Though Mac users don’t usually have to worry excessively about “camfecting” malware and spyware, some security conscious users may find it nice to know if a process or application is attempting to access their computers web camera or microphone.
Source: Detect Webcam & Microphone Activity on Mac with Oversight
A couple redditors showed interest in how I set up my Pi as a SOCKS proxy and recommended I make a separate post as a tutorial, so I’ll do my best to explain everything.
Background
SOCKS stands for Socket Secure, and is essentially just a middle man for a server and client for send information between. The best description I’ve heard of it is “It’s a poor man’s VPN.” It essentially works the same, but each service has to be configured to work with it (i.e. I have Firefox on my Mac working through my SOCKS proxy but not Chrome and Safari). Why would you want a SOCKS proxy over a VPN? From my experience, it runs better on a Pi, and I can also do multiple things over SSH (such as also run a file server). Having to configure each service to run through it can also be a pro or a con, depending on if you want everything to work through it or not.
Basic Overview
There’s really not much to setting everything up; it’s a pretty straightforward process. For those just looking for something short and sweet, here are the basic steps I followed. I’ll go over each more in depth below.
Source: RPi as a SOCKS proxy and SSH file server Tutorial (Reddit/Raspberry Pi)
If you are looking to improve the security of your Linux system, check out Firejail that can sandbox all processes and reduce the risk of security breaches
Source: How to Improve the Security of Your Linux System with Firejail – Make Tech Easier
A decade ago, if a desktop computer got infected with malware the chief symptom probably was an intrusive browser toolbar of some kind. Five years ago you were more likely to get whacked by a banking trojan that stole all your passwords and credit card numbers. These days if your mobile or desktop computer is infected what gets installed is likely to be “ransomware” — malicious software that locks your most prized documents, songs and pictures with strong encryption and then requires you to pay for a key to unlock the files.
Here’s some basic advice about where to go, what to do — and what not to do — when you or someone you know gets hit with ransomware.
Source: Before You Pay that Ransomware Demand… — Krebs on Security
In Linux, there are several ways to switch to the root user and it can be confusing. Learn the differences between each command and their use cases.
Source: The Differences between Su, Sudo Su, Sudo -s and Sudo -i (Make Tech Easier)
It is a known issue that a hacker access the webcam and mic on your device without your consent and awareness. You can take the help of a tape but it can’t be considered a wise solution. An ex-NSA hacker has created an anti spying tool for OS X which alerts you when an application tries to access the FaceTime camera and mic.
Source: Don’t Put Tape On Your Webcam, This Free App Alerts You When Someone Hacks It
Deleting your files isn’t good enough. Not even if you empty the recycle bin afterwards. Nor is formatting the drive. There are plenty of ways to recover data in such circumstances. Instead, you need a specialist program that can wipe the entire drive by storing random data onto every part of it, multiple times.
Source: Disposing Of A PC? Nuke The Drive First. | Gizmo’s Freeware
There are many password managers for Windows and OS X, but here we’ll look at some of the best password managers for Linux. With so many online accounts on the internet, it can be tediously difficult to remember all your passwords. Many people write them down or store them in a document, but that’s plain insecure.
Source: 10 Best Password Managers For Linux Operating Systems (Fossbytes)
Securing your linux system using iptables can be a daunting task. There are some utilities that can help, but when it comes to security a deep understanding is often very useful. Fundamentally, iptables are lists of rules, executed in order, to determine if a packet should be accepted, dropped, or forwarded along. It has some very powerful features which can help you defend your services, log potential attacks, and forward traffic between computers as well as between ports on the same computer. I will cover some of the basics below.
Source: Simple IPTables Tricks – Idol Star Astronomer
With plenty of password managers out there, it can be difficult to choose the best one for you. Here is a list comparing free password managers.
Source: Free Password Managers Compared: Which One is the Best for you? (Make Tech Easier)
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