HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE WATCHED BY YOUR ISP?

Someone could be watching you. Right now. Really.

There’s a camera on your phone. Another on your laptop. Not to mention the increasing likelihood, given their rising popularity, that you have a smart home security system, meaning you have at least 2 more cameras trained on you. What’s to stop a hacker from getting to see your every move?

More and more people now cover their webcams and know to guard against mobile camera hijacking. The thought of your every physical move being seen, possibly recorded, is so creepily repulsive, so Black Mirror, so viscerally repugnant, that you’re unlikely to find anyone who’d be okay with letting it happen.

Hackable cameras aren’t even the worst of it

In case you’ve been off the grid, farming organic, hydroponic lettuces and building your zombie apocalypse shelter, internet service providers (ISPs) can now sell your browsing history to the highest bidder. Which means every Google search you do, cat meme page you visit, social media feed you scroll through via phone, tablet, laptop can be collected and used to target you for advertising. Privacy: no longer protected.

This type of tracking isn’t new. Google and Facebook have built their businesses on making money by tracking us. So what’s different about letting Comcast, for example, in on the dough? One very important word: consent. With Google and Facebook, we essentially trade our information to get a free service in return. But to get access to the internet in the first place, we have to pay our ISPs. And then they want to make money from our data, on top of that.

Not cool, bro. Not cool.

So why doesn’t this invasion of privacy hit most of us in the gut the way a webcam creeper (criminal, actually) does? I think it’s because we imagine a distance that isn’t really there. So let me collapse that distance and walk you through what’s reallyhappening when you’re exposed online.

What if your ISP moved in with you? Literally.

Most of us use the internet constantly, yet think nothing of what we’re giving away.

So walk through my day with me. I mean, with me and my ISP.

My phone alarm rings. I open my eyes, and there it is: my ISP. Stubbly, bedhead-y, and totally freaking me out. (Or, if a different visualization suits you, think Single White Female.) Trying to ignore it, and before I even get out of bed, I check Facebook and Twitter, while my ISP reads over my shoulder. I like a few of my friends’ selfies, and my ISP writes that down. Check weather, read a few emails (ISP taking screenshots now), then I — we, rather — get out of bed.

My ISP gives itself a piggyback ride on me as I make my way downstairs, sits on my lap at breakfast while I read the news, always scribbling things down in its little notebook. Now I’m freaked and annoyed.

In the car on the way to work, my ISP watches the directions I use. Now I notice it’s making a call to someone else every time it writes down what I do. Who is it talking to? What is it saying? Why won’t it answer my questions? Why is it in my face? Is it going to hurt me?

Before I eat my lunch, I obviously have to post a photo of the plate to Instagram. There’s my ISP. During lunch, I catch up on NBA news, and by now my ISP is breathing on my neck, practically attached to me at the elbow.

After work and dinner, I open my laptop and pick something to binge-watch on Netflix. But it’s gotta be something I can follow while still paying bills, doing a little shopping, and then disappearing down the internet rabbit hole reading up on musicians I like, searching for upcoming cultural events, basically searching on anything and everything that pops into my head like a conspiracy theory about Avril Lavigne, pop punk star of the early 2000s, being replaced with a lookalike. Right before bed, one last YouTube video before I conk out.

By the end of the day, I get pretty tired of my ISP, so I try to crouch over my laptop, cover the screen, block its huge, wandering eyes. It’s no use, though. It sees everything.

What you can do about it

These moments represent only a fraction of the time most of us spend online every day, during which we regularly and usually unwittingly reveal information about our likes and dislikes, habits, political leanings, age, gender, weight, values, income, professional history, possessions, family, friends, products and brands we use … and on and on.

And while there isn’t literally a big, hairy ISP (or a creepy blonde one) right in your face the whole time you’re online, you really ought to imagine there is, so that you get as skeeved as you should. And then do something about it, like keep all your online activity private, which is your right, using a (surprise!) VPN.

Name of the Provider	Website Address
Hide My Ass	Visit Provider
Strong VPN	Visit Provider
Switch VPN	Visit Provider
Pure VPN	Visit Provider
IPVanish VPN	Visit Provider
Hotspot Shield Elite	Visit Provider

SOCIAL MEDIA DO’S AND DON’TS FOR JOBSEEKERS

Increasing numbers of employers, recruitment agencies and HR professionals are actively searching your social media accounts to find out about the real you, and often decide whether to offer you a position based on your profile. We take a look at some of the social media do’s and don’ts for job seekers to help you land your dream job.

The interview process is something that, for the vast majority of job seekers, is a nerve-racking, stomach churning experience with bouts of sweating, mumbling, and the occasional corpsing moment. But now job seekers have something else to think about  – social media, and how it can affect their chance of gaining employment.

In the days before social media, the CV played the pivotal role of providing future employers with our best attributes, and we could keep things we’d rather not divulge about us to ourselves. But nowadays it’s very hard to avoid social media as our information is out there on the world wide web, but there are a number of social media do’s and don’ts for job seekers to help avoid rejection!

A 2014 survey conducted by Jobvite found that 93 per cent of recruiters are turning to social media, mostly LinkedIn, before offering a position. According to the survey, 73 per cent of recruiters have hired job seekers through social media. However, a word of warning – 55 per cent of recruiters have changed their minds after reviewing a job seekers social media profile, and it’s not good news –  61 per cent of those reconsideration were negative. Fortunately, there are a number of social media do’s and don’ts for job seekers to help avoid this.

How social media can damage your current and future career

Thanks to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google+ our lives are an open book. We’re addicted to keeping up with the latest trends, posting endless images of our food, weighing in on various topics, offering advice, and occasionally,perhaps, putting ourselves in a less than positive light. We seek “likes” and “shares” – we adore the attention we receive. It’s safe to say we’re addicted to social media. But take a minute to think about what you post online. What type of impression would a recruiter have of you after reviewing your online social media profile? Would that GIF of you downing 10 tequilla slammers go down well with a future or even your current employer?

As increasing numbers of employers and recruitment agencies are searching your social media accounts to see if the person behind the CV is the same person online, we take a look at some of the top social media do’s and don’ts for job seekers.

Social media do’s and don’ts for job seekers

Social media do’s

Privacy Settings – First things first. Check your privacy settings on your social media accounts, especially on some of the more popular sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Facebook tends to change its privacy settings more than we have hot dinners, so adopt the habit of reviewing your settings regularly. If you’re unsure about who can see your Facebook posts, you can colour code them, which will resolve this issue.

LinkedIn – If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, then may be it’s time to set one up – pronto. As the survey from Jobvite found, 93 per cent of employers use LinkedIn to find job seekers. It’s important to spend some time updating your profile to ensure all relevant information, including relevant keywords are included that will allow employers to easily find you. Join LinkedIn groups, share interesting relative articles, get involved in conversations – but watch your grammar and spelling!

Show interest in companies – “Like” and follow companies you’d like to work for, and connect with people who have common professional interests –  this tells companies that you are really interested in working for the company.  But steer away from bombarding them with messages. Don’t become a social media job seeking stalker!

Secure your device – Ensure your devices – your smartphone, PC or Mac, are updated with the latest security updates and use a VPN when accessing public Wi-Fi. Attackers are out there – and can easily steal your username and passwords to your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn accounts and do all sorts of damage to your social media accounts!

Google yourself – Most of us have done this at some point.. While it’s interesting to see how many times we pop up in Google results, a lot of information about us is revealed to employers from our rantings and ravings to the images we post on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Google yourself now and see what the net says about you!

Social media don’ts

Don’t knock your boss! As tempting as it may to occasionally bad mouth your employer or moan about how bored you are at work – don’t! These could be seen by not only your current employer but future bosses too, and could leave a less than desirable lasting impression about you. Think of the theory 6 degrees of separation – “connecting any two people in a maximum of six steps”, which is often evident on social media sites.

And remember – the net never forgets – your comments, criticisms and dodgy photo’s (as funny as they may seem at the time) could come back to haunt you.

Don’t lie! – A great social media don’ts tip is to ensure that what’s in your CV matches your LinkedIn profile. Bear in mind that employers will very likely check your LinkedIn profile, so avoid inflating your profile with job titles you never owned (rocket scientist extraordinaire) and double check that your dates of employment match your CV. A recruiter could ask you about these ‘discrepancies’ during your interview.

Unemployed – If you’re unemployed or currently in between jobs, it’s best not to advertise this on your social media accounts, especially on LinkedIn. What you can do is tell recruiters the type of job that you seeking. Keep it positive!

Abandon accounts – We’ve all been there, created a social media account but then forget to update it. Instead of opening numerous social media accounts, pick 2 or 3 and update them once or twice a week.

You’ve worked hard on your CV, you’re prepped for the interview, you’ve researched the company you want to work for – but do your social media accounts represent you in a positive light? Does your social media ‘personality’ match your CV?

Hopefully these tips for social media do’s and don’ts for job seekers will help you to get the job you want! Don’t be a social media wrecking ball!

Name of the Provider	Website Address
Hide My Ass	Visit Provider
Strong VPN	Visit Provider
Switch VPN	Visit Provider
Pure VPN	Visit Provider
IPVanish VPN	Visit Provider
Hotspot Shield Elite	Visit Provider

MOBILE THREAT IN TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

A mobile threat in top tourist attractions is causing concern as millions of tourists are putting their personal data at risk when connecting to public Wi-Fi, according to a study by Skycure – a mobile threat defence company.

When visiting a popular tourist attraction, the last thing you’ll likely think about is a mobile threat in top tourist attractions, and the risk you take when connecting to a public Wi-Fi hotspot. Whilst you’re busy walking around a theme park, perhaps having your photo taken with an adult dressed up in a scary fun costume, you’ll no doubt be eager to get the photos up on Instagram, or off to friends and family as soon as possible, and that free Wi-Fi zone over by the café seems like the perfect place to stop for a quick drink while you upload your files. However, research conducted by Skycurehas found malicious attackers are setting up ‘fake’ Wi-Fi hotspots in the world’s top tourist attractions, so when an unsuspecting user connects to it, the hackers can steal all their personal data.

For example, let’s say that a Wi-Fi hotspot on Las Vegas strip is called ‘Las Vegas Strip’ – a malicious attacker could set one up called ‘Las Vegas Free’ which, at first glance, has a strong signal and looks legit, so some people might connect to it without giving it a moment’s thought. An attacker could then decrypt their secure connections via a man-in-the-middle attack and steal their personal information, including the usernames and passwords to their online bank account, social media and online shopping accounts and/or credit card numbers.

Skycures’ research, conducted from June 2014 to June 2015, found an alarming number of tourists are leaving the door wide open to cyber criminals who set up ‘fake’ Wi-Fi hotspots in order to steal personal data. The research also found that

while iOS devices/users connect to many more Wi-Fi network access points, Android devices/users connect to more malicious ones, and Skycure have a few theories on why that might be the case:

1.User Behavior: Android users could be more tech-savvy and their comfort level to connect to “never-seen-before” networks therefore a bit higher than iOS users.

2. Data Plans: Android users tend to choose from a greater range of carrier plans that are more economical but may have smaller data limits. Not wanting to incur fees for going over their data plans, Android users may be more likely to voluntarily connect to “Free” Wi-Fi hotspots.

Mobile threat in top tourist attractions – the 15 tourist spots vulnerable to malicious attack according Skycures’ research are:

• Times Square, New York City, NY
• Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France
• Disneyland Paris, Marne-la-Vallee, France
• Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA
• Ocean Park, Hong Kong
• Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas, NV
• Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood, CA
• Union Station, Washington DC
• Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, MA
• Disneyland Park, Anaheim, CA
• Navy Pier, Chicago, IL
• St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
• Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand
• Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Orlando, FL
• Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA

Do you connect to ‘Free’ public Wi-Fi?

When you need to connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot with ‘Free’ in the router title, do you think about if the network you are connecting to is legitimate? Do you think about a possible mobile threat in top tourist attractions you visit?

Skycure found that “8 per cent of reported threats originated from a Wi-Fi hotspot with ‘Free’ in its title.”

We’re drawn to freebies, we love a bargain, but if normally something is too good to be true, it usually is. We freely give away our personal information in exchange for all sorts of goods and services, including Facebook, chocolate and cheaper life insurance premiums. When offered ‘Free’ Wi-Fi, we naively put our trust into that service, and while a number of legitimate businesses do provide free Wi-Fi, we should be on alert to malicious attackers that have set up ‘phishing’ Wi-Fi networks in order to steal our personal data, which they could use to steal your identity.

Cyber criminals can hack your smartphone within seconds, and steal your personal information, including valuable confidential data such as:

• Your social security number
• Your national insurance number
• Your online banking username and passwords
• Usernames and passwords to your social media accounts

How to protect your information from a mobile threat in top tourist attractions

• Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) -such as Hide My Ass! Pro VPN
• Update your device with the latest operating system software
• If your smartphone continues to crash and slows down, disconnect from the public Wi-Fi network immediately

Whether you’re visiting Notre Dame Cathedral or Dismaland (Banksy’s latest installation in Weston-Super-Mare, UK) remember that hackers are out there, hoping to trick you into connecting to their ‘fake’ Wi-Fi hotspot!

Don’t let cyber criminals ruin your vacation – use HMA! Pro VPN on your Android or on your iPhone or iPad and stay connected, stay secure.

Check out our great Wi-Fi safety tips to learn more!

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Hide My Ass	Visit Provider
Strong VPN	Visit Provider
Switch VPN	Visit Provider
Pure VPN	Visit Provider
IPVanish VPN	Visit Provider
Hotspot Shield Elite	Visit Provider

SENIORS – LEARN HOW TO SURF THE NET SAFELY AND AVOID ONLINE SCAMS

In this article we explain how seniors can surf the net safely and avoid online scams. These tips for seniors will help them to safeguard their personal information and protect their data from getting into the hands of hackers, thieves and online fraudsters.

For many seniors the luxury of growing up in a technically driven environment with computers and access to the net was non-existent (I recall my primary school owning ONE BBC micro computer circa 1980 for the entire school – the computer wheeled into each classroom with scores of excited, squealing pupils in awe of the amazing technology!) For many seniors technology can be intimidating, and with increased numbers of cyber criminals and hackers targeting the elderly more frequently, it is of utmost importance for them to be able to secure and protect their laptop or PC.

We take a look at how seniors can learn how to surf the net safely and avoid online scams – these tips are great for all internet users!

Seniors – learn how to surf the net safely and avoid online scams

1. 1. If you’ve received an email notifying that you’ve won a prize – cash or perhaps a car – the chances are you probably haven’t (especially if you haven’t even entered any competitions recently)! It’s more likely that this exciting email is a phishing scam requesting you to either click on a link within the email or hand over your personal information. Clicking on a link could take you to a spoof website (a copy of your bank login screen, or UPS package delivery service asking you to confirm your credit card details, for example) or it could link to a malicious website that will try to download malware on to your computer by asking you to either install some software in order to ‘qualify for the prize’, or attempt to install the malware silently, using exploits in your browser or Adobe Flash.

Other email scams to look out for are emails which ask you for your banking information so you can claim millions of dollars which have been left to you by some dubious relative you’ve never heard of. Allegedly, you are the last known next of kin – but it’s very likely a scam!

Scammers are upping their game so if you receive an email that looks odd, from friends or family members or your bank asking you to provide them with your personal information such as your passwords and usernames, don’t ever hand these details over. If you’re worried, or have the slightest concern about an email then simply delete it and forget all about it. Just like a phone call – if it’s important, your bank or family member will find another way to contact you.

2. When you’re out and about and perhaps decide to take a coffee in your local cafe and use their public Wi-Fi – think before you connect. Did you know that it takes seconds for a hacker or thief to access your personal details? Public Wi-Fi hotspots do not give any encryption security but you can use a VPN to protect your device and all the information on it. Check out our great tips to stay safe while using public Wi-Fi!

3. If you receive a notification on your computer or phone asking you to update your software – it’s a good idea to update it so it has the latest security patches. It’s also a good idea to install firewalls, and antivirus software. Keep your operating system (Internet explorer, Safari) up-to-date for maximum security benefits. But beware, if you get a phone call from a company overseas asking you to follow their instructions while they update your PC for you, simply hang up – they’re trying to install malicious software on your computer!

4. When you visit any website, you will see at the beginning of the URL either “http” or “https.” The difference here is the all important “S” which means secure, and any website your visit with “https” is secure, which means that part of your session is encrypted. If you click a link from an email that takes you to your banking website, take care to look for the “https” connection (the address bar usually turns a nice, safe green colour too)! If the “S” is not there, it could be a phishing scam designed to steal your login information. If in doubt, always go directly to your bank website from a trusted bookmark, or a Google search – not from a link in an email.

Check out my previous article for other internet safety tips for senior citizens.

If you would like to know more about HMA! Pro VPN, please feel free to drop us an email and one of our support donkeys will be more than happy to help you.

Name of the Provider	Website Address
Hide My Ass	Visit Provider
Strong VPN	Visit Provider
Switch VPN	Visit Provider
Pure VPN	Visit Provider
IPVanish VPN	Visit Provider
Hotspot Shield Elite	Visit Provider