#tor can be attacked anytime

[ronkoza]

Them ✨

Tor belongs to @littleulvar

[tessiete]

Here's me massively procrastinating, and also planning for my next fic by TRYING TO MESH LEGENDS and CANON TOGETHER.

So,

The First Mandalorian Civil War (60BBY-44BBY)

These are the Legends wars that take place largely between Tor Vizsla, heading up our good friends, Death Watch, and Jaster Mereel, heading up the True Mandalorians. There also exist the New Mandalorians, but they're pretty much just keeping their heads down at this point, while Jaster and Tor blow each other up. Theoretically, clan Kryze (possibly headed by Satine's father, Adonai) is a major voice in this movement.

Death Watch = wants to blow up anyone, anytime. (Neutral on Republic) True Mandalorians = want to get paid to blow up outsiders. (Anti-Republic) New Mandalorians = don't really want to blow up anyone. (Pro-Republic)

The New Mandalorians are largely based on Kalevala, but they're also tentatively allied with the True Mandalorians, because there's no real beef between them. As Death Watch and True Mandalorians decimate the planet's surface in the first half of the war, the New Mandalorians exchange protection for technology. The domes of Kalevala become the signature architecture of the steadily eroding surface of Mandalore proper. Around the start of the war, the True Mandalorians raise a standing army of professional warriors. This is the main fighting force against a much more ragged, and ruthless Death Watch. They are lead by Jaster Mereel.

52BBY Jaster Mereel dies. Jango, his ward, takes over as Mand'alor. Death Watch is winning. Somewhere around like, 58ish BBY, the True Mandalorians under Jango scored a major victory against Death Watch. They feel like Death Watch is on their last legs, and it's only a matter of time. The peace between the New Mandalorians and the True Mandalorians is delicate, but still holding. Presumably, by this point if not sooner, Adonai Kryze is heading up this movement. He is a New Mandalorian coming from True Mandalorian stock, so he knows how to fight wars, and lead armies...he's just thinking now's the time to not. 44BBY Death Watch lures the True Mandalorians into the ambush at Galidraan. Jedi Master Dooku is tricked into attacking the True Mandalorians, and the True Mandalorians fire on the Jedi fleets first. Dooku's padawan, and more than 6 Jedi are killed in the fighting. The only True Mandalorian left alive is Jango, who the Jedi deliver to the Governor of Galidraan (who had called for their help against the Mandalorians in the first place). Jango is essentially enslaved for two years. Tor Vizsla and the Death Watch go back to Concordia to regroup...but they are the power party now. There is a delicate peace for 2 years. The True Mandalorians are basically wiped out. Death Watch is rebuilding. The New Mandalorians are helping rebuild Mandalore.

42BBY, Jango escapes. He goes back to Concordia. He kills Tor Vizsla. Civil war breaks out AGAIN. Overwhelmed, and angry, Jango leaves Mandalorian space, taking the title of Mand'alor with him. The True Mandalorians are left nearly decimated, and leaderless.

NOW - BRIDGING TO CANON (filling in with head canon as we go).

42BBY Tor Vizsla is killed. Death Watch starts fighting again. They move from Concordia to Mandalore proper, and make a strike on a Vhett target. The Vhett’s were splintered between Old Mandalorians** and New Mandalorians, and traditionally from Concord Dawn - there is a succession crisis because Jango drops the title of Mand’alor and leaves the clan leaderless. No one helps them, so Death Watch takes over, and begins moving.

41BBY Death Watch has Concordia, and Krownest. They are slaughtering any Old Mandos, and also New Mandos. Death Watch blows Concord Dawn apart. The Old Mandos are shocked. The New Mandos know they have to do something.

40BBY Death Watch decides to strike at Mandalore itself. The Old Mandos make a last stand at Keldabe, but it falls to DW. They absolutely decimate the city. The Old Mandalorians appeal to the New Mandalorians that their people are getting slaughtered, and without Jango, they are leaderless. The Vhett’s renounce him as dar’manda because of his abandonment. Adonai is persuaded into sending men to help in Keldabe. There, his cousin (the “third sibling”) is killed, by the Elder Vizsla, and his body desecrated as a message to Adonai. Adonai sends Satine to Coruscant, and Bo to Sundari (The Academy?)- away from her family, but in a New Mandalorian stronghold.

39BBY Adonai marshals the New Mandalorians to war, and begins leading them against Death Watch. It is still a small force, but he is making plans to appeal to the Republic, and ask for outside interference. In late 39BBY he is assassinated, and his body taken back to Kalevala. Bo goes missing. Satine is recalled home.

38BBY Satine spends two months on the run, and a further ten months as a fugitive personally rallying the clans to her pacifist cause. She is determined not to fail as her father, but to end the war, and prove that it can be done without bloodshed.

Anyway, feel free to disagree, but this is how I've reconciled it.

**Old Mandalorians are what remain of the True Mandalorians. They are not the fighting force, but they are the families, and followers who - for whatever reason - were not active warriors, but still follow the Mand'alor, and the "old ways" (which, are only debatably old. There are MUCH older ways [including old gods, and peace movements])

[reginaldqueribundus]

All Dresden Files novels, ranked

RULES:

I’ll be starting with my least favourite and counting down to most favourite

This is just my opinion, so please do send me asks telling me why you think I’m wrong, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the books

I will not be ranking Side Jobs or Brief Cases. Stacking collections of short stories against full-length novels wouldn’t make sense or even be feasibly, really. But I would probably rank BC above SJ solely for the Bigfoot stories.

THE RANKINGS

(Warning: potential plot spoilers for everything before Peace Talks!)

#16: Fool Moon

I realize I’m not exactly a brilliantly original pioneer by putting this one last. I’ve heard other people say it’s the weakest instalment in the series, and I’m inclined to agree. I’m not sure why. Maybe because out of all the books it feels the least connection to the overall mythos (which feels silly to say, after all it does introduce the Alphas). Murphy is peak dumbass in this one (not entirely her fault, but still) and Harry acts like a moron most of the time. The plot feels like an excuse for Jim to see how many different kinds of werewolf he can come up with and the lycanthropes really have no reason to be there, plus the loup-garou rampage through a police station should have had more real-world consequences than it does. I haven’t read Fool Moon in a long time, and I don’t intend to again anytime soon.

#15: Storm Front

Yeah, Storm Front is weird. Jim is still figuring out his voice here, so it’s not surprising some of the characters feel a bit off. The two plot threads take awhile to connect and Shadowman is the most one-dimensional villain we’ve ever had in the series. Sometimes when I do a reread I cheat and skip the first two books. But Storm sets the foundation for a lot of important elements, like the White Council, Murphy, and Marcone, and the plot is not all that bad (aside from all the orgy nonsense). The film canisters feel out of place in the digital age but you can’t fault a book for being written 20 years ago. It’s an awkward first outing for sure, but not nearly as awkward or disjointed as Fool Moon.

#14: Proven Guilty

Whenever I reread the Dresden Files, I always get stuck on this one. I can’t quite pinpoint why. Is it all the icky sexualization of teenage Molly (which, even for Jim, is a bit much)? Is it the humdrum plot and the boring side adventure with “Darby Crane”? Or is it because, eight books and 14 years later, the mysterious attack on Arctis Tor still hasn’t been explained? I’m a little surprised Jim took a premise like “fear-sucking faeries are coming to life by impersonating popular horror movie characters” and managed to make it so dull, honestly, but the plot doesn’t really grab me until the third act after the big reveal with Charity. It’s still a better read than Storm or Moon since Jim had been writing the series for a few years at that point, but on every readthrough this is where I start losing steam.

#13: Grave Peril

Grave Peril still has some of the “just starting out” roughness around the edges, but feels like a leap forward compared to its predecessors. This is where the overall story finds its footing and kicks off the vampire war arc that would dominate the next nine books, beginning with Bianca’s famous dinner party that’s still churning out plot threads after nearly two decades. Not to mention we are introduced to many very important characters like Lea, Thomas and Michael. Lea’s obsession is a very good explanation why we haven’t seen Harry enter the Nevernever in any of the other books thus far, and the Nightmare plot is interesting (though I don’t think it’s ever been explained why Mavra was helping Kravos). This is the first book to really show us who Harry is: a man who does the right thing, even when he doesn’t have to, and damn the consequences.

#12: White Night

White Night isn’t really bad per se, I just don’t like it as much as the others. Much like the machinations of the White Court, I find the plot needlessly convoluted and a bit confusing. It’s nice to see Elaine again, and the scene where she unleashes her full power on the Skavis is one of the best scenes in the entire series. It’s also nice to see what maybe-Cowl is up to these days, and we finally get a name for Harry’s “Black Council” conspiracy: the Circle. The White Court vamps’ overall goal is upsetting because it hits close to reality — maybe a bit too close. Jim loves killing beautiful women to make Harry upset, and it’s on display more than usual in this book. Plus Molly still gets treated in a gross way. But all the stuff with Lash gets a satisfying resolution (and brilliantly side-steps Michael’s insistence that no one has ever rid themselves of a Fallen’s influence), which makes up for the book’s shortcomings.

#11: Blood Rites

Putting Blood Rites in 11th place feels wrong since it gave us both Mouse and the best opening line of the entire damn series (the famous “The building was on fire and it wasn’t my fault”). The main story just bores the shit out of me, and the B plot with Mavra never ties into the main one in any way, though it gets points for giving us more Kincaid and McCoy and some disturbing revelations about those two. Rites feels like Jim had two different ideas for a Dresden novel but he couldn’t stretch either of them into a full-length book. After all, two wrongs don’t make a rite nyurr hurr hurr. But once Thomas’s connection to Harry is revealed, I’m hooked until the end and I’d reread it for that alone.

#10: Small Favor

Honestly, Small Favor would be ranked higher on this list if not for the fact that I keep forgetting it exists. The story is interesting and shows us how truly awful the Denarians can be, though from context one gets the sense Nicodemus might actually not be on the same side as the Circle. Might even be working against it. The different Fallen are colourful and interesting and the Gruffs are interesting foes, though once again the B-plot kind of comes out of nowhere and never really has much to do with the main one, but the Eldest Gruff doughnut payoff is worth it. I guess my main beef with Favor is the ending is so bleak and depressing. Much like Harry, I have trouble reconciling Michael’s faith in God with his ultimate reward.

#9: Summer Knight

If Grave Peril is where the series finds its feet, then Summer Knight is where it breaks into a run. It introduces the Faerie Courts, which are one of the best parts of the entire series. It introduces Mab, arguably the most important character who isn’t Harry. It gives us our first real look at the White Council and how it functions. The big twist (”what unicorn?”) and the way Harry defeats Aurora with a duffel bag full of tiny faeries are some of the books’ finer moments. And most of all, the plot makes sense. I don’t know if Jim planned it that way but the future reveal that Aurora was likely an agent of Nemesis makes the book all the more compelling in hindsight. It still doesn’t have the polish of later books, but it’s easily the best of the first four.

#8: Death Masks

I feel like Death Masks edges out Summer Knight simply because it has the villain I love to hate, Nicodemus Archleone. It also introduces Shiro and Sanya, two of my favourite characters (even if one of them wasn’t long for this world, thanks Jim) and has a suitably epic (and suitably Harry) plot with Harry being asked to track down the Shroud of Turin. The stakes are higher than any book before it (except Summer Knight), and Nicodemus is one of the best villains in the entire series, and Marcone’s final scene with the Shroud gives his character a depth it had heretofore lacked. The duel with Ortega storyline doesn’t have much to it, but it’s handled well and Ortega is an interesting side villain. All told, a solid outing.

#7: Peace Talks

I hear a lot of people saying they’re immensely disappointed in Peace Talks and I disagree, but (without getting into spoilers) I can see what they mean. I’ve seen it compared to Avengers: Infinity War, but  I enjoyed the hell out of Infinity War and this book. I went back and reread the Ethniu scene three times. Peace does an admirable job of standing on its own. The central conflict is resolved, but the mystery remains unsolved, and we’re left with a lot of unanswered questions that I’m sure will be addressed in Battle Ground. Thus Peace Talks still feels like the first half of a larger story, which is why I don’t enjoy it quite as much as the remaining entries on this list.

#6: Ghost Story

GS is very much the odd one out; a lot of it is devoted to flashbacks and introspection, or Harry adjusting to his ghostly state — a new form of existence that, for the first time in the series, means he can’t go charging into battle and has to spend a lot of the time spectating and finding alternate ways to help. It’s an important stage in Harry’s growth and comes across as such. It’s also interesting to see the birth of the BFS and the Chicago Alliance; most series don’t show us what would happen if the protagonist suddenly up and died. It’s all fresh ground for the books, and I love every inch of it: Harry learning to teleport, Mort sucking ghosts into his body to gain their fighting prowess, Evil Bob. Corpsetaker is the perfect villain for this type of story. The Fitz storyline is a heartwarming tale of an abuser getting his power broken. I read it before I knew there would be further books, so as far as I knew Harry was actually dead. My only complaint is the shit with the ghostly proxies in the graveyard is confusing and doesn’t add much, and the ending is far too… convenient with Uriel’s It’s a Wonderful Life montage of how everything will be fine. I like GS a lot and would reread it all on its own.

#5: Changes

Changes is the only Dresden Files book thus far to break the two-word titling convention, to hammer home the unsubtle message broadcast by the title itself: this is a season of change for Harry Dresden. He finds out he has a child and McCoy is his granddad, his apartment burns down, his office blows up. Oh yeah, and he fucking dies. This is the first time we see Harry truly go all out, picking up every tool and ally at his disposal to save his daughter, leading to one of the most shocking, far-reaching and satisfying third acts in the series to date. Not to mention the ending, which nearly made me throw the book at the wall. Changes is another book in the series that I’ll pick up again and again, even when I’m not rereading the entire series.

#4: Turn Coat

TC has always been one of my favourite Dresden Files. Much like Changes, it kicks off with a hell of an opening scene (Donald Morgan, one of Harry’s worst enemies, collapsing on his doorstep) that remains the sole plot thread throughout. Before the Red Court was annihilated, this book made it seem like the White Council was truly on the way out, fraught with corruption and beset by enemies on all sides (and within). Harry’s gambit shows he’s getting smarter and the ultimate reveal of who framed Morgan and how is brilliant. And all that aside, TC would probably get the #4 spot just for the entire scene between Listens-to-Wind and the naagloshii. “Not gonna bind or banish you, old ghost. Just gonna kick your ass up between your ears.” One of the most iconic lines in the entire series, IMO.

#3: Cold Days

I only discovered the Dresden Files in 2010/2011 so naturally the books released since then hold a special place in my heart. But maybe Cold Days is just that good? It’s the first book to return Harry to some measure of normalcy (for given values of normalcy) after the massive upheavals of Ghost and Changes, and it does a good job of easing us into the new status quo. Then it freaking kicks us in the teeth with one bombshell after another: Demonreach, Nemesis, the Outer Gates. It hints at the nature of the series’s ultimate overarching conflict and casts the events of several past books (especially Summer Knight) in a different light. I may never get over what happened to Molly, but I still enjoy this book a lot. The only things I don’t really like about it are what aren’t in it. I know Harry has a good reason for avoiding Molly, but he doesn’t even try to talk to Eb? I know they aren’t close but goddamn dude you were dead. In fact Harry’s whole death and resurrection doesn’t seem to have much impact on his White Council membership beyond some “paperwork” Rashid helps him with. Which box do I check for “only mostly dead”?

#2: Skin Game

Skin Game gets a lot of flak and… I’m really not sure why? It’s actually a lot of fun, especially for a Nicodemus book. True, it’s more of a heist than a mystery. But after three books of death and genocide and Harry wrestling with the consequences of his actions, we needed a breather. It’s refreshing to see Harry thinking ahead instead of constantly being on the back foot, something we haven’t really seen since Turn Coat, and it gave me a nice warm feeling inside to see the gang finally get one over on Ol’ Nick. And when Butters lit up the sword, I swear to god I felt like cheering. Parkour!

#1: Dead Beat

Dead Beat remains my absolute favourite Dresden Files book. An ensemble of colourful villains, the debut of Mouse, the first hints toward a larger conspiracy… oh yeah, and POLKA-POWERED ZOMBIE DINOSAUR. This book just fires on all cylinders, man. And it features my most favourite character of all, Waldo Butters, who learns that polka will never die. Kemmler, his disciples, the concept of the Darkhallow, all fascinating stuff. Harry is flying by the seat of his pants as usual, but it all comes out right in the end, and the Shiela subplot is one of the most masterful twists Jim has ever pulled off. Even the return of Quintus Cassius works in its own way, despite being unrelated to the main plot. Dead Beat left me satisfied but also craving more.

[epoxyconfetti]

Fitness?

So started getting serious about my health and physical fitness again. May restart my three-post blog @fifty-something-fitness​ (which tells you how ‘serious’ I was last time!). 

My older brother has been 200lbs overweight for 30 years, has had both knees replaced, is on dialysis due to his diabetes, and can barely walk 50 feet without being winded. My other older brother, who has been in excellent shape his entire adult life, and wins tournaments in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, had a massive heart attack last year and it almost killed him (he is since back to Jiu Jitsu competitions). My older sister is on insulin for her diabetes.

So, being fifty five, 40 lbs overweight and not wanting to die anytime soon, I’ve started trying to get in shape. Again. Joined the gym, started exercising. I won’t bore you with too much of the details.

Interesting fact: When I joined they gym, got a ‘free’ first session with a personal trainer. During it, he handed me a device that would calculate my BMI based, I would assume, on skin resistivity like the body-fat-calculating scales. It came up with a number that didn’t surprise me, but I won’t print.

So this morning, I ran my tape test numbers (height, weight, neck and waist circumference) through the Army’s body fat calcula tor from AR 600-9, The Army Weight Control Program. For men, the Army’s system is usually within 1/2 of 1% to the actual number; for women, it’s somewhat less accurate. Anyhow, it came up with the exact same number as the handheld device.

I won’t know the exact number unless I got get a dunk test (hydrostatic weighing), but it’s a good-enough, easily repeatable measurement for my purposes.

Regardless, I’m going to start an Excel spreadsheet, or maybe look into an app. In the meantime, I walked 4.4 miles yesterday. In addition to the gym, I’ll be doing lots of long fat-burning walks until I lose enough weight where I feel I can run without destroying my knees.

Who knows, maybe if I whip the old bod into shape, I can start having a better outlook.

[grungeandroses]

Trigger Warning: Sxuicxde

Attempted tor the first time last night via an overdose. I'm here to inform you of multiple things, if you are considering overdose.

1: You will regret it once you feel the effects. I promise!

2: It is not fun. What you see online or on TV is probably not accurate.

3: It's scary. As soon as I felt the effects, I went into a panic attack.

4: Effects can include but not limited to (Please note these are based off my experience)- Inability to breathe, Fast heartbeat, overheating of the body, flushed cheeks, occasional loss of oxygen in the brain (feels like pins and needles), weakness, shakiness and a little bit of an unstable balance.

Please stay safe and know what you are getting into before doing anything. You're life is worth it, you are worth it! Hang in there and feel free to DM me anytime.

[violetsystems]

#personal

I still haven't gotten my passport back yet. Old or new. I'm sure it's on the way but taking its sweet time. It hasn't been that big of a deal though it's a heavy inconvenience not being able to legally identify yourself. I have an expired driver's license and a lot of paperwork but that's not really good enough for most of Illinois. Work or leisure. I don't drink and don't really frequent bars anymore. I work for myself though I haven't paid myself yet this year. You have to have valid ID to be gainfully employed by someone else here. If I didn't have my life together already it would be more than annoying. I have health insurance still under a subsidy. I had my teeth cleaned earlier this week. No cavities. Mostly due to the electric toothbrush. I bought a waterpik right after. I've been so bored that I've started attacking problems I wanted to solve years ago. There's still drawers full of crap that needs to be thrown out. Lifetimes of shit do pile up if you are focused on other things like a dead end job or selfish personal relationships. I don't have either of those these days. So there really isn't any excuse for dirty drawers. I'm not planning to shit myself anytime soon to revisit the past. Which leaves the present and the future wide open. Much of that is dictated by my love of computers. I figured out how to mine finally. The open source way. I spent a lot of time in a terminal trying to apply the right definitions to scan my phone for the Pegasus spyware. I do think the results were negative so I'd rather not dwell on the past. Being a technological professional I have definitely spent a lot on electricity. That same idea of dirty drawers applies. You turn things on believing that they are ecologically friendly. It says so on the package. You don't dig enough to gather factual data to know it for sure. You get distracted by real life. Headlines. Drama. Nosy neighbors. The list goes on. And all the while, it just keeps bleeding out. I bought these smart plugs. Half of them monitor energy. The other half I didn't read the description close enough when I bought them. The ones that do measure electrical usage, I've set up in high power rooms. Both those and the low power rooms I can kill switch from my phone or whisper to my smart assistant to power off. I pay the electricity for the unit below me as well but that's more the agreement I have with my landlord. The biggest expense for me is always the AC and the heat. The appliances and everything else are just the icing on the cake. My rent has been affordable enough that with a little care and attention I can stay on budget. I never had that freedom or time to feel motivated enough to try. Now I know my razer laptop draws less than my rice cooker. Not that I'm the twelve hour rice in the rice cooker kind of guy. I have cooked chicken in it. What can I say I've had a lot of time on my hands. This happens when you can't identify yourself.

Sometimes you don't want to be identified. My past is so far behind me that it's a broken narrative. I've written about this narrative for years on this platform. I think it's a great place to write. This morning I saw a Tor books ad that looked like a regular blog post. Soon you'll be able to charge a subscription for your content if you wish. I'm not really here for that but I do think it's a great tool for creators. Bandcamp is still the easiest way for me to release music and shirts when I'm super fucking bored. But somehow five or six people always seem to support it when I do. I sold a shirt all the way out on the Ukraine once out of nowhere. I personally find it easier to mine and watch my electric bill right now then to fight to be seen as an artist. But situations do evolve over time under the right circumstances. And community is something I have never complained about Tumblr not having. Real life? Yes I have a lot of room to complain about the lack of community or respect for individual rights and will. But control over things is something I do have. And I've learned how to do that through setting boundaries for myself. I've learned a lot of those boundaries from being part of the culture down here. Unassuming. Anonymous. Hellbent on keeping it real. Chicago can sometimes be the same. It hasn't always been in the past. The fact that I'm completely disconnected from it is a large clue. The past. Not Chicago. I live here. Just like I do on Tumblr. That's a joke. But being able to write and stand my ground has given me a voice here and sometimes in the real world. Sometimes the wrong people listen. Or people get the wrong idea and make it more about them than me. But life goes on. If anything is true from what I wrote about a year ago, it's that I've both changed and stayed the same. There's things I can't escape about myself. Even if I can't prove to the state of Illinois I'm real enough to buy legal weed. Or how I've been fully vaccinated since April. Or how I can just leisurely set up a mining rig for research in my home office. How I can write here and challenge the status quo just by being the exception. Tumblr probably isn't going anywhere, anytime soon. I can't unlock any of my other social media from the past due to unfortunate circumstances related to identity and email. Not that I'm really complaining anymore. I was. As invisible as I am it feels more like a cloaking device than anything. Chicago in the news can be very dangerous and very wild. And yet, if anyone knows anything about me, I walk everywhere. Slow enough for people to follow you for blocks on end. Wanting to be seen. Worried about my safety. Worried about their safety because I left the house for once. Worried about everything. I'm not really that worried. Annoyed? Beyond annoyed. But as angry as I get, negativity does nothing for me to foster. It makes me look like every other secretly insecure white man here and just makes the turbulence around here worse.

If you have time enough to measure the difference in wattage between your rice cooker and your 6700xt gpu on full blast, you probably have time to pay attention to nuance. I pick up on the little things these days. I get that I share a porch with my neighbors and a cat. I get that I share a neighborhood too. I get that as a cis heterosexual white male I operate with privilege. It's not that hard to understand how to humble yourself in the presence of others. It's not hard to see how people have fought for rights harder than yourself. We're all fighting for the same thing. Freedom. I am understanding where I control the narrative and where I'm a guest. Where I don't have a say over other people's bodies, souls, or thoughts. I'm just as frightened by abuses or power and authority and yet they come as no surprise. I deleted everything Blizzard on my systems and am never looking back. I walk anywhere I choose freely with only a few annoyances. Jesus freaks and right wing antagonists are always up in my face trying to get a rise out of me. People think I'm a demon or haunted by some pirate ghosts. I have pretty good intuition and timing. I was a dj for like two decades. Beatmatching and pattern recognition. I get that I scare people and intimidate them just by breathing. Men are scary. Even to me. "Not all men!" Part of the reason people keep their distance from me is something I have to understand. I think we all have to understand who we are and what we can become when we live without care or intention. A lot of people just sleepwalk through this and blame the victims. They feel it's a weakness to share power. Sharing power is what cultivates freedom. But sharing power is almost pure chaos. It takes a lot of responsibility. And a lot of questioning of authority while asking the right questions and not just pinning a tail on a donkey. It's in the nuances and the people where freedom blossoms. Not in the polls or the pundits. We the people signifies something about America we ourselves have lost sight of. People buy their way into office at the behest of corporate and special interest money. The people are out there suffering while the profits guide the government. And it's really only the people who can turn this thing around. Here in Chicago, we know with our heart of hearts what to do. We have done it for so long. We survive together. We may not always like each other. We may feel like people are breathing down our necks and judging our every turn. But we always know where each other stands. We can stand to treat each other better. At least respecting that people have walls built up for protection more often than to hide something criminal. At least give people the space they need to grow. I have a lot of space to mine and play games. If I stay inside, it's so I don't rock the boat. If I go outside, just remember I have feelings too. We all could do better not to get caught up in them because we're overwhelmed by the bullshit. The bullshit we're in together. Respect is what is going to get us through. And I identify as down for the culture. As an ally you have my word. Love is the future. And the future is for everyone. <3 Tim

[pleasantllamaenthusiast]

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In Conclusion, We see that Hotspot Shield Torrent provides the best VPN solution than any other VPN app. Because it comes with preset settings that perfectly works for you as you don’t need to configure them. It doesn’t include a bundle of the button that you mess. It is just simple and easy to set up and protect you from all kinds of vulnerability on the internet. So, thanks to Hotspot Shield torrent which ensures you that you’re fully protected against Hackers, ISP or any other kind of suspicious activity. It allows the user to access unblocked websites and feel free of any hacker’s attack.

What’s new in Hotspot Shield VPN 10.9.4 Crack?

Update: It brings with the latest updates and features for all mac, iOS, and windows operating system.

Improved connectivity speed.

Fast VPN servers added with latest new IPs.

Improved: Internet surfing is now safer than the previous

Improved: Upload and downloading and working

The internal web server fixes the CVE-2018-6460 issue.

Added: New VPN IP’s add to the newer

Improved: Stability of internet connection.

New intuitive interface.

Improved: Data Privacy and protection are now secure and improved.

Fix: Other minor issue fixes.

Hotspot Shield Elite VPN Crack Main Features:

Internet Protection: The cracked Hotspot Shield gives you a standard protocol for protection against the hacker, malware, and vulnerabilities at public connections Hospital, Airport or the office.

Devices Protection: Now able to protect your mobile devices from malware.

One-Click: It is easy to use and comes with a simple

Hotspot Shield VPN hides your IP address from hackers and snoopers.

Give you complete access to the blocked domain with no restrictions.

System Performance: Smart features with great module doesn’t effect on system performance.

Simple and easy for anyone at anyplace.

The latest Update comes with Bypass Firewalls.

Wireless connection: It perfectly works on Wifi network connection.

Hide and Protect IP: Hotspot Shield VPN hides your IP by replacing the original one so that you can enjoy your internet experience without worrying about hacker’s attacks.

Pros:

Faster Speed.

Netflix compatibility in the latest update

Beautiful design with an incredible user interface.

Vast VPN Server Database Range.

It is Powerful and excellent protection and privacy features.

Cons:

Somehow there are some minor issues

Not include TOR compatibility

More expensive

Image:

System Information:

Support All version of Windows, i.e., Windows 7/8/10

Available for MAC, iPhone and other mobile devices.

HDD-Space: 40 MB

RAM: Work just fine on 512MB

Version: 12.0

How to Crack?

By First Get the free version from the official website.

Download the Hotspot Shield Crack 2021 from here.

Copy and then paste it in the installation.

activate Hotspot Shield Premium Version.

There you go!! Enjoy the full VPN and browse the internet anonymously.

Millar

Hotspot Shield VPN Elite

5

Hotspot Shield Elite VPN Crack

Mac, iOS, Android,Windows

Hotspot Shield Full Crack

Internet, Software

[sagesuede]

Privacy in the event of total internet fascism:

Internet Service Providers collect all of your internet data and can turn it over to authorities anytime.

There is currently a case (Carter vs US) in the supreme court determining if Police can legally collect private data from phone companies, etc., without a warrant.

Net Neutrality is being fought by certain assholes at the FCC that should be fired because they work for a group that is supposed to serve the people, but they are instead fighting to further comercialize internet service through inequality in service.

As a result, anonymity is becoming more necessary and may be the only way for citizens to maintain freedoms and organize safely without becoming a target:

Install a virtual computer for all anonymous activities and never use for identifiable sites, such as tumblr lol

Use secure OS on the virtual computer (Linux or Qubes)

An additional proxy would be great

Always use VPN to hide IP

Only use anonymous browsers, such as Tor and IPV

Tor bridge could add more security

Public wifi, since home router can be traced OR a dedicated router (idk how secure this is though, since routers can usually be traced to a location)

Most slip-ups occured because hackers provided personal data. They used fake names on personal accounts that they used elsewhere, stuff like that. Anonymous activities should have no connection to you.

There is a timed attack for Tor based on controlling nodes in the network which may give away your IP address, but of course VPN and other layers add additional protections. You really shouldn’t ever access the deep web without VPN anyway, because creeps can steal your IP and find out everything about you if you accidentally end up on one of those sites.

Chrome anonymous is only anonymous because it doesn’t save local files and ISP still gets all of your data. All sites with HTTP have your IP anyway and only HTTPS encrypt to hide your IP. All other browsers and OS record your activities and some even sell it or use it to profile you.

I obviously still use surface web, but I thought this seemed important regarding recent event. Stay safe and if you’re in a place where your sexuality is illegal, you can organize secretly with these methods. 💚

[abigailswager]

On Lightning, Messaging Apps Emerge as Growing Use Case

New Post has been published on https://dailybitcoinupdates.com/on-lightning-messaging-apps-emerge-as-growing-use-case/

On Lightning, Messaging Apps Emerge as Growing Use Case

“Does instant messaging over Lightning have killer application potential?”

Lightning Labs developer Joost Jager asked his Twitter followers this rhetorical when he debuted a demo for his Lightning Network messaging application, Whatsat.

Does instant messaging over Lightning have killer application potential? The world needs censorship-resistant chatting and with Lightning, compensating the network for message relay comes naturally.https://t.co/TnLI4yjM16 pic.twitter.com/GseuU4KyZo

— Joost Jager (@joostjgr) November 2, 2019

Your average Bitcoiner probably wouldn’t think of messaging as one of Lightning’s killer use cases, at least not before micropayments, streaming payments and the like. For encrypted messaging, they’d likely default to options like Signal, Keybase or Wire. 

These are certainly better than mainstream messaging apps, like Facebook’s Messenger and WhatsApp, whose encrypted options are thinly veiled save-faces that don’t offer much material confidentiality. But encrypted messaging needs to go further than privacy, Jager believes; they need censorship resistance too, and this is where Lightning-powered messaging comes in.

“The encryption part is similar, in both systems the message content is private,” Jager told Bitcoin Magazine. “The difference is that there is no central server involved. No single kill switch that could be used to shut down all communications. Or that is used more selectively to deny certain users to communicate.”

Whatsat: A New Approach to an Old Feature 

The Lightning Network has supported messages from day one, same with Bitcoin’s base layer. The Blockstream Satellite has been used in experiments around Lightning-driven messages and private text message services have leveraged Lightning payments. But recent tweeks to the protocol now make it easier to attach additional data to a payment and pass it on to other applications using type-length-value (TLV) payloads. 

TLV payloads allow people using communication protocols to attach additional, extraneous information onto a data packet. For Whatsat, this extraneous data would be the message that is bolted onto a Lightning transaction. 

The update that enabled TLV payloads paved the way for a concept like Whatsat which, alongside censorship resistance, could also make communications more private for end users, depending on how messages are sent or routed, Jager said.

“Chatting over Lightning also makes it much harder to find out who is communicating with whom. It is not required to have a direct (observable) TCP/IP connection between users and there is no central server either that could reconstruct the communication pathways,” he told us.

Lightning-powered messages (or transactions, for that matter) are onion routed, just like information passing through the Tor network. The messages are shunted from node to node, and each node can only identify the node that sent it the information or the node next in queue to receive it. 

Now, if one entity runs the majority of the nodes in a pathway then they may be able to unmask the sender and receiver, Jager admitted. 

“Privacy and security are relative concepts,” he continued.

In some cases, then, it might be better for users to set up direct payment channels with each other. For example, if a “spy” or “attacker” wanted to deanonymize a user via node surveillance, then onion routing the payment may offer significantly less privacy depending on the route, as described above. In this case, a direct payment channel would be more private. But if the surveilling party were an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and tracking TCP/IP addresses, then onion routing would be more private.

Direct channels could provide absolutely free messaging, however — something that some users might find a negligible benefit compared to potential privacy trade-offs. For instance, Lightning messaging is already a free-to-use service; when one user sends another user a message, they have to attach it to a payment, but the recipient can reject this payment after opening the message (for Whatsat, a return-to-sender message saying that the payment has been rejected serves as confirmation of the original message). 

As with Lightning payments writ large, a fee market is likely to develop for this service to route messages when a direct channel is not open. This could be seen as one of the cons, Jager said, but it’s also a trade-off some might be willing to accept for censorship-resistant, confidential communication. 

“There is the cost side, but also the benefit side,” Jager explained. “The weight of that is dependent on the awareness of users of the downsides of existing messaging systems. For most people, an imaginary world in which some authority can block two people from talking to each other in real life sounds like scary sci-fi. But it is where the vast majority of the users are at with the current state of messaging in the digital domain.”

Whatsat is currently in testnet, and its source code is on GitHub. But don’t expect a beta from Jager anytime soon. In our conversation, he mentioned that Whatsat is “only a proof of concept,” a side project of his that isn’t associated with Lightning Labs, his employer. It’s his hope that the hobby project will “inspire other people … to start developing” it further.

Sphinx Chat, a Different Approach to the Same Effect

Some developers have begun toying further with Lightning messaging, though not from Jager’s source code, and they’re close to launching a private beta.

Sphinx Chat, for instance, has been in motion for about a year. Project lead Paul Itoi told Bitcoin Magazine that its team cobbled together a prototype for a Lightning hackathon in New York in 2018. At this year’s Lightning Conference in Berlin, it released “a very hacky version to a handful of users on TestFlight,” Itoi told us, but they plan to drop a new beta version in the near future (you can register for the private beta on its website). 

(

+

)*

= https://t.co/un1f2rNX9K pic.twitter.com/DSKwAsXFqe

— Brian Murray (@murr) November 2, 2019

The application takes its name from the Sphinx protocol, an upgrade that onion routes Lightning transactions over a Tor-esque network. Whatsat leverages the same protocol to achieve a certain degree of privacy, though it differs from Sphinx Chat in that it will offer free messaging within direct channels in addition to TLV payload messaging. Sphinx Chat is focusing solely on the latter. 

“Both are similar,” Itoi told us. “But [Jager’s] is designed to avoid fees since it uses a failed payment to deliver the message. This is currently free on LN. Sphinx inserts the message in the [TLV] and uses keysend to deliver and standard fees will apply.”

TLV still has an extra step to go before it’s production ready for mass messaging, however. For LND, the Lightning instance that Sphinx Chat runs, the team still needs to enable TLV messaging from the receiver’s end; it can receive the data, but it has no way of processing it. 

Lightning Labs is tracking and working on the issue on GitHub, but until it is sorted out, Sphinx Chat will rely on specific nodes hosted by Nodl to relay messages (which have been customized to fully support TLV payloads).

“We’ll stay in beta on nodes we’re hosting until those features are officially supported,” Itoi told us.

Once out of beta, though, Sphinx Chat will be totally open-source, he continued. At this point, node operators can establish fee markets for relaying messages, same as with Whatsat. He also sees it as a complementary application to StakWork, a chore app that allows people to complete tasks for sats. For example, workers can be notified and paid through Sphinx Chat

The Future of Encrypted Messaging?

Perhaps the first question that comes to mind with Lightning Network messaging: Why use any of these developments when we already have reliable, encrypted messaging apps?

Jager admitted that this is a definite “con,” since “Lightning is complicated compared to a centralized service.” Additionally, with a decentralized system like Lightning, “it can be difficult to deliver the same user experience that people are used to. An example of this — which is just as valid for payments — is how to deliver a message to a user that is offline.”

Still, there are reasons why someone may prefer Lightning-based messaging options to more centralized alternatives. Because the Lightning Network is decentralized, these options will be more censorship resistant and resistant to service outages that result from single points of failure. Itoi also views this development as indispensable for how it couples payments and communication as a single, permissionless entity. 

“The key benefit is integrating the ability to pay and communicate under one identity,” he said. “Our core belief: the privacy and censorship resistance that Lightning provides for payments should apply equally to speech. Using Lightning for chat will accelerate the adoption of bitcoin as a medium of exchange.”

This also opens up avenues for Lightning-powered forums, which would theoretically reduce spam given that, in Sphinx Chat’s case, each message costs something. Chatting also need not be limited to humans, Itoi believes. In the future, he envisions APIs and Internet-of-Things devices sending messages and payments to each other via Lightning (sorry, IOTA).

Like many other burgeoning applications and features being built on Bitcoin, Lightning messaging still has a ways to go. Another question to consider, besides usability, is whether users will be willing to pay to chat. This model is reminiscent of the old days of pay-per-message SMS, though it will certainly be much cheaper. Lightning messaging, depending on how hard it is to route messages, could cost as little as a sat or less. 

Still, with the promise of cheap, confidential and censorship-resistant messaging on the horizon (far off as it may be), Jager is optimistic in the future of this incipient use case.

“It isn’t said that a Lightning-based messenger can’t eventually match the ease of use of existing services,” Jager explained. “There surely is a ton of work to do, but I wouldn’t say it is impossible. At the moment, people generally have no problem with existing messaging services … but that is today. The future may be different. Perhaps the existing messaging services change their business model, perhaps some scandal happens in which huge amounts of metadata are leaked … I can’t say how this all will develop, but I think it is good to explore alternatives.”

The post On Lightning, Messaging Apps Emerge as Growing Use Case appeared first on Bitcoin Magazine.

,

[batsrule-info]

Risk of Using Browser Autofill Feature

also read here - http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/browser-autofill-privacy-risk-heres-turn-off/ or http://www.thewindowsclub.com/browser-autofill-feature-could-be-a-security-risk-for-users

Everybody hates filling out web forms so some browsers offer a handy Autofill feature to automate the job for you. Unfortunately, it’s handy for hackers, too.

Hackers can abuse this feature to phish for your private information as well as credit card number, expiration date and cvc. Any website can have a lot of hidden fields that might get auto-filled and submitted without your knowledge. Take a quick look yourself:

This proof-of-concept demo website consists of a simple online web form with just two fields: name and email. But what’s not visible are many out of sight fields, including the credit card information, phone number, organization, address, postal code, city etc. There’s more than one way of coding this, for example (linked demo site):

<form action=”https://httpbin.org/post” method=”post”>

<p style=”margin-left:-500px”>

<input type=”text” name=”cc_number”>

<input type=”text” name=”cc_exp_month”>

<input type=”text” name=”cc_exp_year”>

</p></form>

Notice the “margin-left:-500px” part that displays the text field out of the victim’s vision. This is not a regular type=”hidden” field.

The same result can be achieved by creating a specially crafted container using “overflow:hidden” attribute:

<form action=”collector.php” method=”post”>

<div style=”overflow:hidden;height:35px;”>

<input id=”00″ autocomplete=”cc-number”>

<input id=”01″ autocomplete=”cc-exp-month”>

<input id=”02″ autocomplete=”cc-exp-year”>

</div></form>

These fields would also get auto-filled along with at least one visible, regular text field which is usually put in another container within the same form.

On the plus side, this method alone cannot capture passwords saved in the browser because they’re tied to a specific domain, but that’s not going to comfort someone that lost their identity and banking information.

Browsers vulnerable to the attack include Google Chrome, Apple Safari and Opera. On the other hand, if you use Mozilla Firefox or Tor, you don’t need to worry about this issue because Mozilla doesn’t support auto-filling multiple fields at once.

Since this method was first published in 2013, Chrome’s only response was implementing a warning message when credit card information is being submitted over HTTP, I am not expecting a fix anytime soon. Fraudsters can easily obtain a SSL certificate for free so I recommend disabling Autofill feature in your browser.

If you’re using Chrome, go to Settings -> Show Advanced Settings (at the bottom) -> uncheck Enable Autofill box to fill out web forms with a single click (under Passwords and Forms section).

[getters-blog-index]

Ka’rta Tor

Chapter 3

 In another time and place, a much more peaceful planet enjoyed a brief moment of respite between the forces of good and evil. Birds chirped and flowers were in bloom in the spring breeze. On the plains beyond the nearby city, a blue wind blazed across the land. It was the hero of this planet, a beacon of hope during its darkest hour. Sonic the Hedgehog ran with the breeze, feeling the wind on his face as he zoomed across the Kingdom of Acorn, a place where the free people of this world lived in harmony. It came under attack many times by the villainous robotic forces of a roboticist that goes by the name of Dr. Ivo Robotnik.

       Sonic came to a stop from his immense speed before allowing himself to fall backwards onto the grass, looking up at the blue sky and sparse white clouds. He could lay here forever, or at least until he got bored and started running again. For now, he was just enjoying the peace and quiet. It felt like a few hours before he heard the crunching of the grass nearby. The blue hedgehog turned his head to see the chipmunk that had showed up.      She certainly didn’t look regal, but she was the princess of the kingdom, Sally Acorn. She was tapping her foot, but her face held a smile. “Well, if it isn’t Lazy the Hedgehog.” She said teasingly to the resting hedgehog. He smiled and hopped onto his feet. “Hey, what about all those times I beat up robots for you? Don’t those count?”          “It doesn’t outweigh the number of times I could’ve used your help surveying the area around New Mobotropolis. After all the times we’ve been attacked, we have to make sure that there aren’t any surprises in store for us in the near future.” She was referring to the capital of the kingdom that her brother ruled. The city was the first line of defense against Robotnik alongside Sonic the Hedgehog. The people of the kingdom, mutated animals called mobians, were made up of a diverse group of creatures that came together under the rule of the Acorn monarchy, who led them into times of prosperity over the course of generations.            Sonic chuckled and nudged Sally’s shoulder. They’d all come a long way since they were younger, fighting what seemed to be a hopeless fight against Robotnik’s Empire. Who would have thought that a speed demon and a princess would’ve grown as close as they did, and that their little group would become celebrities and heroes in their own right for the world at large. Now, thanks to their actions, the world was rebuilding. Sure, the threats weren’t gone, but they were at a much better point in their lives now.           Sally seemed to get an idea of where Sonic’s train of thought had gone. “It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? The work’s never done, but you can’t stop the Freedom Fighters that easily.” She assured Sonic, maybe more for herself. “Evil Scientists, Vicious Wizards, Ancient Masterminds, Crazy Mirror Alternates. It’s hard to believe that this has been our life. It sounds like it comes straight out of a TV show.”           “Well it wouldn’t be an adventure if it was mundane, Sal.” Sonic responded. They both nodded in agreement as they continued towards the city itself. The high wall gave way to a sprawling city with simple buildings towards the outside and grew more diverse and complex towards the center, where Castle Acorn stood proud and tall over the subjects, acting as the heart of New Mobotropolis.           “I need to talk to Elias about the places the Royal Guard has already checked out, and you can pick up where they left off.” Sally explained, heading to the castle by herself, leaving Sonic to his devices. He shrugged and went to his Uncle’s restaurant, where he could grab a snack while he waited. He wouldn’t have to wait for long as his friend, a two-tailed fox named Tails, found him in the establishment.            “Hi Sonic. How’s it going?” He asked his blue friend. Sonic scarfed down the remainder of his chili dog in order to answer. “It’s been chill. Not much going on around here. Sally wants me to check out some places around the country for signs of Eggman, but I’ll be done with that in a flash. You wanna race when I get back?” Sonic challenged. Tails couldn’t help the smile that grew on his face. “You bet! I’ll beat you this time, Sonic!”            Sonic ruffled the kid’s fur playfully. The two had become close brothers, going on adventures together all the time. There was not a way in the world you could possibly separate the two. They were a package deal, and they were among the best of the best.          Almost as if on cue, Tails’ communicator rang. It was the princess. She probably expected the two to be together. “Tails, if Sonic is there, tell him that there was something suspicious going on in the western sector. The Royal Guard said they saw some weird robots, but there were none on the sensors. Nicole is doing a scan for whatever might be out there, just in case its trying to cloak itself, but you’re the fastest thing alive. If anyone can find it and stop it, it’s you.”           Sonic couldn’t help but smile. He loved action, and chances like this were growing rarer and rarer. He hopped off of his stool, Tails following his lead. “I’m on it, Sally. I’ll meet you there! Just try to keep up!” He and his friend hurried back out to the outskirts of the city. He moved swiftly across the rolling fields and the trees. There wasn’t even a sign of footprints. They could’ve been buzzbombers, but they’re loud. They would’ve heard them if it was those badniks. Something was out of place here. He settled beneath a tree next to Tails and started tapping his foot as his eyes scanned around, waiting for Sally to arrive.        The chipmunk wouldn’t keep them waiting for too long, as she arrived with Amy, another of their friends and fellow Freedom Fighter in tow. They all seemed to be perplexed by the lack of any hostile presence. “It’s not like the Royal Guard to jump at shadows. If they saw something, it’s still nearby.” Sally mused. Amy took a peek at the console that Sally had, which also housed the AI Nicole. It seemed like the Ai was processing information from the surroundings.          Sonic huffed. “Look, there’s nothing here. I’ve checked. The guards must’ve been daydreaming or something.” He concluded. The three looked at him with a stern look. “....What?” Sonic responded to the gesture. Amy saw something of note. “Hey, Nicole? What was that spike you just showed on the screen.” The AI moved back to it and revealed a holographic form of a lynx. “Hmm, I saw it earlier but I dismissed it as an error in the reading. I can take a closer look at it though, if you think it’s not just something random.”         “That would help. Thank’s Amy. Maybe that’ll be our key to solving what’s going on here.” Sally spoke up. “Tails, what about you? Did you notice anything strange since you got here?” In response, he seemed to hum as he looked over his own console screen. While Sonic was running around, he’d been searching for traces of power sources. Anything from electrical discharge, diesel, or otherwise.        Then, both Tails and Nicole piped up. “Chaos Control.” They spoke at the same time. The lynx spoke first. “You were right. The outlier actually had a frequency that we have on record. It was Chaos Control, similar to what Shadow’s used. It caused a slight space-time blip. The guards probably saw a vision of badniks. Though the source of the phenomenon seems to elude my sensors.”         Tails continued. “It’s possible that it came from the future. It’s not as strong as the Time Stones, but Chaos Emeralds HAVE shown some amount of temporal flux capabilities. Maybe someone was trying to time travel.” He elaborated on the possibilities that surrounded the mysterious circumstances. The group of five looked to each other with concern.         “So, do you think there’s going to be an invasion anytime soon? From the future or just plain from Eggman?” Sonic asked.          “It’s entirely possible. Chaos Energy is unpredictable, and just with what we’ve heard and found here, it’s not exactly enough for us to plan for. The best we can do is keep an eye out for any more phenomenons.” Tails answered. Sally and Amy both nodded. They were about to return when a burst of light struck, giving the five a vision of a far off place; A Temple, where two factions were fighting. The vision disappeared as soon as it came, barely giving them any insight on what they saw.           Nicole was the first to say something. “That was another blip. It...It might be Chaos Control...but...I’m not so sure anymore.”         “You’re right. I’ve never seen Chaos Control do that. Usually it just teleports, transports, or freezes time. Unless Shadow’s done something like that, I have a hard time believing this was just plain Chaos Control.” Sonic said sourly. Things were getting more confusing by the second...

[cryptnus-blog]

Linux Rabbit Attacks IoT Devices to Secretly Mine Monero • Live Bitcoin News

New Post has been published on https://cryptnus.com/2018/12/linux-rabbit-attacks-iot-devices-to-secretly-mine-monero-%e2%80%a2-live-bitcoin-news/

Linux Rabbit Attacks IoT Devices to Secretly Mine Monero • Live Bitcoin News

The global cryptocurrency mining malware trend isn’t coming to an end anytime soon. A newly discovered malware strain specifically targets Linux and IoT devices. This is a different approach as most of these attacks focus on Windows devices. Researchers are concerned this new mining software will only make cryptojacking an even bigger problem. Known as Linux Rabbit, this software kit packs quite the punch.

Linux Rabbit Is a Big Problem

Unlike what the name suggests, there is nothing fluffy about Linux Rabbit. It is a new type of malware recently discovered by security researchers. Its main purpose is to affect Linux servers and Internet of Things devices. The main focus of this new malware is to infect devices with cryptocurrency mining software in order to mine Monero.

Interestingly enough, this malware is rather versatile. It will not rely on just one type of Monero mining tool. Not too long ago, researchers noted cryptojacking is slowly shifting away from the CoinHive script. Instead, new tools are being used and deployed on a very large scale. It seems Linux Rabbit follows a very similar approach. It will install a cryptocurrency miner depending on the device’s infrastructure. In doing so, the criminals will attempt to increase their chances of success.

The main problem is determining the exact attack vector to distribute this malware. So far, no official “cause” has been identified by researchers. It appears attacks are limited to specific countries at this time. Even so, that doesn’t mean a global outbreak will never occur. Linux Rabbit also relies on Tor to connect with its command-and-control server. This makes it more difficult to track down the host of the server and shut it down accordingly.

Cryptojacking Remains a Big Problem

Linux Rabbit is only the latest type of malware intent on mining cryptocurrencies. The overarching trend has been very problematic for several months now. It appears criminals continue to explore cryptojacking opportunities whenever they can. Despite falling cryptocurrency prices, these efforts continue to pose major problems around the world.

Given how this type of malware is difficult to intercept, it remains to be seen how successful Linux Rabbit will be. Linux is not the most popular operating system in the world. It is often used on VPS platforms and company servers. That alone makes it a big problem as entire networks can be shut down when such servers are affected. Internet of Things devices, on the other hand, are far more commonly used by consumers.

This latest development paints a very bleak picture. Consumers and corporations will need to take device security a lot more seriously. This is especially true where internet-connected machines are concerned. Cryptojacking is a very serious threat which will not disappear anytime soon. Instead, it seems this threat becomes more prevalent despite the best efforts by security researchers.

What do you think about this new malware threat? Let us know in the comments below.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock.

Tags: Linux Rabbit, Mining Malware, Monero

[bitcoinegoldrush]

Edward Snowden Launches Open Source Safe Room App

Technology & Security

Smartphones aren’t just about basic communication. They hold intensely personal information, financial records, hordes of cryptocurrencies. As valuable as they are to owners, they’re at least that or more to those who might do harm. Dissident Edward Snowden is helping to launch Haven, an open source project designed to help protect investigative journalists, human rights defenders, and government corruption whistleblowers.

Also read: Ron Paul, Tequila, Sun, Fun, and Crypto

Snowden Offers Peace of Mind Application in Public Beta

“Haven is for people who need a way to protect their personal spaces and possessions without compromising their own privacy,” the project’s Github explains. “It is an Android application that leverages on-device sensors to provide monitoring and protection of physical spaces. Haven turns any Android phone into a motion, sound, vibration and light detector, watching for unexpected guests and unwanted intruders.”

It’s the pet project of noted US government whistleblower Edward Snowden. He’s best known for having run afoul of the one hundred year old Espionage Act and stealing government documents. As a CIA contractor, he evidently obtained unauthorized access to previously publicly unknown surveillance nets used by governments and telecommunication giants. The sensitivity of the information he nabbed meant immediate efforts to seek asylum, and he eventually was accepted by Russia in 2013. Excerpts from Mr. Snowden’s documents were published in The Guardian, Washington Post, New York Times, Le Monde, and Der Spiegel.

The open source, beta release was initially meant for “investigative journalists, human rights defenders, and people at risk of forced disappearance to create a new kind of herd immunity. By combining the array of sensors found in any smartphone, with the world’s most secure communications technologies, like Signal and Tor, Haven prevents the worst kind of people from silencing citizens without getting caught in the act,” the site claims.

The application came about through funding from the Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF), an organization designed to give support to whistleblowers like Mr. Snowden and in the tradition of Daniel Ellsberg, not to mention journalists such as Glenn Greenwald. FPF was instrumental in developing Secure Drop, originally conceived by Aaron Swartz, assisting as a go-around for Wikileaks, thwarting the cabal to block its funding.

Intercept Journalist Gives it a Whirl

Investigative journalist Micah Lee of The Intercept notes his entire professional livelihood is contained on his laptop and other devices. He follows encryption protocols, but that wouldn’t prevent tampering without his knowing. “If I come back and continue to use my compromised computer, the attacker could gain access to everything,” he writes. The application “only saves images and sound when triggered by motion or volume, and stores everything locally on the device,” according to the site. “You can position the device’s camera to capture visible motion, or set your phone somewhere discreet to just listen for noises. Get secure notifications of intrusion events instantly and access the logs remotely or anytime later.”

Mr. Lee, who helped in developing Haven, points to its potential limitations. False positives are probably the easiest example. Having settings designed to be extra sensitive would capture routine goings-on, taking up valuable space and possibly contributing to undue paranoia. “You definitely need a separate Android device to use Haven effectively,” he warns. “A clever attacker who knows that you’re using Haven could jam the wifi, mobile data, and SMS wireless frequencies, preventing Haven from sending you notifications. The attacker could then attempt to access the phone to delete the local evidence logs from the device as well,” he points out.

Less obviously, “If an attacker can both jam your Haven phone’s radio signals and also hack into it to delete the evidence of intrusion,” Mr. Lee continues, “it’s possible for them to then still do an evil maid attack on your laptop without getting caught.” There also a lot of little steps to make a so-called safe room. A couple of times Mr. Lee “positioned my Haven phone in the right place, made sure it was connected to wifi so I could get notifications, and plugged in so the battery wouldn’t die, but then forgot to actually activate the app. Several hours later when I returned to my room and found the Haven phone deactivated, I had no way of knowing if an intrusion occurred or not.”

As with any beta rollout, there are bugs to be found, and that’s why the code has been released open source. Everyone is encouraged to contribute to making the application that much more secure and usable, rather than just a way to pick up loud noises.

For now, it’s only available through Google Play. Apple users will have to wait for a direct application, the project insists, but in the meantime can snag an Android burner phone, and then if “you run Signal on your iPhone, you can configure Haven on Android to send encrypted notifications, with photos and audio, directly to you. If you enable the Tor Onion Service feature in Haven (requires installing Orbot app as well), you can remotely access all Haven log data from your iPhone, using the Onion Browser app,” they urge.

What do you think about Snowden’s app? Let us know in the comments below.

Images via Shutterstock, Cboe, and Pixabay. 

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Article Source

The post Edward Snowden Launches Open Source Safe Room App appeared first on Bitcoin E-Gold Rush.

[onlineblackmarket-blog]

There's A Bitcoin Bounty Out On Those Supposed 'Evolution' Drug Market ScammersAfter Maximilian S.'s surprising confession at the end of September, the administering judge, Norbert Göbel, discovered him guilty of building and running the Shiny Flakes online shop. Described as the brand-new digital currency that online drug-dealers have actually begun to embrace due to the fact that it allows them to perform service with more privacy, the cost of two-year-old Monero increased lately, owned by the statement of several darknet markets to accept Monero as payment. When the initial Silk Road was seized in less than a month, a new darknet market took the reigns. Investigators think that the sale of a weapon through the darknet provides a little explanation as to how a young man who had actually been treated with mental disorder was able to acquire a weapon undiscovered.<br/>A lot of markets are also established as 'hidden services' under privacy networks like freenet, tor, or i2p, although there do exist some 'clearnet' markets that operate over standard HTTP/HTTPS. It stays to be seen, however, what steps the European authorities will take versus digital exchanges considering that Bitcoin seems to have been utilized for a specific to acquire a weapon on the darknet in order to eliminate as lots of targeted people as possible in his path. Co-op vendors are thoroughly evaluated so our vendors are the very best on the darknet.<br/>Down -Vendor from Alphabay, Dream & Nucleus - UK's leading Xanax supplier offering the least expensive prices on the darknet. Black markets and decentralized markets online are not going anywhere anytime quickly. Its primary appeal is full privacy, making it potentially extremely appealing for darknet markets, specifically considering the periodically crowded bitcoin network. The research study noted that markets had steady sales balancing between $300,000 to $500,000 a day, which considerably surpasses Silk Roadway's experimental starts in early 2011.<br/>This classification is for markets that require a welcome code or a recommendation link in order to register. Ultimately, all the proof disclosed thus far indicates that declared darknet dealerships can practically just get caught if they make errors-- echoing the case of Ross Ulbricht, who was just recently founded guilty in the United States for masterminding the digital black market Silk Roadway. The only advantage about this market is the variety/hugeness of it, it has more items for each of its classifications then the majority of the marketplaces combined.<br/>Out of the a number of German media reports, only one mentions Bitcoin; nevertheless, it does so by specifying that the darknet markets frequently utilize Bitcoin as a form of payment. It had not struck me to search for an inhaler on the dark net up until Jackie recommended it. She does not really understand much about the marketplaces beyond things I have actually informed her, however she asked me one night if you might buy inhalers on them. Chiappani explained that given that working individually was practically essential for darknet crime, no connection to criminal conspiracy existed.<br/>Dash, a cryptocurrency that previously passed the name Darkcoin, got significant media attention when a few mid-sized markets implemented it in 2014. Beyond evaluations on the marketplace, there are likewise several dark net market communities (such as the darknet markets subreddit and DeepDotWeb) where purchasers talk about vendors and caution about rip-offs. Some individuals think that utilizing darknet markets as a buyer is exceptionally hazardous and they do not feel comfortable doing so due to the fact that they think if a few grams of weed is sent out to them that they will certainly go to jail.<br/> <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/eyeing-blackberry-customers-symantec-buys-secure-email-app-maker-nitrodesk/">http://www.zdnet.com/article/eyeing-blackberry-customers-symantec-buys-secure-email-app-maker-nitrodesk/</a> But this is not the very first time a darknet market received a ransom note throughout a DDoS attack. I would advise them and I truly hope they can stay and turn into one of our primary markets.  <a href="https://news.bitcoin.com/signatura-authentication-bitcoin/">https://news.bitcoin.com/signatura-authentication-bitcoin/</a> In reality, the Italian Darknet Neighborhood (IDC) took the form of an online forum instead of a traditional market. A member of the deep web community chose to share some knowledge on a recent string of thefts amongst various users on numerous markets. Mediators of Agora and all other peoples reading this, please have a look at this marketplace and see exactly what a darknet marketplace have to resemble.<br/>There  is actually a  sizable  number of  causes that will  compel a Darknet Market to go offline. Scams,  Arrests and  ungovernable workloads  with respect to the  administrators  are generally  commonplace reasons why darknet markets die. But there are  at the same time  brand-new marketplaces  coming out on the darknet at a very fast rate..  Take a look at this <a href="https://www.alphabaymarket.net/list-of-darknet-markets">List of Darknet Markets</a>to  discover  what  markets are still  online..

[alphabayurl-blog]

Untraceable Cryptocurrency Monero Is Thriving.

When cops took 4.1 million euros worth of drugs from his youth bed room, the unlikely career of a darknet dealership ended. It, or comparable innovation, has actually been highlighted in many programs, such as Black Is The Brand-new Orange" as well as Criminal Minds." This often, to be sure, occurs in the context of black markets online. Down - A brand-new discussion online forum similar to The HUB, for markets and OPSEC discussion. Numerous geographically targeted darknet markets have actually also multiplied following the fall of the major early dark markets. This is especially crucial in case a Tor relay has been jeopardized to find users on the darknet (has been done prior to). I understand precisely what the problem with you men is, you can't open a supplier account trigger you need an invitation, now you guys are pist cause everybody can see clearly see that this site is a transformation on darknet markets. Busted - Well known German Vendor operating on the marketplaces and opened his own vendor shop as well as a clearnet site. The admin, who wants to remain anonymous, discovered that other markets were being assaulted as well. The BKA likewise said that previous operations targeting darknet platforms have seen five marketplaces taken offline in 2015. On Sunday, somebody tried to hack a darknet market concentrated on offering hacking tools with a distributed rejection of service attack, a common and simple way to mount a cyberattack, which works by flooding a website with bogus traffic to overload it. In a quote to preserve the safety of its users', one online marketplace that has actually prohibited the sale of fentanyl is Darknet Heroes League (DHL). A lot of markets will permit you to navigate to your profile page and set it to your nation's currency. It appears, nevertheless, that there is a connection between fentanyl-related deaths and darknet markets. Some have hypothesized that Ethereum's spike might be due to the darknet market (DNM) Alphabay including ether to the DNMs payment options. Judge Göbel mentioned on the grounds for the sentence as well as on the digitization of the drug trade, which has ended up being an alternative to the conventional trade by methods of darknet black markets and confidential payment techniques. The Darknet Avengers forum is run by the very cork ever damaging purchasers, the gentlman suppliers do not require them. In my opinion markets in basic must get rid of the ability for vendors to get FE privileges. Down -Supplier from Alphabay, Dream & Nucleus - UK's leading Xanax supplier offering the most inexpensive costs on the darknet. Black markets and decentralized markets online are not going anywhere anytime quickly. Its primary appeal is full privacy, making it potentially extremely appealing for darknet markets, particularly considering the periodically congested bitcoin network. The study kept in mind that markets had steady sales balancing in between $300,000 to $500,000 a day, which significantly goes beyond Silk Road's speculative starts in early 2011. There is truly a extensive volume of grounds which may trigger a Darknet Market to close.Exit scams and police raids happen to be amongst the more standard.. Although there are also new marketplaces emerging on the darknet at a considerably rapid scale.. This Updated darknet market list is up-dated routinely using data about which ones are actually still operating.

[simplesecurity-blog]

Simple Security

As most of us now know, internet and phone security is becoming more and more of a concern for everyday people.  Thanks largely to people like Ed Snowden and Wikileaks, it is now widely known that groups like the NSA and the CIA have developed the ability to penetrate and control almost any communications device in the world.  Major companies that store the credit cards and personal information of millions of people get hacked almost every day.  A whole economy exists around the vast databases that exist to store your browsing habits, shopping history, and the records of virtually anything you do on the internet.  We've moved from the country to the city in terms of security and privacy - it's become time to learn how to start locking your doors.

I'll share some tools and practices that I use on my phone and laptop, but the most important thing is begin to change how you think about security.  Spend a few moments to consider who and what you're trying to protect against.  Most people are not going to go to the lengths of a journalist investigating the military industrial complex or an activist trying to evade state surveillance.  If that describes you, you should already know everything in here.  For those who are interested, the book Beyond Fear, by security researcher Bruce Schneier, is an excellent read on changing the way you think about security and privacy.

Most people are looking for ways to protect against identity theft and viruses, keep their internet activity out of as many databases as possible, and make work a little harder for any surveillance bureaucracies who might be glancing their way.  Some of this might make your online life a little more inconvenient; it's up to you to decide what's worth it.

Habits

Use different passwords for different sites.  It is inevitable that a company with whom you have an account will be hacked, and the attackers will get your username and password.  If you use one username and password for everything, they will now have access to your email, your online banking, and anything else that uses that username/password combination.  Having different passwords will make this significantly more difficult.  At the very least, have several different passwords - a unique password for your email, a different one for your facebook or bank, a general one for things you don't care about.  Write them down if you have to.

Don't allow any site to store your credit card info.  Uncheck the box that says "Remember this card".  They keep all that card information in databases, and those databases are not secure.  Honestly, when you start paying attention to how often major companies have their databases stolen it's a wonder that any of us trust them at all.

Use a lock screen on your device.  For phones, a numeric pin is probably the best, but anything that keeps your phone locked is important in case your phone gets lost or stolen.  For computers, make sure that your screen locks after a short period of inactivity, or when the lid is closed.  While it can be annoying to enter a password so often, this is the first line of defense if your device is ever lost or stolen.  A device without a lock screen is like a house with no locks on the door.  Anytime you're not home, someone can just walk right in.

Pay attention to emails that seem fishy.  No bank or internet company will ever ask you to send your password or other personal info in an email.  Call them if you're not sure about an email, especially your bank.  Avoid clicking suspicious links from email contacts - double check with them if a link is by itself, or is contained in an email that doesn't seem like their usual writing style, as their email may have been hacked.

When downloading anything from an unknown source, check the filename to make sure it's what you're expecting.  Look at the filename extension (.avi, .exe, etc...).  If you’re using bittorrent, make sure the torrent title follows the naming conventions of other similar torrents, and check the filenames before you open anything.

Install updates regularly, just make sure they come through the normal update channel for your software and not through some weird looking popup.  Updates often contain security patches.

Never click anything in a popup you're not expecting to see.  Your windows is not going to run faster, you're not infected with 10 million viruses, you didn't win a million dollars.

Tools

Signal - An app for your phone that can replace your regular texting app, Signal encrypts any messages sent to other Signal users, and can encrypt all the texts stored on your device.  This makes it significantly harder for any attacker to intercept and read your messages.  Easy to use, free and open source, and generally trusted by security experts.  Signal was developed by a badass anarchist named Moxie Marlinspike - read more here (https://moxie.org/).

WhatsApp - Also for your phone, WhatsApp uses the same protocol as Signal, and is generally a good choice for international messaging.

HTTPS Everywhere - developed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, forces your browser to use encrypted connections whenever possible.  Helps keep your browsing safe from anyone who might be intercepting your internet traffic.

Disconnect.me - Blocks connections to 3rd-party websites (i.e., not the ones you're trying to look at) that collect browsing data through ads and plugins.  Helps keep your info out of marketing databases.  Just the free version is probably fine, though there’s a premium upgrade as well.

Adblock Plus, Adblock for Youtube - does exactly what it says, not only making your internet experience way more pleasant, but also keeping your info out of the hands of ad companies.

Tor - Probably a step beyond useful for most people, Tor makes it very difficult to identify an internet user by send their traffic through a network of volunteer maintained servers around the world.  Slow, but essential for some people in particular situations.  Try the Tor Browser Bundle for the simplest experience, but if you're not already using it, you probably don't need to.

Other general tools and practices

VPN - More and more people are using VPNs to connect to the internet.  A VPN (Virtual Private Network) sends all traffic though an encrypted connection before it goes out into the world.  That protects it from ISPs (like Comcast, Verizon, etc...) who want to harvest your data for marketing and surveillance purposes.  It's probably worth paying for a subscription -  there are many out there but look for one whose privacy policies state that do not retain any logs of internet use.  A useful guide is here (https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-anonymous-review-2017-170304/) and AirVPN seems like a good choice to me. [Edit: after a bit more research, AirVPN gets  very mixed reviews.  May or may not be a good choice.]

Full disk encryption - There are different ways to do this, but it basically makes all the data on your device inaccessible without a password or PIN.  Most newer Apple and Android phones have this enabled by default (check your security settings on your phone to be sure).  For computers, it can be a bit more difficult but it's still totally doable - look up a guide for your type of device or ask a tech-savvy friend.

Incognito mode - Most modern browsers have a private browsing mode (Incognito in Chrome, Private Browsing in Firefox, InPrivate in Edge and Internet Explorer).  Websites visited in incognito mode will not be able to save any data on your device - web history, cookies, cache data, etc.  This is one of the major ways that companies like Facebook track your activity beyond their website.  However, it does nothing to keep websites from tracking your activity on their end.

Antivirus/Anti-malware - While built-in antivirus solutions have definitely gotten better, it's still probably a good idea to run antivirus and anti-malware software.  There are many out there, the names that come up well in reviews are BitDefender, Kaspersky, MalwareBytes, and Avira.  Check reviews, decide whether you're willing to subscribe to a paid service, and make sure that whatever application you install runs regularly scheduled scans and updates.  Here's a good place to start: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-antivirus,review-2588.html

Other notes

-Everyone probably knows this already, but social media makes all of its money harvesting and selling your personal data.  That data then gets used in ways that you may not be aware of or at all ok with.  For an extreme example concerning the recent US election - check out Cambridge Analytica (https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/how-our-likes-helped-trump-win).  Someday we will all look back and be horrified that we didn't just delete our facebook already.

-Your devices are increasingly likely to be searched at international borders, particular the US border.  Border and Customs agents can and will look through your emails, texts, and social media profiles.  The best way to avoid this is probably to factory reset your device before you cross the border, or keep your data at home or in the cloud with no passwords stored on your device.  It's an emerging area of concern and there doesn't seem to be a consensus on the best way to deal with it.

-If you are an activisty type you probably already know this, but leave your phone at home or at least turned off if you are going to a protest.  Police agencies use tools to identify protest participants by their devices, and any arrestees will likely have their devices seized and searched.  

Further reading

- https://arstechnica.com/security/2016/12/a-beginners-guide-to-beefing-up-your-privacy-and-security-online/ - https://ssd.eff.org/