Exclusive Research
Why “Free VPNs” are worse than no VPN at all? How are you still paying them with your data?
Every person either using VPNs or intending to use one has concerns about their security and questions which are often never taken seriously and remain unanswered. In this article, I will share my experience with using free VPNs and answer these questions Whether they are worthy of your attention? Do they steal your data? Do they sell your data without consent? 📑 Table of Contents What is VPN? Why does it exist? VPNs and the “Dark web” Do VPN providers sell your data? Referring Affiliate traffic Use Shady practices Injecting ads Free VPNs which are popular but are harvesting user data So is there any safe VPN at all? Fraudulent Free VPNs Efficient yet safe Free VPNs Conclusion What is VPN? Well, suppose you don't know what a VPN is. In that case, it's an abbreviation for Virtual Private Network, known for establishing a secure network connection while using a public network. Is Internet use possible without these? Yes. But has a VPN opened a window of opportunity to a wide range of...
The cheapest fire and forget hacking computer on the consumer market – the threat could be everywhere
Every black hat needs a hacking computer to perform hacks, Spy, or inject malware into the network. Black hats tend to use portable and cheap computers for their evil actions. Portable and inexpensive computers enable them to change location quickly or destroy the machine if exposed during an operation. Now, you must be wondering if these portable and cheap hacking computers were built by manufacturers like Dell or HP. Can I buy one from the local market ? Fortunately, such hacking computers are not available ready-made in the market. If that would be the case, then they would have been a hot selling product. Therefore, a black hat builds and configures its own hacking machine according to the operational requirements . They use standard PCs or Laptops available in the market. 📑 Table of Contents What is a Raspberry Pi? Models and Specifications What are the Applications of a Raspberry Pi? What is a Raspberry Pi Zero W? How can you use Pi Zero W as a Hacking Computer? How to configure...
Top 25 password managers in 2021. Improve your password security yourself and protect your passwords from malware
You might have heard already about do not reuse your passwords for different services online and keep them relatively long? But how to accomplish this with minimum effort. This is a question I am facing most often. In this article, I will be exploring the concept of password security, listing a few tips and tricks on how to improve it, and finally, list the best 25 password manager tools in the market with a comparison of their pros and cons. 📑 Table of Contents Password Security How to improve password security 25 Best password managers in the market Dashlane LastPass Bitwarden NordPass RoboForm RememBear Password Boss Avira Password Manager Zoho Vault Enpass LogMeOnce Akeyless Vault AuthPass BastionPass StickyPassword Kaspersky Password Manager One Identity Thycotic Secret Server Intuitive Password Keeper 1Password Team Password Norton Password Manager CyberArk Enterprise Password Vault BeyondTrust Privileged Identity Conclusion Password Manager Platform Supported Price Rating (Out...
I hacked the ship to prove the "Ever Given" container ship alike accident using only 3 free tools from the Internet.
Hacking into things is a strong addiction; you can't just refuse to stop doing it if you are a true researcher and passionate cyber geek. So, me too. You remember that recent story with "Ever Given" container cargo ship stuck somewhere in the middle of Suez Canal and caused over 1,3 billion US dollars loss for companies relied on sea/ocean transport. For this research, I decided to prove the concept: If you find only one Internet-connected system on a ship, you can take over a whole control system of it. What about figure out open-source intelligence (OSINT) capabilities and find something interesting? It is possible without installing anything and without prior knowledge of complex pentesting techniques. I will use only 3 free online services here, which can give many answers about the security level of specific cargo. This is already enough to identify weakly protected ship s and dig deeper into the control system direction. Should I say that the last-mentioned usually has no...
A Hacker’s Guide to Google Dorks
Want to get more out of your Google Search Engine? Want to start on the path of vulnerability research? We would like to introduce you to the Google Dorks ! No, we aren’t going to talk about Google employees. Google dorks are search keywords used to gather sensitive information using Google advanced search by indexing and fetching links to specific files, directories, or servers. A search engine, say Google, is very capable of finding information that a user requires in the snap of a finger. While their primary aim is to do just this, a search engine is capable of achieving much more, especially the Google Search Engine. 📑 Table of Contents Google Dorking Can I Hack a Website Using Google Dorks? A Few Popular Keywords for Google Dorks A Few Examples of Google Dorking Freely Accessible Files Live IP Cameras SSH Private Keys Vulnerable Web Servers FTP Servers SQL Databases Practices for Safe Google Dorking Conclusion Google Dorking Image Source – medium.com From a hacker's perspective,...
Ways to lose money with a Bitcoin wallet & Protection guide for 2021
Losing crypto assets due to malicious actions of hackers and fraudsters is a very real threat. In this new extensive guide, I will share real cases of theft of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, outline effective ways to protect wallets, and describe an almost 100% secure method of executing transactions step by step. More than 10 years have passed since 2010 when the first cryptocurrency introduced by a developer or a group of developers under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto became a real means of payment. Starting out as a technology primarily enjoyed by computer nerds, Bitcoin has become a popular means of payment with more than $1 billion in daily turnover. At the same time, due to its decentralization and relative anonymity, Bitcoin has become one of the most coveted assets in the world of cybercrime. How did Bitcoin become the main means of payment for cybercriminals? Why is it easier to steal cryptocurrency than money from a card? How are crypto exchanges hacked? What is the...
Should I worry about “COM Surrogate” aka "dllhost.exe" in my task manager? 5 processes are belonging to not harmful Windows core processes.
First of all, calm down – take a brief in and brief out. Status June 2021, COM Surrogate is not a virus in 99% of cases, and I am going to explain why. Other articles are claiming the dllhost.exe virus from the first line. But it is a scam! Because the second line will propose paid antivirus… Very clever, but not fair. For that rest 1%, you will find detailed guidance in this article, which will help you identify if it is a threat and remove the virus within 3 minutes. Since you are no longer under stress because of an unfamiliar process, I guess your first question is about the other four suspicious but not malicious processes under Windows? Let us look at it! 📑 Table of Contents What is COM Surrogate? Why are we paying attention to dllhost.exe? How to prove COM Surrogate is a legitimate process? How to remove dllhost.exe if it is a virus? How to avoid infection of dllhost.exe or COM Surrogate? Conclusion Disclaimer: I need to emphasize that all said below is valid only for normal...
How is it challenging to detect and protect from Russian APT29? Learn about APT techniques in 6 basic steps with MITRE ATT&CK.
Once you got this information, your life is never going to be as before. We are going to dive into the most sophisticated techniques used to hack high-grade cyber-protection systems for all time. You might have heard about SolarWind cyber breach that created a huge buzzing wave around the world. This attack affected over 17,000 systems globally, with an estimated number of threatened end-points close to an incredible 60,000,000 (but I am sure much more than this). And we are still speaking about the same group. APT 29 is, according to different sources, the threat group attributed to the Russian National Intelligence Service. What are they? How they perform? Let's look together. Even if you are not a computer expert, you will understand the scope and complexity of work done by hackers to achieve their goals. It is terrific and exciting at the same time. 📑 Table of Contents What is APT (Advanced Persistent Threat)? Why are experts searching for APT? How to use the MITRE ATT&CK...
The Tor Browser: Shared with VPN
I can't in good conscience allow the U.S. government to destroy privacy, internet freedom, and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they're secretly building. Edward Snowden. Is Tor a compromised solution or a completely safe means of anonymization? Tor is safe to use Set up Tor VPN - step by step instructions with a real example Tor VPNs that have passed all security tests Additional free protection for Tor There is a lot of information on the web about Tor and even more information about VPNs . But not everyone knows that for maximum privacy, you need to use the two technologies together. In this article, I will share my over 10 years of experience of setting up secure networks using Tor over VPN. You will learn how to properly configure the onion browser; How to choose an effective Tor VPN; What important options need to be activated in the VPN app; Have a look at the best Tor VPNs: ExpressVPN : The fastest and most secure VPN. Its main...
Deepfake crimes: How Real And Dangerous They Are In 2021?
Image Source – venturebeat.com Some of you might remember the infamous Tom Cruise TikTok videos that came out earlier this year and took the internet by storm. Or the video of Obama insulting Trump that came out a few years ago. These videos are, obviously, fake and created using a technology called Deepfake , which experts think might be the most dangerous crime of the future! You might have many questions about what a Deepfake is, how it works, and the potential danger of the technology. Well, in this article, I will answer all your questions and explain to you what a Deepfake is. 📑 Table of Contents How Does a Deepfake Work? Applications of Deepfake Pornography Politics Movies and Art Identity Theft Fighting Against Deepfakes Conclusion A Deepfake is a form of media where any person in a video is replaced by another person that shares a form of likeness with the first. The name itself is a combination of 2 terms – deep learning (the technology used) and fake. In simple terms, a...
How websites track your behavior and share this data with others?
Image source - cookielawinfo.com It is hard to live in 2021 and don’t be watched by some enterprises, right? But the think is they are selling all observations about you on third-parties, who are sellling you advertisements from companies, who are selling you goods. No one stands next to us with a camera, we do not hear the voices of strangers during telephone conversations (although there were such cases), and we do not see how other people get access to our confidential data. But if we do not have evidence of observation, this does not mean that it does not exist. Have you ever wondered why Google offers to buy us the dream shoes we searched for on websites a few days ago? After taking a closer look at the controversial Google Chrome update, we decided to analyze the most visited sites in the world to see if our data easily fall into the wrong hands. Some websites follow your activity , but there are also relatively harmless web portals — porn sites, for example. It seems that the...
What is Fleeceware-apps? You should keep your hands off them!
Would you like to pay $69.99 a week or even $199.99 a year for a zodiac app, handheld reading app or even a screen editor? Fleeceware is a term used to describe applications that exist on both Android and iOS. These applications claim to be free , provide a few days of free trial, and then the price is too high. The age of simple applications is between 30 and 300 US dollars for applications like QR code reader, screen editor and video recorder. Fleeceware is an application that can secretly charge users high fees . Usually, Fleeceware applications will force victims to install a free "trial version" and then set a hefty "subscription fee." In some cases, installing such an application may cost users $3000 per year. Fleeceware app reviews often look fake, because multiple users have left comments such as "addiction" or "my love ", and actual reviews indicate that the app actually does not work or unknowingly Users charge a lot of money. 📑 Table of Contents Is Fleeceware legal? Beware...