How to lock down Zoom to improve your privacy and security
Zoom has received a lot of attention because of the increased number of people working from home, some good, some bad. There have been various security and privacy issues with the video conferencing app, but there are steps you can take to lock things down a little.
Following numerous controversies, Zoom has not only issued an apology but also put a stop on the development of new features while it gets itself in order. In the meantime, there are a various things you can do to increase your privacy and security when you're using Zoom.
If you used Firefox to access Twitter, your non-public info may have been exposed
Mozilla Firefox is damn good web browser that is largely open source and focuses on privacy and security. That is why I choose it as my default browser on both Windows 10 and Linux-based operating systems such as Ubuntu and Fedora. Many people wisely choose Firefox for the same reasons.
Sadly, today, we discover that if you have been using Mozilla Firefox to access Twitter, you may have had non-public information data saved locally to cache. Twitter makes it clear that other major browsers, such as Google Chrome and Apple Safari, are not affected. Thankfully, the social network says it fixed the issue on its end.
Zoom issues an apology for privacy and security issues, will enact a feature freeze to focus on fixes
Zoom has been in the headlines a lot recently -- and not always for the reasons the company might have wanted. Thrust into the spotlight due to massively increased usage during the coronavirus pandemic, Zoom has been plagued with numerous security and privacy issues.
Now company CEO Eric S Yuan has issued a lengthy statement to Zoom users, apologizing for "unforeseen issues" and promising to improve things. For now, Zoom will get no new features as the company is focusing on fixing what is wrong, and regaining customer trust.
Cloudflare launches DNS-based parental control service 1.1.1.1 for Families
Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 DNS resolver has been around for a couple of years now, helping to cater for those looking for a more private and secure internet connection. Now the company has announced a new version of the product, this time with extra protective layers.
1.1.1.1 for Families is essentially a parental control filter, automatically blocking access to "bad sites". This means not only sites that deliver malware, but also adult sites that might not be suitable for younger internet users. But while parents may welcome this automated filtering, 1.1.1.1 for Families has already come in for criticism for incorrectly blocking sites.
Cloudflare announces free VPN tool WARP for Windows and macOS, with Linux to follow
If you're in the market for a free VPN for your desktop PC or laptop, Cloudflare will soon have a new offering.
Following on from the success of its free VPN for mobile devices, the company that's also behind the 1.1.1.1 DNS resolver is now bringing WARP to Windows and macOS -- and there is a Linux version in the works. Cloudflare's WARP is currently available in beta, but not everyone will be able to get access to it straight away.
Zoom claims to offer end-to-end encryption -- even though that's not strictly true
Security is a serious concern for anyone using the internet, but it most certainly is for businesses. In seeking a video conferencing tool to see them through the home-working coronavirus has forced many people into, Zoom has proved to be an incredibly popular choice, and its proclamation of offering end-to-end encryption very probably swayed a few decisions.
An investigation carried out by the Intercept found that, despite Zoom's claims, the service does not really support end-to-end encryption for video and audio content. In reality, all it offers is TLS, but Zoom has chosen to refer to this as being end-to-end encryption.
Marriott International reveals details of another data breach
Towards the end of 2018, Marriott International suffered a data breach of its Starwood Hotel reservation database. Now the hotel chain has revealed that it suffered a second data breach earlier this year.
The company says that at the end of February it noticed that an "unexpected amount of guest information" could have been accessed using the login credentials of two employees. It is thought that this access started in the middle of January, and up to 5.2 million customers have been affected.
Now it's easier to see just what data Facebook and Instagram are collecting about you
It's no secret that Facebook gathers staggering amounts of information about its users across its various products. This is something that many people just accept, but there is a slight discomfort in not knowing quite what is being collected.
To add a little balm to this aching fear, Facebook has announced updates to its Download Your Information tool on Facebook and Download Your Data tool on Instagram. The updates mean that while you can do little to stop Facebook from tracking you, you can at least download and see what data it is collecting about you.
Zoom apologizes for Facebook privacy fiasco and updates app to stop data sharing
After an investigation by Motherboard's Vice, video-conferencing app Zoom was found to be sharing user data with Facebook. Data was being sent from iPhones to Facebook, regardless of whether users had Facebook accounts or not, and the fact that data was being shared was not made apparent in privacy policies.
Zoom's popularity has skyrocketed recently, with more and more people looking for remote working solutions during coronavirus lockdowns. Now the company has apologized for the secretive data sharing, saying that it takes privacy extremely seriously. There's also a new version of the app available that doesn't use the Facebook SDK.
Why is Zoom secretly sharing data with Facebook?
With so many people now working from home, video conferencing service Zoom has become a household name virtually overnight. But while millions of users appreciate the ability to connect with the office, colleagues, friends and family for free, a worrying privacy issue has been found.
The Zoom iOS app has been spotted sharing data with Facebook... even for users that don't have a Facebook account. So what's going on?
VPNs are tracking and recording their users
With more people working from home due to the COVID-19 crisis, it's concerning to find that top VPNs are recording their users and potentially leaking their data according to new research.
Comparison site VPNpro analyzed 114 VPNs and found that, of those, 102 have websites with trackers on them and 26 of those websites have 10 or more trackers. Many of these trackers involve third parties with reputations for not respecting user privacy.
Law enforcement agencies struggle to get to grips with digital intelligence
Law enforcement agencies have a growing reliance on digital intelligence with some 90 percent of cases now involving some form of digital device or cloud service.
A new report from digital intelligence solutions specialist Cellebrite collected date from over 2,000 law enforcement agency personnel, in over 110 countries to compile a report benchmarking the sector's day-to-day challenges.
Purism Librem Mini is a tiny Linux desktop
Desktops have largely fallen out of favor with home consumers, as they instead opt for laptops. Really, it isn't hard to see why this is -- a desktop PC often takes up a lot of room in a home, as it usually requires its own dedicated desk. Not to mention, you then have to add a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. You are then tethered to one place, unable to realistically work outdoors or at a coffee shop.
And yet, despite all the benefits a notebook has over a desktop, many people -- including yours truly -- prefers them. If you like the idea of a desktop, but prefer one that is very small (and won't take up a lot of space), there are plenty of options such as Intel NUC and Apple Mac mini. Today, we get another diminutive desktop option, but this one is designed for Linux and privacy. Yes, Purism is finally launching a tiny desktop, and it will come pre-installed with the Debian-based PureOS. Called "Librem Mini," the cute bugger has 4 USB-A ports on the front, along with a 3.5mm audio jack, and the power button. On the rear, there are two more USB-A ports, a single USB-C port, Ethernet, HDMI, DisplayPort, and the power port.
Privilege abuse widespread among infosecurity professionals
Almost 65 percent of security professionals surveyed at the recent RSA conference admit to accessing documents that have nothing to do with their jobs.
The study by risk analytics specialist Gurucul also reveals that nearly one in five (19 percent) of respondents admit to having abused their privileged access to view sensitive data. That number increases to 36 percent among those who've had a poor job performance review.
New tools help businesses understand consumers while protecting their privacy
We reported earlier today on consumer worries over who holds their data but for companies needing to collect data on their customers there's a tricky balancing act too.
Identity as a service company FullContact is enhancing its platform with new tools to better identify and reach customers in real and engaging ways while continuing to provide those customers control over their personal information.
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