#browser security features

[mikestek]

Is it time to re-consider your browser? Top Alternatives to Google Chrome with Pros and Cons

Alternatives to Google Chrome are becoming increasingly popular as users seek improved privacy and performance. If you’re feeling the pinch of data collection or find Chrome slowing down your browsing experience, it may be time to explore your options. This guide will probe into the pros and cons of various web browsers that could better suit your needs while ensuring a more secure and efficient…

[catboy-teeth]

shout out to the scandinavian internet service provider Telenor, for suddenly deciding to block access to tumblr on desktop for "security reasons"

Do you understand the Trials I am now facing. Do you understand that I have to call customer service on New Years Eve to question my lack of access to Tumblr dot Com. Do you understand that I will have to say "Ja, tømbler dot komm. T-u-m-b-l-r" out loud to a grown adult on the phone.

[swarmenterprises]

Swarm Enterprises

Website: https://swarm.enterprises/

Address: San Francisco, California

Phone: +1 (504) 249-8350

Swarm Enterprises: Revolutionizing Decision-Making with Cutting-Edge Technology

Swarm Enterprises is at the forefront of innovation, harnessing the power of swarm intelligence algorithms to redefine the way decisions are made. Inspired by the coordinated movements of natural swarms, these algorithms deliver unparalleled precision and intelligent recommendations. Clients are empowered to embrace data-driven decision-making, resulting in heightened efficiency and superior outcomes.

The company's secret weapon lies in its utilization of machine learning techniques, where massive data sets are transformed into invaluable insights. By training algorithms on both historical and real-time data, Swarm Enterprises uncovers hidden patterns, emerging trends, and subtle anomalies that often elude human analysis. This extraordinary capability allows clients to unearth concealed opportunities, minimize risks, and gain an undeniable competitive edge.

Swarm Enterprises doesn't stop there; they seamlessly integrate IoT (Internet of Things) devices into their offerings, enabling real-time data collection and analysis. These connected physical objects grant clients the ability to remotely monitor and manage various aspects of their operations. This groundbreaking technology not only streamlines proactive maintenance but also enhances operational efficiency and boosts overall productivity.

In a world where informed decisions are paramount, Swarm Enterprises is a trailblazer, providing the tools and insights necessary for success in an increasingly data-centric landscape.

[artfight]

Important Announcement

A now-patched breach of security has occurred on Art Fight. To learn about this issue in full detail, please read the following newspost:

Below is a FAQ regarding the exploit. We highly recommend that you reset your password and enable 2FA if you have interacted with the site recently. If you need any assistance, please send a support email to the following address: support@artfight.zendesk.com

The inbox will be opened shortly to respond to user questions and concerns. Anonymous will be turned off for the time being, please let us know if you prefer that your ask is answered privately.

How did this happen?

Our BBCode system had a vulnerability flaw in it that was temporarily exploited to attempt to gain user credentials, but it has since been patched.

What do we do?

If you believe you may have been affected, please change your password to something unique and secure. We also recommend keeping an eye out on your other accounts, and to change the passwords on them if they shared any credentials as your Art Fight account (so same email or same password).

How do we know if you were affected by this exploit?

If you accessed the comments of the most recent news post (Terms of Service Updates), there is a chance your browser was exposed to the XSS script, and we recommend resetting your password ASAP to be safe.

What are you doing to prevent this from happening again?

Our hard-working dev team has already patched this exploit, as well as added additional security measures to help prevent this from happening again in the future. We will also be proactively doing a security review to help locate any other security concerns. Two Factor Authentication (2FA) has been established as a feature on the site that can be found in your settings.

I'm nervous about going onto the site at all now! What if my account gets hacked/stolen/etc?

Art Fight's dev team has patched the vulnerability that this incident has revealed, and has added additional security to catch/stop malicious scripts before they can affect the userbase. All instances of the previous malicious script have been removed from the website, meaning that it is once again safe to view the last news post! We are working hard to continue to keep users safe, so you don't need to worry about accessing anything on the site. If you come across anything potentially concerning, please don't hesitate to forward it to a moderator - we're happy to look into it!

What information might've been taken from me?

The XSS attack attempted to collect autofilled Art Fight log in information--emails and passwords--from users. No other information (like birthdays) should have been collected through this script. If you use the same email/password combo, or same password anywhere else, we recommend changing to ensure your accounts stay secure.

[ralfmaximus]

Recall is designed to use local AI models to screenshot everything you see or do on your computer and then give you the ability to search and retrieve anything in seconds. There’s even an explorable timeline you can scroll through. Everything in Recall is designed to remain local and private on-device, so no data is used to train Microsoft’s AI models. Despite Microsoft’s promises of a secure and encrypted Recall experience, cybersecurity expert Kevin Beaumont has found that the AI-powered feature has some potential security flaws. Beaumont, who briefly worked at Microsoft in 2020, has been testing out Recall over the past week and discovered that the feature stores data in a database in plain text.

Holy cats, this is way worse than we were told.

Microsoft said that Recall stored its zillions of screenshots in an encrypted database hidden in a system folder. Turns out, they're using SQLite, a free (public domain) database to store unencrypted plain text in the user's home folder. Which is definitely NOT secure.

Further, Microsoft refers to Recall as an optional experience. But it's turned on by default, and turning it off is a chore. They buried it in a control panel setting.

They say certain URLs and websites can be blacklisted from Recall, but only if you're using Microsoft's Edge browser! But don't worry: DRM protected films & music will never get recorded. Ho ho ho.

This whole debacle feels like an Onion article but it's not.

Luckily(?) Recall is currently only available on Windows 11, but I fully expect Microsoft to try and shove this terrible thing onto unsuspecting Win10 users via Update.

Stay tuned...

[virtualizationhowto]

XCP-ng Beta New XO Lite Web Interface

XCP-ng Beta New XO Lite Web Interface #homelab #selfhosted #xcp-ng #XenOrchestraLiteOverview #XCPngSingleHostAdministration #XOLiteSecurityFeatures #NoInstallationVMSolution #XenOrchestraVsXOLite #LightweightXenOrchestraAlternative #xolite

XCP-NG is a great virtualization solution that keeps getting better. With each new release, Vates is adding functionality to the Xen Orchestra platform and a new Xen Orchestra “Lite” web client that looks amazing in the latest XCP-ng beta. It adds an additional way admins can manage single XCP-ng hosts. The Xen Orchestra Lite (XO Lite) beta project is awaiting its first official release.…

[jarofstyles]

flower + jealous and relief. I love all of your writing, thank you for all you do!!

Flower!!! Our babies. Oh god, I love them soooooooooooooooo much. Thank you for requesting!

Check out our Patreon! (Sign up on your web browser to save $$$)

Y/N shouldn’t be jealous. Ever, really, and she knew that.

Harry had never given her any indication that he would ever have a straying eye. He was borderline obsessed with her, the admission coming from his mouth multiple times a week, treated her like the sun and moon both revolved around her, but that didn’t stop the uneasy feeling she felt when he watched Bonnie laugh a little too hard at something he said.

She was an old friend of his. A family friend, at this family cookout that they’d been invited to. Y/N had been quickly introduced to her and she had felt it since then. There was a way women knew. It’s an intuition, really, knowing someone was into your man. And Bonnie had it written all over her.

Harry was slightly oblivious and Y/N knew that. He was quietly friendly with the people here- they were his family, for fucks sake! But that didn’t mean he liked this not-actually-family-but-longtime-friend placing her hand on his bicep as she giggled and batted her lashes at him.

Y/N was helping his mum in the kitchen, trying her best to do what a hopeful future daughter in law would do, but it was hard to concentrate when she had a direct view outside of the both of them. Harry had been dragged into a conversation with her and as much as Y/N didn’t love the idea of leaving him alone with her, she was secure enough to know that Harry wouldn’t do anything, let alone flirt back. She could tell just by the look on his face that he wasn’t.

When Harry was flirting, she knew it. And she’d only ever seen that face be directed towards her.

“Thank you for helping me.” His mum grinned, wiping her hands on her apron. “I won’t keep you. Come back in a little bit if you’d like to help slicing these up but I want you to go out and get a drink, please. Make yourself at home.”

It wasn’t the first time she had met Harry’s family and his mum seemed to like her but she wanted to keep that going. “Of course.” She chirped. “I never mind helping. Yell for me if you need me and I’ll come running, okay?”

His mum laughed loudly before playfully pushing her out towards the patio. Secretly she had wondered if she had seen her distraction and wanted her to go out and self soothe, but she wouldn’t know.

Jealousy wasn’t an emotion she felt a lot but she felt it now. It wasn’t one she liked either. Usually she could get over women simply looking at him or grinning at him, even if they hit on him before she would arrive because there was always the chance they didn’t know he was taken- but Bonnie did. She knew good and well that Harry was taken and she didn’t like that she was touching him so much.

Selfishly, unrealistically, she wanted to be the only one that got to touch him. She had asked her therapist if that was toxic and she’d said slightly but she reassured her that it was human nature. It wasn’t like she stopped it from happening, but the desire was still there.

She made her way towards the pair with her head high and schooled features- because in no way was she going to give the girl satisfaction in knowing that even for a moment she’d been insecure- but it seemed her boyfriend knew what she needed.

“There she is.” He grinned, stepping away from Bonnie to gather her into his arms and smack a kiss to her forehead. “Did mum hold you hostage or somethin’?”

“No.” She relaxed into his body as he made no move to let go of her. “She was lovely as always. I was helping her with the last of the pies. It wasn’t any trouble.”

“Mmmm… She wants to steal you away because she said she wants you t’come over more. ‘Wants to know her future daughter’, all of that.” Harry let that go casually and a tiny (humongous) piece of her felt satisfaction seeing the lingering woman’s face fall at that.

Yes, it was sad for her that a man she liked wasn’t available. Harry was strong, stable, handsome, doting, absolutely fucking perfect. But… he was Y/N’s.

“Well I told her we’d come for dinner next week.” Resting her hand on his chest she played with the collar of his shirt. “So I’m giving into her antics. But when she cooks like that, I can’t really complain.” Harry’s mum was an incredible chef and she knew her own would never compare to it so… she was more than happy to eat yummy food and get to know his family better. “Besides. I do want to get to know my new family. Is that so wrong?” Was she pulling out all the stops, giving her the best doe eyes she could muster and laying it on a bit thick? Yes. And she was only a tiny bit ashamed.

“Fuckin’ love you, Y’know that?” It seemed as if as soon as Y/N had made it into his vicinity he forgot about anyone else. Bonnie still stood awkwardly close but his full focus was on her. Rude? Maybe to someone else, and she would have to be in charge of making sure she redirected… but for now? She was going with the flow.

“I love you more.” Pecking his cheek, she saw him pull back and look offended.

“Proper kiss. Please and thank you.” He muttered. “S’quite rude. Don’t deny me of what I need, thank you.”

Y/N really never had anything to worry about.

[ms-demeanor]

Tech how-to article written like a recipe. Is that anything? Fuck it.

Old-Fashioned Setting Up a Password Manager

For this project you will need:

One computer

One full-featured browser

One pre-made email account, not shared and logged-in

2-5 possible passwords

5-10 accounts to get started with storing passwords.

Before you begin pre-load your computer, logging in to your email account. You can save later prep time by having your primary social media accounts, banking information, email account, and online bills ready to hand.

Go to bitwarden.com and select "create account"; be sure to select "free account" - you can jazz it up later but we're learning the basics now.

Create the account using your primary email address as the login name and one long (but not complicated!) password that you are certain you can remember but is not widely shared online. This is a great way to use information about your favorite movies or songs, not a great place for your kid's or pet's names.

Set up your password hint with a good reminder; be sure to note any punctuation you added, for instance a comma to separate lines of a song or an exclamation point between words of a movie title.

Verify your email account with the password manager, then set up a new password for your email. You may need a phone or access to your extant 2FA tools for this step. Create a login in the password manager, add your email address, and generate a new password, then save the entry. Go to your email account, select "security" and "change password" - enter your old password to confirm then paste your new password manager generated password into the provided text boxes, and save. Log out of your email account, then log back in with your new password. You will need to do this on all of your devices, so make sure you're using a password manager that is accessible across platforms - Bitwarden is recommended for a reason, this is a place where you don't want to skimp when making substitutions!

Repeat the process of resetting passwords to taste; you don't need to do everything all at once, but it's best to start with a serving of 5-8 to get used to the process.

Time: 30min to 2hr DOE Expense: Literally Free Value: Priceless i never have to remember a fucking password again and now neither do you.

[onionsites]

ONİONSİTES - DRAGON+ (2)

Onion sites, also known as.onion sites, are a unique type of website that can only be accessed through the Tor network. The Tor network, short for The Onion Router, provides a layer of anonymity and encryption for users accessing these sites, making them popular for those seeking privacy and security online. Unlike traditional websites that can be accessed through standard web browsers, onion sites list require special software, such as the Tor browser, to navigate. Individuals can create onion versions of regular websites or develop standalone onion sites for specific purposes. The exclusivity and privacy features of onion sites contribute to their appeal for various users, ranging from privacy advocates to individuals navigating the dark web for specific content.

There are several reasons why individuals choose to use onion sites, with privacy and anonymity being at the forefront. Onion sites offer a level of confidentiality that is not typically found on the surface web, making them attractive to individuals seeking to protect their identity and browsing habits. Moreover, best onion sites can provide access to content that may be restricted or censored in certain regions, allowing users to circumvent such limitations and access information freely. The encrypted nature of the Tor network adds an additional layer of security, reducing the risk of surveillance and tracking by third parties, including governments and internet service providers.

Common types of content found on onion sites range from forums and marketplaces to news outlets and secure communication platforms. While exploring onion sites, individuals may come across forums, chat rooms, file-sharing platforms, and other interactive spaces that facilitate communication and information exchange in a secure environment. The anonymity and encryption offered 2024 onion sites contribute to a unique online experience, enabling users to engage with content and communities that may not be easily accessible through conventional web browsers.

[midwesttranssurvivalcollective]

diy hrt: how to safely search & order online

BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ONLINE RELATING TO DIY read this <3

as many institutions seem to be already complying in advance and without resistance to gender affirming care bans (eye roll) i wanted to back into posting on here about accessing diy t.

first of all, stop using Google as your search engine. google search histories HAVE ALREADY been used in court, meaning law enforcement could request your search history and use it against you. incognito browsers do not actually give you any meaninful privacy either.

here's your mini digital security checklist:

-download TOR (aka the onion router) a free, privacy-focused browser. it's legit, it's used by many, many people for many different reasons. it has important features that help keep you more private online - their webpage has a great description of how it works.

-download a good VPN. (no VPN you've seen advertised in a youtube video will actually be good.) often they require payment, for a free one the ProtonVPN is fine. as long as you're in a country where usage of TOR is common it's less of a big deal, but still good. launch your VPN before launching TOR.

-while on TOR and your VPN, create a private email. ProtonMail is fine, there are other options if you want to look more deeply. only access this email through TOR, and create a very strong password. when you're shopping for your diy, you'll need to create an account with an email, so use this email for that and not for other things.

-get some bitcoin. it's annoying especially when that pay with paypal/bank transfer/credit card option is so easy, but it's really worth it. we go way into depth about this in the guide but the more familiar you get with using crypto for privacy, the more protected you can be when making purchases online.

the guide in our pinned post has more info including lots of places to look for different btc, mail, vpn, and other privacy services. and add on if you have other digisec checklist items!!

[ranidspace]

there's a lot of fear mongering around the new firefox terms of service and privacy policy and most of all of it is bullshit and, just fear mongering. One thing that is concerning however is the following:

Your use of Firefox must follow Mozilla’s Acceptable Use Policy, and you agree that you will not use Firefox to infringe anyone’s rights or violate any applicable laws or regulations.

Before this would only apply to mozilla services such as the matrix chat, firefox send (rip), the vpn, or whatever, but now they are saying it is applied to the browser as well.

And one of the things you shouldn't do according to the policy is, you guessed it:

Upload, download, transmit, display, or grant access to content that includes graphic depictions of sexuality or violence

So mozilla (perhaps accidentally, companies love to do this but also mozilla is kind of stupid), just said you cannot use firefox to browse porn. If it is intentional and they double down on this (which I'm really not sure if they even can, firefox is a program running locally on your computer, it's not a service they can just ban you from or anything like that, again, mozilla is a bit stupid), it's not a reason to use chromium. In the terms of service they also write:

These Terms only apply to the Executable Code version of Firefox, not the Firefox source code.

"the Executable Code" is vague, like does it count if you build it locally on your computer, or is it just the mozilla packaged versions of it downloaded from official sources or whatever idk.

But i think it would make sense forks don't count as the terms apply to "Firefox" and not anything else. So here's some alternative browsers which aren't firefox, but are firefox based:

Librewolf: just firefox, all the crap removed, and lots of privacy features turned on as well. Google is disabled in the search bar, but you can enable it again with a bit of a hack, and by default, history and cookies is cleared when you close it. You can turn that off easily. Basically identical to regular firefox otherwise, it's what i'm currently using.

Zen: Very new but gaining popularity quickly. kind of buggy due to it's recency, but people seem to love it. Main focus is customization, but with improvements in privacy, and speed. Pretty different from other browsers, but that might be what you want.

thats. basically the main two rn. i dont think anything else really would be good for most people and even as someone who really likes to get into things deep with privacy and security and shit i think librewolf is just fine. there's lot of other options but they're kinda all in the categories that these two cover.

While nowhere near in a state to be used as a regular browser, i would keep your eyes on Ladybird which is undergoing the insane challenge of making a web browser from scratch; it's not based on chromium or firefox. The first alpha version is projected to come out next year and it seems very promising.

[autolenaphilia]

One thing I noticed talking about Linux and free software is that a lot of people seem afraid of learning things about technology. I constantly read things like "I hate windows, but switching to linux would mean learning a new OS, and you have to be some super-smart programmer-hacker to do that." Or even: "Switching to firefox would mean switching browsers and I don't know how"

And that is precisely the attitude tech companies like Microsoft and Apple try to instill in their users in order to control them. They create these simple and “friendly” user interfaces for their products, but these hide information. From their OS being pre-installed to their settings apps, they keep people from learning things about how their computer works, and letting the companies make the decisions for their users.

I think people are underestimating themselves and overestimating how hard it is to learn new things are. It is like Windows/Macos have taught them some kind of technological learned helplessness. Not knowing how computers work and being afraid to learn how is how companies like Microsoft controls you, and justifies that control.

For example, people hate the forced and automatic system updates on Windows. And Microsoft justifies it as necessary because some people don’t know that their computer needs security updates and therefore don’t update, so they have to force the updates on them. That’s definitely true, and Microsoft’s tech support people is definitely very aware of that but it is a operating system that presumes that the user is incompetent and therefore shouldn’t control their own computer. And of course Microsoft abuses that power to force privacy-invading features on their users. Windows updates are also badly designed in comparison, no Linux distro I’ve used required the update program to hijack the entire computer, preventing the user from doing other things, but Windows does.

This is the dark side of “user-friendly” design. By requiring zero knowledge and zero responsibility for the user, they also take control away from the user. User-friendly graphical user interfaces (GUI) can also hide the inner workings of a system in comparison to the command line, which enables more precise control of your computer and give you more knowledge about what it is doing.

Even GUIs are not all made equal in regards to this, as the comparison between the Windows Control panel and their newer Settings app demonstrates. As I complained about before, Windows have hidden away the powerful, but complex Control Panel in favor of the slicker-looking but simplified and less powerful Settings app for over a decade now.

Of course this is a sliding scale, and there is a sensible middle-ground between using the command line for everything and user-friendly design masking taking control away from the end user.

There are Linux distros like Linux Mint and MX Linux who have created their own GUI apps for tasks that would otherwise use the command line, without taking control away from the user. This is mainly because they are open source non-profit community-driven distros, instead of being proprietary OSes made by profit-driven megacorps.

Still, giving that control to the user presumes some knowledge and responsibility on part of the user. To return to the update example, by default both Mint and MX will search and notify you of available updates, but you will have to take the decision to download and install them. Automatic updates are available in both cases, but it’s opt-in, you have to enable that option yourself. And that approach presumes that you know that you should update your system to plug security holes, something not all people do. It gives you control because it presumes you have knowledge and can take responsibility for those decisions.

All this also applies to the underlying fact that practically all pre-built computers nowadays have an operating system pre-installed. Few people install an OS themselves nowadays, instead they use whatever came with the computer. It’s usually either Windows or MacOS for desktops/laptops, and Android/IOS for smartphones (which are also a type of computer).

Now all this is very convenient and user-friendly, since it means you don’t have to learn how to install your own operating system. The OEM takes care of that for you. But again, this is a convenience that takes choice away from you. If you don’t learn how to install your own OS, you are stuck with whatever that is on the computer you bought. It’s probably precisely this step that scares people away from Linux, few people have installed even Windows, and installing your own OS seems impossibly scary. But again, learning is the only way to take back control. If you learn how to install an OS off an USB stick, you now have choices in what OS to use. (Sidenote: the hard part IMO is not the actual install process, but fiddling with the BIOS so it will actually boot from the distro on the USB stick. This old comic strip illustrates this very well).

That’s how life is in general, not just computers. Having control over your life means making decisions based on your own judgment. And to make sensible, rational decisions, you have to learn things, acquire knowledge.

The only other alternative is letting others take those decisions for you. You don’t have to learn anything, but you have no control. And in the tech world, that means big corporations like Microsoft, Google and Apple will make those decisions, and they are motivated by their own profits, not your well-being.

Computers have only become more and more capable and more important in our lives, and that can enable wonderful things. But it also means more power to the tech companies, more power over our lives. And the only way to resist that is to learn about computers, to enable us to make our own decisions about how we use technology.

[amalgamasreal]

Updated Personal Infosec Post

Been awhile since I've had one of these posts part deus: but I figure with all that's going on in the world it's time to make another one and get some stuff out there for people. A lot of the information I'm going to go over you can find here:

https://www.privacyguides.org/en/tools/

So if you'd like to just click the link and ignore the rest of the post that's fine, I strongly recommend checking out the Privacy Guides. Browsers: There's a number to go with but for this post going forward I'm going to recommend Firefox. I know that the Privacy Guides lists Brave and Safari as possible options but Brave is Chrome based now and Safari has ties to Apple. Mullvad is also an option but that's for your more experienced users so I'll leave that up to them to work out. Browser Extensions:

uBlock Origin: content blocker that blocks ads, trackers, and fingerprinting scripts. Notable for being the only ad blocker that still works on Youtube.

Privacy Badger: Content blocker that specifically blocks trackers and fingerprinting scripts. This one will catch things that uBlock doesn't catch but does not work for ads.

Facebook Container: "but I don't have facebook" you might say. Doesn't matter, Meta/Facebook still has trackers out there in EVERYTHING and this containerizes them off away from everything else.

Bitwarden: Password vaulting software, don't trust the password saving features of your browsers, this has multiple layers of security to prevent your passwords from being stolen.

ClearURLs: Allows you to copy and paste URL's without any trackers attached to them.

VPN: Note: VPN software doesn't make you anonymous, no matter what your favorite youtuber tells you, but it does make it harder for your data to be tracked and it makes it less open for whatever public network you're presently connected to.

Mozilla VPN: If you get the annual subscription it's ~$60/year and it comes with an extension that you can install into Firefox.

Mullvad VPN: Is a fast and inexpensive VPN with a serious focus on transparency and security. They have been in operation since 2009. Mullvad is based in Sweden and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for payment methods that allow it.

Email Provider: Note: By now you've probably realized that Gmail, Outlook, and basically all of the major "free" e-mail service providers are scraping your e-mail data to use for ad data. There are more secure services that can get you away from that but if you'd like the same storage levels you have on Gmail/Ol utlook.com you'll need to pay.

Tuta: Secure, end-to-end encrypted, been around a very long time, and offers a free option up to 1gb.

Mailbox.org: Is an email service with a focus on being secure, ad-free, and privately powered by 100% eco-friendly energy. They have been in operation since 2014. Mailbox.org is based in Berlin, Germany. Accounts start with up to 2GB storage, which can be upgraded as needed.

Email Client:

Thunderbird: a free, open-source, cross-platform email, newsgroup, news feed, and chat (XMPP, IRC, Matrix) client developed by the Thunderbird community, and previously by the Mozilla Foundation.

FairMail (Android Only): minimal, open-source email app which uses open standards (IMAP, SMTP, OpenPGP), has several out of the box privacy features, and minimizes data and battery usage.

Cloud Storage:

Tresorit: Encrypted cloud storage owned by the national postal service of Switzerland. Received MULTIPLE awards for their security stats.

Peergos: decentralized and open-source, allows for you to set up your own cloud storage, but will require a certain level of expertise.

Microsoft Office Replacements:

LibreOffice: free and open-source, updates regularly, and has the majority of the same functions as base level Microsoft Office.

OnlyOffice: cloud-based, free

FreeOffice: Personal licenses are free, probably the closest to a fully office suite replacement.

Chat Clients: Note: As you've heard SMS and even WhatsApp and some other popular chat clients are basically open season right now. These are a couple of options to replace those. Note2: Signal has had some reports of security flaws, the service it was built on was originally built for the US Government, and it is based within the CONUS thus is susceptible to US subpoenas. Take that as you will.

Signal: Provides IM and calling securely and encrypted, has multiple layers of data hardening to prevent intrusion and exfil of data.

Molly (Android OS only): Alternative client to Signal. Routes communications through the TOR Network.

Briar: Encrypted IM client that connects to other clients through the TOR Network, can also chat via wifi or bluetooth.

SimpleX: Truly anonymous account creation, fully encrypted end to end, available for Android and iOS.

Now for the last bit, I know that the majority of people are on Windows or macOS, but if you can get on Linux I would strongly recommend it. pop_OS, Ubuntu, and Mint are super easy distros to use and install. They all have very easy to follow instructions on how to install them on your PC and if you'd like to just test them out all you need is a thumb drive to boot off of to run in demo mode. For more secure distributions for the more advanced users the options are: Whonix, Tails (Live USB only), and Qubes OS.

On a personal note I use Arch Linux, but I WOULD NOT recommend this be anyone's first distro as it requires at least a base level understanding of Linux and liberal use of the Arch Linux Wiki. If you game through Steam their Proton emulator in compatibility mode works wonders, I'm presently playing a major studio game that released in 2024 with no Linux support on it and once I got my drivers installed it's looked great. There are some learning curves to get around, but the benefit of the Linux community is that there's always people out there willing to help. I hope some of this information helps you and look out for yourself, it's starting to look scarier than normal out there.

[errorid-mt7lt7k7unfr9ttfua5]

me when companies try to force you to use their proprietary software

anyway

Layperson resources:

firefox is an open source browser by Mozilla that makes privacy and software independence much easier. it is very easy to transfer all your chrome data to Firefox

ublock origin is The highest quality adblock atm. it is a free browser extension, and though last i checked it is available on Chrome google is trying very hard to crack down on its use

Thunderbird mail is an open source email client also by mozilla and shares many of the same advantages as firefox (it has some other cool features as well)

libreOffice is an open source office suite similar to microsoft office or Google Suite, simple enough

Risky:

VPNs (virtual private networks) essentially do a number of things, but most commonly they are used to prevent people from tracking your IP address. i would suggest doing more research. i use proton vpn, as it has a decent free version, and the paid version is powerful

note: some applications, websites, and other entities do not tolerate the use of VPNs. you may not be able to access certain secure sites while using a VPN, and logging into your personal account with some services while using a vpn *may* get you PERMANENTLY BLACKLISTED from the service on that account, ymmv

IF YOU HAVE A DECENT VPN, ANTIVIRUS, AND ADBLOCK, you can start learning about piracy, though i will not be providing any resources, as Loose Lips Sink Ships. if you want to be very safe, start with streaming sites and never download any files, though you Can learn how to discern between safe, unsafe, and risky content.

note: DO NOT SHARE LINKS TO OR NAMES OF PIRACY SITES IN PUBLIC PLACES, ESPECIALLY SOCAL MEDIA

the only time you should share these things are either in person or in (preferably peer-to-peer encrypted) PRIVATE messages

when pirated media becomes well-known and circulated on the wider, public internet, it gets taken down, because it is illegal to distribute pirated media and software

if you need an antivirus i like bitdefender. it has a free version, and is very good, though if youre using windows, windows defender is also very good and it comes with the OS

Advanced:

linux is great if you REALLY know what you're doing. you have to know a decent amount of computer science and be comfortable using the Terminal/Command Prompt to get/use linux. "Linux" refers to a large array of related open source Operating Systems. do research and pick one that suits your needs. im still experimenting with various dispos, but im leaning towards either Ubuntu Cinnamon or Debian.

[infiniity-survivor-choco]

✨ Basic ✨ online safety tips! this is from a technical standpoint. A non exhaustive, non professional list on how to NOT end up with people doxxing you, cause a moot got tricked by a metasploit script kiddie keylogging random and everyone deserves to feel safe in their space.

Passkeys. Use them. Hardware ones are more secure but also less versatile. Any is better than Passwords.

2FA is great and all, but token theft exists, not just on discord but, ever heard of a pass-the-cookie attack? wipe, your, cookies. Browser, whichever one you use. Wipe the data periodically. Once per week minimum

HSTS - have it set up. It's resistant to MITM attacks so long as you're careful. SSL stripping doesn't work ever since TLS, which btw TLS 1.3 is the standard.

Cryptographic encryption itself is very strong and hard to breach by brute force. Even AES 128. AES 256 is always preferred and now most browsers come with Quantum Protection. Again. None of this means anything if your online safety habits sucks and your password is compromised.

"Antivirus is useless!" Wrong. It's true that for mobile devices an AV isn't as paramount as for PC HOWEVER this is only for very casual users. Premium AV are important because they come with features that will keep you from clicking phishing links and making oopsies as well as firewalls. No. Don't pay for stuff. Stay away from anything Norton and Avast. One is a scam the other is pure spyware and adware, and we don't even need to talk about Mcafee. Kaspersky was fantastic but you already know the problem. Bitdefender Mobile Security is robust, I use it while making new empty emails every 2 weeks to avoid paying and that way you can use it forever for free. Yes. I'm a sneaky little thing, we don't pay to corps here. Btw smaller ones like ESET are good too, less load. Sophos is very specific in it's usage and don't recommend it for casual users.

Don't bother with DMZ or VM over VM stuff unless you're a professional or a genius. A set up wrong VM is an open backdoor to hackvile and contrary to popular belief a VM can be compromised, especially if you access the internet with it. Don't.

Simple tools well set up are 100x times better than complex things you know nothing about. You don't need company security suit stuff as a normal user, at all, ever.

Pleaseeeee update your router for the love of everything that's sweet and full of Ice cream. If you use WPE/WPA or anything below WPA 2 AES 256 your router is hollering to be compromised. No. WPA 2 TKIP isn't enough either. IF possible have WPA 3 set up. It's resistant to vulnerabilities the past one has particularly KRACK attacks...and pls avoid dual connections my head hurts thinking about it

Be aware of hacking tools like Metasploit or Flipper Zero. Be aware of basic stuff like SQL injections. You don't need to be an IT expert to be conscious. Zero day exploits are a thing.

Malware has many types. Adware and PUA are considered less of a problem, but still annoying. Keyloggers and Trojans are middle tier, although it depends on the Trojan as some can be highly dangerous. Fileless malware, you don't want it. Rootkits get system level acess, and worms? I wish they were gummy worms instead.

The level of access of a virus can range from data only straight up to firmware and the danger is how quickly it can escalate access permits, many viruses won't ever get beyond system level access but rootkit can gain kernel and some above that. Anything at kernel level or above can't be wiped by a factory reset and a compromised boot sector is a problem.

Common stuff like White hack hackers. Gray hat hackers. Black hat hackers. Red hat hackers etc. it's actually usually much less noisy. No. A hacker won't dress themself in black robes in a dark room and wave at you while nightwish plays in the background, your cousin. Fifteen and eating cereal could be one of those already, although most that age are script kiddies.

"I did it! I'm impossible to hack!* Stfu. No. I'm serious, don't do that. Don't fell victim to the Dunning Kruger Effect. Knowing this doesn't make you a pro and ypu could layer TOR over VPN and have every security suite in place and still get hacked by anyone skilled enough with ease, do you know how easy it is to exploit human error in terms of cyber security? the best way to NOT have your information compromised is not to brag about your knowledge. You will get humbled and it will be, at the very least, a deeply embarassing experience. And obviously keep your devices up to date

Back to more easy stuff, if you do use passwords, change them periodically, check your IP. "have I been pwned?" Yes, yes you have, there's been millions of leaks on multiple sides and even if you're tech savvy as a non pro you had it happen almost for sure, I know I did as a kid, if you use passwords make them lengthy. No. QWERTY is not lengthy, TikTok Timmy. You know the drill use symbols, mix random stuff and use your lateral thinking. Did you know sufficiently potent decides can brute force thousands of passwords in seconds? Passkeys are better, I promise.

None of the above means squat if your socials constitute of your full name disclosure and a photo of your face, don't doxx yourself. Still. Do not panick, most people won't have access to spying tools like FinSpy or Pegasus and you're not constantly being watched, just be aware of threats.

[bogleech]

it looks like some of the older awfulhospital pages are down? giving a "Did Not Connect: Potential Security Issue" error. could be related to the neocities ddos thing maybe saw it on 960, 962 and 964. also seems like a bunch of surrounding pages' disqus comments got deleted?

Disqus comments are tied to exactly what page URL you're viewing, but now a url that includes "www" is considered unsafe in some browsers, so I had to change all links across all pages to remove the www. This makes hundreds of thousands of comments older than a couple of years totally unviewable now, and I don't think there's any way to retrieve them without figuring out some extra bit of code to add. Disqus has no feature to "import" comments to another version of a page, either. Disqus always had a feature to tie the comments to the page title, but I never thought I'd need it for most of my website's existence because I didn't think the URL's would ever have to change. All I can do is start giving unique titles from now on I guess.