WhatsApp and iMessage

WhatsApp and iMessage could be banned under new surveillance plans

David Cameron could block WhatsApp and Snapchat if he wins the next election, as part of his plans for new surveillance powers announced in the wake of the shootings in Paris. The Prime Minister said today that he would stop the use of methods of communication that cannot be read by the security services even if they have a warrant. But that could include popular chat and social apps that encrypt their data, such as WhatsApp. Apple's iMessage and FaceTime also encrypt social media marketing companies their data, and could fall under the ban along with other encrypted chat apps like Telegram. The comments came as part of David Cameron's pledge to revive the “snoopers’ charter” to help security services spy on internet communications today. He said: “In our country, do we want to allow a means of communication between people which […] we cannot read?” He made the connection between encrypted communications tools and letters and phone conversations, both of which can be read by security services in extreme situations and with a warrant from the home secretary. But companies such as WhatsApp have remained committed to keeping social media marketing services their services encrypted and unable to be read by authorities, a project which has stepped up in the wake of the Edward Snowden’s revelations on NSA surveillance. And privacy groups have repeatedly criticised attempts to limit the use of privacy tools in the name of security. When the government announced plans to crack down on the dark net, for example, but privacy groups have warned that much of the tools are used by people in oppressed countries and victims of crime to stay safe.

New two-factor authentication library shows us most secure services online

Following the high-profile hijack and ransom of the @N username on Twitter, software engineer Josh Davis has created a website to show users which services offer two-factor authentication -- and which do not. Email accounts, social media and online retailers all store our personal information, ranging from telephone numbers to credit card data, if we choose to use the service. However, not all services offer heightened security features such as social media marketing university two-factor authentication, the use of an additional method to verify your identity if you try and access an account. For example, online retail giant Amazon sticks with a password-only approach, whereas PayPal gives users the option to tie their mobile number to an account, sending a code which must be input in addition to a password if you try to log in. If you've been the victim of a phishing campaign and have mistakenly input your details, these types of security checks can help prevent your accounts from being hijacked. In the case of @N, as noted in a blog post written by Davis over the weekend, Naoki Hiroshima's valuable and rare Twitter handle was taken over after a hacker used social engineering tactics to find out the details of Hiroshima's credit card, which was later used to gain access to a GoDaddy account -- leverage to force Hiroshima to release his Twitter handle. "About a month ago I was going through the process of looking for a new domain registrar to transfer my domains to. My number one criteria was a secure registrar," Davis said. "Although I don't own a rare Twitter handle, it was scary to think about how the extortion of Naoki Hiroshima was possible just because what is social media marketing of a lost domain name. Although GoDaddy does support two-factor auth, if Naoki had been using it for PayPal, his PayPal account would have been compromised as well." As a result, the software engineer and computer science student decided to create a website dedicated to comparing two-factor authentication services offered -- and missing -- from the most popular email, retail, social, financial, developer, and communication services, giving us a quick way to find out which services are most secure.

Tips for Social Media Security and Privacy

Social media accounts are powerful tools in the wrong hands. We’ve recently seen hackers take over the Twitter accounts of media outlets and large corporations, using them for anything from basic spam to drawing attention to global issues. Your own accounts might seem too small to tempt scammers, but even with just a few followers your information is a valuable commodity. Read on for tips to stay safe on social networks. It’s a pain, but it is also absolutely essential that you don’t use the same password for Twitter as you do for, say, Facebook, Instagram and other social tools. Using a single password makessocial media marketing jobs it easy for hackers, as gaining access to one means gaining access to all – and imagine how painful it will be when you find you’re locked out of your entire online life. When you use one password for multiple services, you’re only as safe as the least secure service you use. How can these social account hacks happen? By direct messages to you. Yes, using the same approach phishers have used for years it tends to be a rogue link in a message or email, perhaps sent to look like it’s from a colleague or friend, that exposes that all-important password. Phishers will find out who you would expect to receive an email from and use that as a way in. This social engineering approach has worked on staff at major newspapers and government organisations, so don’t fool yourself into thinking hacking social network accounts must require more social media and marketing sophisticated techniques. Social engineering is where attackers use whatever information they can glean from your public profiles – date of birth, education, interests – to try to get into your accounts on all sorts of services. Just imagine how easily someone can find out the name of your first pet or school from your Facebook profile, then think about how many services use them as security questions. Keep as much of your profile private as you can, and think twice before posting absolutely every aspect of your life.

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