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Privacy/Security 101 for us numpties?

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    Privacy/Security 101 for us numpties?

    Originally posted by wim121 View Post
    If you torrent through a client through your normal connection, you should go back to school and learn how to use the internet, also, you should follow legal developments. Even though in your case, you used it legally, most dont though. Glad to see someone having the common sense to use a vpn though.
    .....
    Why would any individual want their ISP to see exactly what they are doing at all times by not at least making the basic attempt to encrypt your data through their network?
    ......
    Since the digital rights bill, a couple of years ago, there has been a bigger crackdown and it will get worse. Everyone should use a VPN provided by a country like sweden or canada that decriminalises piracy. Using one to most other countries is worthless. Otherwise one opens themselves up to infringement letters and later, life ending lawsuits.
    First point out of the way: I don't torrent. I buy my music and the only streaming I do is iPlayer.

    So, with all of the uncertainties of life falling upon us, I'm thinking about my privacy and letting too many people know a bit too much about about me.

    I don't use wi-fi at home, mainly for privacy fears. But I use the internet 'open' and think that may be a greater privacy threat than any potential problems there may be with wi-fi.

    I therefore think that wim maybe onto something regarding going back to school. So can anyone point me to a website that takes idiots through the first steps of privacy and security?

    I know what VPN is and have used it for client work but thought that only corporates could spend a lot of money and get RAS sticks and the like.

    I've come across TOR from Nick post http://forums.contractoruk.com/techn...ml#post1474788 but is that the same?

    (I'll ignore wim-type 'you're stupid' statements, and skip straight to the facts... ).
    "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
    - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

    #2
    Send me your passwords and PIN and I'll take care of your security worries for you
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      #3
      Arf! Even I wouldn't fall for that!

      (Does it come with free pr0n?)
      "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
      - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

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        #4
        I pay iPredator for my VPN access - since it is in Sweden, they have much more protection about disclosure than elsewhere. I'd not rely on a VPN based in the UK or US since although there is some protection from people watching what you do, there's bugger all protection from the state demanding they disclose what you are doing. iPredator tells them to bugger off - and since it's a pay as you go service, they have no client list to disclose anyway
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          #5
          My first question would be what are you trying to achieve?

          Privacy is dead and if your not willing to accept that my advice would be to not be online.

          If you simple want to stop your isp snooping on what you are doing then unless you are very careful you will simply move from 1 isp snooping on what you are doing to a different one. TheFAQQER mentions iPredator which seems to be in the right direction if it wasn't for the following:-

          If push came to shove the police would ask why on earth are you doing that if you've done nothing wrong and then investigate in detail what you may have done wrong.
          merely at clientco for the entertainment

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            #6
            Originally posted by eek View Post
            My first question would be what are you trying to achieve?

            Privacy is dead and if your not willing to accept that my advice would be to not be online.

            If you simple want to stop your isp snooping on what you are doing then unless you are very careful you will simply move from 1 isp snooping on what you are doing to a different one. TheFAQQER mentions iPredator which seems to be in the right direction if it wasn't for the following:-

            If push came to shove the police would ask why on earth are you doing that if you've done nothing wrong and then investigate in detail what you may have done wrong.
            I realise that privacy is an illusion, but you don't have to make it easy for people.

            And the your last point is the pathway to totalitariansim and the police state - if everyone was more careful the police would actually have to work for a living the way they used to...

            Many people in the USA are rightly suspicious of the federal state - I think that that suspicion is something that people in the UK would do well to develop.
            "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
            - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

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              #7
              Originally posted by cojak View Post
              I realise that privacy is an illusion, but you don't have to make it easy for people.

              And the your last point is the pathway to totalitariansim and the police state - if everyone was more careful the police would actually have to work for a living the way they used to...

              Many people in the USA are rightly suspicious of the federal state - I think that that suspicion is something that people in the UK would do well to develop.
              Do you use or have you used linkedin, facebook.....

              If you do nothing you do now will make any difference
              merely at clientco for the entertainment

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                #8
                OK, point taken.

                But don't worry I won't buy anything though them either, and I'll tell my clients not to bother with VPN in future because it's such an obvious waste of time, money and effort.

                Now, back to the 101.
                "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
                - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by cojak View Post
                  OK, point taken.

                  But don't worry I won't buy anything though them either, and I'll tell my clients not to bother with VPN in future because it's such an obvious waste of time, money and effort.

                  Now, back to the 101.
                  That's not what I meant (and you know it). Using a VPN to keep internal communications private is sensible.

                  Using a VPN to keep you surfing habits private is not something people do so when you see people do it the first question to ask is why on earth are you doing that.
                  merely at clientco for the entertainment

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                    #10
                    Originally posted by eek View Post
                    If push came to shove the police would ask why on earth are you doing that if you've done nothing wrong and then investigate in detail what you may have done wrong.
                    There is nothing wrong with using a VPN to protect from anything snooping on my web traffic.

                    There needs to be some kind of evidence / suspicion first - assuming that everyone who uses a VPN is committing a crime would be a little bit silly. One of the reasons that MI5 and MI6 were against the Digital Economy Act was because it meant that anyone downloading anything illegally would start to use VPN and other technologies which made their job harder since more "casual" surfers are now taking their online privacy more seriously.
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