The evil of proprietary OS

[Carding 4 Carders]

Hello all, friends. Today we will talk about why you can "smear" VPNs, proxies and work from a virtual machine, but at the same time remain poorly protected or make it even worse.

Today we will talk about the OS (Operating Systems) - after all, this is the main "foundation" of your security. In fact, only AFTER you have decided on the OS is it worth talking about its further configuration and stuffing with various tools. I always start from the fact that we need the most efficient and secure solution (no matter what we do in theory).

At the moment (we are talking about a PC), everything usually comes down to one of 2 options:

• Windows family operating systems
• UNIX-like operating systems

If everything is more or less clear about the Windows family, then the UNIX family is not so well known among ordinary users. UNIX-like operating systems include the well-known GNU / Linux, Mac OS (now OS X), and BSD.

The division itself into 2 subgroups will not give us much, the MAIN factor that you should pay attention to when choosing an OS (and indeed any software IN General) - is this product free or proprietary?

Why is this so important, and what is the difference?

Let's look at the example of Windows
Windows is a proprietary, commercial product. Closed source, not auditable. That is, this OS cannot be checked by a third-party for the presence of "pitfalls". What can be sewn inside this product is fully known only to its creators. I will give only the most sensational ones:

1) the Vast majority of all malicious programs are written under Windows. Since this is simply the most popular OS in the world. By avoiding this particular OS, YOU are already largely protecting yourself without even taking further steps! It's like choosing between a walk on a dilapidated bridge and smooth asphalt.

2) All versions of Windows 10 (except Corporate) take photos of your face every 30 minutes and send them to Microsoft servers. If you have a webcam, of course.

3) Windows, with a certain frequency, sends screenshots from your desktop directly to Microsoft. Not only screenshots, but also everything that can be transmitted-up to the keys you pressed during the working session (Keylogger). For proofs, knock on the BOS.

You may ask - So what? They transmit and transmit what they want to do..

But this traffic is easily intercepted on its way, for example, by a schoolboy Petya or Vasya from the factory, who after a work shift is fond of pentesting on Kali Linux-conditionally, of course.

I'm sure I don't need to remind you that the competent authorities have much more opportunities.

The problem is not solved by setting up and simply stopping surveillance in this OS.

It's not my job to denigrate the Windows line. This is a very complex and competent product that has been, is and will continue to be worked on by a huge number of hours of professionals of all stripes. I just want to remind you that when it comes to security, it's definitely not your choice. Work only offline.

I've written about Microsoft's atrocities thousands of times, and it doesn't make sense to write in the 1001st one. Here are some links if this is unexpected news for you

Windows 10 monitors even if all network services are disabled:
https://xakep.ru/2016/02/12/windows-10-watching-you/

How Windows 10 collects user data:
https://habr.com/ru/company/pt/blog/264763/

There is no doubt that if you are a gamer or edit videos, then, of course, it is more convenient to do this on Windows. But in terms of security, this is a really harmful and even dangerous choice.

The same can be said about Mac OS (OS X) - this is also a closed commercial product. What this OS merges or not is known only to developers. If the source code is closed, then anything can be inside. Yes, it's a great OS. But it all depends only on how much you want to protect yourself.

What should I do?

Choose a free product. Open source software that is available for everyone to audit. Where everything is completely transparent. Fortunately, there is a lot to choose from, and we will choose among the free GNU / Linux distributions. Open source, all for free. Of course, malware is also written for Linux, but there are so few of them compared to Windows that it's even stupid to compare them.

Yes, this is a different OS. But do not be afraid of this, today distributions offer comfortable shells (environments) for working with the OS. Personally, my choice - for a person who has not previously encountered the Linux world, these are Debian-like distributions. Based on .deb packages (Tails also applies to them, by the way) Why?

If there is any software for Linux, it will suit you in 99% of cases if you have a Debian-like (Debian-based) distribution. For Linux, as a rule, you do not need a powerful PC, everything works even on very modest hardware.

What distributions for a beginner can I recommend?:

• Linux Mint, an easy installation that even a housewife can handle. Very stable and reliable distribution. Absolutely comfortable for a novice user. The Cinnamon environment is as similar to Windows as two drops of water:
  
  
• Debian is the largest community-managed distribution. It will be a little more difficult to install than Mint, but it is still ideal for interacting with the Linux world. VERY reliable distribution. Excellent software support. Debian has been around since 1993. It's only two years younger than Linux itself. This is the most win-win option in terms of selection, if you already have minimal experience. I'm not going to do a detailed review of distributions right now, so for today we'll limit ourselves to a short opinion. Cinnamon environment is also available:

Yes, sometimes in some places you can expect a small "sex" and some surprises. But believe me - it's all solvable and worth it if you care about security in your business. Plus, Debian / Mint has a HUGE and friendly community that will not leave you in trouble if you ask a question about your problem.

And later, we'll tell you why you should avoid Ubuntu.

If you have experience working with Linux, I can recommend a list of recommended GNU/Linux operating systems. COMPLETELY free, with no proprietary SOFTWARE or drivers at ALL:
https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-distros.en.html

As you can see, there is a choice. A little later, we will give a more detailed overview of Linux distributions. It will be interesting.

The purpose of today's article is to start slowly changing your worldview and instill a love of free products. Because this has the most direct impact on your security.

 

[Carding 4 Carders]

Privacy settings in Windows 10 that you urgently need to change​

A list of settings that you can change right now to make your device more secure and private.

Microsoft's Windows 10 is currentlythe most popular operating system in the world. If you want to ensure that your data is always safe and not fully viewed by the system, then read the tips provided in this article.

Windows 10 runs on 700 million devices and is currently the most popular desktop OS in the world. It features shortcuts with quick access to programs, sophisticated features, and high-quality user speech recognition. However, there is one thing that every owner of this OS should pay special attention to. And that's security.

Like any other operating system, Windows will collect data about its customers by default in any possible way. There are, however, a number of simple steps you can take to understand exactly what data is being collected and what can be done to prevent it from happening.

Below is a list of settings that you can change right now to make your device more secure and private.

Share only the data you want with Windows 10
Microsoft claims that it only collects some datato offer you a personalized experience, an improved operating system, and personalized advice. If you do not need any of this, you should look at the "diagnostics and feedback" tab in the "Diagnostics and feedback" section .Privacy" of your system settings. There you can track exactly what data your OS collects.

By default, Microsoft looks at the sites you've visited and tracks the apps and features you're actively using. You can enable basic modeso that the company collects information only about your device and its configuration. in addition, users can delete all information that was collected earlier.

Another feature to look out for is the timeline, which allows Windows to log what actions you've performedso that the user is able to resume their activity on any other Windows - based device. You can disable this option by unchecking "Save my actions on this device" and "Send my Microsoft activity history" in the privacy settings.

Put an end to targeted advertising
Microsoft also collects information about its users in order to create personalized advertising identifiers for them, which applications can access in order to adapt the advertising itself to the individual preferences of the person. If you don't like this approach, you can prevent apps from accessing your advertising ID on the "tabGeneral" of your privacy settings.

It is worth remembering that this will not completely save you from advertising. You will continue to see it using various Microsoft apps, but the ads will not be linked to your previous search queries or preferences.

If you are more dissatisfied with the fact that the ads you have seen are not suitable enough for you, then on this tab the user can reset their ID by clicking on the "buttonOff", and then turning it back on.

Manage the data that your apps can access
The easiest way to make sure that apps only get access to the data that you are willing to share is to manage your privacy settings manually on the "settings" tab .Privacy" in the "sectionAccount information". Here you can prevent apps from accessing informationstored in your Microsoft account.

Moreover, if continuous tracking of your location makes you feel uncomfortable (Windows 10 keeps a history of GPS markers for 24 hours after you allow access to your location), you can disable this feature completelyby clicking on the button "Edit" on the tab "Location" of your privacy settings. These changes will prevent map apps and localized search from accessing your location, but you can set the default locationif necessary.

You'll also be happy to know that it's time to get rid of that black tape stuck on your webcam. You can easily control access to the camera in the menu "Camera" in the "sectionPrivacy policy".

Manage the privacy of your data with ease
Is it all complicated? Navigating from tab to tab, turning toggle switches on and off, or finding it difficult to navigate through various settings on your device? All right. It's time to learn that Microsoft has created a web-based tool to help you manage your data privacy with ease.

It's called the "Privacy Dashboard". The tool is highly intuitive and allows you to track and manage a large amount of information collected about you. You can disable ad targeting, delete your browsing history, as well as your location history, clear the folder with audio files stored after using the voice assistant, and so on.

The only catch is that the tool doesn't allow you to see your data when you use browsers other than Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer.

Monitor your Cortana activity
You need to strike a careful balance between allowing Cortana to perform the tasks you want and allowing It to access all of your data. However, if you want your personal information to remain secure, you can prevent Cortana from learning the sensitive details of your life.

Open Cortana settings and click on "Permissions and history" to uncheck those items that contain private information (from your location history to contacts and email). If you've already downloaded the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard, you can manage a whole "mountain of information" that Cortana can no longer access. You can also clear all data that has already been collected by the voice assistant.

In the privacy settings, you can also go to the section "Speech, drawing, and typing" to disable the voice assistant. This means that you will no longer be able to talk to Cortana, and Microsoft will stop using your voice to improve its speech services.

Protect your browser
There are a number of things that can help you surf the Internet more safely.

The first step is to access the Microsoft Edge privacy settings. You will find this menu by clicking on "three dots" in the upper-right corner of the browser. Once you are logged in, go to "Data cleaning" to manage the data that you would like to delete (browsing history, cookies, download history). You can also use this tab to manage your location, microphone, and webcam settings.

On the "tabAdvanced settings" you can block pop-UPS; make sure that your passwords are not saved (and instead use a strong password Manager); block cookies and set an anonymous default search engine, such as DuckDuckGo.

Strengthen lock screen protection​

The lock screen actually contains a lot of the user's personal information. For example, you want to hide private notifications from chats. To do this, go to settings and disable the option "Show notifications on the lock screen" on the tab "Notifications and actions". You can also hide your email address when logging in by disabling the option "Show your account details onthe " tab "login screenAccounts" of your settings.

You can use a local account when you log in, instead of using a Microsoft account that contains your personal information, saved passwords, and settings. A local account doesn't require email input and will significantly reduce the amount of information you share with Microsoft. Go to the section "Log in with a local account" in the section "Information"your account settings. Yes, you won't be able to buy apps from the Windows store or sync files to OneDrive, OneNote, or Office 365, but your personal information will be kept safe.

Based on materials from Wired UK magazine.

 

[Carding 4 Carders]

How to enable TLS 1.3 in Windows​

In today's article, I'll show you how to enable TLS 1.3 on Windows and in Firefox, Chrome, and Edge.

TLS or Transport Layer Security is a security Protocol that is designed to ensure the confidentiality and security of transmitted data on the Internet. The Protocol allows client-server applications to communicate on the network in such a way that it is impossible to listen for packets and perform unauthorized access.

Currently, there are 4 versions of the Protocol:

• TLS 1.0
• TLS 1.1
• TLS 1.2
• TLS 1.3

For 2021, the protocols of versions 1.0 and 1.1. are considered obsolete.

The big problem with TLS 1.2 is that it is often misconfigured, which makes a secure connection vulnerable to attacks. TLS 1.3 removes deprecated and insecure features from TLS 1.2, including:

• SHA-1
• RC4
• DES
• 3DES
• AES-CBC
• MD5

In General, the new Protocol version 1.3 has become much more secure and works much faster. It is recommended to use it.

How to enable TLS 1.3 in Windows
Keep in mind that this feature is still being implemented and may appear in your browser a little later.

Microsoft Edge
Type inetcpl. cpl at the command prompt with the keyboard shortcut "Win + R" and press Enter.

1. The Internet properties window opens. Go to the "advanced" section»
2. In the security section, select the TLS 1.3 checkbox.

Restart the browser.

Edge Chromium
This version of Edge is built on the Chromium Engine, which does not use the Windows TLS stack. You will need to configure them yourself using the flag in edge://flags.

1. In the Edge address bar, type edge://flagsAnd press Enter.
2. Find TLS 1.3 and enable the settings.

[*]After enabling the settings, you need to restart the browser for the new Protocol version to take effect.
[/LIST]
Keep in mind that it's still in the experimental stage, as it's being rolled out with Windows 10 Insider first, and then it'll be in a broader format. So if you don't want to use it, you can use other browsers that support version 1.3.

Chrome
Since Chrome and Edge use the Chromium engine, you can enable or change the setting in the same way using the Chrome flags.

1. Enter chrome://flags open a new Edge tab and press Enter.
2. Find TLS 1.3 and enable the settings.

Restart the browser.

You'll notice that the default settings are enabled for Chrome. Something similar will happen to all browsers over time.

Firefox​

1. Launch Firefox and type in the address bar about:config and then press Enter.
2. In the search bar, type security.tls.version.max then tap plus. Make sure that the value is set to "True".

Restart the Firefox browser.

If you want to disable it, go back to the previous one.

How to check if TLS 1.3 is enabled
To check TLS 1.3, go to Cloudflare website then click the "Run test" button.

That's all. I hope you were able to enable TLS 1.3 on Windows and in browsers.

 

[RogerCaf]

That really bothers me, the acronyms Can they just come with different words for the heroes? This time is double death: Divine Knight Death Knight and Evil Blood Ember Blade thanks

Or can you all stop being so lazy and call all the heroes by their full name? So many times Ive been reviewing all the list of heroes to understand which hero you were speaking about...

 

[Carding]

This topic does not talk about heroes, but about the features of the correct settings of operating systems for additional anonymity, privacy protection and safe use.

Please be careful and read what is written about. Ask questions only on the merits of the topic. You can be interested in your favorite heroes and personages in the flood section - conversations on general topics. It is quite possible that you will find an interlocutor of your interest who will gladly support you.