patch to fix it, right?

Unfortunately, it’s not so simple with the Stagefright leak. Think of a doomsday film where a deadly asteroid is about to strike Earth, and there’s no way for scientists to divert it with their fancy technology. That’s basically what’s going on – the Stagefright bug, due to the nature of the Android world, isn’t likely to be addressed any time soon. If things don’t change, it’s only a matter of time before an exploit strikes and brings chaos to an unthinkable number of devices.

So, yes, it is possible that you could receive a strange video text, not even open it, and some cyber criminal halfway around the world could start spying on you through your video camera. But that’s only one possibility.

If a hacker gets into your device through the Stagefright vulnerability, he could gain access to your address book, apps, message history, personal emails, and all the information tied to your Google account. This means that every bit of information tied to your Google account – from Gmail to Google Drive – is up for grabs: financial information, browsing history, personal messages and classified work documents…

It’s imperative you understand that your phone isn’t the only thing at risk. Your whole digital life is at risk.

How does Android work, exactly?

To understand the Stagefright vulnerability properly, it’s important to look at the Android architecture. Android is very modular operating system, so things run in separate processes. This is in part thanks to the Dalvik virtual machine, which is the component in most Android phones (it has been replaced entirely by Android runtime in Android 5.0) that allows each app to run separately and independent of the Linux kernel. This keeps apps from detrimentally interfering with each other or with the operating system.

This means program processes rely on IPC or inter-process communications to work together. This is known as application sandboxing (or application containerization), and one of the alleged advantages of this is that keeping applications isolated improves overall security.

Stagefright is what processes media in Android’s MediaServer, written primarily in C++. It handles all video and audio files, and provides playback facilities. It also extracts metadata for the Gallery (like thumbnails or dimensions of a video).

How Stagefright reaches you

So it might be fair to assume that since the programs on your phone are sandboxed, most aspects of the system are safe from a single vulnerability. But while the compartmentalized nature of Android is supposed to keep programs from interfering, MediaServer is a very privileged service that has access to audio, bluetooth, camera, internet, and more. What’s worse, many phone manufacturers have given the Stagefright component system permissions on their devices, which is only a step below root access.

In layman’s terms: a hacker could gain access to your entire device.

An attacker only needs your phone number to conduct a successful hack. He or she could remotely execute code through a video sent via MMS. It would require no action on your part, as Android phones are set to preload videos. The attacker can even delete the message after sending it, leaving you with little more than a mysterious notification.

If that doesn’t sound horrifying enough, that isn’t the worst of it. The reality is, that’s just one way that the vulnerability can be exploited. It’s up to the hackers of the world to discover the rest.

Who figured this out?

Joshua J. Drake, an Android security expert, is the man behind the research. He is the Senior Director of Platform Research at Zimperium Enterprise Mobile Security, and the Author of “Android Hacker’s Handbook”. He’s also the founder of the #droidsec research group, an Android-focused research community.

With the support of Zimperium and Optiv, Drake conducted this security research, using his “droid army” – a collection of 51 Android devices. You can learn more about how he conducted his research in his presentation at the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas.

A fragmented Android world

Android is one of the world’s most popular operating systems and it has a unique story. The rate of development is incredibly fast, but that development doesn’t come without a price. Since original equipment manufacturers and carriers are able to adapt the operating system due to its open source nature, this leads to a number of iterations that have unique update and patching needs – over 24,000 models currently exist in the Android ecosystem.

The biggest problem with this vulnerability, as Ars Technica writer Ron Amadeo points out, is that original equipment manufacturers have been able to adapt the Android code to work with their devices. This creates a dilemma where an unthinkable amount of patches would have to be made in order to successfully protect the majority of Android phones out there, and no single company, team, or entity is responsible for getting this issue under control. Because updates will focus on newer phones, and many patches will be dependent upon a myriad of manufacturers and carriers to distribute them, it is possible that millions to hundreds of millions of devices will remain vulnerable indefinitely.

What’s being done?

Google, as well as number of manufacturers and carriers have responded with patches for the following devices.

Zimperium has also launched its ZHA Alliance to address the issue of communication between relevant manufacturers and carriers on the issue. As Zimperium so aptly stated, “According to our understanding of the Android ecosystem, security issues reported to Google are only shared with active partners”.

Zimperium has also released an app known as the Stagefright Detection app, which can help you identify if your phone is actually affected by the vulnerability.

So what’s the problem?

You might think that since the patches are rolling out, there shouldn’t be any further problems. Surely the patches will trickle down to older phones, and Zimperium will help facilitate that communication between Google, carriers, and manufacturers

Even if that is the case and the majority of phones get patched up, there may be an issue with the effectiveness of Google’s first patch. Security researcher Jordan Gruskovnjak at Exodus Intelligence has reported that the initial patch released by Google was inadequate. The Exodus team was able to craft an MP4 that could bypass the patch. They even claim that Zimperium’s Stagefright Detection app will green-light your patched phone, even though it’s still vulnerable.

Google has responded to the situation, asserting in a statement to The Verge, “We’ve already sent the fix to our partners to protect users, and Nexus 4/5/6/7/9/10 and Nexus Player will get the OTA update in the September monthly security update”.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Rob Miller from MWR Labs has found another vulnerability that can bypass the sandbox mechanism. Originally reported back in March, it seems that Google has yet to release a relevant patch. Researchers at Trend Micro have claimed to have also found a vulnerability, this time in Android MediaServer, which they reported to Google back in June (Google published a fix in early August).

The reality is, even if Google’s next patch is effective it doesn’t address the full story. The Stagefright media circus simply revealed a can of worms that opened long ago – Android has some major security flaws, and the broken chain of distributors and manufacturers makes it nearly impossible to rectify.

What you can do

If you have an Android phone with version 2.2 or higher, it may seem that there isn’t much left in your control. But we encourage you to do all you can to take security into your own hands.

While it’s true that there are limits to your autonomy in the face of all of the vulnerabilities your phone could be riddled with, there are several steps you can take to make your experience on Android safer. Even if you don’t have an Android phone, you can use these tips and apply them to your own smartphone experience.

Change your settings

It’s important to acknowledge that while Zimperium illustrated an exploit through MMS and that’s what the media has held onto, this is just an example of how the vulnerability can be exploited, so disabling auto-retrieval will not necessarily protect you from all possible hacks. Joshua J. Drake himself said at the Black Hat conference that the Stagefright bug is exposed via multiple attack vectors.

With that being said, the MMS attack has been receiving a lot of attention, and it’s possible that cyber criminals are getting ideas. So it’s best to deactivate auto-retrieval as it preloads videos and messages for you. Here is how to disable the auto-retrieval feature on the most common messaging applications:

Google Hangout

Open the app and select Settings by tapping the three horizontal lines in the top left corner. Click the Settings wheel and then select SMS. Uncheck Auto-retrieve MMS.

Source: Zimperium

WhatsApp

Select Settings by clicking the three dots icon, and then select Chat Settings. Tap Media auto-download and go to the When connected on Wi-Fi. Deselect videos, and then do the same under the When using mobile data option.

Google Messenger

Touch the three vertical dot icon in the upper right corner. Select Settings and then Advanced. Then deselect Auto-retrieve.

Source: Lookout

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Messages

Navigate to More and select Settings, then More settings. Click Multimedia messages and then slide the Auto retrieve toggle to the left.

Source: Zimperium

Source: Zimperium

Even after deactivating auto-retrieval, be wary of manually loading an MMS from an unknown source, and if you want to be extra safe, don’t load one from friends or family either. They can unknowingly put you at risk if their phone is compromised.

Your consumer choices

While most normal people don’t have the resources to buy the latest and greatest model of every device, it’s important to consider the likelihood that future devices will be more secure than current models. Additionally, important security patches and updates generally won’t be released to devices that can’t support newer versions of Android.

Remember to educate yourself on the operating systems and programs you use, and vigilantly update to newer versions if possible. For example, the Mozilla Firefox browser was also affected by the Stagefright vulnerability, but the issue has been rectified since version 38.

Make your voice heard

Just because the mainstream media has dropped the issue as of late doesn’t mean the Stagefright bug doesn’t affect millions of people around the globe. Voice your own concerns and demand that your carrier keep you updated on the issue.

Make noise on your social media channels and tag Google, your carrier, and your manufacturer in your posts. Forward articles related to the Stagefright issue to your Android-using loved ones.

Switch your operating system

This is an option for more experienced users and not a recommendation for most people. Still, it is an option and should be discussed with more regularity. If your inclined to try this option, consider using firmware with a regularly updated ROM, such as CyanogenMod.

You will need to root your phone, and if you do this you will most likely lose your warranty with your manufacturer. Also be aware that this move will not make you 100% clear of the Stagefright vulnerability or other bugs. The advantage is that you have an Android device, but the hassle of waiting on manufacturers and carriers to adapt patches is removed, and you can receive updates more immediately.

As the months go by, we can only hope that there is a real solution to this issue. Remember to stay informed about security updates, subscribe to newsletters, and follow security blogs. Talk to your friends and family, and assert your rights to privacy and safety as a consumer. While developments in technology move at an impressive rate, there’s no point in having all of these fancy devices if we’re moving towards a digital Armageddon. Remember, safety is just as important as progress.

Have a great, exploit-free day!

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Why every Android user should take the Stagefright leak very seriously

Keeping your kids safe online? Follow these 5 tips

It’s a nightmare come true – your (grand)children are sitting at the dinner table or lying around in the living room, vulnerable to unknown threats. Your mind spins as you wonder, what in the world are my children looking at? Are they downloading explicit content, or planning to meet with sexual predators?

And most importantly: isn’t our home the one place my kids should be safe?

What you don’t know can hurt your child

Your children are glued to the screen at all kinds of odd hours, and you’re completely unsure of what they’re up to. It can drive you crazy just trying to imagine what’s reaching them through that blue light.

It’s hard to understand why young people are so completely obsessed with the Internet – but for them it’s much more than a useful tool. It’s where they socialize, learn, play, and express themselves. For many of these digital natives, the Internet is where a large portion of their lives will play out.

While it’s important to give children the space to grow and explore, it’s also important to cultivate awareness of the following threats to their safety:

Malware and privacy threats

Kids and teens love torrenting and file sharing, and often their peers will tell them about all the latest games, movies, and music that they just must have. Kids might know how to acquire all of this media, but they also might be downloading malware along with it.

This kind of behavior can also get them heavily monitored by companies that are likely working on behalf of copyright enforcers. While they might not care about their privacy now, a bad choice now could be something that haunts them in the years to come.

Video game addiction

If your children are gamers, you’re probably used to strange shouting and compulsive clicking coming from their rooms. It may be hard to believe, but those silly online games could actually rule your children’s life – people have even died from their inability to put the controller down.

Video game addiction is a real and serious problem. Like addictions to drugs and alcohol, video game addiction can get in the way of a person’s ability to live a normal and meaningful life. It can lead to obesity, hallucinations, irritability, and depression. It may seem like your kids’ preference for video games over socializing and school is not so out of the ordinary, but if your children are spending upwards of five hours a day gaming, it can negatively affect them on much deeper levels.

Predators on social media

It’s easy to see then why kids love social media so much – they can instantly connect with their peers, and collect “likes” and “upvotes” for their thoughts and pictures. Unfortunately, a predator can also leverage these same social media features to lure in your pride and joy.

“OMG cat” (source: mashable.com)

They can even create convincing fake profiles to trick your kids, as Youtuber Coby Persin shows in his social media experiment in this video, where he convinces young girls (with the permission of their parents) to meet him in person with a fake Facebook profile. While this hoax was roused to teach the teens a lesson, it’s heartbreaking to realize how easily they could have fallen victim to a real predator.

Illegal activities and pornography

Unfortunately, when kids have questions they have the Internet at their fingertips. 93% of boys and 62% of girls have been exposed to pornography before the age of 18. This could influence them to be promiscuous at a young age, or even share nude pictures or sexually-charged messages online.

And if that isn’t scary enough, thanks to the growing black market on the darknet, kids can now buy drugs online. Drug trafficking on the internet is very convenient for people who otherwise might not have those kind of connections. Even if your children aren’t surfing the underbelly of the internet, they can easily learn about drugs, how to use them, and where to acquire them by conducting a quick Google search.

How to stop cyber threats in their tracks

With all of the risks and dangers out there, it can be tempting to ban your children from Internet access entirely. You did have other things on your mind than the Internet when you were a child, and you turned out okay, right? Why can’t they just use encyclopedias when they have to look something up? What’s so bad about using the phone to call up their friends?

Unfortunately, this kind of paranoia will not prepare them for their technology-driven future, where they’ll have to conduct themselves as adults daily. Luckily, you don’t have to keep the keyboard under lock and key to ensure the safety of your children.

Here are the top 5 ways to keep your kids safe from Internet threats:

1. Start a conversation with your child

It’s important to have an open dialogue about risks online with your kids. Bring up the conversation in relevant ways, tying in the topic to current events or TV specials. Try to get your children to express their opinions, that way you can start an ongoing dialogue about Internet safety.

Talk to your kids about other topics too. If they feel a strong social bond with you, they may turn to the computer less to cure their boredom or loneliness. Having an open line of communication can inspire your children to approach you for advice and guidance.

Serious cat (source imgfave.com)

2. Create rules and guidelines

If your children are old enough, you do not want to have to control every little thing they do. After all, you don’t spend all day at school with them dictating their choices. But similar to limiting what toys you buy them, you can create boundaries surrounding new software and video game downloads. Question their motives when they ask to download:

• File-sharing software


• Torrenting software


• Anonymous browsers


• Films or music that have yet to be released

This suggests they may be interested in doing something illegal or risky. Additionally, set Internet use limits if you feel that your kids spends too much time online. Create rules surrounding social media, and how much of their personal information they are allowed to share on it.

3. Monitor your child online

Young children should never be on the Internet without adult supervision. Use these tips when sitting down with your child to explore the web:

• Set all search engines to safesearch. You can even do this on sites such as Youtube, which is a favorite among kids. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the safety box.


• Limit the apps and media on your phone and tablet. If your children use your devices, only have what you wouldn’t mind your child accidentally coming across. If you have a Windows phone, the Kid’s Corner feature can help you limit access to certain content on your device (and prevent your little sweetheart from deleting all of your vacation photos). Just go to Settings under App list to set it up.


• Consider purchasing a child-friendly tablet. These often come with pre-installed parental controls and settings, and some even allow you to restrict access to entertainment apps so that you can get your children to focus on education.


• If your kids use a Windows 10 device, take advantage of the family features which allow you to set time and access limits. Your children will need Microsoft accounts, so be sure to familiarize yourself with the ways you can optimize privacy settings on Windows 10.

When your kids grow older, it may be wise to let this ritual go and give them your trust unless they abuse it, since most teenagers will know how to clear browser histories anyway. Cyber safety educator Leonie Smith recommends that you perform spot checks for young teens, meaning that you check in with their computer and phone use randomly. However, these checks should not be conducted in secret – you should be very clear with your children on your monitoring practices to preserve trust.

4. Use the right tools

The right tools are integral to making sure that your children don’t download a harmful trojan in the event that they do come across an untrustworthy site. Investing in a quality antimalware solution can prevent nasty, system-compromising infections.

Additionally, there are parental control softwares that can help you monitor your children’s activities. These applications range from blocking inappropriate websites to sending you reports on your little one’s computing habits. While it may be worthwhile to consider investing in these tools, relying on them exclusively could prove to be ineffective. Kids learn how to bypass these systems, especially if they are browser add-ons.

Some trusted parental control tools include:

K9 Web Protection

A simple software that focuses primarily on blocking inappropriate websites and ads. It has a “timeout” feature that can be activated if K9 had to block too many sites in a set period of time.

Zoodles Kids Mode

Looking to protect your children while they’re on your tablet or phone? Zoodles Kids Mode is an app that limits your children’s surfing to a curated assortment of games, educational content, and videos. It’s a good option for those times when you can’t monitor your kids as carefully as you would like.

Qustodio

A comprehensive, cross-device software for those who want to receive more detailed reports about what their kids are doing. Qustodio allows you to set up separate accounts, making it a good choice for those with multiple children with different safety needs.

5. Know the signs of addiction

If your children act out when you ask them to turn off the computer and they seem withdrawn from other activities, the computer may be a problem. Know the signs of addiction, and look out for things like:

• Irritability


• Dishonesty


• Secretive behavior


• Isolation


• Back pain


• Strained vision


• Anxiety


• Poor academic performance

If you’re concerned that your children may be suffering from video game or computer addiction, seek professional help for a proper evaluation.

With all of the risks and dangers out there, it can be tempting to ban your kids from Internet access entirely. Unfortunately, this will not prepare them for the online world when they are adults. Addressing the issue of online safety now will help them develop the digital smarts they need to excel in an increasingly technology-driven world – all while keeping them out of harm’s way.

Don’t forget, it’s good to log off the web as a family every now and again. Teach your kids the value of the great outdoors and real-life human contact – they might even update their status about it later!

What do you do to protect your young ones online? Do you have any tips for other parents?

Have a great, safety-conscious day!

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Keeping your kids safe online? Follow these 5 tips

Ransomware hacks Android’s front-facing camera to take embarrassing photos

An Android app that offers pornographic images, Adult Player, has been recently discovered to be a particularly aggressive form of ransomware. The malware secretly takes photos of the unsuspecting victim by accessing the device’s front-facing camera and then locks it, demanding a $500 ransom while pretending to be affiliated with the FBI.

The FBI probably isn’t after you

Unfortunately, as cyber criminals advance their tactics and techniques, the rest of us have to learn to catch up. Ransomware, which has been around for about as long as the PC, is now targeting Androids and other devices.

One of the major scare tactics of ransomware is to catch you in a compromised position, or a fabricate one, and threaten your sense of security in addition to locking your device. That’s often times why “FBI” will pop up in the extortion image that follows infection.

Earlier this year, an app named Porn Droid locked devices and accused the user of accessing child pornography, then demanded $500 as a penalty. Similarly, the app Koler intimidated Android-using victims in the same fashion, and was contracted on pornography websites under the guise of a legitimate app.

The difference with Adult Player is that it can actually take embarrassing photos of you that wouldn’t exist otherwise. And even if you do pay the penalty, who is to say that those photos will actually be destroyed?

Be selective about your downloads

Adult Player, as with many ransomware apps, is not available through Google Play. Often times these malicious apps can be found for direct download through a website, so it’s best to avoid these kinds of downloads unless you have good reason to trust the company behind the app.

Additionally, you should always pay attention to what permissions you grant when you download any app. If an app wants access to your contacts or camera, for example, and it should have no use for those functions, abort the download immediately.

How to remove Android ransomware

While this alert might give some of you a few laughs, it might make another handful of you blush in embarrassment. If you’ve contracted the Adult Player ransomware, follow the steps below to remove it from your device:

1. Enter safe mode on your device. As there are different methods depending on your device, you might need to do a quick search online, here is one that works for most models.


2. Go to Security under Settings, and then select Device Administrator. Select the offending app and deactivate it.


3. Go to Apps, under Settings, and select Uninstall to remove the ransomware app.

Hopefully you have not downloaded Adult Player or any other ransomware for that matter. But in the case that you have, remove it and remember in the future to focus on prevention over cleaning!

Have a great, ransomware-free day!

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Ransomware hacks Android’s front-facing camera to take embarrassing photos

The truth about Windows 10 spying on almost everything you do

You have probably heard the news by now: Microsoft has updated a controversial service agreement that lays out in scary detail how your personal data is being used and abused – at least, that’s what the major tech blogs are saying. But the reality is, even if you read the 12,000 word service agreement, it’s still confusing and vague at best.

Horacio Gutierrez, Deputy General Counsel of Microsoft’s legal and corporate affairs, wrote about the company’s commitment to transparency on the Microsoft blog in early June. This move, of course, was preceding the new privacy statement and service agreement that accompanied the release of Windows 10.

As he put it, “We are simplifying the services agreement and privacy statement because we believe that real transparency starts with straightforward terms and policies that people can clearly understand. As our services evolve, we recognize we must continue earning your trust.”

How Windows 10 is spying on you

The reality is, we can’t know what Microsoft is doing with your private data, but the release of the updated privacy policy and service agreement can give us some great insight. Yes, these long and tedious documents leave a lot of room for interpretation, but they also inspire something important: a discussion about how data harvesting and lack of digital privacy has become normalized.

Cortana: your personal assistant, or spy machine?

Cortana is your voice-activated personal assistant, much like Siri and Google Now. But in order for her to operate, Windows 10 collects your personal information to better serve you. This includes calendar events, contact information, alarm settings, what you view and purchase, your browsing history, emails and text messages… “and more”.

An advertisers greatest dream

You may not have realized it, but each user on each Windows device will be issued a unique advertising ID that is tied to the email address they have on file. The idea is that you will be better served through ads, because according to Microsoft, “Advertising keeps many of the services you use free of charge”.

Microsoft will share this profile (created from information aggregated from your personal files) with their partner ad networks – who in turn serve you ads on certain applications, like solitaire. If you were concerned with ad networks collecting information from your browsing history, then be aware that Microsoft is taking it to the next level with Windows 10.

Data syncing with OneDrive

OneDrive is Microsoft’s cloud storage system, and it comes with the Windows 10 territory. You might think it’s great because there is no additional sign up or installment required and you can access it from any of your Microsoft devices. But this new convenience comes with a price.

Every time you are signed into your machine with your Microsoft account, your operating system immediately syncs your settings and other data to company’s servers. This includes browser behavior and history, as well as mobile hotspot and Wi-Fi network passwords.

What are they doing with this information?

If you had the time to read through the long privacy policy and service agreement, you might get a vague understanding of what Microsoft will do with your data, but little more. Besides, we all know better than to take giant corporations for their word – they have their own interests to look after. The real questions end up being, what can Microsoft do with this information? And ultimately, what are they mostly likely to do with it?

Advertisers can “serve” you better!

People are getting used to free services online left and right, so these expectations dominate the tech marketplace right now. Windows 10 doesn’t cost you any money, but it still comes at a price.

As Alec Meer of Rock Paper Shotgun points out, Microsoft is increasingly trying to compete with Google through software and applications. But this model requires that, “money comes from harvesting data and flogging it to advertisers and other organisations who want to know exactly what we’re all up to online”.

Comply with big brother

Microsoft doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to surveillance state issues:

Finally, we will access, disclose and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails, other private communications or files in private folders), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary to: 1.comply with applicable law or respond to valid legal process, including from law enforcement or other government agencies…

It’s important to note that while this may seem horrifying to some, it’s really not so different from any other privacy agreement. Just take a look at this snippet from Apple’s privacy policy:

It may be necessary − by law, legal process, litigation, and/or requests from public and governmental authorities within or outside your country of residence − for Apple to disclose your personal information. We may also disclose information about you if we determine that for purposes of national security, law enforcement, or other issues of public importance, disclosure is necessary or appropriate.

At the end of the day, there are few companies that are able to take a stance against big government agencies. The best you can hope for is providers who don’t bury this in privacy agreements, but who are upfront and honest about their current operations as they relate to the surveillance state.

What could go wrong? Why should I care?

As an infamous activist once said, “Arguing that you don’t care about privacy because you have nothing to hide is not different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.”

But if that’s not reason enough to get up in arms, there are a number of practical concerns to consider. First and foremost, you don’t know which ad networks this data is going to, and you don’t know what their policies for dealing with this very private information are.

What happens in the event of a hack? You might feel safe if your information is with a big company like Microsoft, which undoubtedly has major systems in place to protect your data, but do you really trust any of Microsoft’s ad network customers? A hacker could trace these transactions and conduct a large-scale hack just by finding a single vulnerability in this line of data transfer.

You might say you have nothing to hide, and that the only person who does is clearly breaking the law. If that’s truly the case, why don’t you leave your bank account details in the comments below?

The real truth: Microsoft isn’t the only bad guy

Shifting tides in modern culture have created two dangerous and commonly accepted thoughts on digital privacy, which could make you think that:

1. Privacy must be compromised for safety.


2. Privacy must be compromised for convenience.

While there are serious debates on the subject, it’s important to stop and wonder who is ultimately responsible for these ideas, which create the basis for how many companies, institutions, and individuals make their decisions about privacy.

But the reality is, the Windows 10 privacy agreement isn’t so much a revelation as a sign of the times. While it has understandably stirred up some controversy, it hasn’t inspired a mass exodus from use of Microsoft software or products.

This is as it should be, because most of us know that it isn’t different with the developers of other major operating systems and mobile operating systems…like Apple and Google.

Siri’s telling everyone what you did last night

Sure, Apple and Google may have made a show of their commitment to user privacy, with smartphone encryption and very convincing, public battles with high-profile government agencies.

Apple has admitted Siri voice data is being sent to third parties

But you shouldn’t let these PR stunts fool you. Even when these companies have the best intentions, there is still a bottom line at the end of the day, and that’s money.

Don’t believe us? Cortana isn’t the only personal assistant who likes to abuse your privacy. Apple hands your voice recordings over to third parties for analysis, and you agreed to it in the privacy agreement. Whether it’s a personal message to your sweetheart or your child asking Siri silly questions, Apple stores those messages for two years and essentially does with them what they want.

It might be tempting to switch over to Google Now for your voice commands, but that would come at the cost of both your privacy and sanity. Google Now has a feature called Now cards, which are recommendations for products, services, and information based on your messages and recent searches. Even if you don’t rely on Google Now too much for recommendations, Google already knows so much about you because at some point you have probably used their products or services.

And if you use Gmail, you’ll note that Google has been serving ads through Gmail for some time now – and if you haven’t noticed any, just check under your Gmail’s “Promotions” tab. They get information straight out of your private emails to help their ad network partners target you. It’s right there in their privacy agreement. Microsoft even attacked Gmail over these privacy violations and launched a “You got Scroogled” marketing campaign.

What you can do to protect your privacy

The reality is, short of becoming a Linux user or developing your own operating system, there is little you can do to keep your information entirely private. Even recent Windows 7 and 8 updates come with their own host of privacy issues, so don’t think you’re out of the woods just because you haven’t made the move to 10.

But there are several steps you can take to maximize your privacy while using Windows 10, and we encourage you to explore these options – whatever agency you can take over your privacy is better than none.

Windows 10 setting options to look into

If you have yet to install Windows 10 be sure to decline the Express Settings, which enables all of the privacy compromising features. Look through the different setting options and disable anything that makes you uncomfortable.

If you already enabled the Express Settings when you downloaded Windows 10, go to the start menu and select Settings. From there you’ll find that most of these invasive features are listed under Privacy. There are many options to go through, and we encourage you to look carefully at each one. There are several big ones we think you may want to consider disabling:

Cortana

You may not be comfortable with Cortana collecting so much personal information about you, and if that’s the case, you should disable the Getting to know you option under Speech, inking, & typing (this is located in the Privacy box).

Additionally, you can click on the gear icon where you can access the Cortana settings, where you can enable or disable her (as well as manage information kept about you in the cloud).

Advertising ID

If you are concerned about the data harvesting for advertisement purposes, we do recommend you disable setting, “let apps use your advertising ID for experiences across apps”. This is located underneath the General tab in the Privacy box.

Unfortunately, just moving the toggle isn’t enough to keep ad networks from reaching your personal data. You will also have to go to this Microsoft site and disable personalized ads several times over.

Microsoft allows you to personalize your ad settings

Location

You may be used to location services, and they sure are handy when you’re trying to get from point A to B. But Microsoft’s new privacy agreement suggests they are sharing this location information (and your location history) with “trusted” third parties. If that makes you uncomfortable, it may be best to disable this. The Location tab is located directly beneath the General tab.

Wi-Fi Sense

Wi-Fi Sense could be either very practical, or very invasive, depending on how you look at it. The new feature allows you to automatically share your Wi-Fi password with your Outlook, Skype, and Facebook contacts, which saves a lot of hassle when friends come over and need your password.

WIndows 10 Wi-Fi Sense: do you need it?

On the other hand, this may not be wise for those with broad social networks, because this option does not allow you to selectively pick which contacts to share it with. This option should be enabled or disabled on a case by case basis – it’s located in Network & Internet instead of Privacy.

Use a local account

If you’re not concerned with convenience and want maximum privacy, you should consider a using a local account instead of your Microsoft account. You will lose out on a number of features, particularly synchronization across your different devices. But if that doesn’t bother you, locate Accounts under Settings, then click Your account. You should see the option to “Sign in with a local account instead” just above where your picture should be.

Try O&O ShutUp 10

O&O ShutUp10

If you’d like to simplify this process, consider using O&O Software’s free privacy tool, ShutUp 10. This tool simplifies the privacy process by giving you a single interface to deal with all of the myriad of settings you’d like to enable or disable on Windows 10. You can also simply apply all of their recommended settings.

O&O ShutUp10 is entirely free and does not have to be installed. Moreover, it will not install or download potentially unwanted or unnecessary software (PUPs), like so many other programs do these days!

O&O ShutUp10 allows you to easily disable Windows 10 settings

Educate yourself about privacy options that feel right for you

At the end of the day, you might be tempted to throw up your hands and give up perusing privacy at all. You might not see the point, since disabling certain settings doesn’t really guarantee that you are not being spied on, or that your personal data isn’t being sold or distributed.

You might feel that you might as well have the conveniences of certain tools then, or would prefer more relevant advertising. But if we all collectively begin to educate yourself about our privacy options and pursue them, we have a better chance of creating a culture that is concerned with cyber safety and privacy, instead of one that just thinks its a cost needed for a better world.

Have a nice (privacy-conscious) day!

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The truth about Windows 10 spying on almost everything you do

How ad blockers can improve your online safety and sanity

You boot up your computer, ready to start another day. You have fifteen minutes to catch up on the news and drink your coffee before your daily commute. Too bad you accidentally click on some blinking ad that directs you to a sketchy site that’s taking forever to load…

Well, there goes your morning. Maybe, you think, you should finally get an ad blocker like your co-worker keeps telling you too. But you’re not so sure. How effective are these ad blockers, anyway? Is it really worth your time to block something as benign as a slow-loading banners and the occasional rollover ad?

Are ads such a big deal anyway?

So you know what they look like because you’ve seen tens of thousands of them. They’re those pesky videos or banners that get in the way of the content you actually want to access.

But how do they work?

Ads are typically embedded on websites, coming from centralized servers of ad networks. That means your browser not only connects to the website you entered, but also to a number of additional servers that deliver all those distracting videos and flashing images. Since many large websites work with the same ad networks, they can easily track you across the web.

Ads are often embedded from all across the web.

Getting to know all about you

These ad networks record when you check the online circular at your local grocery store, look at some job ads, and even when you indulge in a few funny cat videos. Little do you know, the web surfing you’re soon to forget is collected through a combination of cookies and pixel tags and is used to create a very specific user profile about your interests, fears, age demographic, gender, etc.

That profile is then used to display ads that are specifically targeted to you. For example, if you’re searching for information on a specific disease, you will be followed by an endless number of ads that try to sell you treatments and medication, even if you just conducted a paranoid search based off of a benign rash.

This is called online behavioral advertising, or behavioral targeting, and it’s a pervasive practice that is largely unregulated in most countries.

Advantages of using an ad blocker

For those who don’t know, ad blocker is a software or browser extension that filters all HTML elements that are expected to contain ads. Since most ads come from known third party servers and have standard image sizes, it’s relatively easy to detect and remove them. Almost 200 million people worldwide use some form of ad blocker, according to a survey done by PageFair and Adobe, and it’s easy to see why—ads are the annoying eye sores of the internet. But there are other, more significant reasons to use an ad blocker.

1. Increased speed of web browsing

Ads often take the biggest chunk of the total data to transfer, and video ads and animated ads tend to take a lot of CPU resources for rendering. The worst ads even start grating audio in the background which really puts a strain on bandwidth. Ad blockers not only hide these elements, but effectively avoid transferring them from the servers. An ad blocker can save you hundreds of megabytes of traffic a month, not to mention significantly increase loading speeds of your favorite websites. A good site to see how much data is transferred from different servers while opening a website, including the delay in loading is Webpagetest.

If you are using Chrome, you can view details about loading and scripting in the developper tools (F12). The example shows a typical ad-heavy page being loaded with and without an adblocker present.

2.Safety and malware concerns

Did you know you can actually get malware from ads? Ad networks have been hacked or infiltrated to serve manipulated ads in a practice known as malvertising. These manipulated ads contained hidden exploit code that targets unpatched leaks in browsers or in browser plugins, like Flash or Java Runtime. Since the ads were served through so many websites, attackers could spread their malware to hundreds of thousands of victim PCs within minutes.

But that’s not the only way to get malware from an ad, since they are frequently designed in ways to mislead users. For example, they imitate error messages or software buttons to get a click. On download portals these ads often imitate download buttons to confuse users and misdirect them. Misled users then often find themselves on shady websites that try to make them download PUP bundles that showcase even more ads, feeding a vicious cycle.

If you remove all the ads (see pink areas on the right screenshot), the page gets a lot shorter and looks less crowded (as shown on the left).

3. Privacy concerns

Privacy is one of people’s number one concerns when it comes to ads, and it’s often why they choose ad blockers in the first place. For example, let’s go back to the rash incident mentioned above. Imagine you spent an insignificant thirty minutes researching a toe rash that ended up just being nothing more than some itchy bug bites. This is where your privacy problem begins: if that data is combined with personal information, such as your full name and address, your profile can be sold and distributed in ways that can affect your daily life.

While it’s largely unknown how these behavioral targeting practices currently affect people outside of the online space, there are few regulations concerning who can purchase or obtain this sensitive information. (There are some self-regulatory principles put forth by the Federal Trade Commission, and a ban on targeting children.)

For example, it’s possible that an insurance company may deny your application if they suspect that you have a pre-existing condition, or a company that you applied to work for may reject your application because they fear hiring someone with too many health issues. There is no guarantee that your private browsing information can’t fall into the wrong hands.

Disadvantages of ad blockers

There may not seem to be many disadvantages to using an ad blocker, especially given all of the compelling advantages, but there are a few key problems with them and how they currently exist.

1. Starving your favorite content creators

Using ad blockers greatly affects revenue streams of online content creators, and can put your favorite blogger or youtube star out of business.

This can be a major concern for you if you do like to follow popular tech and gaming sites, which are notoriously run on ad revenue. There are two things you can do to rectify this situation: be willing to pay for quality content, or selectively disable your ad blocker for sites you want to fiscally support.

2. Even ad blockers have to make money

Most ad blocking extensions and software are free, which may initially seem like a great thing. Unfortunately, the demand for free software, similar to the demand for free content, creates a conundrum for developers who still need to earn a living somehow.

After all, creating a good ad blocker requires resources. So these developers may have to take questionable methods to create revenue, which in turn can compromise your ability to effectively block ads.

For example, Adblock Plus, an ad blocker that dominates the market, automatically white lists certain ad networks that pay them a hefty sum. You can choose to block these ad networks manually, but you can’t deny that there’s a conflict of interest when ad networks are footing the bill on your ad blocker. It sounds eerily like these companies are paying ransom on their advertisements, which is something we’re all too familiar with in the anti-malware industry.

Ad blockers we recommend

There are a lot of ad blockers out there on the market, many of which are free. Here’s a rundown of some of the most popular and well-trusted ones on the market:

Adblock Plus

Adblock Plus is an open-source browser extension that is available for Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera, and Yandex. It has healthy ratings and reputation for most browsers, but as mentioned above, it whitelists “acceptable” ads.

Ublock Origin

Ublock Origin is an open-source extension available for Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. It is well-known for it’s light resource use as compared to its competitors.

So remember, next time an obnoxious ad wastes your time or your bandwidth, you do have options. They may not be completely free of complications, but ad blockers can really make a difference when it comes to your security (and sanity) online.

Have a great, ad-free day!

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How ad blockers can improve your online safety and sanity