PC Security » Data Security

What are Man-In-The-Middle Attacks – How Do They Work?

Silki — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:19:12 +0000

What are Man-In-The-Middle Attacks

We’ve all heard computer security experts advise us against using wireless devices at public places like airports, hotels and coffee shops. But have you ever wondered what the big deal was all about?

One of the most common and obvious reasons that come to mind is the threat of “packet sniffing”.

Whenever you transmit unsecured information over a network connection, this information is also transmitted to every computer on your local network. Although computers are designed to ignore these useless packets, they could potentially be captured by a dishonest or untrustworthy person within your network.

The software that collects these packets are called “packet sniffers”. In the past, only brilliant hackers with a high degree of network security expertise were able to sniff out packets. But today, there are a number of easy-to-use programs that make it easy enough for the average teenager.

One way to avoid this kind of digital eavesdropping would be to only submit passwords and other sensitive data through “secure” web sites that rely on HTTPS connections. These sites use a technology called SSL to strongly encrypt online interactions using special certificates, ensuring that any eavesdropping will bring up scrambled, useless data.

But there’s another kind of exploit that’s able to get around this type of encrypted connection, and it’s especially practical for use against users on public wireless networks.

These are often known as “Man-in-the-Middle” attacks.

Typical Man-in-the-Middle Attack Scenario

Joe’s coffee shop offers a free WiFi to their customers, and it broadcasts with the name “JoeFreeWiFi”.
This wireless router was set up and managed by a barista who makes minimum wage and has no network security training whatsoever.
Mary connects to this WiFi with her laptop every time she’s in the shop.
A hacker sits down at a table with his laptop, and disables the wireless router by unplugging it when nobody is looking. He then gets his wireless card to broadcast itself as a wireless network called “JoeFreeWifi”.

And Now The Trap is Set.

Mary walks into the coffee shop and turns on her laptop. Because this is a trusted location, her computer automatically connects to “JoeFreeWifi”. Mary doesn’t suspect a thing.
She connects to her bank’s customer portal using the secure login page.
A legitimate secure connection is established between the hacker’s laptop and the bank’s web site through his 3G. Then – using a fake certificate – a secure connection is established between the hacker’s computer and Mary’s laptop.
When she sends her password through, it is decrypted by the hacker and then re-sent to the bank’s web site. To Mary, everything looks perfectly normal. But all of her confidential banking data is being intercepted by the hacker.

This is just one of many examples of how computers could be compromised when using a wireless network. In the example above, the hacker is physically sitting inside the coffee shop… but he could actually be anywhere within a 1 mile radius of the shop. And without proper network security training, it would be difficult for Mary to tell there is anything strange happening.

So what can you do to protect yourself from Man-In-The Middle Attacks?

If you’re working away from your trusted internal network, make sure that you’re using an additional layer of protection in your communications. Virtual Private Networks are perfect for this, and they’re very inexpensive and easy-to-use.

And if you have any programs which transmit data in the background, make sure they use an extra layer of client-sided encryption when transmitting packets. For example, your online backup software should first encrypt the backup data packets on your end using very strong encryption (such as 256-bit AES) before transmitting these encrypted packets over an SSL connection.

This will help minimize the possibility that anyone can listen in on your conversations, steal your passwords, or gain access to your private backup data files.

About The Author: Storagepipe has over 10 years of experience in protecting the sensitive online backup data of mobile laptop users.

File, Folder Encryption, Decryption – Easy, With Single Click – EncryptOnClick

Silki — Sun, 22 May 2011 03:01:56 +0000

File and folder encryption is a data protection technique, which is known to many people but very few actually use it in their day to day functioning. And they cite various reasons for it like…

Data encryption and decryption is a cumbersome process and they do not have easy tools for it.
They do not have time to add one more step into their already busy life.
They do not want to add one more password to remember.
They do not need it as “It” will not happen to them.

Whatever be the reason, but we suggest that you to seriously consider file and folder protection as a habit specially for protecting your sensitive data and information. You never know when you may need it.

In case you are looking for a easy and simple tool for file and folder encryption, then you can try EncryptOnClick. It is a simple freeware tool, which allows you to encrypt and decrypt your files and folders with a simple click. The user interface is so simple that even a small child can operate it.

There are just boxes – Encrypt and Decrypt with just two options in each box – Files and Folders. Just choose whatever is your requirement and you are done. Simple.

However, this tool has its own weaknesses and demerits. And here they are…

EncryptOnClick quickly and easily locked our files from anyone without the password, but the program wasn’t without its faults. The biggest trouble spot was the fact that once the password is entered and the file is decrypted, it remains open permanently. This means users must physically find the file and set the password each time it is opened. Other downloads keep the file encrypted until told otherwise. Another area where this program didn’t meet the competition is its algorithm for encryption. More-advanced downloads offer a choice for users who wish to select the level of complexity their program is encrypted.

[Download EnrcyptOnClick]

File, Folder Encryption and Data Protection Freeware – ProtectFile

Silki — Sat, 14 May 2011 03:18:07 +0000

File and Folder Data Encryption

In case you share your computer with other people and you are apprehensive that other people might get access to your files and folders, then you may want to file and folder encryption so that they cannot access the content of the your sensitive data even if they are able to access your files.

Even if your computer is not accessed by others, you may want to encrypt files and folders so that you do not loose important information to others in case you happen to loose your computer or pen drives.

ProtectFile is a nice freeware utility, which allows you to do the trick in just a matter of few clicks.

With ProtectFile, you can encrypt files of any type, including Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. Even your photo and Video documents can be protected with a click of the mouse. It protects information against being viewed or modified without your authorization. The reliable and secure ProtectFile algorithm (AES-256) is used for data encryption and passwords are saved within the encrypted files. This makes the encryption very secure and easy to use.

The program has Windows Explorer Shell integration. This means that you can password protect your files and folders by just rightclicking the file or folder anywhere in Windows Explorer and selecting the ProtectFile option.

The icon of the protected file or folder automatically changes into a lock so you can see which files or folders are protected by ProtectFile. Doubleclicking the Protected file opens a dialog where you can enter the password you protected the file with. If the password is OK, the file or folder returns to its original state, just like before it was protected with ProtectFile

The program has a convenient and intuitive interface and so even the most inexperienced users in the sphere of information protection can protect their data quite easily.

The best part of ProtectFile, the file folder encryption tool is that it is portable in nature and can easily be used on removable media like pen drive. You can just install it on your flash drive and use it on any Windows PC.

Feature of ProtectFile – The Freeware File, Folder Encryption and Data Protection

Main features

encrypting files and folders using the ProtectFile algorithm;
decrypting files and folders;
files and folders compression before encryption;
Windows Explorer popup menu integration;
install the program to Removable Device such as a USB memory stick;
works on any removable media (under any Windows operating system);
automatically finds and groups encrypted files;
memory blocks are cleared when no longer needed.

Additional features

all user settings are automatically saved;
context-sensitive help;
the entire interface can be customized to your own requirements;

[Download ProtectFile - File, Folder Encryption and Data Protection Freeware]

FreeOTFE – Open Source Free Encryption Tools for File, Folder and Disk

Silki — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 03:11:12 +0000

Data Encryption is a security practice, which is known to many but most users avoid it in their daily lives due to a variety of reasons. Some just procrastinate, some do not want to go deep into the hassles of the process, others do not have the required expertise and tools and rest of them do not know exactly how to go forward to encrypt the files, folders and disks to protect your data falling into wrong hands.

There are a lot of data encryption tools and utilities available on Internet for download. You can even find some of them reviewed on this blog also. Today we are looking at a freeware, open source encryption tool, which allows you to encrypt your files and folders on-the-fly.

FreeOTFE – Free On-The-Fly Encryption Tool

FreeOTFE derives its name from its function. Yes, you guessed it right, OTFE stands for On-The-Fly-Encryption. It has the capability of encrypting your files and folders on the fly as you work on them just like a normal file. And if you are thinking that it might affect the speed of your task, then be assured that it will have a minimal effect, which will not even be noticeable to an average user.

The easiest way to use FreeOTFE is to create a few encrypted files, which can be used on your disk like any other file. And if you want to make them invisible, just use the software to dismount these files and folders. They will no longer be visible in the Windows Explorer and you will require the password to see them.

Or, if you want, you can create an entire partition or volume on your drive encrypted with this nifty data encryption tool.

FreeOTFE is a great way to encrypt data on your USB sticks and portable drives. Just make that data encrypted and you can carry your portable disk safely. If you happen to lose them, the data stored on these disks simply becomes inaccessible.

The website has a detailed literature on how-to-use and different limitations and capabilities of this tool. Check out this useful open source data encryption tool.

[Download FreeOTFE]

Android Malware Trojan Steals Credit Card Info When You Speak or Enter It

Silki — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:29:36 +0000

As the popularity of the Android increases in the smartphone marketplace, more and more malware and trojan horse attacks are being targeted at Android Phones.

In a recent study, researchers have discovered a very smart and intelligent Anroid Malware, which smartly bye-passes most of the Android security applications present in the security market today.

Codenamed as Soundminer, this tiny bit of code listens and tracks your conversations and data inputs silently in the background until when you say or enter your credit card information. It uses minimum permissions to act itself thus limiting the chances of getting user attention to the bare minimum.

After capturing the credit card information, it transfers this info to yet another trojan horse residing in the Android. This has been nicknamed as Deliverer. Since the Android firmware requires the user permission, if the data is swapped between the applications, this uses yet another smart trick to minimize chances of detection. It uses the phone vibration mode to code the credit card information, which then is picked by the Deliverer and sent to the attacker sitting at the remote server controlling all these malware activities.

Soundminer intelligently “pullsout” sensitive data such as credit card and PIN numbersfrom both tone- and speech-based interaction with phonemenu systems. Soundminer performs ef?cient, stealthy localextraction, thereby greatly reducing the communication costfor delivering stolen data. Soundminer automatically infersthe destination phone number by analyzing audio, circumvents known security defenses, and conveys information remotely without direct network access.

[Complete Report (pdf)]

Safeguard Files, Folders on Computers – Password Protection Freeware Review

Silki — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:58:58 +0000

Data encryption is something to be seriously considered, if you are concerned about the data security of your important files and documents. But more often than not, people avoid using data encryption thinking that it might be a difficult process and they do not have the time and patience to dig deeper and understand it.

However there is a simpler option also.

You can safeguard your files and folders with the help of password protection. I do not know, whether Windows have this option to password protect some folder and its content, but their is a useful freeware password tool from IObit, which does the job just perfectly.

Password Folder – Freeware from IOBit to password protect your files and folders

Password Folder is freeware designed to password-protect your folders and files from being seen, read or modified. It works like a safety box, just drag and drop the folders or files you want to hide or protect into Password Folder, then no one can see, read or modify them. Whether you are concerned with privacy, data theft, data loss, or data leaks, Password Folder is an ideal tool for you.

Key Benefits

Hide from View : Hide folders, files, pictures & videos from those who want to investigate and search for certain files on your computer. No one can see them except you.

Block Access : Easily block access to files, folders, and programs you choose. You can password protect folder and its files then others can see it but cannot access, read or view its content.

Write Protection : Protect your files from being modified by others. No one can change the content of your files without your permission. Keep your files safe and intact.

Privacy Protection : Keep your private data, files, pictures or videos into Password Folder, the only way to access these files is with your password.

No more Data theft, Data loss, or Data leaks : Protect your important files or data from being accidentally deleted, replaced, or stolen by others.

Safe, Secure, and Free : Password Folder is a freeware, without any virus, adware, and spyware

Disclaimer: There are a few concern expressed by some of the user about getting BSOD. Please go through them and understand the implications before downloading and using Password Folder.

[Download Password Folder]

Boot Recovery – Repair Boot Sector, MBR of Hard Disk With Easeus Fixboot

Silki — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:10:19 +0000

Boot Sector of a partition on your hard drive is the most important section. It tells the computer, where the processing algorithm has to start looking for the files and data stored. What the MBR is for entire drive, that boot sector is for an individual partition: like the MBR, the boot sector contains information that the system needs to locate the materials that are needed to start the operating system. A corrupt or missing boot sector is a serious problem. Without it the partition cannot be accessed.

Boot Recovery – Freeware Tool to Repair Boot Sector and MBR of Hard Disk

EASEUS Partition Recovery is a free and easy-to-use partition recovery software to recover deleted or lost partition which contains the following features to be one of the best partition recovery software for you to keep:

Free for both home and commercial users.
Use it with ease: a wizard interface walks you through all the partition recovery process.
Recover deleted or lost partition quickly and easily.
Offer several optional scan areas helps locate the lost partition quickly.
Support FAT, NTFS, Ext2/Ext3 file system.
Support IDE / ATA / SATA / SCSI drives.
Support Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, 7.

This tool has several features as mentioned above and the Fixboot functionality, which allows you to repair and recover the lost boot sectors, is built within it.

[Download Easeus Partition Recovery]

Data File Recovery – Portable Software to Recover Corrupt / lost Files

Silki — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 05:42:50 +0000

In this series of posts, we have been bringing out some of the useful portable data file recovery utilities, which have been lost due to various reasons…may be accidental deletion, system crash, bads ectors or anything like that.

In this post, we are presenting a nice recovery tool, which can recover your deleted or lost data files easily.

SoftPerfect File Recovery is a free and useful tool to restore accidentally deleted files from hard and floppy disks, USB flash drives, CF and SD cards and other storage media. It supports the popular file systems such as FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS and NTFS5 with compression and encryption. If your important files disappeared and you can’t find them in the recycle bin, try this software product and get the files back to life. Easy to use, no installation is required.

It can…

Recover files from formatted partitions with original file names and storage paths.
Recover files from lost or deleted partitions.
Recover files from dynamic disks.
Recover files from Linux file system partition under Windows.

Features:

Recover 1 GB data for free.
Recover deleted or lost files emptied from the Recycle Bin.
File recovery after accidental format, even if you have reinstalled Windows.
Disk recovery after a hard disk crash.
Get back files after a partitioning error or hard disk crash.
Get data back from RAW hard drives.
Recover from lost/deleted partitions.
Recover files from Dynamic Disk.
Recover from Linux file system under Windows.
Recovers from formatted partitions with original file names & storage paths.
Recover office document, photo, image, video, music, email, etc.
Recover from hard drive, USB drive, memory card, memory stick, camera card, Zip, floppy disk or other storage media.
Support FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS/NTFS5, EXT2/EXT3 file systems.
High quality of file recovery.
Bootable media based on WinPE.

One important thing to note is that it allows you to recover data files only upto 1GB. After that you have to use the paid version.

[Download SoftPerfect File Recovery]

Computer File Recovery – Portable Undelete Tool to Recover Data

Silki — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 04:11:37 +0000

In this series of posts, we are looking at some of the freeware utilities and tools, which allow users to recover and restore their lost files because of various situations like accidental delete, system crash, hard disk errors, scratches on CDs and things like that.

In this post, we are taking a look at the portable tool for computer file recovery. This allows you to recover your deleted files. While using any undelete utility, it is to be remembered that its effectiveness is always limited by how early you start the recovery process after deleting the files.

Glary Undelete – Freeware Utility to Recover Deleted Computer Files

Glary Undelete is a free and easy-to-use yet powerful file undelete solution for FAT and NTFS file systems. It will bring back files emptied from the Recycle Bin, in a DOS window, from Windows Explorer with the SHIFT key held down. It will even recover files that have been deleted by bugs, crashes and viruses!

Glary Undelete works under Win 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista operating systems. The program supports all Windows file systems for hard and floppy drives including FAT12/16/32,NTFS/NTFS5 and image recovery from CompactFlash, SmartMedia, MultiMedia and Secure Digital cards.

Features:

Supports FAT, NTFS, NTFS + EFS file systems
Supports recover compressed, fragmented and encrypted files on NTFS
Undelete files on removable devices
Filter by file name, file date, size, recovery state
Simple and User friendly interface

[Download Glary Undelete]

File Recovery – Download Portable Freeware Tool

Silki — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 04:31:11 +0000

Data Loss, System Crash, Lost files…these are some of the words, which can give nightmares to any computer user, which has some important data on computer. These incidences do happen, and they happen at a time when you least expect them. They come as a surprise. And when you think of the reasons of data loss or corrupt files, there are many of them.

Some of the Reasons of Data Loss – When You May Need Special Tools for File Recovery

Data could be lost due to intention or unintentional file deletion, drive re-format and drive partitioning.
Corrupted system files may also indirectly affect you data by making it inaccessible. System conflict as a result of application or new hardware device installation is commonly the main culprit of system corruption.
Malicious-ware, like viruses, can spread like wild fire causing partial or complete damage to your valuable data.
Manufacturing defects, power surge, impact, heat, fire, water etc will cause mechanical or electronic damage to data media. As a result, normal access to such damaged media is no longer possible.

Whatever the causes, if one does not have proper backup procedure, data loss is inevitable. Data recovery services appear to be the last resort. However, one must understand that such rescue attempt will never guarantee that all lost data will be recoverable if the extent of damage is extremely adverse.

In this series of posts, we are looking at some of the useful and well-known File Recovery tools and here we present ADRC Data Recovery Software.

ADRC Data Recovery Software Tool

ADRC Data Recovery Software Tools contains a collection of DIY data recovery tools that supports a wide variety of drives and file systems.

The software incorporates extremely simple GUI with novice users in mind. The software zooms in to do only critical recovery functions with minimum complexity so one could recover the data easily. It gives you full control to undelete files, disk image back up, restore a backup image, copy files from hard disk with bad sectors, disk cloning, backup, edit and restore your boot parameters.

It is absolutely free! It is our pleasure to offer you the software without charge, direct or hidden, to download and use a fully functional copy of the program. The software will not install any spyware or adware. It does not gives pop-up ads or force any form of subscription to mailing lists.

The program is designed to be compact “green-ware” without any installation. In fact, the whole program is less than 130 kb and you could stuff it anywhere (such as a floppy) and run the program from there to recover data.

If you are happy with the utility, share the information with others about ADRC Data Recovery Software Tools or place to link to our download home page.