Much has already been written about the poor handling of the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill (DRIP) so I won’t go into detail on the emergency legislation. Instead I’ll consider the validity of harvesting communication data en-masse which is at the heart of the bill.
Category Archives: Privacy
Web Security – A Losing Battle
Not only are we fighting a losing battle but we’re having to battle the good guys!
Picture the scene; you receive a link that says it’s from your bank, the webpage that opens looks like your bank and they want you to give them some information… what do you do?
Privacy Apps Don’t All Measure Up
A look at several mobile apps (for Android and iPhone) that make empty promises to protect your privacy
The best advice when it comes to privacy and photos and videos is “don’t take a photo that you don’t want your boss/parents/grandparents to see” but this advice is rarely heeded. In a cheap attempt to profit from people’s privacy worries there are several apps on the market that promise to protect your dignity from prying eyes. Here I take a look at several such apps and demonstrate how they fail to measure up…
Android Advertising Networks
An eye opener on advertising networks and what they can do with your Android mobile phone
Coinciding with some recent news articles on Android, privacy, applications and advertising networks, I’ve come across an app that I’ve found very insightful. The app is Ad Network Detector from Lookout who also provide the Security and Antivirus protection that I use for my Android handset. I thought I’d share my findings so you can decide whether it’s useful to you or not…
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Google and Privacy
A review of recent changes to Google’s privacy policy
On Thursday 1st March Google made some changes to their privacy policy and although they’ve done a lot to forewarn the public, the changes are so controversial that they are being legally challenged in some countries. This post takes a look at what the changes mean to you and what to do about them…
Banking Security – Part 2
A look at the misplaced confidence, trust and liability that surrounds the consumer banking industry.
In last week’s post we looked over the physical security around the use of bank and credit cards. This week we focus on remote banking services such as telephone and internet, the security measures that are enforced and why they often aren’t worth the effort. These posts are not seeking to suggest a solution but are intended to raise awareness of the risks in the hope that you might be better equipped to spot a problem and deal with it should you be so unfortunate.
Banking Security – Part 1
A look at the misplaced confidence, trust and liability that surrounds the consumer banking industry.
Bank accounts. Everybody has one, many people have several. They vary from every day current accounts, savings accounts, credit accounts and various other guises. We trust faceless corporation’s with our hard earned money because we have very little choice if we want to be part of the modern world. Many of us never question the trust and confidence we place in these banks and hopefully we will never have need to do so. These posts are intended to shine a little light on what most of us take for granted…
Public vs Private
A look at the difference between public and private forums, and why the problem is not what people think it is.
Following a previous post on giving away too much information and some recent scare news here is my opinion on the differences between public and private content, in particular some common misconceptions and misplaced blame…
Facebook Security – part 2 – Cookies
Part two in a series exploring security around the world’s most popular social network, Facebook.
In the first post of the series I outlined the main security settings for protecting your Facebook account. This time I take a look at a more widespread problem that’s been brought into the spotlight amidst the recent Facebook changes… Cookies! In particular, tracking and persistent cookies, not the tasty crumbly chocolatey good ones.
WhatApp Mobile Messenger
Details of another mobile app that demands too many privileges.
I came across this application a few months back; I wasn’t impressed with it then and nothing has changed. A friend sent me a text message this morning singing its praises and suggesting I install it. Unfortunately that friend is not very tech savvy and was all too quickly impressed by the shiny shiny marketing to bother looking at the details. Continue reading