On the Internet you are never too sure. Every day new threats appear, either attacking the security of your connected devices or trying to collect your data. It makes sense, therefore, that as a user you do what is in your power to remain safe.
And what the Internet takes away, the Internet gives it to you. Developers have created web-based pro-privacy extensions that will prevent your data from skipping to those who do not, while monitoring your security status. In this article we are going to give you seven solutions that you can start using right now.
Two Factor Auth
Two Factor Auth is a web that lists both web services that support two-step authentication and those that do not. This security measure has gained adherents among Internet giants like Twitter, which implemented it three years ago, and among users. Now, it is not completely infallible, as was demonstrated in an attack on PayPal.
With Two Factor Auth you can have a better control of what services they offer, and if you have not used two-step authentication in any of your accounts you may be interested in enabling it as soon as possible. In case one of your accounts is compromised, this way you can know that the worst has not happened.
IoT Scanner
The Internet of Things or IoT promises to change how we live our lives . At the same time, it is plagued with risks that affect the security of our connected devices. Things like a refrigerator or a television constantly connected to the Internet leave doors open to hackers, so IoT is a potential nightmare for computer security.
IoT Scanner is a simple web tool that discovers which devices can be detected publicly. Check all the IP addresses of all the gadgets connected to your network, and see if they are available in Shodan, the IoT search engine that shows all publicly available devices.
In addition to clicking the Check if I am on Shodan button, it is a good idea to do a deep scan. If all is well, you will find a green tick that will inform you that you have no problem.
Wish me
Over the years, you may have used your Gmail account to sign up for various services . You may have forgotten places where you have an account, and if you used the same password at all and someone hacked them, then all of your information could be in danger.
Using Deseat.me you will be able to find all those services that you have been subscribing and to cancel this subscription. To do this, the web will read messages from your inbox, but your security is safe since the whole process is done completely offline.
The application does not send your data to your servers, so run it, find the places where you have registered and start preparing the webapp for you to unsubscribe.
Privacy Badger 2.0
We recently talked about the new version of Privacy Badger, the browser extension created by the EFF to prevent them from tracking your browsing habits. It is worth remembering that the EFF is led by John Gilmore, one of the most important pro-privacy activists, also known as cypherpunks.
What Privacy Badger does, apart from preventing Internet companies from building a “profile” about you, is to block malware and websites that try to find your IP address, which can lead to a great deal of damage afterwards. The extension is completely free and can be found available for a good number of browsers.
Passlock
It is already vox populi that sending sensitive data via email is very risky at this point. You never know who might be spying. The ideal solution is to encrypt email, something that is not always easy, but that Passlock makes it simple.
It is a client that uses the PGP standard. The application creates a “lock” (which you can share with others) and a “key” for you. Anyone can use your “lock” to send you an email, but since only you have the key, only you can open it and read it. No one else can, which reduces the risk of interception by third parties.
HTTPS Everywhere
We have already talked about the importance of HTTPS. It is vital in a connected society, where the network is constantly full of threats to the user data and the integrity of their equipment and communications, that every time an Internet connection request is made, the data exchanged between server and client.
That’s what HTTPS is all about, but as not all web sites implement it, you can use HTTPS Everywhere to force the encryption of information on any webpage we visit. It is a joint project of the EFF and Tor Project and, as we do with Privacy Badger, we strongly recommend its use.
NoScript
NoScript is an extension designed for Firefox (which is also included by default in Tor Browser) that blocks JavaScript, Java and Flash among other components, so that they run only and exclusively on websites that the user trusts.
This protects the user against XSS attacks and clickjacking. Keeping in mind that Flash is one of the most insecure and exploited components (although it is less and less present on the web), it is not a bad idea to use an extension that blocks it.
