Eliana Willis

More stories

  • 125 Shares149 Views

    in Networking

    Geomagnetic storm takes down up to 40 SpaceX Starlink satellites

    Image: Getty Images
    SpaceX confirmed on Tuesday that up to 40 of the 49 Starlink low-earth orbit satellites launched last Thursday were “significantly impacted” by a geomagnetic storm on Friday.

    “These storms cause the atmosphere to warm and atmospheric density at our low deployment altitudes to increase,” SpaceX explained in an update.”In fact, onboard GPS suggests the escalation speed and severity of the storm caused atmospheric drag to increase up to 50% higher than during previous launches.”In response to the storm, the Starlink team commanded the satellites into a safe mode to “take cover from the storm” so the satellites would “fly edge-on like a sheet of paper to minimise drag”, the company said.However, according to the company: “preliminary analysis show the increased drag at the low altitudes prevented the satellites from leaving safe-mode to begin orbit raising maneuvers, and up to 40 of the satellites will re-enter or already have re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere.”SpaceX assured that deorbiting satellites “pose zero collision risk with other satellites” or when it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere. “By design [the satellites] demise upon atmospheric re-entry — meaning no orbital debris is created and no satellite parts hit the ground,” the company said.RELATED COVERAGE More

  • 125 Shares109 Views

    in Information Technology

    NetWalker ransomware gang affiliate pleads guilty, slapped with 7-year sentence

    Netwalker ransomware gang affiliate Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins was sentenced to seven years in prison for his involvement with the group after pleading guilty in an Ontario court on January 31.Court documents published on February 1 revealed that Vachon-Desjardins pleaded guilty to five charges related to “theft of computer data, extortion, the payment of cryptocurrency ransoms, and participating in the activities of a criminal organization.”In addition to the seven year sentence, Vachon-Desjardins agreed to partial restitution, forfeiture of assets seized, and a DNA order. The court documents say Vachon-Desjardins was implicated in 17 ransomware attacks that caused at least $2.8 million in damages in Canada. “In August 2020, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (“RCMP”) received information from the American Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) in relation to a NetWalker ransomware affiliate operating in Gatineau Quebec. The FBI advised the RCMP that their suspect was responsible for ransomware attacks in several countries, and he was suspected to have received over $15,000,000.00 USD in ransom payments,” Ontario court judge G. Paul Renwick wrote, adding that he was told that the data seized from Vachon-Desjardins’s would fill an entire hockey arena if printed.”Eventually, based on internet protocol addresses, data gleaned from US investigations into various Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Mega.nz accounts, aliases, email addresses, and personal information revealed on social media platforms, the Defendant was identified by the Canadian authorities.”In January, police in Florida arrested the Canadian citizen in connection with several attacks by the Netwalker ransomware group. The DOJ claimed Vachon-Desjardins managed to make about $27.6 million through several ransomware attacks on Canadian organizations like the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, the College of Nurses of Ontario, and a Canadian tire store in B.C. One of the biggest issues facing Vachon-Desjardins is when he will be sent to the US to face his charges there. He was supposed to be sent to the US but his surrender was delayed because he had other drug trafficking charges outstanding in Quebec. The ruling says Vachon-Desjardins’ sentence can begin to run now and it will continue to run during and subsequent to the resolution of his charges in the US.

    The sentence will also run concurrently to the 54-month sentence he got for drug trafficking offenses in Quebec.The judge’s decision explained that Vachon-Desjardins was a prolific member of the Netwalker ransomware group and even sent the group’s leaders 224 Bitcoins to invest in “the next generation of malicious code that could be used.””The Defendant even improved upon the ransom messages used by NetWalker affiliates and eventually convinced the creator of NetWalker to use ‘mixing services’ to disguise funds paid for ransoms in Bitcoin,” Renwick said. “The Defendant admitted to investigators that over 1,200 Bitcoins related to his NetWalker malware activities passed through his e-wallet and were shared with his unindicted co-conspirators and the developer of the NetWalker ransomware. As well, the Defendant admits that his entire ransomware activities involved over 2000 Bitcoins.” Canadian officials were only able to seize less than 720 Bitcoins from Vachon-Desjardins’ e-wallets and accounts because he managed to turn the stolen funds into Canadian dollars. In some instances he received bags of money ranging from $100,000 to $150,000.When he was arrested in January 2021, Vachon-Desjardins had about $640,000 in cash and $421,000 in his bank account. “The Defendant was not an insignificant actor in these and other offenses; he played a dominant, almost exclusive, role in these offenses and he assisted NetWalker and other affiliates by improving their ability to extort their victims and disguise their proceeds,” Renwick explained. “The Defendant has an unrelated criminal record for drug trafficking and he was sentenced to 3.5 years imprisonment in 2015 and 4.5 years imprisonment, last week; during the commission of these offenses, the Defendant was awaiting the disposition of some of his outstanding charges in Quebec.”One strange aspect of the report was Renwick’s preoccupation with Vachon-Desjardins’ physical appearance. He called Vachon-Desjardins “good-looking, presentable, and instantly likeable.”Vachon-Desjardins will have to pay restitution to some of the victims affected by his attacks. He will need to pay nearly $1 million to Cegep St. Felicien, $725,000 to Elite Group, more than $700,000 to Enterprise Robert Thibert and Travelers Ins. Co. of Canada as well as $206,737 to Ville de Montmagny. Windward Software Systems Inc. will get $91,966.02 and Endoceutics Inc. will get $72,503.43.The funds will be taken from the cryptocurrency that was seized during the raids on his home. Canadian ransomware expert Brett Callow said people often assume that ransomware actors are based in Russian or CIS countries, but this case demonstrates that they can be much closer to home. “Which isn’t surprising. Ransomware is a multi-billion dollar industry. North America has talent, criminals and talented criminals. It only makes sense that they’d be wanting in on the action, especially as cybercriminals operate with almost complete impunity,” said Callow, who works as a threat analyst at cybersecurity firm Emsisoft.”Or, at least, they did. That’s starting to change and arrests such as this will inevitably make some individuals consider whether they should get out while the going is good.” More

  • 138 Shares99 Views

    in Networking

    5 Best VPN Services 2022: Top picks for your online privacy

    To find the best VPN service for your personal or business needs, you’ll need to compare brands, prices, features, and more. But first, you need to understand how a VPN accomplishes its primary mission: Keeping you safe and protecting your privacy online.

    Fundamentally, most VPNs (virtual private networks) provide two services: They encrypt your data between two points and they hide the IP address (from which a general location can be derived) where you’re located. For those traveling or out and about, the first function is critical because most Wi-Fi available publicly is unencrypted — so anyone on the network can see what you were sending.  But VPNs also serve to hide your IP address, replacing the address logged on servers with one in a completely different location — even a different country. For those worrying about stalking or other threats, this feature could save lives. Most consumers, though, find streaming VPN features compelling because — in some cases, and with dubious legality — it allows them to spoof their region of origin to get access to streaming media and sports blacked out from their home locale. There is no doubt that you should use a VPN service provider when you’re using public Wi-Fi when away from home. But what about when you’re at home? Should you use a VPN then? My general advice is that using a VPN is not critical for most people at home, since your ISP rarely wants to look at your traffic. But if you live in an apartment with a bunch of curious roommates all sharing one router, a VPN might prove valuable. If you’re connecting to work and want to make sure you’re taking all the precautions you can (and if your employer hasn’t given you a corporate VPN to use) a VPN service would be useful. If you’re connecting to websites that log connection information and you don’t want to leave tracks where you are (especially where your home is), you might want to use a VPN. You get the idea: If you want extra protection and safety at home, then a VPN isn’t a bad idea. In this article, we look at a bunch of our top VPN solutions. We’ll cover many of the best VPN service providers, how to access the native VPNs built into your desktop machine, and even how to use your NAS as a VPN client and host. If you’re curious about VPNs, you can learn a lot more in our massive VPN FAQ.

    Four tips to help you evaluate

    1. Pay attention to trial period times and use them: Every VPN performs differently, and every user experience is going to be different still. Your ISP will offer different speeds than mine. Your favorite coffee shop has a different network connection than mine. You’re even likely to be connecting to different countries and definitely different sites. Before committing to a VPN provider, test candidates thoroughly in your real-world environment. That’s what the trial times and money-back guarantees are for.2. Avoid free VPN providers: Running a VPN is expensive and if the VPN provider doesn’t make money from your service fees, they’re going to make money from your data — sometimes even stealing your personal information and selling it. Stick with the proven commercial vendors we’ve tested.3. Don’t worry about country of jurisdiction, unless: There are generally two classes of VPN users, those who need to protect their coffee shop surfing and those counting on a VPN to protect their lives. VPN often provides a level of security theatre where folks get bent out of shape if a country has any form of data jurisdiction. But as I showed in this article, many countries outside of the so-called Five Eyes are Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties signatories and will share data with the US and other countries anyway. If you’re using a VPN to protect your life, research this a lot more than reading a review article.4. Finally, don’t sweat warrant canaries and no log policies: Most of you are going to use a VPN to protect your data stream from being hijacked by someone sharing your network. All of these big legal and jurisdictional issues get in the way of the simple fact that you want fast transfers and an encrypted tunnel from your spot in the airport to the website you’re trying to access.And with that, let’s dig into what makes the best VPNs tick and answer some more of your questions at the end of this article, so read on. But first, our picks for the best VPNs of 2022.

    Which are the best VPN providers?

    If you’re curious about how VPNs work or what a VPN provider can do for you, here’s a great VPN overview article. Now that you understand how a VPN service can help keep you safe, let’s kick it off with our list of recommended service providers.

    A top-rated VPN provider

    (Image: ExpressVPN)

    Simultaneous Connections: 5 or unlimited with the router appKill Switch: YesPlatforms: A whole lot (see the full list here)Logging: No browsing logs, some connection logsCountries: 94Locations: 160Trial/MBG: 30 daysExpressVPN is one of the most popular VPN providers out there, offering a wide range of platforms and protocols. Platforms include Windows, Mac, Linux, routers, iOS, Android, Chromebook, Kindle Fire, and even the Nook device. There are also browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. Plus, ExpressVPN works with PlayStation, Apple TV, Xbox, Amazon Fire TV, and the Nintendo Switch. There’s even a manual setup option for Chromecast, Roku, and Nvidia Switch.Must read:With 160 server locations in 94 countries, ExpressVPN has a considerable VPN network across the internet. In CNET’s review of the service, staff writer Rae Hodge reported that ExpressVPN lost less than 2% of performance with the VPN enabled and using the OpenVPN protocol vs. a direct connection.While the company does not log browsing history or traffic destinations, it does log dates connected to the VPN service, amount transferred, and VPN server location. We do want to give ExpressVPN kudos for making this information very clear and easily accessible.Exclusive offer: Get 3 extra months free.

    Leak-free and unlimited connections

    Simultaneous Connections: UnlimitedKill Switch: YesPlatforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Firefox, ChromeLogging: None, except billing dataTrial/MBG: 30 dayAt two bucks a month for a two-year plan (billed in one chunk), Surfshark offers a good price for a solid offering. In CNET’s testing, no leaks were found (and given that much bigger names leaked connection information, that’s a big win). The company seems to have a very strong security focus, offering AES-256-GCM, RSA-2048, and Perfect Forward Secrecy encryption. To prevent WebRTC leaks, Surfshark offers a special purpose browser plugin designed specifically to combat those leaks.Must read:Surfshark’s performance was higher than NordVPN and Norton Secure VPN, but lower than ExpressVPN and IPVanish. That said, Surfshark also offers a multihop option that allows you to route connections through two VPN servers across the Surfshark private network. We also like that the company offers some inexpensive add-on features, including ad-blocking, anti-tracking, access to a non-logging search engine, and a tool that tracks your email address against data breach lists.

    Interesting options to enhance VPN safety and protection

    Simultaneous Connections: 6Kill Switch: YesPlatforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Android TV, Chrome, FirefoxLogging: None, except billing dataCountries: 59Servers: 5517Trial/MBG: 30 dayAlso: How does NordVPN work? Plus how to set it up and use itNordVPN is one of the most popular consumer VPNs out there. Last year, Nord announced that it had been breached. Unfortunately, the breach had been active for more than 18 months. While there were failures at every level, NordVPN has taken substantial efforts to remedy the breach.Also: My in-depth review of NordVPNIn our review, we liked that it offered capabilities beyond basic VPN, including support of P2P sharing, a service it calls Double VPN that does a second layer of encryption, Onion over VPN which allows for TOR capabilities over its VPN, and even a dedicated IP if you’re trying to run a VPN that also doubles as a server. It supports all the usual platforms and a bunch of home network platforms as well. The company also offers NordVPN Teams, which provides centralized management and billing for a mobile workforce.Also: My interview with NordVPN management on how they run their servicePerformance testing was adequate, although ping speeds were slow enough that I wouldn’t want to play a twitch video game over the VPN. To be fair, most VPNs have pretty terrible ping speeds, so this isn’t a weakness unique to Nord. Overall, a solid choice, and with a 30-day money-back guarantee, worth a try.

    Deep capabilities hidden in an easy-to-use app

    Simultaneous Connections: UnlimitedKill Switch: YesPlatforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Chrome, plus routers, Fire Stick, and KodiLogging: None, except billing dataServers: 1,500 Locations: 75Trial/MBG: 30 dayIPVanish is a deep and highly configurable product that presents itself as a click-and-go solution. I think the company is selling itself short doing this. A quick visit to its website shows a relatively generic VPN service, but that’s not the whole truth.Also: My in-depth review of IPVanishIts UI provides a wide range of server selection options, including some great performance graphics. It also has a wide variety of protocols, so no matter what you’re connecting to, you can know what to expect. The company also provides an excellent server list with good current status information. There’s also a raft of configuration options for the app itself.In terms of performance, connection speed was crazy fast. Overall transfer performance was good. However, from a security perspective, it wasn’t able to hide that I was connecting via a VPN — although the data transferred was secure. Overall, a solid product with a good user experience that’s fine for home connections as long as you’re not trying to hide the fact that you’re on a VPN.The company also has a partnership with SugarSync and provides 250GB of encrypted cloud storage with each plan.

    Open source with a dedicated focus on security

    Simultaneous Connections: Depends on planKill Switch: YesPlatforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, routersLogging: None, except billing dataCountries: 54Servers: 1,077Trial/MBG: 30 dayWe really like the ProtonVPN story. The company was created by engineers and scientists who met at CERN (the European Center for Nuclear Research — where the Web was invented) with a focus on creating encrypted email and VPN communications with the idea of protecting the communication of activists and journalists. The company is also headquartered in Switzerland, which has very strong privacy laws.In terms of product, ProtonVPN has a belt-and-suspenders approach to security, layering strong protocols on top of perfect forward secrecy, on top of strong encryption. Not only does ProtonVPN have a kill switch, but it also has an always-on VPN, which attempts to restore VPN service if it’s dropped mid-communication. Finally, we like that all apps are open source and the company reports that they are independently audited. Finally, the company offers a very generous free VPN service, allowing one machine to connect at medium speed, but there doesn’t appear to be any limit to the amount of data used in the free plan.

    Are there other VPNs worth considering?

    Yes. Below is a selection of other well-known VPN services. 

    VPN service hosted on its own infrastructure

    Simultaneous Connections: 5Kill Switch: YesPlatforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, QNAP, Synology, router, TVLogging: None, except billing dataServers: 700+ on their own infrastructure Locations: 70Trial/MBG: 30 dayGolden Frog, the company behind VyprVPN, claims to be “A company as old as the Internet itself,” yet its own about page says the company was founded in 2009. Apparently, the founders of Golden Frog were founding companies back in the 90s, and they conflated the two facts. I’m always a bit uncomfortable when a security company conflates facts.On the plus side, we like that Golden Frog owns and manages its own infrastructure and does not rely on hosting companies. VPN infrastructure is often a murky thing, with the VPN service providers renting time from available data centers in host countries.The company offers a huge array of client software, including apps for routers and even BlackBerry devices. Apps support key features like a kill switch, a zero-knowledge DNS service, and their own Chameleon VPN protocol for added security. The company’s no-log service was last audited in 2018, so they’re a bit overdue.Golden Frog, also registered in Switzerland, is a standout in their effort to provide privacy and thwart censorship. When China began its program of deep packet VPN inspection, Golden Frog’s VyprVPN service added scrambled OpenVPN packets to keep the traffic flowing.

    It’s Norton, a known and trusted brand. What else is there to say?

    Simultaneous Connections: Based on planKill Switch: YesPlatforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, AndroidLogging: None, except billing dataCountries: UnspecifiedLocations: UnspecifiedTrial/MBG: 60 dayWe found performance is middle-of-the-road and platforms are limited to Mac, iOS, Windows, and Android. Don’t even think of using it on routers, Linux, or gaming platforms. Pricing is weirdly and unnecessarily tiered. The service raises its price by ten bucks when you jump from 1 device to 5, and another ten bucks when you jump to ten devices. Given the full ten simultaneous device package is a good deal at $59, it’s odd that it’s nickel-and-diming the lower tiers.Also: Norton Secure VPN review: More work is needed for this privacy product to shineWe’re recommending Norton not as much because it’s a great VPN (it’s really kinda meh), but because it’s from a brand we’ve long come to know and trust. The company also offers live 24/7 phone support and has an excellent 60-day money-back guarantee. The company also offers a generous 60-day money-back guarantee, but oddly doesn’t promote it. The only place it’s mentioned is deep inside their refund policy document.

    A bundle of safety and security features beyond VPN

    Simultaneous Connections: 7Kill Switch: YesPlatforms: All you’d expect and a lot moreLogging: None, except billing dataCountries: 89Servers: 6,381Trial/MBG: 45 daysThe CyberGhost client is more than a VPN connection driver. The company’s offering is a decently complete full security system, including ad-blocking, malicious website blocking, online footprint blocking (blocking cookies from dropping), and forced https redirect.Also: My in-depth review of CyberGhostWith more than 6,000 servers deployed in 89 countries and 112 locations, CyberGhost has a larger number of servers than many of the other VPN providers we surveyed. Performance was adequate. It provided enough bandwidth to stream video and get your job done, but it certainly wasn’t a rocket. Also, if you’re trying to hide the fact that you’re using a VPN, you’ll want to look elsewhere. That said, for a solid overall security package, CyberGhost is a good option.

    31-day guarantee because sometimes that extra day matters

    Simultaneous Connections: 10Kill Switch: YesPlatforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and a lot moreLogging: None, except billing dataCountries: 140Servers: 2,000Trial/MBG: 31 dayMost VPN providers license their international server presence from local providers all over the globe. PureVPN doesn’t. They own their own self-managed network of more than 2,000 servers in 140 countries. This allows the company to support its full range of protocols (OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, and IKEv2). It also offers PPTP, but it’s so porous, you probably shouldn’t use it.Given the tough times due to the novel coronavirus, PureVPN has sent its support folks home, but they’re up and running providing 24/7 support from the safety of sheltering in place. So even though business isn’t as usual, PureVPN has, like many companies, routed around the problem using internet technology to keep connected. We also like the 31-day money-back guarantee, support for a wide range of devices, including Kodi, Roku, and Boxee boxes. 

    A tremendous number of VPN servers

    Simultaneous Connections: 10Kill Switch: YesPlatforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, OperaLogging: None, except billing dataCountries: 76Servers: 17,605Trial/MBG: 30 dayOne of the more interesting aspects of Private Internet Access is the wealth of payment options the company offers. Sure, you can pay by credit card. But you can also pay with cryptocurrencies including BitcoinCash, Bitcoin, Zcash, Ethereum, and Litecoin. If you’re not all up on the crypto-craze but still don’t want to leave a record of your payment, you can use over 100 brands of gift cards, including those from Best Buy, GameStop, Home Depot, Lowes, Target, and Walmart.The company supports a good range of protocols and you can use it on your customized DD-WRT router. We do like the quick setup, included ad, malware, and tracker blocker, and unlimited bandwidth is always appreciated.

    Native VPN support on your desktop

    If you’re connecting to a corporate VPN, you may not need to purchase a VPN service. All the major desktop operating systems include VPN capabilities. Here’s how to get started using those.

    Native VPN support on Mac

    Connect to a corporate VPN with Apple

    If you’re connecting to an existing corporate virtual private network, you may not need an additional service. MacOS comes with native VPN support built right in.Apple provides VPN support for High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, and now Big Sur. Just pop open System Preferences, head over to the Network tab, and either import the configuration file you were provided or hit the plus button and add a VPN interface. Here’s a handy tip sheet from Apple that will walk you through the process.

    Native VPN support on Windows 10

    Connect to a corporate VPN with Microsoft

    If you’re connecting to an established corporate VPN, all you need to do is add a new Windows 10 VPN connection. Point your mouse at the Start menu, hit Settings, then Network & Internet, and then VPN. Make sure you have the connection details provided by work and then click on Add a New VPN Connection. Fill in the form and you’re good to go. Here’s a handy tip sheet from Microsoft.Windows 10 also allows you to host a VPN server by creating a new incoming network connection, choosing the users who can connect, and telling Windows that the incoming connection is across the internet. You’ll also have to configure your router to allow traffic to your computer. PureInfoTech has a helpful guide for setting it all up.

    Native VPN support on Chromebook

    Connect your laptop with Google

    Sadly, this simple solution isn’t built into the standard Chrome browser. If you’re just using the browser on a Mac or Windows machine, you’ll need a different solution. That said, if you’re rocking a Chromebook, all you need to do is open Settings and then Network. Click Add Connection. Then all you need to do is choose between OpenVPN and L2TP over IPSec. Google has a handy cheat sheet right here to guide you through the process. 

    Linux with WireGuard

    Another reason to love open source

    WireGuard is Linux’s new baked-in VPN capability. Its code is relatively simple and small, making it far easier to maintain, test, and debug. Linus Torvalds, Mr. Linux himself, calls WireGuard “a work of art.”Also: Linux’s WireGuard VPN is here and ready to protect youSo what do you need to set up WireGuard? More and more of the VPNs we spotlighted support WireGuard right out of the box. You can download it for Linux. But you can also download a package for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and FreeBSD. It’s like most open source products, in that you’ll need to do some reading and thinking to make it work. But it’s free, solid, safe, and, as Linus says, “Can I just once again state my love for it.” 

    VPN for your whole home network

    Many of the commercial VPN services discussed above offer router-based VPN solutions. Even though I have a pretty powerful router, I prefer to run my VPN on my NAS. Here are two NAS-based VPN solutions that will get you connected securely.

    Synology NAS VPN support

    Built-in VPN app on the NAS

    If you have a NAS like the top-reviewed Synology, you may already have a NAS app you can set up and protect your whole home network. The Synology server has a very capable little VPN built-in, and it’s available free to anyone with the NAS.If you want to go a step further and use some Synology-exclusive VPN services like Synology SSL VPN, clientless WebVPN, and remote desktop, as well as a site-to-site VPN service, you can do so using the Synology router I reviewed last year. That service is called VPN Plus and it normally costs $9.99 per concurrent user. But because of COVID-19, Synology’s offering free VPN Plus between now and September.

    A mini-FAQ about VPNs

    I answered a bunch of common questions above our big list of the best VPNs for 2022. But here’s a quick lightning round of questions and answers about VPNs, just to round out your knowledge.

    Do VPN providers limit usage?

    Some do. Check when you sign up. For non-free plans, none of the providers we recommended limit the amount of data you can use. But almost all limit how many devices you can use at once.

    What does logging really mean?

    Logging is the recording of data about your usage and it occurs everywhere. Every website, at minimum, records an IP address, time, and data accessed so they can track traffic. All VPN providers have to check credentials against recorded personal data to make sure you paid, but a few let you sign up with Bitcoin, allowing you to completely hide your identity. When we say a VPN doesn’t log data, we mean they don’t track what sites you visit and for how long, but they may track how much of their own infrastructure you use.

    Is it legal to use a VPN?

    Yes, in most countries. Some countries (and you should read my guide for more in-depth info) have made VPN use illegal. And even in countries where it’s legal, it’s likely to be illegal to use a VPN to spoof a streaming service into giving you content that otherwise wouldn’t be accessible. Plus…

    Can I use a VPN to get free Netflix or watch a blacked-out sports event?

    Sometimes, but it’s likely illegal and probably fattening. There’s an ongoing arms race where the media vendors are getting better at identifying and blocking VPN connections, so each case is different. And that’s all we can say about it, because… illegal.

    If I have a VPN to my office, do I need a VPN service?

    The VPN to your office will secure your link to your office. If you want to secure your link to anywhere else, you’ll need a VPN service.

    Should I use a VPN on my phone or tablet?

    If it’s your data and you want it to be secure, yes. The same choices are valid regardless of what kind of device you use to transmit and receive data over the Internet.

    What’s this kill switch thing?

    So let’s say you’re surfing along and all of a sudden your VPN connection fails. Your phone or computer is likely to immediately try to reconnect and do so directly, without going through a VPN. All of a sudden your data is unprotected. A kill switch is a feature in your device’s VPN app that detects that connection fails and immediately shuts down network access. Like with everything, it’s not a 100% perfect solution, but these days, I wouldn’t recommend using a VPN that doesn’t offer a kill switch.

    What do simultaneous connections mean and why should I care?

    I’ll give you a personal example. When I travel, I often take my laptop and my tablet. I use the laptop to write and I use the tablet as a second screen to look stuff up. I have two connections I’m using at once and I want my VPN to protect both. If my wife is also doing the same thing, that’s four connections. Add our phones and you have six connections. If we’re using all those devices at once that’s simultaneous connections. The more the better.

    Does a VPN slow down your connection?

    Let’s be clear: Using a VPN does add a bit of a load on your computer and can often slow down your connection. That’s because your data is encrypted, decrypted, and sent through intermediate servers. Game responsiveness might suffer. If you’re a first-person shooter player, you might have enough lag to lose the shot. That said, both computers and VPNs have gotten much faster. When I first used a VPN, every… thing…slowed… down… to… an… unbearable… c-r-a-w-l. But now, the negative impact is almost unnoticeable, and at least one service we spotlight below (Hotspot Shield) actually increased performance, making it one of the fastest VPNs we’ve seen.Also, most (but not all!) of the VPN providers we spotlight limit the number of devices you can connect simultaneously, so you may have to pick and choose which home devices connect.

    What about all those weird protocol words?

    If you’ve been shopping for a VPN service, you’ve undoubtedly come across a bunch of names like SSL, OpenVPN, SSTP, L2TP/IPSec, PPP, PPTP, IKEv2/IPSec, SOCKS5, and more. These are all communication protocols. They are, essentially, the name of the method by which your communication is encrypted and packaged for tunneling to the VPN provider. To be honest, while VPN geeks can argue over protocols for hours, you’re probably good enough if you just use the default setup by your provider.

    What’s the best free VPN service?

    We’re spotlighting paid services in this article, although some of them offer a free tier. I generally don’t recommend free VPN services because I don’t consider them secure. Think about this: Running a good VPN service requires hundreds of servers across the world and a ton of networking resources. It’s boo-coo expensive. If you’re not paying to support that infrastructure, who is? Probably advertisers or data miners. If you use a free service, your data or your eyeballs will probably be sold, and that’s never a good thing. After all, you’re using a VPN so your data remains secure. You wouldn’t want to then have all that data go to some company to sift through — it completely defeats the purpose.Now, before you choose a VPN service, free or paid, I want to make it clear that no one tool can guarantee your privacy. First, anything can be hacked. But more to the point, a VPN protects your data from your computer to the VPN service. It doesn’t protect what you put on servers. It doesn’t protect your data from the VPN provider’s VPN servers to whatever site or cloud-based application you’re using. It doesn’t give you good passwords or multifactor authentication. Privacy and security require you to be diligent throughout your digital journey, and VPNs, while quite helpful, are not a miracle cure.

    How did we choose these VPN services?

    This list did not involve as much original research and testing as some of my other recommendation lists. That’s because I’ve been writing VPN articles every month or so since early 2017. I have looked at a lot of VPN providers.Also: Fastest VPN: How we rated the top servicesMany of the providers recommended in this list have been subject to in-depth testing and reviews, written either by me or by CNET’s product evaluation team. For those, we have tangible testing numbers. Other VPNs have been ones we’ve been talking about for years, spoken with their management and their users, and have developed a generally positive impression.A few of the VPNs (Hotspot Shield, in particular) had a more rocky road. They had some tough PR at the beginning and made some seemingly ludicrous claims about speed. It wasn’t until I brought them in house and pounded on them for a few weeks that I realized that their claims were justified. Sometimes, products just surprise you.But here’s the thing: All these vendors have solid money-back guarantees and we would not have recommended them otherwise. We do test VPN services from multiple locations, but we can’t test from all locations. Every home, every community, every local ISP, and every nation has a different infrastructure. It’s essential that once you choose, you test for all your likely usage profiles, and only then make the decision to keep the service or request a refund.One thing to consider is whether you’re looking for a solution for working at home vs. traveling. For example, if you travel rarely (even before COVID-19), have strong bandwidth at home, and have a NAS or a server box, you might want to VPN to your home server from your machine’s native client, and then out to the world. If you’re newly home for the duration and your company has a dedicated VPN, you’ll want to use whatever process they’ve set out for you.Must read: But, generally speaking, it doesn’t hurt to have a VPN provider already set up and in your kit bag. Most home-based traffic won’t require VPN usage, but if you’re on any sort of shared connection, having a VPN provider is a good idea. Also, if you ever think you’ll need to access the Internet from out and about — like a hospital or doctor’s office, then having a VPN provider can be a win. Likewise, if you want to obscure where you’re connecting from (this might be more important now that we’re always in the same place all day), a VPN provider might help.Finally, don’t expect miracles. Your home-based pandemic broadband pipes are likely to be more clogged than ever before. Everyone is at home, many people are streaming movies to stay sane, and there are only so many bits that can fit at any given time. If you experience traffic slowdowns, be sure to check not only your VPN, but your Wi-Fi connection between your device and your router, your connection to your broadband provider, and even their connection to upstream providers.That said, we’re all in this together. Hang in there and stay safe. How are you managing your home-based networking? Let us know in the comments below.

    You can follow my day-to-day project updates on social media. Be sure to follow me on Twitter at @DavidGewirtz, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DavidGewirtz, on Instagram at Instagram.com/DavidGewirtz, and on YouTube at YouTube.com/DavidGewirtzTV.

    ZDNet Recommends More

  • 113 Shares179 Views

    in Information Technology

    SAP releases patches for ICMAD vulnerabilities, log4j issues, more

    Three vulnerabilities with CVSS of 10, 8.1 and 7.5 have been patched by SAP after being discovered by cybersecurity firm Onapsis. The patches were were part of a group of 19 security notes released by the company about a range of security issues. Three of the vulnerabilities related to log4j and had a CVSS of 10. 

    The vulnerabilities found by Onapsis — dubbed “ICMAD” — allow attackers to execute serious malicious activities on SAP users, business information, and processes, which ultimately compromises unpatched SAP applications. The issues revolve around SAP’s Internet Communication Manager (ICM), a core component of many of their applications. ICM is the SAP component that enables HTTP(S) communications in SAP systems. Because ICM is exposed to the internet and untrusted networks by design, vulnerabilities in this component have an increased level of risk, the companies explained. JP Perez-Etchegoyen, CTO at Onapsis, told ZDNet that with a single request, an attacker could be able to steal every victim session and credentials in plain text and modify the behavior of the applications. “Abusing these vulnerabilities could be simple for an attacker as it requires no previous authentication, no necessary preconditions, and the payload can be sent through HTTP(S),” Perez-Etchegoyen said. SAP has released two security notes about the issues, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued its own notice urging customers to implement the patch. 

    “These vulnerabilities can be exploited over the internet and without the need for attackers to be authenticated in the target systems, which makes them very critical,” said Mariano Nunez, CEO and Co-founder of Onapsis. 

    ZDNet Recommends

    The best security key

    While robust passwords help you secure your valuable online accounts, hardware-based two-factor authentication takes that security to the next level.

    Read More

    He went on to explain that Onapsis Research Labs had been investigating HTTP Smuggling issues over the last year before discovering the SAP issues. Threat actors, according to Onapsis, can send malicious payloads leveraging these HTTP Smuggling techniques and successfully exploit SAP Java or ABAP systems with an HTTP request that is indistinguishable from a valid message. These vulnerabilities can be exploited in affected systems over the internet and pre-authentication, meaning they are not mitigated by multi-factor authentication controls, Onapsis added. “SAP has partnered with Onapsis to maintain secure solutions for our global customer base,” said Richard Puckett, Chief Information Security Officer for SAP. “It is through collaboration with key partners like Onapsis that SAP can provide the most secure environment possible for our customers. We strongly encourage all SAP customers to protect their businesses by applying the relevant SAP security patches as soon as possible.” SAP said it is not aware of any data breaches that resulted from threat actors exploiting the vulnerability but urged customers to apply the security notes. Onapsis released a free tool that SAP customers can use to scan their systems for affected applications. Aaron Turner, vice president at Vectra, said that what we learned in March of 2021 with the Hafnium attack targeting on-premises Exchange servers is being replayed in the SAP ecosystem. “SAP servers are extremely rich targets, with significant access to material business processes and generally have multiple privileged credentials stored and used on those servers. With the Onapsis research, they have uncovered an exploit path that allows attackers to gain access to those privileged credentials to move laterally within the on-premises network and also pivot into the cloud, as most SAP customers have federated their legacy SAP workloads with cloud-based ones,” Turner said. “Just as Hafnium allowed attackers to pivot from on-prem Exchange to M365, this SAP attack path could allow the same. The SAP security updates will be critical ones to install, not just to protect those on-premises SAP servers but also any systems, on-prem or cloud, that may share credentials or trust relationships with those servers.” More

  • 150 Shares129 Views

    in Information Technology

    Amid rumors of Microsoft acquisition, Mandiant reports Q4 revenue of $132 million

    Mandiant, one of the world’s largest security firms, beat Wall Street expectations for Q4 as the company adjusts following the sale of a major part of its business. The earnings report came as Bloomberg reported Microsoft was considering acquiring the company.The company reported a loss per share of $0.10 for the quarter on revenue of $132.9 million. For the full fiscal year, Mandiant said it had a revenue of $483 million, representing a 21% increase year over year. They also reported a non-GAAP net loss per share of 51 centsWall Street was expecting a Q4 loss of $0.13 per share on revenue of $131.57 million. The report sent Mandiant’s shares down 2% in late trading.”We achieved a significant milestone in Q4, divesting the FireEye Products business and positioning Mandiant to deliver accelerating growth and extend our leadership position in expertise and intelligence,” said Kevin Mandia, CEO of Mandiant. “We are uniquely positioned to address an enormous market need and can concentrate all of our attention on helping organizations close their cyber security gap. We had record billings and revenue for Threat Intelligence and Consulting in the fourth quarter, and our overall performance highlights the early financial and operational success in the relaunch of our company.”Mandiant completed the sale of the FireEye Products business to McAfee Enterprise on October 8, 2021. Mandiant was split from the FireEye Products business last year in a June 2021 deal with a consortium led by Symphony Technology Group for $1.2 billion, dramatically changing the company’s outlook. The all-cash deal closed at the end of the fourth quarter. FireEye initially acquired Mandiant in 2013 for $1 billion. Mandiant said that the deal separated FireEye’s network, email, endpoint and cloud security products from Mandiant’s software and services. FireEye Products and Mandiant Solutions continued to be one entity until the transaction closed. Symphony Technology Group and FireEye will maintain reselling and collaboration agreements.

    Mandia said in June that the deal was made because FireEye wants to scale its software platforms. But they projected that its products and related subscriptions and support revenue would fall 10% to 11% in 2021 compared to 2020.”The Mandiant Solutions business continued to deliver strong growth in revenue and annualized recurring revenue for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021,” Mandia said.For the first quarter of fiscal 2022, Mandiant expects non-GAAP net loss between 15 cents and 13 cents a share and a revenue between $128 million and $131 million.For the entire 2022 fiscal year, the company is expecting a loss per share between 38 cents and 36 cents as well as a revenue between $555 million and $565 million. In August, Mandia told investors that a quarter of its new Managed Defense customers were using Mandiant’s MDR services in conjunction with Microsoft’s Windows Defender endpoint security product. The two companies apparently forged closer ties in April 2021 as Mandiant sought to unravel itself from FireEye’s tools.In December 2020, the company disclosed that it was the target of a massive international cyber espionage campaign. 

    Tech Earnings More

  • 138 Shares199 Views

    in Information Technology

    Microsoft February 2022 Patch Tuesday: 48 bugs squashed, one zero-day resolved

    Microsoft has released 48 security fixes for software, including a patch for a zero-day bug, but there are no critical-severity flaws on the list this month. In the Redmond giant’s latest round of patches, usually released on the second Tuesday of each month in what is known as Patch Tuesday, Microsoft has fixed problems including remote code execution (RCE) vulnerabilities, privilege escalation bugs, spoofing issues, information leaks, and policy bypass exploits. 

    ZDNet Recommends

    The best Surface PCs

    Microsoft’s lineup of Surface PCs now covers a wide range of hardware factors and price points — and every model is Windows 11-ready.

    Read More

    Products impacted by February’s security update include the Windows Kernel, Hyper-V, Microsoft Outlook and Office, Azure Data Explorer, and Microsoft SharePoint. The single zero-day vulnerability, now patched by Microsoft, is CVE-2022-21989. Issued a CVSS severity score of 7.8, this bug — which is publicly known — can be exploited to escalate privileges via the kernel. However, it has not been issued a critical rating, as Microsoft says triggering the exploit “requires an attacker to take additional actions prior to exploitation to prepare the target environment.”Some of the other vulnerabilities of interest in this update are: CVE-2022-21984 (CVSS 8.8): Windows DNS Server Remote Code Execution VulnerabilityCVE-2022-22005 (CVSS 8.8): Microsoft SharePoint Server Remote Code Execution VulnerabilityCVE-2022-23256 (CVSS 8.1): Azure Data Explorer Spoofing VulnerabilityCVE-2022-23274 (CVSS 8.3): Microsoft Dynamics GP Remote Code Execution VulnerabilityAccording to the Zero Day Initiative (ZDI), the volume of fixes is roughly in line with past releases in the month of February, which aside from 2020, is approximately 50 CVEs.Last month, Microsoft resolved six zero-day vulnerabilities in the first batch of security fixes for 2022. The previously-unknown bugs could be exploited for purposes including Man-in-The-Middle (MiTM) attacks, denial-of-service, spoofing, and remote code execution. 

    Also: Microsoft is working on these new Windows 11 features hidden in test buildsA month prior, the tech giant tackled 67 security issues during December’s Patch Tuesday. A zero-day bug of note was being actively exploited by cybercriminals to spread Emotet malware.Alongside Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday round, other vendors, too, have published security updates which can be accessed below. More

  • 175 Shares159 Views

    in Information Technology

    DOJ seizes $3.6 billion in crypto from 2016 Bitfinex hack, arrests New York couple

    The Department of Justice announced the seizure of more than $3.6 billion in cryptocurrency that was stolen during an attack on the Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange in August 2016. The DOJ also said it arrested 34-year-old Ilya Lichtenstein and his 31-year-old wife Heather Morgan for their role in attempting to launder 119,754 bitcoin that were stolen during the attack on the Hong Kong exchange. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco called the seizure the “department’s largest financial seizure ever.”

    In total, about $4.5 billion was stolen from the exchange, and two brothers, Eli and Assaf Gigi, were arrested by Israeli authorities in 2019 for their involvement in the attack. But on Tuesday, the Justice Department said Lichtenstein and Morgan — both of whom were very active on social media — initiated more than 2,000 unauthorized transactions as they tried to launder the 119,754 bitcoin stolen from Bitfinex. “Those unauthorized transactions sent the stolen bitcoin to a digital wallet under Lichtenstein’s control. Over the last five years, approximately 25,000 of those stolen bitcoin were transferred out of Lichtenstein’s wallet via a complicated money laundering process that ended with some of the stolen funds being deposited into financial accounts controlled by Lichtenstein and Morgan,” the DOJ explained. “The remainder of the stolen funds, comprising more than 94,000 bitcoin, remained in the wallet used to receive and store the illegal proceeds from the hack. After the execution of court-authorized search warrants of online accounts controlled by Lichtenstein and Morgan, special agents obtained access to files within an online account controlled by Lichtenstein. Those files contained the private keys required to access the digital wallet that directly received the funds stolen from Bitfinex, and allowed special agents to lawfully seize and recover more than 94,000 bitcoin that had been stolen from Bitfinex. The recovered bitcoin was valued at over $3.6 billion at the time of seizure.”Lawyers for the government went on to accuse Lichtenstein and Morgan of using fake identities to open online accounts and deploying devices to automate transactions — in addition to a spate of other laundering techniques. The stolen funds were also deposited into several different virtual currency exchanges and darknet markets in an attempt to wash the currency, something the DOJ called “chain hopping.”

    The bitcoin was converted into other currency that shielded their identity, and US bank accounts were used to make their transactions look legitimate. “In a methodical and calculated scheme, the defendants allegedly laundered and disguised their vast fortune,” said Chief Jim Lee of IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

    Authorities added that they found 2,000 crypto wallet addresses and private keys in Lichtenstein’s cloud storage account, almost all of which were connected to the stolen funds.The two were arrested in Manhattan on Tuesday, and they are appearing in court at 3 pm ET to face charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the United States. If convicted, the two are facing a maximum sentence of 20 years for the first charge and five years in prison for the second. “Ilya Lichtenstein and his wife Heather Morgan attempted to subvert legitimate commerce for their own nefarious purposes, operating with perceived anonymity,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) acting executive associate director Steve Francis. In a statement, Bitfinex said it has been working with the DOJ since the investigation started and will work with the law enforcement agency “to establish our rights to a return of the stolen bitcoin.””If Bitfinex receives a recovery of the stolen bitcoin, as described in the UNUS SED LEO token white paper, Bitfinex will, within 18 months of the date it receives that recovery, use an amount equal to 80% of the recovered net funds to repurchase and burn outstanding UNUS SED LEO tokens,” the company said. “These token repurchases can be accomplished in open market transactions or by acquiring UNUS SED LEO in over-the-counter trades, including directly trading bitcoin for UNUS SED LEO.”
    Elliptic
    Blockchain analysis company Elliptic told ZDNet that around 21% of the stolen bitcoin have been moved and laundered over the past five years.Elliptic’s analysts found that a variety of money laundering techniques were used, including sending the funds through darknet markets, like Alphabay and Hydra, as well as the Wasabi Wallet privacy wallet, which was used to hide the blockchain money trail.”Some of the funds were also sent to regulated cryptocurrency exchanges that perform KYC checks on their customers, and it is likely that the suspects were identified by tracing the stolen funds to these services,” Elliptic said.”The remainder of the stolen funds, now worth $4.1 billion, were moved to a new wallet just last week, the first movement of these funds since the 2016 theft. This appears to represent the seizure of the bitcoins from Lichtenstein and Morgan, by law enforcement.”Bitfinix told customers in 2016 that they would all be sharing the loss, with each copping a generalized loss percentage of 36.067%. The loss applied across the board, even to those who did not own bitcoin. More

  • 138 Shares159 Views

    in Information Technology

    Vodafone Portugal hit with cyberattack affecting 4G/5G network, TV, SMS services

    Vodafone Portugal announced on Tuesday that it was hit with a cyberattack that caused network disruptions across the country.

    In a statement, the company said services based on data networks — namely the 4G/5G network, fixed voice, television, SMS and voice/digital answering services — were affected by the attack, which they discovered on Monday night. “Vodafone was the target of a network disruption that began on the night of February 7, 2022, due to a deliberate and malicious cyberattack intended to cause damage and disruption. As soon as the first sign of a problem on the network was detected, Vodafone acted immediately to identify and contain the effects and restore services,” the company said. “We have already recovered mobile voice services and mobile data services are available exclusively on the 3G network in almost the entire country but, unfortunately, the scale and seriousness of the criminal act to which we were subjected implies careful and prolonged work for all other services. recovery process that involves multiple national and international teams and external partners. This recovery will happen progressively throughout this Tuesday.”Law enforcement has been contacted about the attack and the company is conducting its own internal investigation to understand what happened. Reuters and other news outlets noted that two of the country’s biggest news outlets — Impresa and Cofina — were recently hit with ransomware attacks. Vodafone did not respond to requests for comment about whether the cyberattack was a ransomware incident. The company serves more than 7 million customers with mobile service as well as home and business internet.  

    An ATM network operated by the country’s biggest banks reported issues due to the cyberattack on Vodafone Portugal, according to the Publico newspaper. A Vodafone spokesperson confirmed that the ATMs were down because of the outage, noting that the ATMs were connected to their 4G service.  More