Tips for Improved Web Security

Tips to integrate into one's digital life 

• Reduce Social Media (especially Google services, Facebook & Instagram)
• Compartmentalize (email, browsers, etc.) 
• Don't click random links (use browser address bar)
• Mail Forwarding (hides personal email address 'name')
• Digital Minimization (reduce where practical)
• Deny Outbound
• Unique Passwords (use a password manager)
• Unique email (personal, business, social, online purchase etc.)
• Hardware Token (USB Key)
• Random Recovery Questions (avoid answers directly associated with you)
• Privacy Settings (use what's available)

Web Privacy, Security and Anonymity

We all use the web for information, communication and purchasing. Big tech and app providers) are the enemy of privacy and receive revenue by providing advertisers with demographic information obtained through tracking users activities. Cyber security experts are aware and recommend their clients to avoid possible using Google and Facebook services ... or know what you are sharing with these top privacy violators. I am embarking on a privacy journey to see where it takes me.

My initial reviews of web privacy and cyber security risks identified:

• Software and applications we use day to day on all devices are not free - you (your info, your search habits, etc.) are the product
• Avoid using the same password for many accounts 
• Never, repeat never share sensitive personal information on the web
• Use multiple browsers and multiple emails for personal information 'isolation'
• Never save passwords on your browser - use a password manager (BitWarden)
• Top-rated, privacy 'bent' browsers are Brave, Firefox and Tor
• Most private search engines are DuckDuckGo, StartPage, Brave Search (beta)
• Your email address is just as important to 'protect' as your password
• Your personal email should ONLY be shared with family and friends - period!

See January post Top Browsers

Top Browsers for Privacy

**Many browsers today are data collection tools for advertising companies. This is the case for Google Chrome, the largest and most popular browser. By collecting data through your browser, these companies can make money through their advertising partners with targeted ads. 

Unless properly configured, most browsers contain lots of private information that can be exploited or simply collected – by various third parties:

Browsing history: all the websites you visit
Login credentials: usernames and passwords
Cookies and trackers: these are placed on your browser by the sites you visit
Autofill information: names, addresses, phone numbers, etc.

Top Browsers (full article) 

1. Brave: The most secure and private browser (by default). Brave is arguably the most secure browser with simple, out-of-the-box privacy. It is a Chromium-based browser that is fast, secure, and privacy-focused by default. It has a built-in ad blocker and browser fingerprinting protection, while also giving you access to numerous add-ons and extensions. 

2. Firefox (modified and tweaked for privacy). Firefox is a great all-around browser for privacy and security. It offers strong privacy protection features, many customization options, excellent security, and regular updates with an active development team. The newest version of Firefox is fast and lightweight with many privacy customization options.

3. Tor browser.The Tor browser is a hardened version of Firefox that is configured to run on the Tor network. By default, the Tor Browser is a secure browser that protects you against browser fingerprinting, but it also has some disadvantages.** 

Quick Tip: Backup Important Docs

1. Keep a photo of your insurance, VIN and license plate on your phone.

You’re putting yourself at risk if you keep all of your important paperwork in your glove compartment. These are essential documents you can’t afford to lose. First of all, we recommend making photocopies to store with the rest of your files. Tap or click here to digitize your most important documents.

Snap a photo of your insurance card, VIN and license plate. That way, if your car is ever stolen, you have critical information at hand. This helps you act quickly just in case the worst comes to pass.

2. Better yet: Digitize your most important documents.

Of course, making physical copies of important documents isn’t the only way to go. If a tornado, hurricane or a fire hits your home, your backups are toast. That’s why you should take advantage of tech and use digital systems as another form of backup.

You can use a scanner -or- gitially scan those documents. One free app that looks promising is Adobe Scan for iOS and Adobe Scan for Android

PS: What if your car is stolen and you don't want to spend the high annual cost of of many available auto trackers... consider Tracki with a starting monthly fee of $9.99 annual fee after purchase.

Tips: If Your email Address is Breached

Forefox informed me that a company that had my email and password was breached. Here are suggestions Firefox recommended to address the sharing of my information:

What to do for this breach

We recommend you take these steps to keep your personal info safe and protect your digital identity.

• Change your password

• Make this password unique and different from any others you use. A good strategy to follow is to combine two or more unrelated words to create an entire passphrase.

• Update other logins using the same password

• Reusing passwords turns a single data breach into many. Now that this password is out there, hackers could use it to get in to other accounts.

• Use email aliases

Giving out your real email address makes it easier for hackers or trackers to find your passwords or target you online. A service like Firefox Relay hides your real email address while forwarding emails to your real inbox.

• Try Firefox Relay

• Set up two-factor authentication (2FA)

Many websites offer 2FA as an extra security measure. This requires another piece of information to log in to your account, such as a one-time code you receive via text.

See sites that offer 2FA

 

See also I Have Been Pwned 

Prevent iPhone Web & App Tracking

Apps that you install on your phone can sometimes track your web and app activity outside of those particular apps—even when you’re not using them. This activity data is often sold to third parties to help them make advertising decisions. With iOS 15, they can’t track your data on the iPhone without your permission, but sometimes it’s easier to just stop apps from asking in the first place. We'll show you how.

Read: Prevent Web & App Data Tracking on Your iPhone

Your Phone's Apps and Privacy Definitions - Deep Dive

Privacy Definitions and Examples

Learn more about the data types an app may collect and some of the ways the developer or its third-party partners may use it.

https://apps.apple.com/us/story/id1539235847

Limit What Google Knows About You

If you haven’t visited your Google Account and privacy settings in a while, now’s the time to do it. Here’s how you can clear out your Google activity history:

• Go to myaccount.google.com and log in. You can also visit Google.com while logged in and click the circle icon in the upper right corner of your browser with your image or initials inside.
• Click Manage your data & personalization, found under Privacy & Personalization.
• Under History settings, you’ll see pause or play buttons next to Web & App activity tracking, Location History and YouTube History. Click them to change the settings. Turning them off will stop ad and history tracking.
• Under Activity Controls, you have more control over your activity. Delete everything you find invasive and enjoy your newfound freedom.

Google searches can reveal tons of personal information that might not be ideal for you or your personal goals. By taking control of your results, you’re making Google work for you instead of against you, making it easier to meet people and land new jobs. Just make sure to be careful about what you post online going forward.

Security tip: The right way to clean out your phone apps

The process is simple. Go through each of your apps and ask yourself “Do I really need this?” But it’s not as simple as just uninstalling the apps you don’t use anymore. 

You need to take a few vital steps to delete apps the right way and protect your privacy.Here are some tips, however open the link to get the non-tech details. iPhone shown but detials are provided in the link for Android.

1. Check which you use the most, how much data and which are battery hogs
2. Log into each account and deactivate or delete (check out JustDelete.me)
3. Check and remove app permissions

Source: Kim Komando https://bit.ly/3l5QLhw

Free Home Security Camera

So, do you have an old smart phone - iPhone or Android? If you do, you can create a basic home security system use that old phone and a free app called Alfred https://alfred.camera/. Download, install and setup took about 5 minutes. Total cost was $0.00 since I had the phone, and a spare power adapter and mobile phone cord to keep it powered all the time. Oh, it has a motion detector (I will set up).

What Companies Knows About You

Here a summary of what companies know about you and steps you may consider to improve your privacy and web security.

• What Amazon knows about you
  
• What Apple knows about you
  
• What Axios knows about you
  
• What Facebook knows about you
  
• What Google knows about you
  
• What your hospital knows about you
  
• What the internet knows about you
  
• What Intuit knows about you
  
• What Tesla knows about you

Increase Your Security if You Use Facebook

The ability for Facebook to capture information about you and your activities is 'baked' into their mobile app. How - delete Facebook app and create a Home Screen bookmark on your phone.

There are several disadvantages of using the app instead of loading Facebook directly in a browser:

1 – The Facebook app is a major battery hog. After app deletion author found an extra hour or two of battery life between charges.
2 – Facebook’s mobile website works a lot more like the full-blown desktop site.
3 – Using Facebook in a mobile random glitches are less likely to occur.
4 – The app is less protective of a user’s privacy than the mobile version of the Facebook website.

Source: Rick's Daily Tips https://tinyurl.com/yesthxkm

Here is how to add Facebook website to your phone (or any website)
https://tinyurl.com/yfm2jcry

Google's Watching - Privacy Sandbox (FLoC) in Chrome

Still, it’s worth checking to see if the feature is active. These steps apply to Android, Windows, Mac, and Linux versions of Chrome:

1. In Chrome go to Settings > Privacy and security > Privacy Sandbox.
2. This opens the Privacy Sandbox page even if you’re not part of the Trial.
3. If the “Privacy Sandbox trials” toggle is turned on, then FLoC is enabled. Click/tap to disable it. Don’t turn it on if you don’t want to Chrome to use FLoC.

Privacy - Opt Out of Ring Amazon Sidewalk

You can opt out of Sidewalk through settings in Alexa, but you can also do it through the Ring app. Here’s how:

• Open your Ring app.
• Tap the three-lines in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
• Navigate to and tap Control Center.
• Tap Sidewalk.
• Tap the Sidewalk slider button.
• You will see a screen asking you to confirm that you want to disable Sidewalk. Confirm that you wish to disable Sidewalk.
  

 

How Long Will It Take to Crack Your Password?

Source: https://www.hivesystems.io/

Privacy and Security To-Do's

Here are a couple articles to improve you web security and privacy ... a hobby of mine to minimize my exposure on the web.

1. Facebook Privacy Tool (off-Facebook activity) https://bit.ly/3gmeVRf

2. Laptop Camera Cam Cover https://amzn.to/3gnWuvs

3. What does Google Know about You https://bit.ly/30mdXin

4. Delete Google Search History https://bit.ly/2DsGVE2

Remember All Your Passwords with One Password

"A password manager relieves the burden of thinking up and memorizing unique, complex logins—the hallmark of a secure password. It allows you to safely share those logins with others when necessary. And because these tools encrypt your login info in a virtual vault—either locally or in the cloud—and lock it with a single master password, they protect the passwords themselves. If you’re looking to up your security game, a password manager is the way to go."

Check out this article Best Password Managers - 2019 which is an independent review of top-rated Password Managers. The article's top two (2) Password Managers LastPass and Dashlane happen to be the Managers I have used for years - on my computer and mobile phone.

Bottom Line - use a password manager since 1) every website you visit MUST use a different password and 2) you CANNOT remember every different password you use to login to websites, period!

Protect Your Identity!

October was National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM). It is a collaborative effort between government and industry to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity and to ensure that all Americans have the resources they need to be safer and more secure online. Here is their summary:

1. Double your login protection. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) to ensure that the only person who has access to your account is you.
2. Shake up your password protocol. You should consider using the longest password or passphrase permissible. 
3. If you connect, you must protect. For any device - update to the latest security software, web browser, and operating systems.
4. Play hard to get with strangers. If you’re unsure who an email is from—even if the details appear accurate— or if the email looks “phishy,” do not respond and do not click on any links or attachments
5. Never click and tell. Limit what information you post on social media—from personal addresses to where you like to grab a coffee. 
6. Keep tabs on your apps. Most connected devices have 3rd party apps running in the background or using unknown permissions - Check your app permissions 
7. Stay protected while connected. Before you connect to any public wireless hotspot – be sure to confirm the name of the network and exact login procedures. Better yet - DON'T connect. 
More Cybersecurity 2019 Toolkit

Disconnect from Google

One of my (small) passions that I follow news and information on is identity protection. With a little time and effort, one can be their own Life Lock (not the legal support side however). Such actions as implementing a 'credit freeze' at the three reporting services, using password managers, placing spending notifications on credit card services, using unique passwords for sensitive accounts, etc. can reduce your identity exposure.

For social media and online purchasing services, take any and all actions in settings to reduce your exposure, but the Google services is one that could have much information about you. Below is a brief list of alternate services to consider to reduce your exposure to Google. The Source lists other services to break away from Google.

1. Google Search - I use Duck Duck Go or Start Page
2. YouTube - try Vimeo
3. Google Maps - for you Apple folks use Apple Maps
4. Gmail - anything other than Gmail, I use Proton Mail and Zoho (note: as a minimum, consider any two email addresses - one for general correspondence and one dedicated just for financial correspondence only)
5. Google Docs - I use Google Docs and Zoho Docs (but NEVER place any sensitive information on any)
6. Google Calendar - Use Apple's Calendar or the article's suggestion

Source: Reclaim Your Privacy

Get Organized - Personal Financial Files

Everyone needs to keep certain personal financial files more or less permanently. But which files should you keep, and why do you need to keep them? How long should you keep them and in what format? AAII provides a good summary as well as detail to understand what and how long financial and other important documents should be held.

Source: AAII Get Organized!