a quick and easy way to make sure your camera and microphone is not working without your permission on both Linux and macOS
I have to be honest, all my computers have their webcams and mics physically disconnected. Even the iMac that I own. I mostly don’t need them and when I do, because it’s such a rare event, I don’t mind the trouble I have to go through for workarounds ( external devices ).
But what works for me, might not work for you. You might be in a position where you need to jump into online calls all the time.
Continue reading “A Quick Way to Enable/Disable Your Webcam and Microphone on Linux and macOS”
Website publishers now can advertise their onion service to Tor users
The latest update of the Tor Browser, v9.5, introduced a new opt-in feature that allows desktop users to automatically select the .onion version of a website if that website has one available.
Website publishers now can advertise their onion service to Tor users by adding an HTTP header. When visiting a website that has both an .onion address and Onion Location enabled via Tor Browser, users will be prompted about the onion service version of the site and will be asked to opt-in to upgrade to the onion service on their first use.
The feature can also be turned on or off in the Privacy & Security tab of the browser’s settings page.
To learn more about these new features and everything that’s new in Tor 9.5 check out the official announcement page.
the easiest way to remove metadata from files you upload online
When you upload a file online, you might upload more than what you’re willing to share with the world. This is valid for all types of file, being it a photo, a video or audio file, PDF etc.
The two most common file types shared online today are photos and videos. And both file types have one thing in common that can give away a lot more information than you might think. That’s metadata.
Besides what’s visible in the photo itself, metadata can reveal when and where the photo was taken, the device that was used to take the photo and other unique characteristics that can fingerprint you across the web. By not removing metadata, a hacker or OSINT researcher can easily find out where you live, where you work, your preferences and habits etc, just by extracting the Exif data hidden inside the photos you post online.
We previously covered why and how to remove metadata from a file before uploading it online, using an amazing tool called ExifTool.
If you find ExifTool too complicated to use or if it’s an overkill for your needs, here’s another free, open source and cross-platform GUI tool that’s built on top of ExifTool library: ExifCleaner.
ExifCleaner works with all file formats supported by ExifTool and allows you to process tens, hundreds, or even thousands of files at once by dragging and dropping those files onto the app window.
Also, the program automatically detects your operating system’s dark mode setting to reduce eye strain. It will change back to day mode when your computer does.
You can get ExifCleaner on Linux, macOS and Windows or build it from the source code. Linux users can download ExifCleaner as an .AppImage or .deb file.
When you share a photo online, you might share more than bargained for…
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If you look up the origin of this expression, you’ll find out that it emerged in the USA in the early part of the 20th century. Today, however, a picture is worth much more than that and it can be a threat to your privacy and security.
A VPN won’t make you anonymous on the internet, that’s just marketing bullshit. Don’t believe the hype!
No, this is not a VPN provider ad disguised as an article. In fact, I won’t even hint at using a specific provider.
This is just an article that aims to bust some myths about what a VPN will do for you. I will do my best to describe why and when you should use a VPN. Simple as that. No hidden ad. I promise.
Continue reading “A VPN is NOT a Privacy Tool and It Won’t Make You Anonymous”
VeraCrypt, the free and open source disk encryption software, updated to v1.24
VeraCrypt was updated to v1.24 .VeraCrypt is a free and open source disk encryption software for macOS Linux and Windows. You can download VeraCrypt 1.24 here.
If you’re new to VeraCrypt, you can check our beginner’s guide to Veracrypt.
Jump over the break to check out the changelog:
Riot.im is out of beta. Riot.im is a free, open source and decentralized chatting platform based on the Matrix protocol for real-time communication offering end-to-end encryption. It can bridge other communications via others protocols such Slack or IRC, and it’s available cross-platform ( including web browsers ). For more info check out the official webpage.
PS: while we at it, here’s why you don’t want to use Slack.
PS2: for everything else there’s Signal.
So what the hell is Whonix?
Whonix is a desktop operating system designed for advanced security and privacy. Whonix mitigates the threat of common attack vectors while maintaining usability. Online anonymity is realized via fail-safe, automatic, and desktop-wide use of the Tor network. A heavily reconfigured Debian base is run inside multiple virtual machines, providing a substantial layer of protection from malware and IP address leaks. Commonly used applications are pre-installed and safely pre-configured for immediate use. The user is not jeopardized by installing additional applications or personalizing the desktop. Whonix is under active development and is the only operating system designed to be run inside a VM and paired with Tor.
Jump over the break to learn how to get whonix up and running….
an open source desktop YouTube player built with privacy in mind
This is just a short and sweet update on my “HOW TO: Break Up With Google” post. For most people the hardest thing to do, when breaking up with Google, is to move away from YouTube.
What most people don’t realize ( including myself until a couple of months ago ) is that you can use RSS with YouTube. Check how to do it here.
One other thing you can do is use FreeTube – a free and open source cross-platform app that allows you to watch YouTube without advertisements and prevents Google tracking from you with their cookies and JavaScript.
The app is still in beta, and there’s some bugs ( like using Tor for API calls does not work and max video resolution is 720p ) but for the most part works great. Also keep in mind that if you have a ton of subscriptions, when you open the app, it will take some time to load all the subscriptions. Also, I THINK, it will bypass geo-restrictions. Not sure though, as I’ve not come across any geo-restricted videos to test it out.
FreeTube Features
Learn more and download FreeTube on the project’s github page.
You can already encrypt files and encrypt folders using macOS, but you might want to consider adopting a tool like VeraCrypt.
It’s a good idea to encrypt your digital life. Especially when you upload it to the cloud. You can already encrypt files and encrypt folders using macOS, but you might want to consider adopting a tool like VeraCrypt.
Continue reading “A Quick Look At VeraCrypt Encryption Tool”
