CypherHackz.Net » Security

Use HTTPS When Login To Social Websites

CypherHackz — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:58:57 +0000

Everyday, I will login into my Facebook account to check the updates from my friends and also to reply their comments. But at the Facebook login page, I always change the protocol from HTTP to HTTPS (also known as Hyper Text Transfer Protocol with Secure Socket Layer) before I login. This is to ensure when I clicked the submit button, my username and password transmitted across the network to the Facebook server are secured.

Use HTTPS instead of HTTP

Why is it important to login using HTTPS instead of HTTP? From what I know, when you browsing using HTTP, the data sending from your browser to the server is not encrypted. A hacker with his knowledge and skills will able to capture the packets and can read the data as plain text.

But when using HTTPS, the data will be encrypted with the server public key and only the server can decrypt back the data with its own private key. So, even though a hacker can captures your packets but he will not able to interpret the data because he don’t have the private key to decrypt it.

Facebook 1024 bits Public Key

Normally, online shopping and online banking websites such as Maybank2U using this protocol as default to ensure the security of their customer login information. Like Maybank2U, it using 1024 bits key length for the public key and private key same like with Facebook.

If you want to know more about how the public and private key work, how to generate public and private key, you can google for “public key infrastructure“. This was my project topic during my final year in UTM. It is very interesting and I really recommend you to read it.

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Conficker Eye Chart – Has your PC been infected?

CypherHackz — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:18:33 +0000

It looks like my PC is clean from Conficker worm.

How to find out if your PC has been infected by Conficker worm? By browsing to Conficker Eye Chart webpage, you will get the answer.

Conficker worm blocks access to over 100 security websites and the Conficker Eye Chart displays images from several of those websites. If your browser fails to load any one of the images, then there is a good chance that your computer has been infected by Conficker.

If your PC has been infected, there are several tools that you can use to fix the issue. Conficker Working Group has provided us nine tools that you can use to solve the problem. Pick the one that you like and run it in your system. Good luck!

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USB WriteProtector – Protects Your USB Drives From Viruses

CypherHackz — Sat, 16 May 2009 01:47:35 +0000

We always use USB thumb drives or USB external drives as our portable storages. The size is small and lightweight make it easier for us to bring it anywhere we go. But, did you know, most of computer virus infections come from USB drives? I will tell you how the infection works in a few paragraphs later.

USB WriteProtector is a freeware software that can enable or disable the write function to USB through Windows registry. When you choose, “USB write protection ON”, USB WriteProtector will change the USB write value in registry to 0. When the write function is disabled, we cannot write anything such as paste, save, or create new files in our connected USB drives. To enable the USB write function, just choose “USB write protection OFF” to allow write access to our USB drives.

Ok now, how a virus can spread its infection? When you plug in your USB drive to an infected computer, the virus from the computer will copy itself into your USB drive and create autorun.inf file. This file will execute the virus inside your USB drive when you double-click the USB drive icon in My Computer. When the virus is triggered, it will infect your computer and will do the same infection to other connected USB drives.

With USB WriteProtector, you can block the write access to any USB drives. Before you connect a USB drive, make sure to “USB write protection ON” and then plug in your USB drive. If the computer contains a virus, it will unable to write itself to your USB drive because of write access is disabled. Then, when you want to copy or write a data into your USB drive, just turn off the write protection using USB WriteProtector and copy the data you want to your USB drive.

In my opinion, all cybercafe owners should install this tool in their computers to protect the customers’ USB drives from virus infections. But the problem is, how to teach the customer, or how to let them know about this tool before they can connect the USB drives to the computer?

Download USB WriteProtector

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Barack Obama Worm Attacks

CypherHackz — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:33:53 +0000

What will do if U.S. President Barack Obama’s face, pop up on your desktop every Monday morning? That is not a joke. It is the Obama worm.

The Obama worm was first spotted last Monday after it infected PCs at a preparatory school in Metairie, Luisiana and was first reported by Walling Data, a value-added reseller in Claremont, North Carolina. Because the damage is not big and only infected a few systems, the antivirus companies does not considered it as a serious threat.

It spreads via USB drive and install itself automatically when you insert the USB drive to the system. It is like the Brontok viruses where it using the Windows autorun feature to spread the attack. Luckily, Obama worm does not steal your credit card number or turn your PC into a remote-controlled zombie system. It is designed to float a small picture of Obama at the bottom right corner of your desktop all day every Monday.

But because it is so badly written, the Obama worm gradually renders any PC it is run on completely useless. It is also hard to know whether your PC have been infected or not because Obama worm is not detected by any antivirus programs. But, if you see Obama face on your desktop on Monday, that’s mean you already infected with the Obama worm.

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Sign in to Gmail via Secure Internet Connection

CypherHackz — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:09:52 +0000

It is recommend for you to have a secure connection network between your PC and the Gmail server. Let say if you login to Gmail using a public network like wireless or hotspot in Starbucks, someone can tamper or see the sensitive information transferred from your PC to the Gmail server. This is because the network you are using is not secure and is open to everybody.

Non-secure networks make it easier for someone to impersonate you and gain full access to your Google account, including any sensitive data it may contain like bank statements or online log-in credentials.

To check whether you are in a secure connection or not, check that the protocol that being used is https at the address bar. And also, there is a Lock icon at the bottom right corner of your browser (Firefox).

HTTPS protocol at the address bar

When you have both of them, that’s mean you are in a secure connection. No one can tamper or modify or spying on the data transferred between you and the Gmail server. You are now safe and secure to send emails, at least.

Lock icon at the status bar

Enable the function

To enable this function, in Gmail, go to Settings. Under General tab, scroll down to the bottom and tick Always use https at Browser connection. After you clicked on the Save Changes button, Gmail will log you out and you have to login back but now, you will use https protocol.

Take note, when you are in a secure connection, Gmail speed will be decreased. This is because every data that you transfer will be encrypted first before your browser can send the data to the Gmail server.

Please note that selecting ‘Always use https’ will prevent you from accessing Gmail via HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). In addition, it may make Gmail a bit slower. If you trust the security of your network, you can turn this feature off at any time.

Although it is not necessary to always connect to Gmail in a secure connection, but in my opinion, it is better to have this function enabled. We don’t know, maybe today, tomorrow, or later, someone might able to get our sensitive data just because we are too lazy or don’t want to use the security feature that have been provided by Google.

For more information about this feature, you can read at Enabling the HTTPS setting.

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Submit suspicious file to VirusTotal

CypherHackz — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:04:49 +0000

When you found a suspicious file, you might want to scan it using your favourite antivirus scanner. But do you think that your antivirus gives 100% accurate result? Or, would you like to scan the suspicious file using more than 30 antivirus scanners which of course will produce a better output?

VirusTotal is a website that provides you the solution to scan a file with more than 30 antivirus scanners. You just need to submit the suspicious file to VirusTotal and then VirusTotal will start scanning the file. After a few minutes, VirusTotal will give you the results from its 37 antivirus scanners.

Although VirusTotal can scan a file using 37 antivirus scanners but it does not mean your PC is protected from viruses. It only can scan a single file and it is on demand. There is no way a website (VirusTotal) can protect your PC 24/7. You have to install antivirus like Kaspersky Antivirus and make sure to run it in real-time mode.

So, if you are curious about a file containing viruses, you might want to submit the file to VirusTotal for virus scanning. Don’t use VirusTotal as a complete antivirus solution for your PC. It is just a scanner and not eliminate them.

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Encrypt your confidential file using TrueCrypt

CypherHackz — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:30:16 +0000

If you have a top secret and confidential data, where you will save it? Will you put it on your Windows desktop? Or put it in your My Documents? Of course you will answer NO to these two questions, right? If we do not secure our confidential data or file, there is no point we classified it as confidential. So we need a special mechanism that can protect the data. And another question is, what mechanism that we can use?

I choose TrueCrypt. TrueCrypt is a free open source software that able to create file container which you can use as virtual drive on your computer. The file container is encrypted depending on the encryption algorithm that you choose upon the creation of the file. You are also required to enter password to protect the file container.

The file container is like a normal file that you can copy, delete, cut and paste on any digital media storage such thumbdrive. Although you create the file container in Windows, but you also can open it in Linux platform as long as you have TrueCrypt installed in the operating system.

Lets go back to my example above. If I have a confidential file that I want to encrypt, I will create a file container using TrueCrypt and then mount the file to the computer. TrueCrypt will prompt you to enter the password. If the password is correct, TrueCrypt will mount the file container.

The mounted file will become virtual drive on my computer with drive letter Z:, Y:, etc, just like normal hard disk. Open the drive and save the file into it. Make sure that, you un-mount the virtual drive because the file is viewable if you leave the virtual drive open just like that. It is not encrypted as long as the drive is mounted.

If you afraid that someone will delete the file container, you can use TrueCrypt to make a encrypted partition. This is more secure but it is not mobile. You can’t transfer the partition to other storage media like file container. Unless if you encrypt thumbdrive.

Main features of TrueCrypt are as follows,

Creates a virtual encrypted disk within a file and mounts it as a real disk.
Encrypts an entire partition or storage device such as USB flash drive or hard drive.
Encrypts a partition or drive where Windows is installed (pre-boot authentication).
Encryption is automatic, real-time (on-the-fly) and transparent.
Provides two levels of plausible deniability, in case an adversary forces you to reveal the password:
1. Hidden volume (steganography) and hidden operating system.
2. No TrueCrypt volume can be identified (volumes cannot be distinguished from random data).
Encryption algorithms: AES-256, Serpent, and Twofish. Mode of operation: XTS.

I have using TrueCrypt for months and so far TrueCrypt is really good encryption software. So far, I never heard that someone had cracked the encryption. In my opinion, this software is a must have to everyone to store their private or personal files that they have. For more info, you can read TrueCrypt FAQ.

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Delete or Erase files with Eraser

CypherHackz — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:55:31 +0000

I use my PC mostly for blogging, internet surfing and sometimes pay bills online. I also store sensitive information such as my education grades (this can be sensitive information too :p ) in my PC. Everything that I do and files that I saved are recorded and stored into the hard disk. Even though I have deleted the files and removed “the traces”, they are still exist in my hard disk.

Maybe you have heard about this. When we delete a file, the file that we have deleted is not removed from our hard disk entirely. It is still exist in our hard disk but the operating system doesn’t know where to find it because the first byte of the file has been changed to E5 (a HEX value). The data is still remains on the hard disk unchanged unless when a new data is written on it.

If you have sensitive documents in your PC or you don’t want somebody else found what you did with the PC, you can wipe your traces by using Eraser. Eraser is a powerful tool that can help you to cover up your tracks. This freeware tool will overwrite the file up to 35 times when using Guttmann technique.

Let say you saved your medical report in your PC and want to delete it. You can Shift + Delete the file but as I mentioned earlier, the file is still exist on the hard disk as long as no new data been written on it. So, use Eraser and delete the file entirely.

Eraser provides many features. You can use it to delete and move files or folders securely. It also can remove everything in your Recycle Bin in just a snap. Just right click on the Recycle Bin icon and choose which technique that you want to use to clean up your Recycle Bin.

Works with Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP (32/64),Vista (32/64), Windows Server 2003 and DOS. It works with any drive including IDE, SCSI and RAID, and CD-RW’s.
Uses the Guttmann (Default), Pseudorandom Data and US DoD 5220-22.M methods.
Erases Files and Folders.
Erases Files/Folders that were only previously ‘deleted’.
Erases all hard drives using ‘Darik’s Boot and Nuke’ method.
Erases Index.dat on Reboot
Erases Encrypted Files and Drives.
Erases FreeSpace on 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP and DOS.
Erases contents of the Recycle Bin.
Erases Compressed Files and Drives.
Erases Network Files, Floppy Disks, CD-RW, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW.
Erases Windows Temporary Files.
Erases Internet Cookies.
Erases Paging (swap) file.
Erases Internet Cache.
Appears as an ‘Erase’ option on the Context Menu of Windows Explorer and Recycle Bin.
Comes with an Eraser Scheduler that allows you to create user-defined tasks.
Defeats File Recovery software applications Hardware tools.
Supports FAT32 and NTFS Files Systems.
Eraser is easy to use and comes with a dedicated support network.

Another great feature that I like in Eraser is, you can overwrite free spaces in your hard disk by using Eraser. With this, your privacy will be protected because the unallocated data on the hard disk will be wiped out completely.

Your credit card numbers, bank account number and everything that you keep in your PC can be recoverable even you have deleted them from your PC. Use Eraser! There is no business issue here. I get nothing when promoting this software. I just want to share with you this tip so you can protect your privacy and no one will be able to compromise you in the future.

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Kaspersky 2009 is available now!

CypherHackz — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:57:31 +0000

Note: This article contains valid activation key for 6 months period Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 product.

I am a legal Kaspersky Internet Security (KIS) user and have waiting this new version to come out for long time. I really wanted to see its new interface and the new features in this new version.

Although I am eligible to be a beta tester for Kaspersky product but I keep myself away because I want to make it as a surprise to myself. The new version of Kaspersky Antivirus (KAV) and KIS have been released. And I have upgraded and protect my PC with the latest KIS version!

The new interface in Kaspersky 2009.

The reason I am using KIS because it has all security features that I want for my PC. KIS is not just an ordinary antivirus. It has firewall, anti-phishers, anti-spam and some other security modules built into it. For me, it is a complete security solution for home and internet user like me.

If you an existing Kaspersky customer, you can download the installation file directly from their server. It is strongly recommend to uninstall the previous version first before you proceed to install the latest version. This is because, Kaspersky 2009 is different from the previous versions. But make sure to keep your license key with you because when you do complete remove, everything will be gone.

So guys, if you are not using Kaspersky yet, try it for 30 days trial first. Then, if you interested to continue using it, you can purchase the license for only $39.95USD for KAV and $59.95 for KIS. And Kaspersky have their own community too. Check it out!

Bonus: Here is the activation key that you can use to get 6 months free KIS 2009 trial,

T6B6K-8YK22-VBQH7-ZUZJG

Just copy and paste in the activation form during KIS 2009 installation. Make sure you use this key before run the trial version. Or you also can request key file at Kaspersky Activation page. Enter the activation key and click Next. Ignore the Customer ID and Password. Then you will be given a link to download the key file as your backup copy.

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RoboForm – Remembers Passwords So You Don’t Have To

CypherHackz — Wed, 07 May 2008 04:04:44 +0000

In our daily life, Internet is so important. We use the internet to check our emails, login into our online bank account, login to Paypal, check your feed news, and many more. Each of the website requires you to enter your username and password before you can use the services provided. One of the good methods to secure your accounts is to use different password for each account you have. But, the problem to human being is, some of them can’t remember all the passwords they use.

So, is there has any method or software that can helps us to remember all the passwords? Firefox has the feature to remember the password we entered and we only need to remember the master password. But, how about if we want to login from someone PC? Like your friend’s PC for example. Your passwords are stored in your PC and not in your friend’s PC. So, how can you login to your account if you can’t remember the password? And even if you remember the password, are you sure your friend’s PC is safe? No keylogger installed?

RoboForm splash screen

RoboForm is the software that can helps you to remember your passwords. But, I had to tell you first, this software is not free. You have to pay for it but believe me, this software is really cool and helps me a lot. It is so efficient but has one tiny problem. I will discuss the problem at the end of this post.

What is RoboForm?

So, what is RoboForm? RoboForm is a software developed by Siber Systems Inc that you can install into your USB pendrive and can bring along the software where ever you go. This software can keep all your passwords, your information details and generates passwords for you. So you don’t have to remember all the passwords (or passcards in RoboForm). The only password that you need to remember is the master password which you have setup upon the installation. This master password holds every passcards that you have saved. Without the master password, you will lose your passwords forever.

RoboForm toolbar

After RoboForm is installed into your USB pendrive, RoboForm will attach its toolbar into your Firefox and IE. Currently, RoboForm does not support Opera. So to Opera users, you have to wait until the next version is release. Anyway, the toolbar is not permanent. When you removed your USB pendrive from your PC, the toolbar will also be gone. Some people don’t like too many toolbars in their browser. So for those people, you do not need to worry about it.

Remember Password

When ever you click on the Submit button to login to a website for example, to a forum, RoboForm will popup in the middle screen asking you whether you want to store the password into RoboForm or not. If you click Save, RoboForm will remember your password and named the saved password with the website domain name. So, the next time when you want to login to the forum, you just click on the domain name at the RoboForm toolbar and RoboForm will enter the login information for you.

Form Fill In

Another great feature in RoboForm is it able to keep our personal information. Usually, when we want to register to a website, we are required to enter all the details like our full name, address, phone number, etc. To fill in all the fields takes time. But with RoboForm, we can fill in the form with just one click.

But first, you need to fill in all the details needed in RoboForm. RoboForm will warn you when you are filling in sensitive information like credit cards and bank numbers. And then, when you want to fill in a registration form, just choose which identity that you want to use for the registration. RoboForm will enter all the details for you. You just sit back and click the Submit button after you are sure that all the information given are correct.

Generate Password

Some people like to use very complex with many characters combination in their password. This kind of password is very difficult to guess which provides good security to your login account. Before this, I have wrote an article about how to create strong passwords by using password chart. Take a look at the article and hope you found it useful.

In RoboForm, you can generate complex passwords by using its password generator. Because RoboForm is able to remember all the passwords given no matter how long or how difficult it is, this password generator is useful and I think it is a good integration with RoboForm. You can generate complex password and ask RoboForm to remember it. So the next time when you want to use the password, just ask the RoboForm to fill in the password form for you. It knows what to do.

Defeats Keylogger

RoboForm does not punch the keyboard to enter the password for you. So your passwords are safe from keyloggers. Keyloggers only detect every key that you type from your keyboard. Because RoboForm does not typing from the keyboard, so don’t feel afraid to use RoboForm in public PCs like in CyberCafe or libraries.

And you also don’t have to feel unsecure if using your friend’s PC to check your email for example. Who knows, maybe your friend installed keylogger to get your email password. Well, you know what he or she can do with your password, don’t you?

The Problem

Ok now, I want to discuss about the problem in RoboForm. As I mentioned earlier, RoboForm can be installed in USB pendrive and I am sure most of the users will install RoboForm in the pendrive because of its portability. Although our passwords and the master password is secure because RoboForm uses strong encryption, but how about if we, accidently formatted our pendrive?

It sounds scary right? All our passwords including the complex passwords are inside the USB pendrive. If we accidently formatted the pendrive, ALL the passwords will be gone. That is the tiny problem that I found. Unless, you always do routine backup, this problem can be ignored.

Siber Systems Inc has another software that counter this problem. This software can synchronize data between your USB pendrive with your PC. They called it as GoodSync. This software can be used to keep a backup copy of your pendrive data into your PC. So even you accidently formatted your pendrive, your passwords are still safe in your PC. But right now, I don’t have opportunities to test the software. But if I do, I will write a review about the software.

Final Words

RoboForm is not freeware. It costs you USD29.95 for one license. I got this software for free and that is why I got the chance to write this review. In my opinion, RoboForm is so useful not just because it can keeps your passwords, but it is also portable. You can bring your passwords anywhere as long as your USB pendrive is with you. For more information, please visit RoboForm website.

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