#Decryption Online Help

[theplottdump]

M: Speaking of Aliens- wanna hear a secret? Vera: Always. M: You know Agent Star? Vera: The super serious one that works at the capital? M: 𝙐𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙣. Vera: What? No way! Why do you even know that?

M: So you know how there's like stuff that's 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵- and then there's stuff that's 𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩, yeah? Like how UNIT is a secret but the tub of hummus Argent keeps in her desk is top secret?

Vera: 𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵 - Argent keeps a tub of hummus in her desk?

M: 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘴- I helped her set up a refrigerant system in one of the drawers. She gets snacky.

Vera: So 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 what that humming is!! I seriously thought it was just the sound of my anxiety during one on ones!

M: Well above that there's what we 'labrats' call the '𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘇𝗲' secrets. Stuff reserved for only the most need to know higher ups.

Government Secrets so dangerous they get shoved all the way in the back in the server - left to be forgotten and covered up with digital frost til the end of time.

M: Every few months me and few of the lab guys over at Bridgeport HQ meet up online to race and see who can decrypt whatever deep state documents we manage to fish out of the freezer the fastest.

The prize is usually pizza.

Vera: And that's how you found out about Agent Star? M: Agent Star was just the tip of the iceberg. Turns she was transferred from this facility an hour outside of Oasis Springs. The place was running experiments on all kinds of occult kids. Vera: 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩!? That's horrible.

M: It was 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬. After the last Director died, the state took one look at it and shut it all down. Relocated all the remaining staff to Strangerville and wiped all the records- cept for what we found in the freezer. Kinda like a post mortem. Cool right?

Vera: But what happened to all the kids?

M: I dunno. Place is still locked up tight from what I managed dig up. I low-key wanna drive out and see what else is left down there sometime.

Vera: And 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 is what you do for fun? M: Eh, yeah- I mean sometimes? Just because we work for the government doesn't mean I trust them.

What do you do for fun?

Vera: I 𝘶𝘩, it's stupid. M: Try me. V: Well, after my Dad tracked me down he gave me one of his old guitars. I think he felt a little bad about the whole 𝘶𝘩- abandoned at birth thing?

M: That's cool he found you. Vera: Yeah! 𝘶𝘩𝘮. He gave me a few lessons on it - said I'm a natural, but I think he was just being nice. So 𝘶𝘩- I've been writing! M: Music?

Vera: Yeah, ah, songs. With words and all that. They're mostly rubbish. M: I bet they're great. Vera: [ 𝙨𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙩 ] You haven't heard them.

M: Well then- you should play them for me sometime! I've seen you do karaoke at the Office Holiday Parties. Vera: 𝘗𝘧𝘧𝘵, I was drunk!

Maya: 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩.

[muddyorbsblr]

the evangeline chronicles episode 4: every part of myself

Series Masterlist See my full list of works here!

Placement: 2025

Summary: Evangeline returns after nearly a decade of silence

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: 18+ | violence; murder; attempted roofie; attempted sexual assault; scene depicting stitching up a wound [if i missed anything, let me know]

Things to be aware of: POV switch on the last part; Evangeline's identity is revealed; translations at the end Author's Note

Feedback is greatly appreciated! Remember, likes are great but comments & reblogs are treasured.

It didn't take long for Evangeline's phone to ring once word got out that her accounts had gone back online and she was taking on assignments throughout Europe. "What's up, Grey?"

"So it's true, then? You're back? That lasted…shorter than I'd hoped for you, I'm so sorry, G."

"What the--don't be," she told him, a wide smile stretching across her face. "I married him. And I told him everything." Tears started to well up in her eyes as she remembered how tense she had been that fateful day, telling her husband about the one remaining part of her life that he was yet to learn about. "And all he said was that as long as I stayed careful, that he doesn't want to hold me back from…being myself. Every part of myself."

"What a guy," he remarked admirably. "So it looks like he really is more than just a pretty face and a big dick?"

"I'm not talking to you about my husband's genitals, Grey."

"He still wearing you out?"

"Shut up, Grey."

"Every bit the marathoner, huh?"

"Did you really just call me to tease me about my husband's inhuman stamina?"

"Partly," he confessed, laughter ringing out from his end. "I honestly just wanted to see if you were really back, but also…might have something for you. Help you get get back up on the horse?"

"Well I have somewhere I have to be tonight," she told him, looking over the decrypted dossier he sent over. "But if your intel's good then it looks like this wanker's local haunt is close to where I gotta be. Yeah this should be fine I can take this."

With all the knowledge that she'd gained over the last few years helping to enrich her abilities as far as disguises were concerned, Evangeline was able to whip up a rather flawless one this fine Tuesday evening. Prosthetics had helped to change the contours of her face, making anyone who was even remotely familiar with her unable to recognize her.

She sat barside at a pub in Drury Lane, lazily running her finger along the rim of her glass as her target droned on about how "great of a catch" he is and how he'd gotten together with various performers who were now performing ensemble in productions in West End and even Broadway. He seemed to conveniently forget to mention that he'd gotten with these women when they were alarmingly young, and most if not all of them, according to their intel, was most definitely not consensual.

The filthy scumbag had already slipped something into her drink, no doubt to make her weaker, more pliable. And then if she were ever to launch a complaint, he would fall back on the lame excuse that "she probably had too much to drink". Despite that reasoning being flawed beyond belief and easily thrown back at the idiot that spewed those words in the first place.

"I have to get going, though. Date night," she said, making a show of slurring her words together and stumbling out of her barstool. The man took the bait, seeing the stumble as an opportunity to catch her and wrap a meaty hand around her arm.

"I got ya, luv," he said with a lascivious smile that he didn't even bother to mask. She held on to her purse tightly as he tugged her out of the pub, leading her to the back alley. "Your boyfriend's a bloody idiot for leavin' a pretty thing like ye unattended."

In a few short moments, Evangeline found herself trapped between the man's large and imposing frame and the brick wall of the pub. His breath reeked of alcohol and halitosis, overtaking the air around her with his heavy mouth breathing while his hand tried to find purchase on her waist.

"His loss, I guess."

"No," she spoke back clearly, straightening her stance and opening her pocket knife. "If you don't let me go right now, I think you'll find that it's your loss." She kneed him in the groin, forcing him to take a step back as he tenderly cupped his crotch, an evil smirk coloring his face.

"Ooh I got me a fighter, eh?" he sneered. "No matter. I like my steak a li'l bloodied every now and again."

"Espèce de porc dégoûtant," she hissed, charging at him and slashing at his arm. "You messed with the wrong girl."

He began to bleed from the wound, his blood dripping down to the concrete ground, the look on his face turning murderous as he whipped out a blade of his own and slashed at her side. The sharp pain, and the panicking thoughts that went about Evangeline's mind as she realized she couldn't just cross over to the theater now after this assignment finally summoned her rage.

She punched the man squarely in the Adam's apple, crouching and slashing away at the insides of the man's knees in quick, fluid motions. When he was down on the ground she got on top of him and raised the blade over his heart, like a witch offering a blood sacrifice to the gods.

"You made me late for my husband's show, you fucking bitch," she spat at him before plunging the blade into his heart.

Evangeline hobbled her way back to her car, taking out a plastic construction sheet to keep her blood from dripping onto the interior and drove back to her home, staring ruefully at Drury Lane Theatre where a line of eager Shakespeare enthusiasts and fans had already began to form for the first preview of Much Ado About Nothing.

"Sorry, sweetie," she said, mostly to herself. "Looks like I won't make it by intermission."

Y/N, where are you? Intermission's started and Tom's looking like lost puppy asking everyone if they've heard from you today

Your husband's assistant's text popped up on your phone, worsening the guilt you felt for even taking on the assignment from Grey. You wouldn't have done this if you knew that it would end with a trip back home, one of your belts folded up between your teeth for you to bite down on, and fingers bloodied from having to stitch together the gash that that creeper gave you on your left side.

More texts flooded your phone while you placed each mattress stitch, muffled screaming and groaning filling your guest bedroom every time you had to pull the needle and suture thread through your skin.

"Goddamn, you're popular tonight," Grey quipped.

"It's the first previews show of my husband's play and I'm not there to support him, no shit I'm popular tonight," you said through the layers of leather between your teeth. The final stitch was finally placed and you wrapped the thread around your finger and took a deep, steadying breath.

This is gonna suck, you thought to yourself, letting out a piercing scream and dropping the belt from your mouth as you pulled at the thread with all your might, closing the skin the rest of the way.

"For a second there, I forgot how fucking metal you were, G. Damn."

You took a breath, slathering some more betadine to disinfect the injury site before starting to dress your wound. "Here's hoping it doesn't leave a scar," you said. "Been a while since I've had to do that."

"Well if you want to speed up your healing process, I placed an order for that ointment we used to use back in the day. Should be in your storage facility near Drury Lane by midnight. Unit 9."

"Thanks, Grey. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna try and get to my husband before curtain call."

"Send Tom my regards."

You probably toed the fine line of the speed limit at every possible turn on your way back to the theater, haphazardly waving your backstage pass at the burly security guard. Still, he placed a hand in front of you, insisting that you be frisked for any potential contraband.

"Hey hey hey, whad'ya think you're doing, buddy?" You breathed a sigh of relief hearing Jamie's voice. "That's Y/N Hiddleston. Don't you know that if you put your hands on 'er, Tom will put you on your arse?"

"Fuck that," you chimed in. "You put your hands on me and I'll put you on your ass. You wouldn't be the first idiot to try it tonight."

He mumbled a half-hearted apology and let you walk through the doors, the director linking arms with you the second you entered the backstage area. "That's Tom's dressing room through there." He pointed at a closed door with a pink star, and then pointed at where your husband's assistant stood. "And that's the curtain he'll be exiting through."

"Oh thank sweet baby Jesus above, you're here," his assistant said once you stepped beside her. "You're late. You're never late. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am. I just…took a wrong detour and cut myself on something stupid. Had to change clothes."

Right as Mason's finale song ended, Tom looked to the curtain and you could see even from where you stood how his face got brighter once he locked eyes with you. You gave him a little wave, your heart and stomach a-flutter when his gaze darkened at the sight of the dark floral maxi dress you'd picked out.

The cast began to file out and your husband all but sprinted towards you, pulling you into a warm embrace the moment you were within arm's reach. "Sorry I'm late, sweetie," you told him, kissing his cheek. "Had to take a detour and--"

"It doesn't matter, goddess," he cut you off, gently stroking your braided hair. You couldn't bring yourself to unravel the 'do since he'd been the one to put your hair in the French braid this morning. "All that matters is you're here now."

A/N: Well here we are…Evangeline is actually Y/N from the "One Look & They'll Know" series! Or rather, because I will be using Evangeline again in a future series unrelated to this, Y/N from the "One Look & They'll Know" series is actually Evangeline. This series was really just a little "introduction" to Evangeline's skills & abilities, and hopefully it's been as fun for like the five of you that read this as it has been for me finally getting to explore the OC that I haven't revisited since like 2019.

Also this puts a new light on Y/N's freakout in the original 'one look & they'll know' oneshot, because now she didn't freeze up finding out that Tom had a nickname for her. She froze because she thought he knew about her "other life" 🤣 Hence her panic screeching "What did you call me?!" Turns out her future husband was just horny AF

I can't wait to work in the reveal over in the main OLTK series, and also…Grey will have a cameo in an upcoming OLTK chapter in the 'it worked out' arc 😳👀

Translations: Espèce de porc dégoûtant – "you disgusting pig"

'the evangeline chronicles' taglist: @jaidenhawke @holdmytesseract

[stardusted-mouse]

how are you doing mouse

~🦈

hey @seathedawg! im doing okay, have been doing a lot of studying (online college) and digging through code in my satellite

computer has been helping a bunch by bringing me food and occasionally sorting or decrypting files

[nareshkumartech]

How Canadian Licensing Systems Protect Against Identity Fraud

Identity fraud is a growing concern worldwide, and Canada is no exception. As licenses increasingly serve as key forms of identification for banking, travel, and government services, Canadian licensing systems have had to evolve with robust security measures to protect against identity fraud. Whether you are applying for your first license or renewing an existing one, it’s important to understand how these systems work to safeguard your personal information.

1. Advanced Physical Security Features

Modern Canadian driver’s licenses are embedded with multiple physical security features designed to make them extremely difficult to forge or tamper with. These include:

Holographic overlays: Special images that appear when the license is tilted, making duplication extremely difficult.

Microprinting: Very tiny text that is not visible to the naked eye but detectable under magnification, preventing easy reproduction.

Ghost images: A faint second image of the license holder that helps prevent photo swapping.

Raised lettering: Some jurisdictions use raised text that you can feel, adding another layer of protection against fakes.

These built-in technologies make it easy for authorities and businesses to quickly spot a fraudulent license during routine checks.

2. Digital Data Encryption

Canadian licensing systems now store driver data in encrypted databases, making unauthorized access to personal information extremely difficult. When information is transferred — such as when police scan your license or when you renew online — the data is encrypted both in transit and at rest. This ensures that even if someone intercepts the data, it remains useless without the decryption keys.

3. Stringent Identity Verification at Issuance

Before issuing a license, provincial and territorial licensing authorities conduct rigorous identity verification checks. Applicants must present multiple pieces of identification, including:

Proof of legal status in Canada (passport, PR card, visa).

Proof of residency within the province.

Secondary documents such as a birth certificate, citizenship card, or utility bill.

In many cases, cross-checks with federal databases (like immigration records or citizenship status) ensure that the applicant is who they claim to be. Newcomers may also face additional document checks to confirm their eligibility before a license is issued.

4. Real-Time Photo Comparison and Biometrics

When you renew your license or apply for a new one, your photograph is compared with existing photos on record using facial recognition software. This system helps detect cases where someone might be trying to fraudulently assume another person’s identity. In the future, more provinces are planning to expand the use of biometrics, such as fingerprints or iris scans, to further strengthen identification measures.

5. Ongoing Monitoring and Alerts

Canadian licensing systems do not just verify identities at the point of issuance — they continue monitoring afterward. If a license is reported stolen, lost, or involved in suspicious activity, it can be flagged in the system. Law enforcement agencies and border officials have real-time access to these databases, making it harder for stolen or fraudulent licenses to be used undetected.

Additionally, provinces encourage drivers to immediately report lost or stolen licenses to prevent identity theft and ensure the system remains secure.

Canadian licensing authorities are committed to staying ahead of fraudsters by continually updating security features and identity verification processes. Thanks to multi-layered protection — from physical security measures to real-time monitoring — Canadians can trust that their licenses remain a strong line of defense against identity fraud.

For step-by-step guidance on obtaining your driver’s license safely and staying informed about new ID requirements, visit LicensePrep.ca. Their resources make navigating the licensing process simple and secure!

[neonblessing]

9.

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT! ⚠️ Click here to read Neon Blessing from the beginning!

“Look, you don’t have to give me a map. Just point me in the right direction.”

“Shiv, kid, I get it. You want revenge. But-”

“I don’t want revenge,” she said. She wasn’t certain if it was a lie.

“Then what do you want?”

“Answers.” Hell, she didn’t even know the finer points of what the two of them had stolen. The house had been full of valuable art, they’d passed a poorly-hidden wall safe on the way to the owner’s office, and they ignored it all in favor of the data drive that had sat atop a messy stack of papers. Ornarch hadn’t told them what was on there, just that it would go for a hundred thousand credits at a minimum, or a million from the right buyer. Most drives its size were just something convenient to hold, with the data itself stored on a chip a few nanometers thick. Whatever was on that drive had been complex enough that the whole damn drive was dedicated to memory. A sphinx glinted darkly on its surface, mirror finish set into matte black. There was something captivating about its sheer scale and the precision of its construction. Something a little sinister, too. Then he had shown up, and the rest of the night was a blurry nightmare of burning, screaming, and blood.

Kooler pursed his lips. “And once you have those answers, what are you going to do?”

“My job. Ornarch wants me to-”

Kooler’s eyes narrowed, and he tilted his head. “Isn’t your job breaking and entering? At least, I think that’s what you told me the first time we met. Forgive an old man’s memory for its failings, but I think I would have remembered hearing a teenager call themself an executioner.” He suddenly sounded very old, and very tired.

“Maybe I’ve changed. Why do you care?” It came out a little colder than she’d intended it to.

“Sorry, sorry. You’re right. None of my business.”

“So you won’t help me?”

“Staying neutral is how I stay alive. Everyone knows old Kooler keeps his mouth shut.”

“That’s a no?” Her heart sank. She’d known it was a long shot, but even still, Kooler was the closest thing she had to a lead.

Whatever he saw in her face gave him pause. “I… offered them ten thousand for the drive. I don’t even have half the hardware it would take to decrypt that… monster. I told them I wasn’t paying a credit more than that for a piece of software I couldn’t validate, no matter what rumors I’d heard. They took their business elsewhere. I don’t know where.”

“Rumors?”

“Have you been online since you stole it?” She hadn’t. “Half of the criminals in the Diluvian District are hunting after that sphinx drive. It’s anyone’s guess what’s on there, but Ebrelurge put a bounty out on it and then a few gang bosses joined the bidding war. As of this morning, the best offer is 1.6 million.”

Lord of birds. One point six fucking million?

He went on. “I don’t know where they went, but I know someone who might. Don’t go telling everyone I lent you a hand, but you’re- you’re a good kid. Just- hear them out when you see them. Don’t rush headlong into being a killer.”

“Yeah.”

Kooler pushed off the counter, sending his chair on a practiced arc towards a shelf of folders in one corner of the shop. He returned bearing a business card, a thin sheet of crisp white plastic stock with “Club RED – 1191-3962” embossed on it in brilliant crimson. The back side of the card was decorated with a staring eye in the same shade. “Kurtz–the owner of Club RED–knows me, and she’s got a panopt. Ask to see Odie. If it can’t help you, no one can.”

Shiv grinned. “Thanks, Kooler.”

“I’d say ‘any time,’ but really I’d rather not stick my neck out again.”

“With any luck, you won’t have to!”

The door squealed as she left.

First Page – Previous Page – Next Page

[mariacallous]

Today marks two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This week, we detailed the growing crisis in Eastern Ukraine, which is now littered with deadly mines. As it fights back the invading Russian forces, Ukraine’s government is working to develop new mine-clearing technology that could help save lives around the globe.

A leaked document obtained by WIRED has revealed the secret placement of gunshot-detection sensors in locations around the United States and its territories. According to the document, which ShotSpotter's parent company authenticated, the sensors, which are used by police departments in dozens of metropolitan areas in the United States, are largely located in low-income and minority communities, according to WIRED’s analysis, adding crucial context in a long-running debate over police use of the technology.

Speaking of leaks, WIRED this week obtained 15 years of messages posted to an internal system used by members of the US Congress. The House Intelligence Committee used the “Dear Colleagues” system to warn lawmakers of an “urgent matter”—something that has not happened since at least 2009. That urgent matter, which was quickly leaked to the press, turned out to be related to Russian military research of space-based weapons. But some sources say the matter wasn’t urgent at all, and the warning was instead an attempt by House Intelligence leadership to derail a vote on privacy reforms to a major US surveillance program.

On Tuesday, a coalition of law enforcement agencies led by the UK’s National Crime Agency disrupted the LockBit ransomware gang’s operation, seizing its infrastructure, dark-web leak site, and code used to carry out its attacks against thousands of institutions globally. Although ransomware attacks resulted in a record $1.1 billion in ransom payments last year, Anne Neuberger, a top US cyber official in the Biden administration, tells WIRED how the 2021 ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline has transformed the ways American institutions defend against and respond to such attacks.

In dual wins for privacy this week, the Signal Foundation began its rollout of usernames for its popular end-to-end encrypted messaging app. The update will allow people to connect without having to reveal their phone numbers. Meanwhile, Apple began to future-proof its encryption for iMessage with the launch of PQ3, a next-generation encryption protocol designed to resist decryption from quantum computers.

And there’s more. Each week, we highlight the news we didn’t cover in-depth ourselves. Click on the headlines below to read the full stories. And stay safe out there.

A Mysterious Leak Exposed Chinese Hacking Secrets

Hundreds of documents linked to a Chinese hacking-for-hire firm were dumped online this week. The files belong to i-Soon, a Shanghai-based company, and give a rare glimpse into the secretive world of the industry that supports China’s state-backed hacking. The leak includes details of Chinese hacking operations, lists of victims and potential targets, and the day-to-day complaints of i-Soon staff.

“These leaked documents support TeamT5’s long-standing analysis: China's private cybersecurity sector is pivotal in supporting China’s APT attacks globally,” Che Chang, a cyber threat analyst at the Taiwan-based cybersecurity firm TeamT5, tells WIRED. Chang says the company has been tracking i-Soon since 2020 and found that it has a close relationship with Chengdu 404, a company linked to China’s state-backed hackers.

While the documents have now been removed from GitHub, where they were first posted, the identity and motivations of the person, or people, who leaked them remains a mystery. However, Chang says the documents appear to be real, a fact confirmed by two employees working for i-Soon, according to the Associated Press, which reported that the company and police in China are investigating the leak.

“There are around eight categories of the leaked files. We can see how i-Soon engaged with China's national security authorities, the details of i-Soon’s products and financial problems,” Chang says. “More importantly, we spotted documents detailing how i-Soon supported the development of the notorious remote access Trojan (RAT), ShadowPad,” Chang adds. The ShadowPad malware has been used by Chinese hacking groups since at least 2017.

Since the files were first published, security researchers have been poring over their contents and analyzing the documentation. Included were references to software to run disinformation campaigns on X, details of efforts to access communications data across Asia, and targets within governments in the United Kingdom, India, and elsewhere, according to reports by the New York Times and the The Washington Post. The documents also reveal how i-Soon worked for China’s Ministry of State Security and the People’s Liberation Army.

According to researchers at SentinelOne, the files also include pictures of “custom hardware snooping devices,” such as a power bank that could help steal data and the company’s marketing materials. “In a bid to get work in Xinjiang–where China subjects millions of Ugyhurs to what the UN Human Rights Council has called genocide–the company bragged about past counterterrorism work,” the researchers write. “The company listed other terrorism-related targets the company had hacked previously as evidence of their ability to perform these tasks, including targeting counterterrorism centers in Pakistan and Afghanistan.”

Avast Fined for Selling People’s Browsing Data

The Federal Trade Commission has fined antivirus firm Avast $16.5 for collecting and selling people’s web browsing data through its browser extensions and security software. This included the details of web searches and the sites people visited, which, according to the FTC, revealed people’s “religious beliefs, health concerns, political leanings, location, financial status, visits to child-directed content and other sensitive information.” The company sold the data through its subsidiary Jumpshot, the FTC said in an order announcing the fine.

The ban also places five obligations on Avast: not to sell or license browsing data for advertising purposes; to obtain consent if it is selling data from non-Avast products; delete information it transferred to Jumpshot and any algorithms created from the data; tell customers about the data it sold; and introduce a new privacy program to address the problems the FTC found. An Avast spokesperson said that while they “disagree with the FTC’s allegations and characterization of the facts,” they are “pleased to resolve this matter.”

Scammers Sent Apple 5,000 Fake iPhones, Hoped to Get Real Devices in Return

Two Chinese nationals living in Maryland—Haotian Sun and Pengfei Xue—have been convicted of mail fraud and a conspiracy to commit mail fraud for a scheme that involved sending 5,000 counterfeit iPhones to Apple. The pair, who could each face up to 20 years in prison, according to the The Register, hoped Apple would send them real phones in return. The fake phones had “spoofed serial numbers and/or IMEI numbers” to trick Apple stores or authorized service providers into thinking they were genuine. The scam took place between May 2017 and September 2019 and would have cost Apple more than $3 million in losses, a US Department of Justice press release says.

Fingerprints Cloned From the Sound They Make on Your Screen

Security researchers from the US and China have created a new side-channel attack that can reconstruct people’s fingerprints from the sounds they create as you swipe them across your phone screen. The researchers used built-in microphones in devices to capture the “faint friction sounds” made by a finger and then used these sounds to create fingerprints. “The attack scenario of PrintListener is extensive and covert,” the researchers write in a paper detailing their work. “It can attack up to 27.9 percent of partial fingerprints and 9.3 percent of complete fingerprints within five attempts.” The research raises concerns about real-world hackers who are attempting to steal people’s biometrics to access bank accounts.

[the-sleepy-archivist]

Online Privacy and Security Tips

I am a firm believer that people should be able to be anonymous and secure online. Over a lifetime of trial and error, I've slowly learned the best ways to protect myself, and I'd like to pass on that knowledge to anyone who wants to hear it.

Last updated May 2024 (added links to news articles about PimEyes being used to identify someone in real life)

Switch to Firefox for your main browser on Windows and Android

Avoid any browser based on the Chromium project (like Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome), as Google has a major conflict of interest that prevents it from truly having users' privacy interests at heart. It makes ~70-80% of its revenue from its highly targeted advertising business, for which it must collect as much information about you as possible. That means that no matter how badly certain parts of Google want to build privacy into the browser, business interests and pressure will always supersede them, or at least force a compromise that still enables some tracking. Firefox is owned and maintained by a non-profit, so it does not have that same conflict, and it shows in the features it builds (and does not build) and the way it treats its users.

I made a list of my favorite Firefox extensions if you want to make your internet experience more pleasant and/or more secure!

Note: on iOS (i.e. iPhones), Firefox' functionality is limited by Apple restrictions and I do not recommend it - using Safari with Extensions like Adguard or 1Blocker is more secure and will give you a better experience. I made a list of my favorite iOS Safari extensions too!

Use a reputable password manager

I suggest 1Password (avoid LastPass and all of the password managers built into browsers, they're not safe). A good password manager increases your online safety by:

Helping you avoid password reuse (a common cause of account hacking)

Generating complex passwords that are difficult to guess or brute-force, and

Allowing you to keep records of all the different sites you have accounts on (so you can quickly change passwords in the event of a breach or delete your accounts on them when they outlive their usefulness)

Delete old accounts you no longer need

If your data has been deleted, no one can steal and leak it if they manage to hack the company.

Sign up for alerts from HaveIBeenPwned (HIBP) to be notified when your data is leaked in a site hacking.

This allows you to quickly change your password, hopefully before anyone is able to decrypt it (if it wasn't stored properly) or use it (if it was easy to guess). If you have reused that password on other sites, be sure to change your password on those sites either.

Note that some leaks don’t actually have any info about what website they were stolen from; if criminals just dump a huge text file onto a hacking forum that has your username and an accompanying password in it, HIBP doesn’t necessarily know what site they hacked to get that info. This is where a password manager like 1Password will come in handy, because 1P can actually use HIBP’s API to check each of your passwords and see if any of them have been leaked before. It will alert you if you need to change a specific password, even if you weren’t aware that site had been hacked.

Note: 1P only sends the first 5 characters of the password hashes to HIBP, not the passwords themselves. You can read more about the feature and how it preserves your privacy here.

Assume all profile pictures on any site are public, and avoid using your face for them if possible

New AI-powered sites like PimEyes can take an image of you, identify your face, and search for it in other, unrelated images around the internet. I searched for myself using a recent image that had never been posted to the internet before, and it immediately identified me in completely separate images I was using as my profile pictures on Facebook and LinkedIn and provided links to my accounts there. In this new AI era, assume anyone who snaps a picture of you can link you to your identity on any website where you have publicly posted your face before. This is not hyperbole; fans used PimEyes to identify a cameraman at a Taylor Swift concert using nothing more than a screenshot of a video taken of him by a concertgoer. Note: for what it's worth, you can submit an opt-out request to PimEyes if you are worried about someone using it to find your accounts online, but it requires you to submit images of your face and your government ID to the company...

Never post the same (original) image on two accounts that you do want to keep separate

Even a simple reverse image search can allow someone to link your different sites together (i.e. don't post the same vacation sunset photo on both Facebook and Tumblr because anyone can use that to link those sites together. Even if your Facebook or Instagram images are private, a follower of yours on one of those sites could still find the Tumblr you are not comfortable sharing with anyone. Marking your Tumblr as hidden only discourages search engines from indexing it; shady companies can and will ignore that and index it anyway.

[classifieds-marketing-news]

Understanding Ransomware: A Guide for Small Businesses

Ransomware is a malicious software that restricts access to your device or data until a ransom is paid. In this article, we explore how ransomware enters your system, how it works, and how to prevent attacks. A ransomware attack occurs when malware prevents access to your device or data until a ransom is paid. Attackers may threaten to publish data if the ransom is not paid. Ransomware can be locker ransomware, which locks access, or crypto ransomware, which encrypts files. Ransomware usually enters a device, assesses critical data, encrypts files, and demands a ransom. Paying the ransom doesn't guarantee recovery, so it's not recommended. Historical ransomware attacks include CryptoLocker, CryptoWall, Locky, WannaCry, NotPetya, and more. To prevent ransomware, you can have good network policies, secure servers, backup data offline and online, and encourage safe online behavior. Installing security software like antivirus, firewall, and email filtering can also help. Advanced strategies include ATP, email filtering, and security audits. In case of a ransomware infection, isolate the device, assess damage, check for a decryption key, and restore from backups. Seek professional help for recovery. Immediate actions post-infection include isolation, incident response activation, legal compliance, and stakeholder communication. Ransomware can get on your device through spam emails, phishing, pop-ups, pirated software, weak passwords, and more. Attackers prefer cryptocurrency payments for anonymity. Ransomware can spread through Wi-Fi, infecting all connected devices. Protect yourself from ransomware by following the prevention strategies mentioned above. Stay safe online and be cautious of suspicious emails, links, and downloads. And remember, it's crucial to have backups and a plan in case of a ransomware attack. #StartupBusiness #Businesses #Guide #howdoesransomwarework #Ransomware #ransomwareattack #Small #Understanding #whatisaransomware #whatisaransomwareattack #whatisransomware https://tinyurl.com/228z9vpf

[sburbian-sage]

A

Ah, no., i

it's just my quirk., t

though you were it seems I can say you were close nonetheless., a

although I cannot explicitly confirm if it was a boss that did it, or if there is in fact a censoring effect on me, but if there were, how might one fight such a being?, w

when one cannot ask others about such a being's weaknesses., d

due to the aforementioned hypothetical censoring effect?, e

especially if such a boss or other being were perhaps too strong to defeat by ordinary means?, o

or isn't a boss at all, and instead is something it would be very very bad to kill?, n

not that I'm saying that it is or isn't., b

because it seems I can't.

I can't believe my ability to sleuth problems and decrypt ciphers is so strong that I arrived at a mostly-correct answer, even using the wrong process.

Anyway, you're telling me that you're being forced to self-censor and be evasive because an entity is forcing you to, and the entity in question is 1) not a boss, 2) too strong to defeat head-on, 3) probably shouldn't be killed. I can only think of a couple of entities which fall under this banner.

A Player. Perhaps one of the Law, Heart, or Rage variety, who has given a sentence/programming/command to not do the thing you shouldn't be doing. They could also be monitoring/brainwashing you with psionic powers, or else just have a bomb collar strapped to you.

Your Sprite. They're usually hardcoded to be friendly to you and guide you and stuff, but it's not impossible that you somehow prototyped a Sprite which is taking a hostile stance against you.

An Other. Technically not a boss, immensely strong, and it's not that killing them is bad, only that fighting them is innately dangerous.

The Debug NPC.

If it's the Player, then it might be worth it to send messages to your coplayers implying and insinuating that some weird abusive stuff is going on. If you think there's monitoring going on, or otherwise feel like online comms can't work, maybe try to meet up in person. As for "fighting", direct fights are indeed risky (putting aside Titles and such), and PKs are probably not desirable, unless you feel this is a prelude to a PK. In any case doing something like (hypothetically) waiting until they're asleep and active on the Dream Moon, finding their physical body, throwing a weighted net on top of them, splashing ice cold water on them, and then hitting them with a bat or other hard-but-not-deadly object while screaming at them to stop putting a censor lock on you, I dunno it could work. It'd be best to get back-up first though, or otherwise let your more communicative players help.

If it's the Sprite, I have no idea what you prototyped it with that it's hostile and has mind-control powers. If it has to come to it, I wouldn't be too worried about destroying the thing. The Sprites don't really contribute much anyway to people who already know how to play the game, outside of sentimental value (which a rogue sprite is definitionally not doing). Just toss in something contrary to its nature, and it might self-delete (only a euphemism in that it doesn't just zip out of existence, it explodes). Or maybe just throw something in that makes it less hostile? If that's not an option though, because it's double-prototyped, then just progress through the game. Every Sprite will eventually give you your Sprite Pendant, and soon after fuck off permanently. This is a mostly inevitable event, and once it leaves, any negative effects might also auto-dispel.

If it's an Other, I can only assume this was your fault because you made a deal with it. Hopefully you can try to find a loophole in whatever contract you made to get your ability to talk back, or else you'll have to make a second deal. And don't think this will wear off once the Session ends, any deal you make with an Other is persistent. Similarly persistent is your ability to communicate with that specific Other in the future.

If it's the Debug NPC, I can't help you. The fact that the Debug NPC is doing anything of consequence means things are going horribly off-rails, such that I literally wouldn't be able to provide you any relevant information or advice. So you'll just have to rely on your own problem-solving skills. Good luck!

[scribblestatic]

Have I ever made a Stalker Deku AU?

Well, now I am. Yay.

(Note, it's not taken so seriously here, but fiction =/= reality on a one-to-one basis, just have some fun okay?)

Like, the story is mostly the same, but Izuku has attachment issues, so he stalks his friends and enemies.

As a little kid, he would follow Katsuki around in general, especially after he was diagnosed because no one else would really talk to him or play with him anymore. Not even Katsuki's group of friends really actually talks with him when Kacchan's not around. His world of potential friends and associations shrunk down to his mom, Katsuki, and Katsuki's family, basically.

He doesn't want to lose them, so he starts following the ones closest to him, namely his mom and Katsuki. If he follows them around and finds out what they like, then he can find a way to make them like him.

Katsuki notices and bullies Izuku more, but Izuku doesn't mind. If Kacchan likes bullying him and that gives him attention, Izuku will accept anything. He just doesn't want to be left alone.

His desire to not be ignored also fed into his hero obsession. People listen to him when he talks about heroes online. He gets to have conversations with people! But they don't like it when he's wrong about something. So he has to stop being wrong. To stop being wrong, he has to study every detail he can find about all the heroes so he'll be right at least 90% of the time, if not 95%.

That requires detailed study on heroes, so he spends a good amount of time doing that. He also notices that his mom is happy when he makes good grades, so even as he studies heroes, he must maintain an A average in school

He records as much as he can about the people who give him attention. Their birthdays, favorite colors, favorite foods, favorite clothes, things they don't like eating, places they visit often, medical conditions if any, diet and exercise regimes, common routes they travel, hair growth rate if they're especially important to him.

When Katsuki calls him a creep, he's absolutely not wrong. At the very least, Izuku's plain but cute and has wide, unassuming eyes. He invokes the feeling of a nervous or happy puppy to others.

Though, his already dark habit can have darker implications. Like when he starts intimately studying villains so he can be of more use to heroes who need him.

However, because he has a very detailed view into each of their lives, Izuku comes to a rather surprising conclusion:

Heroes can be evil, and villains can be good, but desperate.

He stops seeing heroes as inherently good and villains as just "the bad guys," and he doesn't excuse certain intentional crimes from either side, especially extortion, sexual assault, or murder (not including self-defense).

Those who commit such crimes with vicious intent face the Izuku who has no light in his eyes. The Izuku with a shadow over his blank face. The Izuku whose blackened gaze stares right into their souls and decrypts the very things that make them tick.

And when he has enough details, he sends it to people he think are trustworthy. Though, from his investigation into the police, there are several he's gathered intel on that don't meet his expectations either.

Though, of course, he spends most of his time looking at the people he loves, wanting them to like him as much as possible. If push came to shove, he'd even risk his life to help them.

That's why, when All Might rescues him, he almost faints at the fact his most beloved hero (even with all his flaws, all his faults, all his mistakes, all his failures, all his weaknesses) is in proximity to him!! If they could hold hands, he'd cry.

That's why, instead of waiting for heroes to arrive, the instant he sees that Katsuki's the one suffocating, he doesn't hesitate to run. Most importantly, he forgets what his face is doing.

And he's glaring at the assailant with eyes that could kill. Of course, Katsuki sees this, too.

Izuku's able to get Katsuki's face out, and with his ears no longer plugged with slime, he hears what Izuku's mumbling.

"Let go let go let go let go let go he's mine mine mine mine mine--"

And he's able to yank the top half of Katsuki's body out, but since he hasn't built up enough strength yet, that's the limit of his abilities.

But, thankfully, All Might witnessed Izuku's daring rescue, knowing he's quirkless, and he buffs up once more to save the day.

Still, Izuku's frazzled. He's still in fight mode when the heroes come to talk to him and get the details. They find out that he's quirkless, and his heroic actions become ridiculous and endangering.

And since he's still hopped up on adrenaline, he slips.

"Oh, I guess I was supposed to wait for you to do nothing and kill my friend, then."

The heroes berating him pause, mouths dropping open. He stares at them, unblinking. He doesn't notice that one of the news people recording are picking up his voice.

"I guess I was supposed to just stand there and watch him die. Is that what you're saying to me?"

"...Listen, it was for your safety--"

Izuku points at each of them, one by one.

He tells them ways they could've used their quirks to help resolve the issue. Even if it wouldn't have done so completely cleanly, it would've immediately gotten the victim away from the assailant and restricted his ability to escape.

"I wasn't going to allow your lack of creativity kill my friend, and now I'm at fault for that?"

The heroes don't have much else to say when confronted with that information. Instead, as though licking their wounds, the ones scolding him continue to do so, and Izuku looks away, listening and filing them away in a special mental folder he has for people he has no hope in.

Of course, after the fact, Katsuki finds and yells at Izuku. Telling him he didn't need Izuku to save him. That he's not "his," that he's his own person.

And Izuku smiles so sweetly, happy. He's always happy when those he likes acknowledge and speak to him.

"I know that, Kacchan. You're amazing."

Kacchan couldn't escape this time, but that's because he was panicking. It's completely understandable for him to panic. But if he'd focused his firepower, he could've escaped by himself. But that's okay. The people he loves have flaws and aren't perfect.

Even so, they're the best.

[mikepercy123]

SSL Certificates are an essential part of running a website in the age of digital transformation. A secure website is an essential part of any organisation’s online presence. SSL Certificates are an essential part of running a website in the age of digital transformation. A secure website is an essential part of any organisation’s online presence. Users are becoming more aware of cyber threats and will only trust websites that take security seriously. SSL certificates are a trusted way to show users that your site is safe to use. In this article, we’ll explain what an SSL certificate is and why you need one for your business. We’ll also highlight the ten best SSL certificates for your business in 2022. What is an SSL Certificate? SSL stands for “Secure Sockets Layer” which is a standard for secure communication over a network. SSL certificates are digital certificates that use encryption to secure websites and web services. An SSL certificate ensures that sensitive information like usernames, passwords, and financial data are kept private during transmission. SSL certificates use a public key and a private key to encrypt data. The public key is used to encrypt data, and the private key is used to decrypt data. If a website has HTTPS instead of HTTP, it means the site uses an SSL certificate. Let’s Encrypt is a free and open certificate authority (CA) that issues SSL certificates for websites. If you have ever used a website that starts with “https”, you have used an SSL certificate. It's a lesser known fact that in 2015, SSL was actually retired from use, in favour of a new protocol: TLS. The different types of SSL Certificate. What is the difference between TLS and SSL Certificates? SSL and TLS are both cryptographic protocols that enable secure communication between two parties. The main difference between SSL and TLS is that SSL is a predecessor of TLS and is less secure than TLS. TLS uses asymmetric encryption to provide confidentiality protection and integrity protection to the communications. This means that each party has a public and private key pair, and all data transmitted is encrypted using the public key. Additionally, all data received is verified using the private key. SSL uses symmetric encryption to protect the confidentiality of a message being transmitted across a network. The message is encrypted using a single key that both the sending party and the receiving party possess. Such is the brand recognition of SSL though, they still continue to be referred to as SSL Certificates to this day. So that's what everybody still calls them. Why do you need an SSL certificate? Your users’ trust is vital to your website’s success. One of the best ways to build trust is to ensure that all data is encrypted when it is transmitted. SSL certificates do this by using a public key to encrypt the data. The data is decrypted using a private key that only your website has access to. When a visitor browses your website, they can be assured that their data is secure. SSL certificates also help with your SEO. Google has stated that websites with HTTPS will rank higher in search results. This is especially important for eCommerce sites since a higher SEO ranking means more sales. While SSL certificates are not a requirement for Google search results, they are recommended. The Top 10 TLS/SSL Certificate Providers The Top 10 SSL Certificate providers in 2022 are Symantec, Comodo, GoDaddy, Positive, DigiCert, Trust.​com, GlobalSign, RapidSSL, Let's Encrypt, and Thawte. While looking for the right SSL provider, you need to consider the reputation, cert terms, customer support, and price of the provider. These are the top-rated SSL providers based on their features. Comodo Comodo's SSL Certificates website offers a range of options depending on the size/scope of your project. Comodo provides a wide range of SSL certificate options to fit any business size or unique needs. The best prices for Wildcard, Multi-domain Domain Validation, Organizational Validation and Extended Validation SSL certificates.

Comodo has the most comprehensive list of products available in the market, including trusted email, code signing and smart domains. Their products are backed by expert technical support, detailed knowledgebase, and the most experienced trust authority. Visit Comodo SSL GoDaddy GoDaddy SSL Certificates show visitors you're trustworthy and authentic. The Certificate Authority/Browser Forum is a joint initiative between browser manufacturers and certificate authorities to improve the safety and authenticity of the internet. GoDaddy is one of the founding members. GoDaddy Guides security experts are always super-friendly, super-knowledgeable, and hands-on, to help you. Across 50 countries, they've supported more than 20 million entrepreneurs for more than 20 years, and we've been continuously innovating to provide the most cutting-edge services. Visit GoDaddy SSL Positive Positive SSL offers a range of certificates to build trust and keep customers safe on your website. This product utilises the latest innovation to provide a great experience. It is trusted more than many of the more costly alternatives on the market. Sectigo's PositiveSSL certificates offer 2048-bit digital signatures, immediate online issuance, and unlimited server usage. PositiveSSL certificates provide an easy, fast, and efficient way to encrypt online transactions, demonstrating that you are using the highest-quality security protocols to keep their data and transactions safe. Visit Positive SSL DigiCert Digicert are a long-standing innovator in the SSL space and offer a range of products to secure your site. According to DigiCert, 97% of the world's largest banks and 80% of the Global 2000 are protected by high-assurance OV and EV certificates. More global leaders choose DigiCert for its trust, innovation, advocacy, and CA leadership, as well as so much being at stake in today's digital economy. These organizations trust DigiCert to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information during the issuance of their certificates. The company’s reputation for accuracy and attention to detail is what makes it one of the most trusted certification authorities in the world. Visit Digicert SSLTrust SSLTrust are a popular SSL Certificate reseller that offer a wide range of deals on brand name security products. Your customers must feel secure when using your website. Web security is an essential element of the internet. You must ensure their safety. SSLTrust helps you encrypt and secure customer data using SSL Certificates. We have well-established partnerships with leading Authorities including Comodo, GeoTrust and DigiCert. Visit SSLTrust GlobalSign GlobalSign offer a host of security options for a diverse range of online projects. GlobalSign provides the world's most trusted identity and security solutions, enabling businesses, big corporations, cloud service providers, and IoT innovators to safeguard online communications, track millions of verified digital identities, and automate authentication and encryption. GlobalSign's PKI and identity services support the billions of services, devices, people, and things that make up the Internet of Everything (IoE). Visit GlobalSign RapidSSL RapidSSL offers cheap and cheerful SSL Certificates with fast deployment and a convenient interface. RapidSSL is dedicated to helping you secure your domain with SSL as quickly as possible. Every phase of the registration and verification process has been streamlined and automated. RapidSSL is trusted by businesses of all sizes, from small startups to enterprise firms. What sets RapidSSL apart from other providers is its focus on simplicity. Registering a domain with RapidSSL takes only a few clicks, and verification is as easy as uploading a photo ID. Once your domain is secured with RapidSSL, you have access to a variety of useful tools to help grow your business, such as site analytics and marketing reports. Visit RapidSSL Let's Encrypt Let's Encrypt is a non-profit SSL initiative, supported by the industry to get websites secured.

Let's Encrypt is a nonprofit Certificate Authority providing TLS/SSL certificates to 260 million websites. It's open-source, automated, and free, making it easy for anyone to secure their website. It's an easy alternative for websites that currently have paid certificates from a different provider. Let’s Encrypt works with many common hosting providers and CMSs, and it’s easy to set up. It’s a great option for both individuals and enterprises. Visit Let's Encrypt Thawte Thawte are a major player in the SSL market and have been a popular feature of many websites for the last 20 years. Having a secure online experience leads to higher conversion rates, as well as to customers creating an account and returning to the site. DigiCert's Thawte SSL certificates provide strong authentication and encryption, guaranteeing that your customers' data and transactions are safeguarded. Plus, they offer expert support, an industry-leading authentication process, and easy online management with DigiCert CertCentral platform. Visit Thawte Symantec Symantec were the Rolls Royce of SSL Certificates back in the day. Their products are still available through resellers. Symantec SSL Certificates have been taken over now but for years they were industry leaders. Their products are still available from resellers and are worth a look. With free daily malware scanning, vulnerability assessments, the highest encryption levels, and the Norton Secured Seal, you will invest directly in your customers' trust in the security and privacy of dealing with your business. It's a great way to boost conversion rates and keep visitors coming back repeatedly if you have the most trustworthy and well-known brands online aligned with your company. Top 10 in Summary These SSL providers are very active in the industry and continue to provide top-notch services to their clients. They have a proven track record and have been in the industry for quite some time now. The above-listed providers also have a solid reputation among their customers and have earned their trust. They are widely used by people all over the world. The top-notch SSL providers will continue to grow in popularity and are likely to stay at the top of the list for some time to come. Now that you know the best SSL providers, let’s dive into the guide to buying SSL certificates. Which is the best SSL certificate provider in 2022? Best For Beginners: Let's Encrypt Let’s Encrypt is a free, open certificate authority (CA). It issues SSL certificates for websites that use HTTPS. Let’s Encrypt is run by the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG), a California-based nonprofit. ISRG has been providing SSL certificates since 2016. Best for Growing Small Businesses: RapidSSL With a range of great value products, RapidSSL are the best option if you've outgrown the need of a free SSL and want a simple, low-cost option to provide a greater level of security for your website and your customers. Best all-rounder: Digicert Digicert offers more than just SSL Certificates, so if you have a requirement for document signing as well as running HTTPS on your website, they will give you the greatest flexibility from one simple control panel and are a reliable, trustworthy partner for your business. Best for Enterprise: Comodo Comodo really specialise in enterprise grade security products, this is where they excel. If you're running an enterprise-level operation and need to secure a lot of different domains, subdomains, intranets, extranets and so on, the Comodo offering has always represented great value. How to choose the best SSL Certificate for your website? When choosing an SSL certificate, there are many factors to consider. Such as price, ease of installation, and security level. Other important factors to keep in mind when purchasing an SSL certificate include - Trustworthy reputation - SSL certificates are digital certificates used to encrypt sensitive data like credit card information.

A CA issues these certificates and verifies that the information provided by your company is legitimate. An SSL certificate provider that is trustworthy will have verifiable identity, regular audits and compliance with industry standards. Conclusion When it comes to business, you can’t take any risks when it comes to security. Customers expect websites to be secure, so you need to make sure your site is protected. An SSL certificate is one of the easiest ways to boost your security. In this blog post, we’ve discussed what an SSL certificate is, why you need one for your business, and how to choose the best SSL certificate for your website. The landscape has changed a lot over the last 20 years, with the original big players being swallowed up by competition and new players offering free solutions entering the market and gobbling up most of the share of small business and one-man-bands that used to be the main-stay of the industry. If you're a solo or small team start-up, with a blog or a small marketing website, a free SSL certificate will cover most of your needs for basic HTTPS web space. When you progress into data captures and processing payments through an online store, you'll want to invest in a more robust solution. These suppliers represent the best deal in terms of trustworthiness, reliability and value and whichever one you choose, you can't really go wrong as long as what you buy covers you for what you're looking to do. This article was first published on AIO Spark: https://www.aiospark.com/the-10-best-tls-ssl-certificates-in-2022?utm_source=Tumblr&utm_medium=fs-share&utm_campaign=auto-social

[globallancers]

The Future of Finance: How Fintech Is Winning the Cybersecurity Race

In the cyber age, the financial world has been reshaped by fintech's relentless innovation. Mobile banking apps grant us access to our financial lives at our fingertips, and online investment platforms have revolutionised wealth management. Yet, beneath this veneer of convenience and accessibility lies an ominous spectre — the looming threat of cyberattacks on the financial sector. The number of cyberattacks is expected to increase by 50% in 2023. The global fintech market is expected to reach $324 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 25.2% from 2023 to 2028. This growth of the fintech market makes it even more prone to cyber-attacks. To prevent this there are certain measures and innovations let's find out more about them

Cybersecurity Measures in Fintech

To mitigate the ever-present threat of cyberattacks, fintech companies employ a multifaceted approach to cybersecurity problems and solutions. Here are some key measures:

1. Encryption

Encrypting data at rest and in transit is fundamental to protecting sensitive information. Strong encryption algorithms ensure that even if a hacker gains access to data, it remains unreadable without the decryption keys.

2. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide multiple forms of verification (e.g., passwords, fingerprints, or security tokens) before gaining access to their accounts.

3. Continuous Monitoring

Fintech companies employ advanced monitoring systems that constantly assess network traffic for suspicious activities. This allows for real-time threat detection and rapid response.

4. Penetration Testing

Regular penetration testing, performed by ethical hackers, helps identify vulnerabilities in systems and applications before malicious actors can exploit them.

5. Employee Training

Human error is a significant factor in cybersecurity breaches. Companies invest in cybersecurity training programs to educate employees about best practices and the risks associated with cyber threats.

6. Incident Response Plans

Having a well-defined incident response plan in place ensures that, in the event of a breach, the company can respond swiftly and effectively to mitigate the damage.

Emerging Technologies in Fintech Cybersecurity

As cyber threats continue to evolve, so do cybersecurity technologies in fintech. Here are some emerging technologies that are making a significant impact:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI and machine learning algorithms are used to analyse vast amounts of data and identify patterns indicative of cyber threats. This allows for proactive threat detection and quicker response times.

2. Blockchain

Blockchain technology is employed to enhance the security and transparency of financial transactions. It ensures that transaction records are immutable and cannot be altered by malicious actors.

3. Biometrics

Fintech companies are increasingly adopting biometric authentication methods, such as facial recognition and fingerprint scanning, to provide a higher level of security than traditional passwords.

4. Quantum-Safe Encryption

With the advent of quantum computing, which poses a threat to current encryption methods, fintech companies are exploring quantum-safe encryption techniques to future-proof their security measures.

Conclusion

In the realm of fintech, where trust and security are paramount, the importance of cybersecurity cannot be overstated. Fintech companies must remain vigilant, employing a combination of advanced digital transformation solutions, employee training, and robust incident response plans to protect sensitive financial data from cyber threats. As the industry continues to evolve, staying one step ahead of cybercriminals will be an ongoing challenge, but one that fintech firms must embrace to ensure their continued success and the safety of their customers' financial well-being.

[alesyira]

the call

i'm working on accidental vigilante and remembered some stuff that needed to be addressed. This oneshot scene (and the one i'm thinking might get posted here in a day or two) falls right after the oneshot 'glitch in the timeline' and kind of further explores these things in a roundabout way.

warning: implied character death(s)

The net is inundated with conflicting information about the mysterious disaster that claimed the Nighteye Agency. There are far too many “clarifying” statements that don’t clear up a damned thing. 

Izuku knows he probably won’t be able to get his hands on any footage from within the agency nor any cameras that might point at the building itself, but usually the city blocks surrounding an agency aren’t so locked down. 

Any video recorded on that day within a one-mile radius of the agency is under some of the heaviest classified protections he’s seen.

Even his classmates are baffled.

One of his classmates, X, offers to try spinning up a decryption run, but Izuku’s not sure it’ll be necessary. They might want answers right away, but it’s possible the footage will be released once investigations have completed, and it makes little sense to poke at a hornet’s nest and risk getting in trouble if they don’t have to.

He skims through the available news with escalating disbelief. 

“No comment.”

“The investigation is still ongoing.”

“We’ll release a press statement as soon as we know anything.” 

Three days pass. 

The few reports of survivors are overshadowed by the grim news of the rising death toll, clips of tearful pleas for information about missing people, and relentless social media footage that covers every angle of the aftermath. 

The commission refuses to release names of the injured or dead.

The main recovery efforts are called off after rescuers realize a water main has broken. A news feed shows water gushing out through cracks in the rubble, and it’s assumed that the basement levels have entirely flooded.

The crews clearing the mess continue to work tirelessly, carefully extracting the remainder of the debris in case they find another lucky soul.

The last unnamed survivor had been found the previous morning, though they died on the way to the hospital.

Izuku used to think quirks could do everything.

(He hasn’t thought that way for a very long time.)

He’s seen hints of rumors online that Lemillion had been spotted an hour earlier with an escort at the hospital, ducking out through a side exit to avoid the press.

Izuku hasn’t been able to find any hint of the hero’s presence at the disaster, but he’s done enough reading to be absolutely convinced there’s something big going on.

The commission never waits this long to release names of victims or survivors, or even a preliminary statement. This big of a disaster needs positive media coverage to maintain the public’s confidence. Delays with information can ripple out to cause other effects, such as dips in economy as fearful citizens stay home and criminals that take advantage of strained emergency resources to prey on the unprotected.

Izuku has teamed up with X to dig into a media network’s messaging system when the phone rings, startling him from the tiny text scrolling across his screen.

His mom mutes the TV and hurries over to the phone. 

He’s been dreading this moment, when his mom’s work calls her back from vacation because they need more hands to help with the emergency. 

He wants to keep her home with him, where she’s safe.

He’d seen something terrifying that day, and the longer he can keep her indoors, the better he’ll feel.

She fumbles the handset and nearly drops it, then presses it to her ear with a shaky, “Hello?” 

Silence.

His mom gasps.

Izuku’s gaze snaps in her direction just in time to see her hand flutter up to clutch at her throat as her expression crumples. 

She moans out a low, "Oh, no. Mitsu."

She sinks slowly to the floor and grips at the phone with both hands. 

There’s been an unspoken acknowledgment that his childhood friend had been part of his bullying in school.

She’s seen his burns, heard the stories of Kaachan just playing too rough.

He thinks she eventually understood what he’d been hiding, once she stopped making him go back to that place and let him enroll in online courses.

Yet, as much as he knocked Izuku around, he’s certain he wouldn’t have pushed him from the window. It was against his nature to hurt someone with their back turned. 

He’d always been so directly confrontational and wanted to be known for his actions.

His mom hasn’t spoken with Mitsuki since sometime after the 'accident' at the school. 

That she’s calling now can mean only one thing.

He turns his attention back to the muted TV, tuning out his mother’s tearful words as she tries to soothe her closest friend.

How many work-study students had been present at the disaster?

Why is the commission still being so quiet about what happened?

His mom throws on her shoes, grabs her keys, and shouts out a hasty farewell as she hurries out the door.

He doesn’t look up as his memory is stuck on repeat, cycling around the vision of black bursting through shattered glass, shivering inches from his face, the scent of ozone in his nose, electricity tingling through the air.

What the fuck kind of eldritch horror had exploded out of the building that day?

i will probably post this to ao3 soonish, but a creative title, summary, author's notes etc takes some more thinking and i'm just about out of spoons. (...and the chapters I have already posted for villain really need some heavy revision with all the storyline bits i've been adding lately)

enjoy early :) :)

[ixy8]

https://www.oktoolbox.com

LED Scrolling Text Led subtitle scrolling tool, suitable for playing work content, text reminders, advertising slogans, etc. on computers or mobile phones

XML Formatter The XML formatter can beautify the compressed XML code or compress the XML code

Timestamp Converter The tool can convert timestamps into date and time, and can also convert date and time into timestamps

QR Code Generator The tool can generate QR code pictures from web addresses or text, and can set the format, fault tolerance, size, color and logo of QR codes

Text Encryption and Decryption Online text encryption and decryption tools, support AES, DES, RC4, rabbit, tripledes

URL Encode and Decode You can convert a normal URL to an encoded URL or an encoded URL to a normal URL

Image Color Recognition Free online image color recognition tool, which can extract the main color of the image

Flow Chart Online flow chart tool, with built-in multiple graphics such as rectangle, circle, line, arrow and flow chart, supports exporting SVG/PNG/JPG.

Color Picker The color code, hex and RGB values can be obtained through the color selector, color table and color name

Character Counter This tool can quickly calculate the number of words, letters, numbers, punctuation and Chinese characters in the article

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UTF-8 Encode and Decode You can convert text to UTF-8 or UTF-8 to text

Decimal Converter The online binary converter provides binary, octal, decimal, hexadecimal and other mutual conversion functions

GIF Generator You can make GIF pictures online and combine multiple static pictures into one dynamic picture

JSON Formatter The JSON formatter can beautify the compressed JSON code or compress the JSON code

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Htpasswd Generator Generate Apache HTTP basic authentication password file online

Letter Case Converter The tool can convert uppercase letters to lowercase letters, and also convert lowercase letters to uppercase letters

SQL Formatter SQL formatter can beautify the compressed SQL code or compress the SQL code

Markdown Editor You can write markdown code and preview it in real time in the browser

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Unicode Encode and Decode You can convert text to unicode or Unicode to text

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Face Recognition It can automatically recognize the faces in the photos and cut out the head pictures in batches

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Calculator Mathematical calculation of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, root square, PI, reciprocal, sine and cosine

Text Flow Chart A tool for drawing flow chart using ASCII code

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MD5 Encryption It can convert text into MD5 and generate 32-bit and 16-bit MD5 ciphertext

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[dragonflute]

making a slight update not really but a lot of stuff was asked and said in the notes of this post so im just going to clear some things up (under a readmore cuz i hate how god damn long this was)

1. the original lawsuit was filed due to nintendo cracking down on piracy.

some points made in the documents were as follows:

- to use yuzu at all it first needs to be able to decrypt nintendos games. to do this one would need to get their hands on a prod key which would either be attained through hacking the switch itself or pirate the keys themselves. nintendo acknowledged both acts as unlawful.

- a major issue that led to this lawsuit is how through yuzu people were able to play pirated copies of the latest zelda game, tears of the kingdom, before the game had officially released. this relates back to yuzu's ability to decrypt code in order to play games. nintendo obviously believes that they have lost profit due to this.

- finally yuzu's "project lead" was quoted in saying that the main priority for yuzu was to get the program to play the most recent games, as they would be the most in-demand. yuzu's patreon gave the patrons access to early access builds of yuzu. the ea builds plus community made mods for yuzu helped tears of the kingdom play on yuzu before the official release of the game.

2. the lawsuit did not go to trial. yesterday the management behind the emulators decided to pay $2.4 million dollars to settle the case with nintendo. a part of this settlement was the agreement that any emulator handled by said management was to be shut down effective immediately. now this is a better case scenario than if the lawsuit went to trial and leaned in nintendos favor, as that would call forth more lawsuits for other emulators that require similar decryption codes to work. though, it still sparks an issue in the fact that it proves nintendo (and any other company that may decide to follow in their footsteps) has the power to keep pushing emulator development teams (as they have in the past) until they see their desired resolution, which in this case was the total shut down of anything regarding emulation of their products.

3. now the issue that i find most upsetting in relation to the point above is the fact that citra is also affected by this lawsuit settlement (and also tbh i dont care for yuzu lol). citra is being taken down despite the lawsuit being targeted at yuzu because they share the same management team. citra, as stated before, is an emulator for the 3ds, which is no longer supported by nintendo, as of march of last year they had shut down the 3ds eshop, and this coming april nintendo plans to shut down the online service capabilities of the system. i understand that the settlement required for the management team to cease any and all work regarding emulation of nintendos intellectual property, but to make this a bit less formal it sucks ass!!!! the 3ds no longer has any use to nintendo as they plan to finally make it fully obsolete this year, yet nintendo multiple times has shown that they are still strict on how their products (even obsolete ones) are to be used (i.e. the updates they released for 3ds in an effort to stop people from hacking their systems, the cease and desist sent to dolphin over the now indefinitely postponed steam release, etc). citra, one of the best 3ds emulators (despite its issues), got caught in the crossfire, which is definitely a win on nintendos side.

for anyone who cares about emulation, unfortunately today we lost both yuzu (switch) and citra (3ds) emulators due to the lawsuit nintendo filed against the management that handled both emulators. this is a major loss for emulation as a whole. if you support emulation i recc downloading emulators that you may want to have in the future in the case that they get taken down in similar lawsuits

[transport-layer-security]

Transport Layer Security (TLS): The Backbone of a Secure Internet

In today’s digitally connected world, security and privacy are more important than ever. Whether you're accessing your bank account, shopping online, or simply browsing a website, you're likely using Transport Layer Security (TLS) — the cryptographic protocol that protects internet communications.

In this post, we’ll explore:

What TLS is and why it matters

How TLS works under the hood

TLS vs SSL

Real-world use cases

Common threats and how TLS mitigates them

Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a cryptographic protocol that ensures privacy, integrity, and authenticity of data exchanged over a network. It’s widely used to secure:

Web traffic (HTTPS)

Email (SMTP, IMAP, POP)

Messaging (XMPP, SIP)

VPNs and more

TLS operates between the transport layer (e.g., TCP) and the application layer (e.g., HTTP), encrypting the data before it's transmitted over the internet.

 How TLS Works: Step by Step

When a client (e.g., browser) connects to a server over HTTPS, here's what happens:

1. Handshake Initiation

The client sends a ClientHello message:

Supported TLS versions

List of supported cipher suites

Random number (used in key generation)

Optional: SNI (Server Name Indication)

2. Server Response

The server replies with a ServerHello message:

Selected cipher suite

TLS version

Server's digital certificate (usually an X.509 certificate)

Optional: server key exchange

3. Authentication & Key Exchange

The client verifies the server's certificate via a trusted Certificate Authority (CA).

Both parties generate or agree on session keys using techniques like Diffie-Hellman or RSA.

4. Session Key Generation

Once keys are exchanged:

Both client and server compute a shared symmetric session key.

5. Secure Communication

All subsequent data is:

Encrypted using the session key

Authenticated (to detect tampering)

Integrity-protected using MACs (Message Authentication Codes)

 TLS vs SSL: What’s the Difference?

People often say “SSL” when they mean TLS. Here’s the truth:Feature  SSL (Deprecated)TLS (Current)Latest VersionSSL 3.0 (1996)TLS 1.3 (2018)SecurityVulnerableStrongUse TodayNone (shouldn't be used)Everywhere

Modern websites and applications use TLS 1.2 or TLS 1.3, and all versions of SSL are considered insecure.

 TLS Use Cases

HTTPS (TLS over HTTP)

Secure browsing (padlock in browser)

Required for PCI DSS, GDPR compliance

Email Encryption

Secure SMTP (STARTTLS)

IMAP/POP with TLS

VoIP and Messaging

TLS protects SIP, XMPP, and chat services

VPNs

OpenVPN uses TLS for secure tunnels

APIs and Microservices

Internal and external APIs often rely on TLS to secure REST and GraphQL endpoints

Common Threats and TLS ProtectionsThreatTLS DefenseMan-in-the-Middle (MITM)Authentication via certificatesEavesdroppingSymmetric encryption of session dataTampering or Data CorruptionMessage integrity with MACsReplay AttacksRandom values and sequence numbersDowngrade AttacksTLS version enforcement & SCSV mechanism

 Best Practices for TLS Configuration

Use TLS 1.2 or TLS 1.3 only.

Disable SSL and TLS 1.0/1.1 completely.

Use strong cipher suites (e.g., AES-GCM, ChaCha20).

Regularly renew and monitor your TLS certificates.

Enable HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security).

Use tools like SSL Labs, Mozilla Observatory to test your server.

TLS in Action (Example)

When you visit https://sfouresolutions.com:

Your browser initiates a TLS handshake.

The server sends its certificate.

A session key is negotiated.

Your browser encrypts the HTTP request with that key.

The server decrypts it, processes it, and responds securely.

 

All of this happens within milliseconds, seamlessly.

 Final Thoughts

TLS is a foundational technology that quietly protects the internet. As cyber threats grow in sophistication, strong TLS configurations and practices are not optional — they are essential.

Whether you're a developer, sysadmin, or business owner, understanding TLS helps you build safer systems and protect user trust.