Is My Computer Protected? - Empire State Cannabis Forum https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/ Empire State Cannabis Discussion Board en-US Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:36:23 +0000 wpForo 60 DNS over HTTPS will be rolling out over the coming weeks-Firefox https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/dns-over-https-will-be-rolling-out-over-the-coming-weeks-firefox/ Thu, 27 Feb 2020 20:26:13 +0000
Starting today, Mozilla will turn on by default DNS over HTTPS (DoH) for Firefox users in the US, the company has announced. DoH is a new standard that encrypts a part of your internet traffic that’s typically sent over an unencrypted plain text connection, and which could allow others to see what websites you’re visiting, even when your communication with the website itself is encrypted using HTTPS. Mozilla says it is the first browser to support the new standard by default, and will be rolling it out gradually over the coming weeks in order to address any unforeseen issues.

Whenever you type a website into your address bar, your browser needs to go through a process to convert it into an IP address using a DNS lookup. However, this traffic is normally not encrypted, meaning that it’s possible for others to see what websites you’re visiting. DoH is an attempt to encrypt this information to protect your privacy. Here’s a more in-depth explanation from Mozilla that explains it in detail.

Mozilla is motivated in part by ISPs who monitor customers’ web usage. US carriers like Verizon and AT&T are building massive ad-tracking networks. DoH won't stop the data collection but it’ll likely make it more difficult.

THE TECHNOLOGY HAS FACED CRITICISM FROM LAWMAKERS
Although it’s much harder for others to see your DNS lookups with DoH enabled, the websites will still be visible to the DNS server your browser is connecting to. Thus, Mozilla says Firefox will offer a choice of two trusted DNS providers, Cloudflare and NextDNS, and that Cloudflare will be used as the default. Mozilla has outlined a set of privacy requirements that any DoH provider must abide by in order to be considered a trusted resolver.

Mozilla claims that DoH increases the privacy and security of users online, but the technology has faced fierce criticism from lawmakers and security experts who say that it hampers legitimate attempts by enterprise system administrators and lawmakers to block dangerous web content. Experts also claim the technology doesn’t provide the perfect privacy protection that its proponents claim. Only certain parts of the DNS lookup process are encrypted, and internet service providers will still be able to see which IP addresses their users are connecting to, they warn.

When it announced that it would be turning on DoH by default last year, Mozilla said that it would allow for opt-in parental controls and disable DoH if Firefox detects them. It also said that it would disable DoH by default in enterprise configurations.

This controversy means that today’s announcement only concerns US-based Firefox users. Mozilla told ZDNet last year that it wouldn’t be enabling DoH by default in the UK, where the technology has been criticized by the country’s GCHQ intelligence service, child advocacy groups, and ISPs. In an FAQ on its site Mozilla says its current focus is on enabling the feature in the US only. However, users outside the US will be able to manually turn the feature on by heading into Settings, General, and then scrolling down to Networking Settings.

While Firefox is the first browser to start turning on DoH by default, other browsers such as Chrome, Edge Chromium, and Brave have also started supporting the feature. However, in most cases you’ll have to dig through their settings in order to enable the feature. Here’s a guide from last year on how to do so.]]> Is My Computer Protected? orthene https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/dns-over-https-will-be-rolling-out-over-the-coming-weeks-firefox/ Unsecure connection https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/unsecure-connection/ Sun, 16 Apr 2017 16:34:20 +0000 Is My Computer Protected? Subgenius https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/unsecure-connection/ Help/maybe some ranting too...well, definitely. https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/help-maybe-some-ranting-too-well-definitely/ Sat, 22 Oct 2016 00:21:57 +0000
The focus of my post is my MSI laptop.  I was smart enough to purchase the extended warranty; the unit is used daily and I have already worn out two laptops that warranties completely replaced. Good going so far Jim! Just 2 months prior to the end of my warranty (the present time  :sly:) the graphics fan starts to make a horrendous sound! Game play lag mimics the siren-like sound of the afflicted fan. Damn thing sounds like a vacuum cleaner when I play normally anyways because it has a second fan built in to stave off the high levels of heat. But now I am thinking I should turn it off to keep it from dying until I can do backup. First good idea in, well ...some good period of time where I neglected to back up data. 

So with the idea that solid performance equals longevity, let's get this sigh of disappointment out of the way. Ugh! Ok , here comes the RMA email and instructions, which I obediently print out and read with earnest. Firstly (and bigly), only MSI is authorized to repair MSI computers.  MSI is in CA and customer must pay for shipping. This bad boy weighs over 6 pounds and I have to insure it for $1200 because they assume no responsibility for transit damage.  So okay 40 bucks to ship it in the specific packaging setup (per the freaking diagram they sent me?!). Just enough that I have to wait two more weeks to send it out. Turnaround upon receipt is 30 days; kudos to them for being straight up about it. And their tech staff spoke perfect English and couldn't have been more helpful.

The previous paragraph is probably mostly inconsecquential; just showing my mindset now.

The next problem: THE CURSED BACKUP

Due to moving and any other excuses I can't think of, I have not backed up 3 computers. Need to strip passwords off the laptop. My lovely, shiny 1TB Clickfree Automatic Backup now does not load. I can pull up the source file and run two application files in the folder. Run backup and Fix Clickfree backup. Both will open up and just hang (running them separately of course). Same results on two laptops and a desktop running Vista. A Google search leads me to many people asking the same question but getting no reply. Seems Clickfree has merged with a company called Kaboodles; they have a forum page wher questions like mine have landed.

I can open the drive and access the data files, but do not have a utility to put stuff where I want or back up before I need to send my laptop out. Any ideas? I know my choices are limited in relation to my time constraints.
]]> Is My Computer Protected? orthene https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/help-maybe-some-ranting-too-well-definitely/ Computer Safety Help Needed https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/computer-safety-help-needed/ Sat, 20 Jun 2015 17:10:19 +0000 Is My Computer Protected? Simonsays https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/computer-safety-help-needed/ This is how our species ends...not with just a bang, but an O face... https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/this-is-how-our-species-ends-not-with-just-a-bang-but-an-o-face/ Fri, 16 Jan 2015 17:28:06 +0000
Today's word is TELEDILDONICS.

Can you say that boys and girls?

TELEDILDONICS.  Just let those implications sink in for a second.

http://www.dailydot.com/technology/future-of-virtual-sex-kiiroo-fleshlight-oculus-porn/

As soon as I enter the strip club, I'm surrounded by dancing women and men sitting beside me, doling out bills for lap dances. Next, I'm transported into an orgy, where people are having sex all around me on a sun-dappled roof deck. I almost gasp when I turn my head to see a couple going at it, thrusting just a few inches away from my head.

I'm not witnessing this lurid scene IRL. I'm on an Oculus Rift VR headset at XBiz 360, a sex and technology conference in Los Angeles. The virtual sex show is the brainchild of RedLightCenter, a company that takes the idea of an X-rated virtual world and creates a full immersive experience for the user.


Some thoughts:

-Is this what really happened to the dinosaurs?  Straight to VR sex and...kaput?

-Wasn't sure where to post this...gaming? Sports? Science?  Leading to...

-Is My Computer Protected?  Any enterprising coders, here's your chance to get in on the ground floor of a brave new world.  A truly groundbreaking opportunity! 

-People will pay lots and lots of money to ensure their private hardware doesn't go...oh i dunno...hideously awry at an inopportune moment...

]]> Is My Computer Protected? 3V1L9371U5 https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/this-is-how-our-species-ends-not-with-just-a-bang-but-an-o-face/ Leaked NSA Documents Reveal How To Hide From The NSA https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/leaked-nsa-documents-reveal-how-to-hide-from-the-nsa/ Thu, 01 Jan 2015 16:02:46 +0000
These three technologies could help people hide their activities from the National Security Agency, according to NSA documents newly obtained from the archive of former contractor Edward Snowden by the German magazine Der Spiegel.

The combination of Tor, CSpace and ZRTP (plus another anonymizing technology for good measure) results in levels of protection that the NSA deems "catastrophic" -- meaning the organization has "near-total loss/lack of insight to target communications," according to Der Spiegel.

"Although the documents are around two years old, experts consider it unlikely the agency's digital spies have made much progress in cracking these technologies," Spiegel's staff wrote.

In comparison, accessing somebody's Facebook messages is considered a "minor" task for the agency. Similarly, virtual private networks (or VPNs), which are widely used by companies, are easily accessed by the NSA, according to Der Spiegel's report, as are so-called "HTTPS" connections.

So, what are these services and what do you actually have to do to use them?

Tor is basically a network that offers an easy way for people to mask their location when communicating online. Anyone can download Tor's web browser -- it's available on Mac, Windows, Linux, and smartphones. It's not foolproof: When using Tor, you're advised to sacrifice the convenience of browser plugins, torrent downloads, and websites that don't use "HTTPS encryption" if you truly want to stay off the grid.

And that's just if you want to mask your online habits -- messaging and phone calls require more steps still, meaning you also have to add CSpace and ZRTP if you want to hide those from the NSA, according to Der Spiegel.

CSpace is a program that lets people text chat and transfer files, while ZRTP is a form of encryption that protects mobile phone calls and texting -- it's used in apps like RedPhone and Signal.

If that all sounds a bit daunting, anonymous living may not be for you. There are plenty of ways to stay relatively private online. But true anonymity is harder to achieve, and so coveted that some people will pay $629 for a special phone that purports to keep a user's information more secure.

As noted, the Snowden documents are a couple of years old; it's possible the NSA has found ways around these tools by now. But for the privacy-conscious, they are certain to work better than a tinfoil hat.


http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/leaked-nsa-documents-reveal-how-to-hide-from-the-nsa/ar-BBhoOkV]]> Is My Computer Protected? orthene https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/leaked-nsa-documents-reveal-how-to-hide-from-the-nsa/ Verizon perma-cookie privacy issues https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/verizon-perma-cookie-privacy-issues/ Thu, 06 Nov 2014 19:06:56 +0000
Verizon Wireless has been subtly altering the web traffic of its wireless customers for the past two years, inserting a string of about 50 letters, numbers, and characters into data flowing between these customers and the websites they visit.

The company—one the country’s largest wireless carriers, providing cell phone service for about 123 million subscribers—calls this a Unique Identifier Header, or UIDH. It’s a kind of short-term serial number that advertisers can use to identify you on the web, and it’s the lynchpin of the company’s internet advertising program. But critics say that it’s also a reckless misuse of Verizon’s power as an internet service provider—something that could be used as a trump card to obviate established privacy tools such as private browsing sessions or “do not track” features.

Jacob Hoffman-Andrews, a technologist with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, wants Verizon to stop using the UIDH. “ISPs are trusted connectors of users and they shouldn’t be modifying our traffic on its way to the Internet,” he says. He calls the UIDH a “perma-cookie,” because it can be read by any web server that you visit and used to build a profile of your internet habits.

    I don't know how I missed this: Verizon is rewriting your HTTP requests to insert a permacookie? Terrible. http://t.co/MBDGZaLKNs

    — Jacob H-A (@j4cob) October 22, 2014

According to Verizon spokeswoman Debra Lewis, there’s no way to turn it off. She says that Verizon doesn’t use the UIDH to create customer profiles, and if you opt out of the company’s Relevant Mobile Advertising program (you can do this by logging into your Verizon account here), then Verizon and its advertising partners won’t be using it to create targeted ads. But that’s beside the point, says Hoffman-Andrews. Because Verizon is broadcasting this unique identifier to every website, ad networks could start using it to build a profile of your web activity, even without your consent.


You can check on your phone by going to this link with the wifi turned OFF: http://lessonslearned.org/sniff

Might be time to get those VPNs ready folks...]]> Is My Computer Protected? spicer https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/verizon-perma-cookie-privacy-issues/ Should You Use Amazon Glacier? https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/should-you-use-amazon-glacier/ Thu, 30 Oct 2014 15:03:28 +0000
To use Glacier, you need an Amazon account. Amazon's Glacier web service will generate a set of keys consisting of your chosen username, an access key ID (e.g., 000000000000000000000), and a secret access key, (e.g.,000000000000000000000),(e.g.,111111111111111111111111111111111111111).

One needs these long Amazon credentials with Glacier, or any glacier software clients they use. The Glacier user name and passwords are not the same as one would use on any other Amazon features or services.

You can use the same Amazon Glacier credentials on several computers. Another Glacier feature is, you can send them a hard drive, and for a fee; they will archive it to Glacier, then send your hard drive back to you.

One drawback of the secret Amazon Glacier access keys, is that they are so long, they probably will not get written down. If your computer crashes and this password combination was on your computer and nowhere else, you may be stuck. Always print out your Amazon glacier keys and store the paper in a safe place, and/or on removable storage media. Perhaps even print an extra copy and mail it (or the USB storage device) to a relative or friend, and/or keep the paper or media offsite.

What is important to know about Amazon Glacier is that it is very different from other cloud storage services. It was created for archival storage, and using it for any other purpose may be a frustrating experience.

Glacier is designed for uploading new files. Retrieving files from storage, or even inspecting what files you have previously uploaded is a much trickier process, that requires waiting from 4 to 30 (or more) hours. It is impossible to download data from Glacier without at least 4 hours of prior notice.

Although there are several ways, and software programs to transfer files to or from Amazon Glacier, I have found (SAGU) SimpleGlacierUploader (http://simpleglacieruploader.brianmcmichael.com/
SimpleGlacierUploaderV0746.jar) to be one of the easiest to use. SAGU is a free Java-based software program. A wish-list item for SAGU is to add a start/pause function that remembers the state of the transfer(s); even if they stop and start after the computer was shut down and rebooted.

To run SAGU, one must install the free Java Development Kit (JDK) on their computer. Being a Java program, SAGU does not look like a regular software program, and by default, it writes logs and other files on your desktop. When quitting the program, most people can toss out the four files SAGU creates.

With Amazon Glacier (and all other Amazon web services) there are several regional data centers you can use. While Amazon may be free at first, eventually they charge reasonable rates for storage. The fees vary in each data center, and US West seems to be one of the cheapest. Remember which Amazon data center you use, because you will not be able to access your files if you pick the wrong data center.

For best results, you should upload a few big files instead of multiple smaller ones. For example, if you want to use it for photo storage, start by creating a few archives with all the photos you want to store; one archive file for each year. This will work much better than uploading thousands of photos as-is.

Archived files you upload will be transferred to Glacier directly, however you will not immediately see the archives you upload to the folder in your private vault. This is because the uploads take some time to process by Amazon. If your upload to Glacier succeeds, it will appear in Glacier's archive listings in about a day.

You cannot create subfolders on Glacier, so if you need to upload a directory structure, zip it up to an archive and upload that. If there are any unfinished uploads, after about a day, you will see them on Glacier; and sometimes be able to resume an upload from where it was interrupted.

Once your upload is complete, the file will be "consumed" and disappear from your folder; and reappear in about a day in the Glacier archives. You must export a log to see what files were successfully transferred. You can upload files up to 640 gigs big, as long as your subscription allows it.

The most common archival format is ZIP. Sometimes (especially when you have a bunch of old files) a large compression job on a folder full of files, will eventually give an error message or stop responding. If that happens, compress parts of the folder at a time, to create several smaller archives. Also, if the compression software crashes or reports an error, there is a good chance the compressed file will be corrupt, even if it is gigs big.

It is best to keep your zipped archives under 10 Gigs, so they will not take days to upload. While you are uploading to Amazon Glacier, on the Mac, when you are doing other things, clicking SAGU does not bring up the "progress window".

So, if you use a simple Glacier program such as SAGU, you just compress your files into a big archive file, add that file to SAGU, and start your upload. An uploaded file will overwrite a previous upload having the same file name.

It is best to name your files with the folder name, the computer name, and the date, and keep deleting old backups from time to time; and keep only the most recent, because with Glacier you pay for total files sizes. Or, skip the dates and just overwrite the same named files.

With simpler backup solutions, why bother with Glacier? One can never be too rich, too thin, or make too many backups.
]]> Is My Computer Protected? jbmac https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/should-you-use-amazon-glacier/ Back up Google Play https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/back-up-google-play/ Sun, 26 Oct 2014 15:50:55 +0000 Is My Computer Protected? jbmac https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/back-up-google-play/ herdProtect: best free PC malware scanner and removal https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/herdprotect-best-free-pc-malware-scanner-and-removal/ Sun, 11 May 2014 17:27:22 +0000 herdProtect is a new free anti-malware scanner and removal tool for Windows PCs that is better than Malwarebytes, SuperAntiSpyware or other options. Why? Not only is it faster but it utilizes all 68 industry anti-malware scanner engines (you can view the full list here) to ensure the best detection rate. It is truly an innovative product that deserves your inspection.



The herdProtect scanning engine works by monitoring the active objects on a user's PC as well as the hundreds of autostart execution points. As new objects such as processes become active in the system, herdProtect will use a secured network tunnel to scan the object for malware against the engines of the top 68 anti-malware scanners. By scanning in the cloud all processor intensive activities are performed independent of the user's PC. Depending on the aggregate results of the scan, the user can then take the appropriate actions and keep their PC free from any known malware threats.

To install herdProtect on your PC just visit the download page and install the full or portable version. Once installed and started you will see this screen:



Make sure you click the question mark "?" in upper right corner to bring up the secondary menu and select these options:



Click the scan button to start the initial scan. The first time you use herdprotect it will take about an hour to complete. Subsequent scans will be much faster and only take about 5 minutes. When complete you will be presented a report of results:



If you then click on each entry you will be presented with 'actions' and "details' buttons for more information. Based on what you read in each details report you may decide to leave processes listed under 'Inconclusive' alone. You should however consider removing all processes listed under 'Adware/PUPs' though.

Conclusions

herdProtect is a state of the art anti-malware scanner and removal tool. You will not find better. Combine herdProtect with an excellent firewall and antivirus program like free Comodo Internet Security for complete protection for your Windows PC.]]> Is My Computer Protected? axa https://empirestatecannabis.org/community/is-my-computer-protected/herdprotect-best-free-pc-malware-scanner-and-removal/