Security and Privacy
This is a list of references and applications related to security and privacy. I’ve used these or find them interesting but
this is only my opinion, not a professional recommendation.
Contents
General
- Awesome Security - a list of security resources
- EFF Security Starter Pack
- National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)
- ActionFraud - UK Police organisation dedicated to fighting fraud, specifically online.
VPN’s
A VPN encrypts all of the traffic going in and out of the network on your computer (or mobile). A global public VPN offers not only a private channel from your computer but also offers remote end points in various places around the world. That might be useful if you want to hide your actual location but is also useful as a traveller if you need maximum performance.
VPN’s are particularly valuable when you connect to networks - especially Wi-Fi - here you cannot be sure of their security. Hotel and coffee shop Wi-Fi networks, for example, are notorious for serious security issues that can leak information but also allow malware to be inserted to your computer.
Sadly, you cannot trust all of the VPN reviews out there. Too many push services based on what everyone else says or by how much money they can make off advertising. You can’t trust all of the VPN services either. So choosing a good VPN is hard. You need to think carefully about your risks and about the features you really need.
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VPN.ac - Global public VPN service with some interesting features such as double-hop end points, availability in China (thanks to obfuscation features), mobile clients and a lightweight browser extension (Chrome) for when a full VPN client might be too much. Reasonably priced with excellent performance, no logs kept. Reviews: BestVPN (2017), Security Gladiators(2017), VPN Mentor (2017). Reviewers in the know seem to rate this service highly.
It took me a long time to come to a decision but VPN.ac seem to provide a decent balance of security and capabilities, excellent performance, all at a very reasonable price.
Deep Web Searches
These services may be useful for tracking down attackers, finding origins and particularly for discovering whether any of your own information has leaked onto the Internet.
- Pipl - Useful site to track down people based on email names. Links to other sites for details, some of which are US only and/or paid services.
Corrections and Contributions
- Corrections are always gratefully received
- Please check for duplicates before suggesting a new contribution
- Either create a pull request or raise an issue
- Keep descriptions short, simple and unbiased
Thanks for your help and support.