Privacy When Using the Internet
http://edu-observatory.org/olli/Privacy/index.html
INTRODUCTION https://www.eff.org/issues/privacy New technologies are radically advancing our freedoms, but they are also enabling unparalleled invasions of privacy. National and international laws have yet to catch up with the evolving need for privacy that comes with new digital technologies. Respect for individuals' autonomy, anonymous speech, and the right to free association must be balanced against legitimate concerns like law enforcement.
SMART DEVICES ARE SPYING ON YOU EVERYWHERE, AND THAT'S A PROBLEM https://www.sciencealert.com/the-internet-of-things-is-probably-violating-your-privacy-here-s-how HOW YOU ARE CONTINUOUSLY TRACKED VIA CELLULAR PHONES Any turned on cellular phone continuously reports its o EID (Embedded Identity Document) unique to eSIM card, or o ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card Identifier) unique to a physical SIM card, and o IMEI (International Mobile Station Equipment Identity) unique to physical device, o and more. HOW THE NSA THREATENS NATIONAL SECURITY https://www.schneier.com/essays/archives/2014/01/how_the_nsa_threaten.html YOUR BROWSER (AND IP ADDRESS) CAN IDENTIFY YOU Every device that connects to the internet, whether at home or out and about, has an unique IP (Internet Protocol) address. That address is known by your ISP (Internet Service Provider) at home, your Cellular Carrier, and the providers of WiFi networks you connect to in public. See what your browser reveals every time you connect to a website. https://centralops.net/asp/co/BrowserMirror.vbs.asp Browser Fingerprinting https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/learn SPYING ON YOU Major harvestors of information include: Google, Facebook, Amazon, and the NSA. Most harvesting takes place by our computers and mobile devices automatically running JavaScript code embedded in websites we browse. Things connected to the Internet (IoT). The Ring Doorbell and many home security devices, meant to protect you, are spying on you. Alexa, etc. is always listening to you. FacebookÕs Extensive Surveillance Network https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2024/02/facebooks-extensive-surveillance-network.html Fifteen (15) Ways Google Collects Your Private Info and Data https://www.quertime.com/article/15-ways-google-collects-your-private-info-and-data/ Four (4) ways Google is destroying privacy https://www.salon.com/2014/02/05/4_ways_google_is_destroying_privacy_and_collecting_your_data_partner/ IF YOU CONTINUE TO USE GOOGLE, MANAGE YOUR GOOGLE ACCOUNT https://myaccount.google.com/privacycheckup https://myaccount.google.com/dashboard IT'S TIME TO DELETE THE SCARY AMOUNT OF DATA GOOGLE HAS ON YOU https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/its-time-to-delete-the-scary-amount-of-data-google-has-on-you/
WHAT HARDWARE CAN SPY ON YOU? Several types of hardware commonly found in homes have the potential to be used for spying or to inadvertently compromise your privacy: 1. Smartphones and Tablets: These devices have microphones, cameras, and location tracking capabilities. If compromised, they can be used to listen in on conversations, track your movements, or capture video and photos. 2. Computers and Laptops: Like smartphones, these devices are equipped with cameras and microphones. They can be compromised through malware or hacking to spy on your activities. 3. Smart TVs and Streaming Devices: Many smart TVs have cameras and microphones for voice control and video calls. If hacked or if the software has vulnerabilities, they could potentially be used for spying. Actually many are designed to harvest information about you by default. 4. Voice-Activated Assistants and Smart Speakers: Devices like Amazon Echo or Google Home are designed to listen for a wake word. However, they could potentially record conversations or be used to eavesdrop if they are hacked or malfunction. 5. Home Security Cameras and Baby Monitors: These devices are meant to provide security or monitor infants, but if their security is compromised, they can be accessed remotely by unauthorized people to spy on your home. 6. Smart Home Devices: Thermostats, light bulbs, doorbells, and other connected devices can gather data on your habits and preferences. Insecure devices can be a gateway for hackers to access your home network. Bluetooth vs WiFi. 7. Routers and Modems: These devices control all your home internet traffic. Compromised routers can monitor the websites you visit and intercept unencrypted data. 8. Wearable Tech: Devices like fitness trackers and smartwatches can track your location, activities, and even health data, which could be sensitive. To protect your privacy: - Regularly update the firmware and software of your devices. - Use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication where available. Use a password manager. - Be cautious about granting apps and devices access to your camera, microphone, and location. - Use antivirus and anti-malware software on computers and smartphones. - Be aware of the privacy policies of the devices and services you use. - Consider covering cameras or disabling microphones when not in use.
DOCUMENTARIES & BOOK RECOMMEMDATIONS GETTING HACKED (6+ min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHhNWAKw0bY The Social Dilemma (2020) | Netflix (1h 34m) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11464826/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11464826/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ql_cl The Social Dilemma (2020) (55 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYVVgGWUKKg Explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations. Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies and the Internet | Netflix Official Site https://www.netflix.com/title/81122462 (Season 1, 6 episodes) "Permanent Record" | Edward Snowden (27+ min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cihWEGNcuRU "It's Worse Than We Thought" | Edward Snowden (11+ min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGzikHRumSY Book: "Permanent Record" | Edward Snowden https://www.amazon.com/Permanent-Record-Edward-Snowden/dp/1250237238 Edward Snowden, the man who risked everything to expose the US government's system of mass surveillance, reveals for the first time the story of his life, including how he helped to build that system and what motivated him to try to bring it down. In 2013, twenty-nine-year-old Edward Snowden shocked the world when he broke with the American intelligence establishment and revealed that the United States government was secretly pursuing the means to collect every single phone call, text message, and email. The result would be an unprecedented system of mass surveillance with the ability to pry into the private lives of every person on earth. Six years later, Snowden reveals for the very first time how he helped to build this system and why he was moved to expose it. Spanning the bucolic Beltway suburbs of his childhood and the clandestine CIA and NSA postings of his adulthood, Permanent Record is the extraordinary account of a bright young man who grew up online--a man who became a spy, a whistleblower, and, in exile, the Internet's conscience. Written with wit, grace, passion, and an unflinching candor, Permanent Record is a crucial memoir of our digital age and destined to be a classic. Book: "The Snowden Files: The Inside Story of the World's Most Wanted Man" by Luke Harding https://www.amazon.com/Snowden-Files-Inside-Worlds-Wanted/dp/0804173524 Edward Snowden was a 29-year-old computer genius working for the National Security Agency when he shocked the world by exposing the near-universal mass surveillance programs of the United States government. His whistleblowing has shaken the leaders of nations worldwide, and generated a passionate public debate on the dangers of global monitoring and the threat to individual privacy. In a tour de force of investigative journalism that reads like a spy novel, award-winning Guardian reporter Luke Harding tells Snowden's astonishing story-from the day he left his glamorous girlfriend in Honolulu carrying a hard drive full of secrets, to the weeks of his secret-spilling in Hong Kong, to his battle for asylum and his exile in Moscow. For the first time, Harding brings together the many sources and strands of the story-touching on everything from concerns about domestic spying to the complicity of the tech sector-while also placing us in the room with Edward Snowden himself. The result is a gripping insider narrative-and a necessary and timely account of what is at stake for all of us in the new digital age.
REGAINING SOME PRIVACY - WHAT CAN YOU DO? USE A FARADAY BAGS (Two nested Faraday bags works better) https://www.amazon.com/Faraday-Protector-Tuulin-Blocking-Blocker/dp/B07RSHRCSS https://www.amazon.com/Mission-Darkness-Non-Window-Faraday-Phones/dp/B01A7MACL2 RF Signal Blocking - 100% shielding of WiFi (2.4GHz & 5GHz), Bluetooth, cell signals including 5G networks, GPS, RFID, and radio signals with 90dB average attenuation from low MHz all the way up to 40GHz. EMI, RFI, EMF radiation shielding. Airplane Mode will shut down cellular and bluetooth radios. USE A VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (VPN) http://edu-observatory.org/olli/Apple_Resources/VPN.html Public networks such as WiFi at Universities, Airports, Hotels, Doctor's offices, Hospitals, Libraries, Coffee Shops, etc. ARE NOT SECURE. You have to assume there are bad guys on those networks harvesting EVERYTHING you say, type and read. USE PUBLIC DNS SERVICE OPTIONS http://edu-observatory.org/olli/Apple_Resources/DNS.html Default DNS services are provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) at home, your cellular provider, workplace, and all public WiFi networks that you might use. Many are logging everything you do. Some are blocking websites. Your DNS history can identify you, perhaps even better than tracking cookies. SET A SECURE DEFAULT SEARCH ENGINE ON YOUR BROWSER Switching to a more secure, privacy focused search engine is another way to maintain better privacy while browsing the web. Most of the popular search engines rely on selling users advertisements to make money. Search engines like Startpage, and DuckDuckGo are funded by donations and search related advertising, not by harvesting and selling your information. DuckDuckGo does not track you https://DuckDuckGo.com Use Google without being tracked https://www.startpage.com AN ALTERNATIVE TO SEARCH https://openai.com/chatgpt https://chat.openai.com//?model=gpt-4 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chatgpt/id6448311069 We've trained a model called ChatGPT which interacts in a conversational way. The dialogue format makes it possible for ChatGPT to answer followup questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests. ChatGPT is a sibling model to InstructGPT, which is trained to follow an instruction in a prompt and provide a detailed response. HOW TO MANAGE COOKIES BY BROWSER https://www.cookiepro.com/knowledge/how-to-manage-cookies-by-browser/ Almost all modern browsers provide mechanisms for users to control how their computers handle cookies. This includes the ability to block cookies and prevent them from being loaded, as well as ways to delete the cookies already stored on their device. Website visitors are becoming more aware of the ways advertisers track them across websites. To combat this surveillance, popular web browsers are introducing new ways to protect the privacy of their users. Google Chrome, Safari, and Firefox have all announced big changes in 2020 that, when fully rolled out, should provide users with increased protection from tracking technologies.REGULARLY DELETE HISTORY AND WEBSITE DATA (includes cookies) Removing cookies and more. Wipe your computer of your browsing history, cookies, and other detritus. It won't solve the problem on its own, but it is almost essential to clear away the tools people can use to track you. ADBLOCK PLUS https://adblockplus.org Adblock Plus is a free extension that allows you to customize your web experience. You can block annoying ads, disable tracking and lots more. It's available for all major desktop browsers and for your mobile devices. Adblock Plus is an open source project licensed under GPLv3 and subject to its Terms of Use. ADGUARD (works on all computers and mobile devices) https://adguard.com/en/adguard-browser-extension/overview.html https://adguard.com/en/products.html AdGuard is the fastest and most lightweight ad blocking extension that effectively blocks all types of ads on all web pages! Choose AdGuard for the browser you use and get ad-free, fast and safe browsing. PRIVACY BADGER (from the Electronic Frontier Foundation) https://www.eff.org/privacybadger https://www.eff.org/privacybadger/faq#Will-you-be-supporting-any-other-browsers-besides-Chrome-/-Firefox-/-Opera https://ssd.eff.org/en/blog/privacy-badger-now-fights-more-sneaky-google-tracking Privacy Badger is a browser add-on that stops advertisers and other third-party trackers from secretly tracking where you go and what pages you look at on the web. If an advertiser seems to be tracking you across multiple websites without your permission, Privacy Badger automatically blocks that advertiser from loading any more content in your browser. To the advertiser, it's like you suddenly disappeared. HUSH NAG BLOCKER https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hush-nag-blocker/id1544743900 Browse the web like it should be - free of nags to accept cookies or privacy invasive tracking. It's tiny, fast, free, open, secure and without any access to your data. BANISH: BLOCK POPUPS IN SAFARI https://apps.apple.com/us/app/banish-block-popups-in-safari/id1632848430 BANISH. An ultra-efficient Safari Extension that blocks annoying 'Open in App' popups & other dark patterns on the web. Hide banners & save valuable screen space. VINEGAR: Tube Cleaner https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vinegar-tube-cleaner/id1591303229 Vinegar is a Safari extension that replaces the YouTube player with a minimal HTML video tag. This Safari extension is available for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. The benefits of using Vinegar include: 1. The removal of in-video ads. 2. Prevent YouTube from tracking your play/pause/seek activities. APPLE ICLOUD PRIVATE RELAY https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212614 https://support.apple.com/guide/icloud/set-up-icloud-private-relay-mm7dc25cb68f/icloud iCloud Private Relay is designed to protect your privacy by ensuring that when you browse the web in Safari, no single party - not even Apple - can see both who you are and what sites you're visiting. Testing Privacy Web Browser Cookie Forensics https://www.grc.com/cookies/forensics.htm EFF -- Is your browser safe against tracking? https://coveryourtracks.eff.org
Browser Fingerprinting https://pixelprivacy.com/resources/browser-fingerprinting/ MAKE SURE YOUR SMARTPHONE APPS AREN'T SPYING ON YOU https://phys.org/news/2018-01-smartphone-apps-spying.html The apps in question are mostly games. They seem harmless, but if you grant permission for those apps to use your phone's microphone, they can listen to your life through the phone-even when the app isn't being used. USE END-TO-END ENCRYPTION (EE2E) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End-to-end_encryption http://edu-observatory.org/olli/Apple_Resources/E2EE.html https://www.apple.com/newsroom/pdfs/The-Continued-Threat-to-Personal-Data-Key-Factors-Behind-the-2023-Increase.pdf End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a system of communication where only the communicating users can read the messages. In principle, it prevents potential eavesdroppers - including telecom providers, Internet providers, and even the provider of the communication service - from being able to access the cryptographic keys needed to decrypt the conversation. Apple iMessage And Facetime & Privacy https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/messages/ https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/face-time/ We designed iMessage and FaceTime to use end-to-end encryption, so there's no way for Apple to decrypt the content of your conversations when they are in transit between devices. Attachments you send over iMessage (such as photos or videos) are encrypted so that no one but the sender and receiver(s) can access them. iMessage with PQ3: (Feb.21, 2024) The new state of the art in quantum-secure messaging at scale https://security.apple.com/blog/imessage-pq3/ Today we are announcing the most significant cryptographic security upgrade in iMessage history with the introduction of PQ3, a groundbreaking post-quantum cryptographic protocol that advances the state of the art of end-to-end secure messaging. With compromise-resilient encryption and extensive defenses against even highly sophisticated quantum attacks, PQ3 is the first messaging protocol to reach what we call Level 3 security Ñ providing protocol protections that surpass those in all other widely deployed messaging apps. To our knowledge, PQ3 has the strongest security properties of any at-scale messaging protocol in the world. Signal - Secure Phone Calling & Text Messaging https://www.signal.org https://signalfoundation.org https://www.signal.org/download/macos/ https://apps.apple.com/us/app/signal-private-messenger/id874139669 Signal messages and calls are always end-to-end encrypted and painstakingly engineered to keep your communication safe. We can't read your messages or see your calls, and no one else can either. Here's why you should leave WhatsApp for Signal, not Telegram https://cybernews.com/editorial/why-you-should-leave-whatsapp-for-signal-not-telegram/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CyberNewsLetter_Welcome OUTBOUND FIREWALLS on computers -- Monitor all web traffic Best practices for configuring Windows Defender Firewall https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/windows-firewall/best-practices-configuring LuLu (Outbound Firewall for macOS) -- Patrick Wardle https://objective-see.com/products/lulu.html https://objective-see.com SURVEILLANCE SELF-DEFENSE https://ssd.eff.org https://ssd.eff.org/module-categories/basics https://ssd.eff.org/module-categories/tool-guides PERSONAL SAFETY USER GUIDE https://help.apple.com/pdf/personal-safety/en_US/personal-safety-user-guide.pdf HUMAN BEHAVIOR https://defensivecomputingchecklist.com http://edu-observatory.org/olli/HCS/Week1.html http://edu-observatory.org/olli/HCS/Week2.html
RESOURCES ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION (EFF) https://www.eff.org https://ssd.eff.org/en/module/your-security-plan APPLE'S APPROACH TO PRIVACY https://www.apple.com/privacy/ https://www.apple.com/privacy/features/ https://www.apple.com/privacy/manage-your-privacy/ sam.wormley@gmail.com