Items tagged with Tor
At long last, The Tor Project has officially ported its Tor browser to Android devices with the first stable release for Google's open source operating system. It is now available on Google Play and will also make its way to F-Droid within the next day. Previously, Android users had access to test builds, with the first alpha version being released last September. Now after "months of hard work" and listening to feedback from its users, The Tor Project has released Tor Browser 8.5 to Android (alongside a desktop upgrade to 8.5 as well). "Mobile browsing is increasing around the world, and in some parts, it is commonly the only way people access the internet. In these same areas, there is often...
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TorBrowser users could be in for a rude awakening thank to some rather nefarious Windows DRM-protected files that are making the rounds. It appears that malicious parties could use malware that is ensconced within DRM-protected files to reveal their true IP address. It should be noted that this latest attack vector requires both the use of Windows and the Tor Browser. As Hacker House reports, clicking on “these ‘signed WMV’ files do not present any alert to a user before opening them they can be used quite effectively to decloak users of the popular privacy tool TorBrowser with very little warning.” Such a sneaky attack would leave your IP address wide open for hackers, copyright holders, or...
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Internet privacy is kind of like a VCR or CD player, in that one day our kids will ask us “you used to have that?” It’s staggering how much of our online activity is tracked, catalogued, and used for a wide array of purposes, most of them related to commerce. But if you’re a dissident, journalist, someone who lives in a country where the Internet is restricted, or just want to browse the web without being tracked, your options are becoming increasingly limited. It’s likely the situation will only get worse in the future, as companies devise more sophisticated ways of tracking our every move online. The Tor project was designed to combat this scourge. Tor is a freely accessible network of global...
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It seems that it was just yesterday that someone had to know a thing or two about software and programming to wreak havoc on fine upstanding Internet citizens via malware incursion. Ah, the good old days. Nostalgia aside, though, one cannot help but feel rattled by the news that security researchers at McAfee have discovered new software with which the oh-so-nefarious out there can easily construct their own ransomware. And not only is such a product in the wild, but it is online software, too, accessible by anyone capable of navigating a keyboard and a TOR browser. Dubbed Tox, the devil's tool raising the ruckus runs on TOR and is easy to work out and completely...
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Last week a joint operation between the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Department of Homeland Security, and Europol was announced. Named Operation Onymous, it led to the arrest of 17 people, the shutdown of over 400 hundred .onion sites, and Tor relays seized by government officials. As a result, the Tor Project is asking for help to determine how government officials were able to locate these services. “Tor is most interested in understanding how these services were located, and if this indicates a security weakness in Tor hidden services that could be exploited by criminals or secret police repressing dissents,” reads a statement on the Tor Project blog. “We are also interested...
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A joint law enforcement operation has managed to seize hundreds of Dark Web domains that have been associated with over a dozen black market wesbites. On top of taking and shutting domains, was the seizure of various products such as computers, drugs, weapons, and gold. The operation was revealed on Thursday, which involved the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Europol, and the Department of Homeland Security. Called Operation Onymous, the joint venture resulted in the arrest of 17 people that included Silk Road 2’s alleged operator Blake Benthall (26 years old) in San Francisco. Benthall is accused of running the new Silk Road under the handle “Defcon” for the past year ever...
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Facebook seems to have been focusing giving its users the ability to be anonymous in recent weeks. In October it was rumored that the company was working on a new mobile app, which has been designated Rooms, that would allow users to interact with each other under an alias. But now, Facebook is making its social media website more Tor-friendly. The company announced that Tor users could get a secure connection to its servers by visiting https://facebookcorewwwi.onion/ that will provide end-to-end encryption. Prior to this, it was a chore for Tor users to connect through a Tor-enabled internet browser since Facebook’s security would tend to treat Tor as a botnet. “We decided to...
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Invasion of privacy is a valid concern for everyone who goes online. But for those who wish to keep their online activity private, so that cable providers and government agencies are unable to see what is going on, there is Tor Browser. Tor encrypts a user’s online activities and makes it impossible for cable companies and government agencies, such as the FBI and NSA, to keep track of what you are doing. However, the Tor Browser requires a bit of technical knowledge to implement, a barrier for many who might be seeking anonymity. Enter the Anonabox, which quickly surpassed its Kickstarter goal of $7,500. It is a plug-and-play, open source networking device that will run Tor, making...
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When Star Wars: The Old Republic made news in September, it was for announcing that one of the mythos' most enduring antiheroes, the onetime Sith Lord Revan, would be making an appearance in the MMO. Now, a new bug could wipe some of that goodwill off the map. Modder and TOR enthusiast SWTorMiner has created a video that shows him fixing a simple visual bug (introduced in one of the recent game patches) to make a character's eyewear render properly. (I've artificially lightened the screen cap below so that it's easier to tell the difference.) Fixing a bit of character geometry might seem like a minor change, but the manner in which this particular adjustment was accomplished opens up a raft of...
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Over the weekend, there was a report from DeepDotWeb talking about users who were contacted by Comcast agents that proceeded to tell them to stop using Tor Browser or risk losing their service. This has prompted Comcast to release a statement denying these claims. DeepDotWeb reported that users were contacted about their use of Tor with one Comcast representative saying that it was an “illegal service” and then asking one customer what site the person visited. This customer then called Comcast and spoke to another representative that stated, “Users who try to use anonymity, or cover themselves up on the internet, are usually doing things that aren’t so-to-speak legal....
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More details have surfaced on how the FBI uses its own custom malware to penetrate the Tor network's anonymizing service -- and while those tools have been deployed in some important investigations, it's sure to raise hackles in the post-Snowden era. Several years ago, the FBI launched a major sting operation against the operator of a Tor-anonymized website dubbed Pedoboard. They eventually traced the account back to one Aaron McGrath, discovered he was hosting three separate child pornography distribution hubs, and smashed all three of them. Hosting child pornography via Tor is a flagrant violation of the ToS, national, and international law, and few tears have been shed over the outcome. What...
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The average Internet user probably has no idea what "Tor" is. If you're one of those users, you've probably had no good reason to even investigate what it is, what it does, or how it hides. But if you're the NSA, you're acutely aware of Tor, and a new report suggests that both the NSA and GCHQ have had their sights on Tor. In simple terms, Tor is a network that protects anonymity of those who use it. What's interesting about Tor is that the software behind it is mostly funded by the U.S. government; despite all that, the U.S. National Security Agency has had no success in "developing attacks against people using Tor." This is all part of the Edward Snowden fallout, and the latest batch of intel...
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We've covered the NSA revelations and subsequent government petitions at some length, but here's a new twist to the story of the government's pervasive monitoring program -- a view of the activity from an ISP's perspective. According to Pete Ashdown, the CEO of XMission, a Utah ISP, the company received its first FISA warrant "request" in 2010. There's no way to challenge FISA warrants and no legal recourse -- so Ashdown had no choice but to install a server, one of the NSA's own machines, in their data center. The technical aspects of the situation are remarkably straightforward. The NSA sent over a server (Ashdown was only allowed to take technical notes on how the unit was to be deployed)....
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Plextor Announces New Lineup of Optical Drives with PlexUTILITIES Advanced Application & Diagnostic SoftwarePlextor, a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance digital media equipment, announces new products as a part of its new 2008 lineup. Featured in the new offering are 6x Blu-Ray Combo drives, 22x Super Multi DVD±RW drives, and an 8x Slim External USB DVD±RW for PC and Mac.“Plextor continues to strengthen its position in the optical storage market with the addition of these new drives to its already robust line of products,” said Bob Gronski, vice president of sales and marketing for Plextor. “Now more than ever, people are going out less and taking advantage...
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As we've mentioned previously, Marco has been working on a Storage Media Server build for a project showcase at Symantec's Security with Speed site. The purpose of the site is an effort by Symantec to create awareness that their new Norton Security 2009 product has been completely engineered from the ground up with speed and low system resource utilization in mind. As a side benefit to their campaign, the Security with Speed site is also a pretty good resource for multitude of PC tech info, including HotHardware's contribution to the Storage Media Server project that Marco has been working on. Today we offer you the next installation of BigWop's video journal on building...
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Mobile manufacturers launch star rating system comparing the energy consumption of chargers November 19, 2008 - Espoo, Finland - A group of mobile manufacturers has launched a common energy rating system for chargers, making it easier for consumers to compare and choose the one that saves the most energy. The star rating system developed and supported by LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung Electronics and Sony Ericsson is one of a series of measures being taken by the industry to reduce the environmental footprint of its products. Many consumers are unaware that chargers consume electricity when disconnected from the phone but left plugged into the wall socket. Around two thirds of the energy used...
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We’re starting to see more and more smartphones with built-in GPS capabilities these days. Now, thanks to Pharos, we have two more options. But new phones aren’t the only new thing from Pharos: The company recently introduced its new Smart Navigator software in addition to two new unlocked GPS smartphones running Windows Mobile. The new Pharos Traveler 117 and 127 are the first phones from Pharos to incorporate Pharos Smart Navigator, a new hybrid navigational product that was designed specifically for Microsoft Windows Mobile devices. Smart Navigator combines navigation software with real-time location services for traffic, maps, incremental map updates, dynamic POI (points of interest)...
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Sony Ericsson Xperia™ X1 Available in U.S. for 2008 Holiday Season Pre-orders for the premium converged device begin today at SonyStyle.comSony Ericsson North America announces the arrival of the highly anticipated Xperia™ X1 to the U.S. marketplace. The Xperia™ X1 delivers a range of multimedia and communication experiences that have long been coveted and in demand by consumers.The Xperia™ X1 will be available unlocked through Sony Electronics and its authorized retailers beginning on “Black Friday,” November 28. Pre-orders of the Xperia™ X1 will be available through the Sony Style Web site at www.sonystyle.com beginning November 13. This...
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It’s been rumored for a while, but Verizon Wireless just made the official announcement that the BlackBerry Storm (model 9530) from Research In Motion will be available beginning November 21 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online. The first ever BlackBerry smartphone with a “clickable” touch screen will run $199.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a new two-year customer agreement. The Storm has a SurePress touch screen with tactile feedback so the soft buttons feel more like hardware keys when pressed. Since the BlackBerry Storm is a touch screen device, many people have pegged it as a competitor for the iPhone. In fact, if you watch any of the commercials or demos of the Storm,...
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Our man Marco BigWop Chiappetta has been doing a little bit of moonlighting on us, at the Symantec Security with Speed site. One of his projects there has been to put together a Storage Media Server build as a showcase of sorts that takes a DYI approach. In one of his first episodes, Marco steps us through component selection and there are some pretty interesting choices here. Take a look... We'll keep you updated on the project in the weeks ahead but thought you might enjoy this little walk-through of the setup of his self-made storage server mayhem. ...
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iZ3D and Smooth Creations Team up to Offer a Limited Edition of Custom Painted 3D MonitorsEnjoy Dazzling Effects On-Screen and on the Outside of your Monitor Too! San Diego, Calif., November 3, 2008 -- iZ3D, LLC, designer, developer, and pioneer of advanced 3D visualization systems, is pleased to announce that the company is once again teaming with Smooth Creations, the popular computer custom paint company and now high end game system reseller. iZ3D (TM)is now offering on-screen 3D eye candy and now there are six styles of the monitor itself that are a treat to see. The limited edition of custom painted 22-inch widescreen 3D monitors is available now at https://iz3d.com/painted. No more beige...
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A number of rumors were circulating around the web on Sunday, with more than one site saying that on Monday Circuit City will be announcing the closure of 155 stores around the nation. It's just another bad news item for the struggling retailer, which according to a form filed with the SEC Thursday, has been warned by the NYSE that its stock was "below criteria" because the average closing price was less than $1 per share for the 30 previous days. With that warning, Circuit City has six months to get the stock's price up. As long as the average 30-day closing price is more than $1 sometime during the next six months, it will continue to be listed on the NYSE. On Friday, Circuit City stock closed...
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