World, Writing, Wealth discussion

Setting up this thread to assist based on my systems etc. and as discussed in other threads.

We have the cyber tips from RMP and there is a lot of good advice there.

So in simple terms

Keep your tablet, PC, laptop, smartphone Mac, Linux. Windows, Android etc up to date with patches - think of it as like putting fuel and maintaining your car.

Use Anti-virus anti malware

Back up your most important data to another device kept somewhere else even if just a different room. This can be a cloud service but remember Ts and Cs and that it needs Internet access

There are those that have lost data and those that have not lost data - yet.

The Internet is not the World Wide Web. There are multiple elements to it from email and messaging to the applications like Facebook and Goodreads running on it. In simplest terms, its a bunch of applications running on a server located somewhere connected by copper and fibre optic cables to everything else.

Bits of hardware routers/switches/firewall etc control access as do wiring.

For this to work the devices need to know where you are and what you are trying to do. In software terms this is your Internet address (lots of different components). This address can be masked but not completely hidden and what you do once connected is always tracked to some extent otherwise the data you request (page in WWW) does not know where to go.

Onto specifics

Tracking on the www is mostly controlled by cookies
Cookies are small files delivered from the host and connected sites to reside on your computer. Some are necessary (evil) some e.g. allowing you to log-in and be remembered. Others are there to provide analytics companies and web hosts to track how many unique people are using the site. Others are designed to deliver adverts from the host and all those connected companies. In the process Cookies take your data and share it around often without you knowing.

This is on top of the data that the big tech companies take and sell from your use of those services. In simplest terms they sell your data to advertisers by allowing advertisers to advertise on their site using same methods as other media e.g. readers/watchers e.g ratings.

More difficult is the data you post (like this post) which as soon as published effectively belongs to host (see Tcs and Cs) thus all the photos etc posted on Facebook are now Facebooks

You can see what cookies exist by using some of the settings on your browser (application to view WWW) but remember different browsers also are used to track and watch you. Google Chrome sends data to Google (not just search results) Microsoft IE or Edge sends to Microsoft. Safari sends to Apple etc.

I use an independent browser on a mac Firefox and then Duck Duck Go as my search engine. I then have add ons called uBlock Origin and Privacy Badger which on base setting block ads and tracking cookies. They also tell me what is there and these sites provide better explanations than I can

https://www.mozilla.org
https://privacybadger.org/#What-is-a-...
https://ublockorigin.com/

I also sometimes use a virtual private network which allows me to appear to a web site as coming from a different physical location or nation e.g. when I want to see how my books look like on Amazon France I need to stop my browser cookie seeing I am coming from UK so I appear to be in France - lots of other uses including protecting individuals from security monitoring due to encryption of the data in transit as well as HTTPS and encrypted applications like Telegram/Signal and even WhatsApp

Issue with Instagram and WhatsAp is that they are in Facebook and data is merged for their purposes whilst claiming it helps end users. As these apps are free (But cost millions to run) you are the product...

When in Europe / UK GDPR/Data Protection Act and California Data plus others in Australia legally decide what data can be held and processed they also require cookie notices to be displayed.

Most people click accept all but I would urge you all to click to see what you are accepting

Try www.OneTrust.com and don't click accept all on cookie pop up go to settings and see what this privacy company uses and how these are controlled.

Strictly Necessary
Analytics
Functional
Tracking

You can enable or disable anything but Strictly Necessary. Some sites let you browse and ignore the settings others won't let you in until you select. European and UK sites should have formal opt -in but many sites don't. Ca has don't sell as added precaution. Consent for the cookies and use of your data should be informed and positive. US companies especially big media take a different view

I'll think of more stuff in next few days - comments welcome.

Many thanks, Philip, for setting this one up. Useful and helpful info and links! And it's great to have them all consolidated in one dedicated and easily accessible place

Thanks, Philip

Just adding some paranoia on Government security - I have a blog on some of the systems in use by NSA, GCHQ and the rest of the Five Eyes.

https://phenweb.co.uk/government-snoo...

Philip wrote: "Just adding some paranoia on Government security - I have a blog on some of the systems in use by NSA, GCHQ and the rest of the Five Eyes.

https://phenweb.co.uk/government-snoo..."

Sometimes calmer not to know, indeed :)

Just wondering if you guys think posts here are being monitored by some govt agency. Maybe I should think before I post?

Scout wrote: "Just wondering if you guys think posts here are being monitored by some govt agency. Maybe I should think before I post?"

I don't know, but I suppose the entire internet is monitored and sifted through, basing on key words, specific IP addresses and other parameters. If any discussion popped up for any reason, maybe Homeland Security, FSB, Mossad, MI -__ and/or Iranians might've allocated a closer attention or even agents to join the group. However, we just discuss things here - shouldn't put us in an immediate danger. If anything, they are welcome to voice their opinions and affiliation :)

The Contact Chaining system is designed to find connections between potential targets or persons of interest. So if someone is being investigated (could be a connection of a connection) then the systems are designed to search for more connections. Each connection is then scored for viability.

The issue is that a close connection (Family, work colleague) may be unaware of other activity, yet their activity is swept up in the collection. Note I am ignoring the legality of the monitoring in the first place.

NSA, GCHQ, MI6, CIA etc are not looking for evidence for a court. They are spying for threats. The cross-over is when the information is shared to police, FBI etc. Then it's value is only possible if corroborated by legal evidence. The issue is it's a massive giant haystack with some very tiny needles. Your hay is collected regardless.

So, unless you are connected you will not be a focus of a contact chain, but your data is being collected and stored, just in case you pop onto the radar

Whether this is OK depends on your approach to civil liberty and privacy against the usual nothing to hide declarations.

Scout wrote: "Just wondering if you guys think posts here are being monitored by some govt agency. Maybe I should think before I post?"

Of course they are. The hilarious part is which government agency is spying on us.

The Postal Service is running a 'covert operations program' that monitors Americans' social media posts

https://news.yahoo.com/amphtml/the-po...

Fun fact: Benjamin Franklin had to build the postal service twice. He first set it up to serve the colonies. He then had to set up an entirely new postal service when King George used the old one to spy on Americans. I can feel Santayana smirking.

Philip wrote: "The Contact Chaining system is designed to find connections between potential targets or persons of interest. So if someone is being investigated (could be a connection of a connection) then the sy..."

The problem arises when the people doing the spying and data collection become politicised and favor one party over another - i.e. they become a political force in their own right.

Or abuse their access for personal ends.

Expecting human beings not to abuse power, especially if they can cover their tracks and get away with it, is hoping for too much I think.

That's before they lose the data - BA and Marriot plus various Gov organisations
Sell the data - Facebook and Google
Prevent mal-use of the vulnerabilities they have deliberately created - Wannacry

The presumption is that the friendly agencies are a force for good rather than a force that damages or harms the very citizens they are charged with protecting - the jury is still out.

Their approach to the journalists that published the Snowden and other revelations was to try and smear those journalists. Likewise with the issues. e.g. the diplomatic cables exposing misbehaviour on Wikileaks - chase the publisher rather than the bad behaviour.

Guantanamo is still open holding hundreds of alleged terrorists. I say alleged - watch The Mauritanian, based on the memoir Guantánamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Salahi, This used alleged evidence from a contact chain on Bin Laden. A call from a cousin of Salahi made on Salahi's phone to Bin Laden. Yet all the other evidence was redacted and removed because it didn't show that connection.

All power etc... and It will be misused if protected by secret courts and secret briefing to people who have no clue about the technology being used.

Maybe similar to a physical world, where we walk out into the street and dozens/hundreds/thousands of cameras record much of our moves..

Thanks for the fun fact, J. And Graeme said: "Expecting human beings not to abuse power, especially if they can cover their tracks and get away with it, is hoping for too much I think." Well said.

I'm not expecting black SUVs to roll up to my house, but I do hold unpopular opinions, ones that can get a Space Force guy relieved from duty, so who knows?

I like this thread as it is very informative! Thanks Philip! :)

I knew about some stuff and didn't know about others. :)

Marie wrote: "I like this thread as it is very informative! Thanks Philip! :)

I knew about some stuff and didn't know about others. :)"

Thanks - Feel free to add other elements - we now have the scams and cons thread going too

Looks like complimentary charging outlets can contain ambushes:
https://thehill.com/policy/technology...
Don't know what my cellphone contracted, but I'd been using those on planes and in airports

And another thing - like many people I have more than one e-mail account and opened them many years ago, where you had to input some basic information, but not a phone number. Now I get that bots are a big problem, but lately I have been getting these - Would you like to add a mobile number? - when I sign in and I always hit "no" or "remind me later" because "remind me never again" is not an option. Despite spam blocks, spammers don't seem to have a problem getting my number, why would I want to share it any more than I have.
And - second time in the past few months, one of my accounts, one that was more popular several years ago than it is today - the one I use as my sign in for this and a few other socials - locked me out. Looked around this internet, and see that a lot of people have complained about this site's poor management of their email, random lockouts, fishing for more info than they got when you signed up, etc. I can still sign in to my socials, but I have the image of e-mails backing up like crazy and I can't get in to empty the box.

Barbara wrote: "I can still sign in to my socials, but I have the image of e-mails backing up like crazy and I can't get in to empty the box..."

Annoying, hope it'll get sorted out

Barbara, I don't give my cell number to anyone besides my family and close friends. Not to doctors' offices or sites I do business with. Even my bank will still accept an email for verification. I wanted to make an appointment for a haircut today, but I couldn't do so without giving my cell number to a third party. So I'll call the salon directly tomorrow to make an appointment. So far, I've been able to avoid giving my cell number to businesses, but I think those days will soon be over. Right now, I can sleep with my phone next to my bed in case my parents need me - without being woken up by unwanted calls. Don't know how long that will last. I feel we're besieged by those who want to invade our privacy for their self-interest.