Footprinting Criminals

Yup.  You read that right.  Not fingerprint, footprint.

Defining Your Digital Footprint

Your digital footprint, little crumbs left on the internet by your activities, is quickly become a useful tool for security agencies to track (or trap) you.  Law enforcement officials comb through oodles of data generated from your browsing history, cell phone location history, social media feeds, purchasing habits and in some cases, even your email to build a unique digital profile of you.

Officials assess the volume, variety, veracity and velocity of the information gathered in building a detailed profile.

Using Your Digital Footprint

With that profile, officials (and marketers) can assess your proclivity to participate in criminal activities, build a case to prosecute you after the fact, and in some cases stop you from being a menace to society.

Not all the data generated and analysed is within your control.  You interact with countless external databases which also collect and collate information on your patterns.  Consider CCTV, police body cameras, licence plate readers, facial recognition and drone cameras.  The Jamaican police have all these sources at their disposal.  Even the once old school finger print has gone digital thanks to the Automated Finger Information System (AFIS).

Governments use legislation (like the Patriot Act in the US), government agencies use advanced software and local police use warrants to legitimately access to what once was your private data.  Of course, in some cases coercion and deception are included in the tool kit.

Limiting Your Digital Footprint

And in many cases, “they” are getting exactly what they want.  The sheer volume of data is a limiting factor; even with the most sophisticated algorithms, parsing through terabytes of data takes time and produces false results costing more time.  End to end encryption for email and messaging, the dark web and increasing savvy internet users are also collectively slowing the data capture process; not to mention the (public) refusal of some tech companies to play nice and build back doors.

The adage, if you have nothing to hide means you have nothing to worry about, is simply not true.  Data is data.  It can be interpreted or manipulated in various ways.  Protecting your data from rouge government agencies and corrupt law enforcement is just as important as protecting your data from criminals and the process is the same.

That said, that doesn’t mean that I advocate the hindrance of lawful searches to give aide to security professionals.  It’s a complicated world.  Someone else is watching your digital footprint right now, and you should be watching it too.



Tech4Life airs on @RJR94FM every Wednesday morning at 8:15 am.

T4L: Pass On Passive Passwords

Advisory: Change all your critical account passwords (email, bank, social media) immediately and often.

I agree, it is troublesome to come up with complex and unique passwords for every online account or service (in my case, 82 and counting), but I believe (from anecdotal experience only thank God) that it is less troublesome than having your data, PC, money and or identity stolen, held at ransom, revealed or deleted.

The Problem
So, here is the background, way back (in tech terms at least) in 2012, there was a data breach.  LinkedIn, Tumblr, MySpace (remember them?) and other sites were hacked, releasing some 117 million login details including passwords into the wild.  I can’t say why the data remained underground so long; I can say, however, that the data is available for sale and is being sold to some bad people (yup, that is a technical term).

This affects you (and me), if you haven’t changed your password in a couple of years or if you re-use passwords across different platforms.  The hackers are, right this minute, using the data to attack your accounts.  And, they have succeeded.  High profile celeb accounts like Mark Zuckerberg's were among those compromised this week.  Think about it, he’s one of the world’s greatest programmers, and he was hacked.  Still feel you’re immune?

The Option
You can check if you've been compromised at: haveibeenpwned.com, but personally, I’m busy.  So, I’d rather skip this step, assume all old passwords have been compromised and set new ones.  Even “the leader of the free world” resets his nuclear launch codes periodically, why can’t you reset a few passwords?

So real is the threat, that several sites forced subscribers to reset their passwords to gain access.  They completely denied access with old passwords.  Why not take their lead and take a moment to reset all your passwords.

The Solution
Before you start to complain about the brain power required to compute and mentally store scores of unique passwords, consider a password manager.  Check out cross-platform options like 1Password and LastPass.  Apple ecosystem dwellers can rely on Keychain.  Trust me, this is not the time to skimp; pay for the best service you can afford and enjoy convenient features and options.

While you're at it, going through all your accounts individually and setting up UNIQUE passwords for EACH account, why not take another moment to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on every account that supports it.  Recently Google made 2FA simpler and other will follow suit, but that is for another post.

The combination of strong, unique passwords and 2FA is , currently, the best protection against hacking.

Tech4Life airs every Wednesday morning at 8:15 am on @RJR94FM

T4L: WhatsApp Introduces Encryption

Yup, arguably the most popular messaging platform in the word just launched end to end encryption.  So, whether you’re chatting about your plans to attack a killer sandwich or to blow up an exam, your instant messages are protected, as of, well, now.

End to end data encryption is certainly not new.  Less popular but more secure apps like Telegram have been offering the feature for a long time.  But, the Facebook-owned Whatsapp has about a billion, with a ‘b’,  users around the globe making this announcement significant.  Note too; the feature is not optional.  I repeat, it is not optional.

Encryption is turned on by default, for everyone who uses the app.  Whatsapp has no access to the data in conversations and cannot be compelled by any government body or agency to turn over your conversation data.

Unlike email encryption systems, Whatsapp provides a separate, new, unique encryption key for every new conversation.  The key itself is verifiable between users, adding to the level of security offered.

Of course, the feature is useless as a privacy tool if you leave your phone lying around unlocked, but short of that, you can rest assured neither the government or your neighbour can access your Whatsapp messages.  Happy texting!

Tech4Life airs every Wednesday morning at 8:15 on @RJR94FM

T4L - New Age Protection

I am updating my being safe online tips.  After all, it is a new year and there are new threats out there.  What worked last year simply may not be enough for 2015.  So here goes; make some time to not only read but action these safety steps.

Step 1: Back up, run anti-virus, back up again
Do it now, do it again and again.  Only the first back up is hard, each subsequent back up is incremental and therefore doesn’t take much time.  Backing up is your first and best defense against data loss which can happen for more reasons than I have space to mention.  Many systems can automate the process to an external drive or cloud service, so your only excuse is .. none.

Make sure that you download, install, run and update a good anti-malware programme, even for your mobile device.  Get rid of or prevent viruses, adware, spyware and other wares designed to destroy your life.

Step 2: Set Strong Unique Passwords
Passwords can be a pain, but they are also your first line of defense against attacks.  Forget the old rules, passwords now need to be longer than eight characters, need not be a recognizable word and need to be unique for each account.  Yes, you read that right - each account.  Since remembering scores of complicated passwords would be too much, it is time to breakout a good password manager to keep things in check.

Step 3: Secure Everything
It can be tempting to jump on a free WiFi hotspot, skip the hassle of configuring a firewall or browsing quickly through unsecured websites, but try to remember how temptation worked out for Eve.

Take a moment to set up a new password on your home wireless router and all internet enabled devices like IP cameras.  Take a moment to set up a firewall on your ‘outer, turn off Discovery and disable file sharing, especially if you plan to log on to public WiFi.

Step 4: Avoid Scams
Certainly it is not recommended that you click on links in email, but if you do, make sure there is a little lock showing in your browser window confirming that the site is secure.

Speaking of security, secure your credit card by using a dedicated ‘online card’ issued by your bank, a one time/pre-paid card or a service like Paypal to create a safety zone around your prized plastic.

Online email services like Google, Yahoo! and Outlook all offer built in virus scanners to reduce the likelihood of nefarious downloads, but it is good to remain vigilant.

Step 5: Repeat
Yes, repeat.  Continuous protection requires continuos updating.

Here’s to a safe 2015!

Tech4Life airs every Wednesday @ 8:15am on RJR94FM

Tech4Life: Security vs Convenience

Certainly, security can be a pain.  Having to remember multiple, long, complicated passwords is stressful for some.

Yet, as stressful as it is, passwords are not necessarily enough to protect your important data.  Enter two factor authentication.  Two factor authentication (2FA), in effect, adds another level of security for your data.

At its best, 2FA requires both a knowledge requirement such as a password along with a possession requirement such as a code sent to a mobile phone.  With 2FA, if a hacker gains access to your passwords, they are still unable to enter your online accounts without the mobile phone code.

This is similar to what happens at an ATM.  If a thief gains possession of your bank card, it is relatively useless without knowing your PIN.


Fortunately, many popular website sites offer this extra level of security and offer it for free.  Popular email sites like GMail, Yahoo! and Hotmail (now Outlook) have all implemented optional 2FA.  Cloud based storage and collaboration sites like Dropbox and Evernote have also provided this option.

Social media sites tend to store public data - images, comments, videos and other content often posted for public consumption.  Yet, they remain a target for hackers as they also host something most valuable - reputation.  As many celebrities have found, hackers may use their social media accounts to post unfavorable content.  So, even social media sites must be protected with 2FA.  Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and LinkedIn, among others, all offer the extra layer of security.

Each site offers 2FA in different ways, so consider which sites you need to protect and then visit the site to that site to follow their instructions.

It wouldn’t hurt to use the opportunity to change and strengthen your passwords to add extra “umph” to your enhanced security and be safe online.

Tech: IT Easy - Get a life | And your phone is not it

When the realisation dawns on you that all your contacts, pictures and emails are gone, it can be devastating. Admit it, our phones are an integral part of our lives. Personally, I can't even remember what life was like before the BlackBerry phone. But it is not the phone that is so important, it's the information contained within that is truly part of the fabric of our lives.

Yet, we treat our phone with such scant regard. We leave them at the bank, the restaurant and our friends' house. We keep them out in the open and thieves steal them. We simply forget where they are. Fortunately for us, technology can find our phones for us.

Read the full article

Send feedback to: techiteasy@carlettedeleon.com

Tech Time: Protecting Your Phone

If you are prone to losing your Blackberry, RIM has found a solution for you; of course, iPhone found it first.

Later this year, you will be able to install Blackberry Protect and app which will help you “wipe, lock or locate” a lost device with the help of your PC (sorry Mac users). To make it work, you’ll be required to download and install the Blackberry protect app to your handset and your PC.

You can use the programme to help you locate a lost phone in a couple of ways. First, you can view the location of the phone on a map or your can activate the “loud ring” feature which will override any prior audio setting which might have been on the phone. If someone else has found the phone, you can send them a message – a custom message you compose can appear on the phone’s screen, even if the phone is locked.

Speaking of locked, if you forgot to lock you phone before losing it, use Blackberry Protect to lock it remotely or, for an extra level of protection, wipe all the data on the phone. Wiping all your data on the phone itself does not mean that you have lost all your data. Blackberry Connect allows you to back up you contacts, calendar, tasks, browser bookmarks and text messages over WiFi or 3G to the cloud, making the information instantly accessible if you wish to migrate the data to a new device.

These features are all similar to Find My iPhone successfully introduced by Apple earlier this year. Though the Find My iPhone app is free from the iTunes store, it only works with a US$99 Mobile Me subscription. Regardless of platform, these “wipe, lock and locate” features only work if the phone is on AND connected via WiFi or 3G. BES (Blackberry Enterprise Server) users, iPhone users and adventurous third-party software adopter already have access to these features, but the introduction of Blackberry Protector in the fourth quarter will provide a sense of security for the causal BB user – that is, if they don’t mind all their data being stored in the cloud.

Windows 7 Tip: Win+M minimizes everything

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