Is it illegal to change a public Wi-Fi name if you are not the admin? (The router allows anyone to access the “admin” simply by typing the router IP.)
It could well be. In the US, doing something that interferes with someone accessing their data can be charged as a felony, with jurisdiction under the Department of Homeland Security. If you change a public Wi-Fi name (SSID), you may well be interfering with someone...
How do you encrypt calls from one iPhone to another?
Every call you make on any cell phone to any other cell phone is already encrypted. Problem is, it is very easy to break that encryption (criminals, police, and governments do it continuously). I’m guessing your actual question is “how do you securely,...
Can someone know what I’m browsing when we use the same Wi-Fi?
Depending on the Wi-Fi basestation or router in use, yes. If the Wi-Fi is not encrypted, they all of your traffic is easily seen. Even if the Wi-Fi is encrypted, if this is a higher-end router, it will be logging your traffic. This allows the administrator to view...
What basic consumer wireless security camera do you recommend?
There are perhaps a dozen well known such units on the market. Personally, I use the Nestcam (from Google) units in my 2 homes and have been very happy with them, with no complaints. If I were to start fresh, now, I might go with the Canary All-in-one security with HD...
How would you react if you found out that someone you knew bugged your house?
I've had this happen. Here are my recommendations: Call my attorney. Call the police. Depending on circumstances (jurisdiction), call the FBI. Examine my choice of associates. It's really quit difficult to see where there is much to discuss about such...
Which US mobile carrier can I trust with my data end privacy?
None. There is no evidence that any US mobile carrier places more value in protecting the security and privacy of your data than their profits. They will not sign HIPAA BAA agreements, they do not follow US-CERT or NIST security protocols, and have repeatedly been...
Why do so many government officials/employees who come in contact with classified information use Blackberry smartphones? Are they really so much more secure than a new iPhone or another comparable model?
I would argue your foundation is incorrect - that there aren't "so many" using Blackberry. But let's just say that is true... There isn’t much within the US (or any) government acquisition rules that have to do with being of the best quality or security. It is almost...
When you change your IP or Internet address, do the senders get notified of your new address or do you do it?
No. If that were the case, you and I would be bombarded with notifications all day long - and there is no need for someone to know your public or private IP address. What would they do with this information? It is used for automatic routing of data packets, not for...
Is privacy important to retain? Is it ultimately only important for those who have a negative potential to conceal?
So let me answer this way… Please let me have your email and bank account usernames and passwords. Social security number would be nice. And how about if I record ALL of your phone calls, texts, and face to face conversations. And for good measure, I get to video your...
Q: Does it matter what VPN I use?
Q: DOES IT MATTER WHAT VPN I USE? A: It is a critical decision which you use. The reason one uses a VPN is the privacy of one's internet communications and activities. Choosing the wrong one could expose all of this to the VPN provider, and then to others who will pay...
Q: Someone is trying to hack into my account. I’m getting Google notifications all day long. What can I do?
Q: SOMEONE IS TRYING TO HACK INTO MY ACCOUNT. I'M GETTING GOOGLE NOTIFICATIONS ALL DAY LONG. WHAT CAN I DO? A: First, any password can be broken, garnered, or stolen. It’s just a matter how determined the criminal is and what resources are available to them. US-CERT...
Q: How do you make your Facebook profile hack-proof?
Q: HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR FACEBOOK PROFILE HACK-PROOF? A: It’s really quite simple - and Facebook provides all of the tools to do so in under 30 minutes. Just log in to Facebook, and head on over to Log into Facebook | Facebook. The most important issues are: Strong...
Q: Why do some VPN providers request that you disable the firewall to use VPN?
Q: WHY DO SOME VPN PROVIDERS REQUEST THAT YOU DISABLE THE FIREWALL TO USE VPN? HOW SAFE IS IT TO DISABLE THE FIREWALL WHILE ON VPN? A: To be blunt, because they have either improperly developed their software, or there is some shady business going on. Your Firewall is...
Q: What are the possible security risks when implementing file synchronization?
Q: WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE SECURITY RISKS WHEN IMPLEMENTING FILE SYNCHRONIZATION? A: In addition to all of the security risks present for any mobile device, computer, and server, there are a few other issues to be watchful of: All data must be encrypted during transfer....
RIP AOL IM. Time To Rethink Communications
RIP AOL IM. TIME TO RETHINK COMMUNICATIONS AOL announced today they are putting AOL Instant Messenger to rest on December 15, 2017. AOL IM had a great 20-year run. Although it started the genre, it never worked at keeping current with technology. Now that Verizon has...