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How to protect your PC from PRISM surveillance
PC World ^ | June 7, 2013 | Mark Hachman, PC World

Posted on 06/11/2013 11:48:04 AM PDT by Nachum

PC World - Thursday afternoon, a bombshell dropped: Two leading reports claimed that the U.S. government has been spying on emails, searches, Skype calls, and other electronic communications used by Americans for the last several years, via a program known as PRISM.

[ALSO: Prism leaker steps forward]

According to the reports, the Web's largest names--AOL, Apple, Facebook,A Google, Microsoft, Skype, PalTalk, Yahoo, and YouTube--participated, perhaps unwittingly. (Dropbox will reportedly be added as well.) The report claims that the National Security Agency had "direct access" to servers owned by those companies. Most, if not all, of those companies have denied participating in PRISM, although it's unclear whether they were unaware of the NSA's spying, or simply turned a blind eye.

According toA The Guardian andA The Washington Post, the data covered included: "email, video and voice chat, videos, photos, voice-over-IP chats, file transfers, social networking details, and more."

If nothing else, however, the PRISM disclosure is worrying and deeply shocking. If the report is accurate, the government may simply listen in on virtually any electronic communication you've made, in the interests of national security. Is this something that should be encouraged to fight domestic terrorism, or is this sort of government intrusion something that should be deeply distrusted? For the purposes of this story, we're going to err on the side of the latter; whether you take advantage of our advice is up to you.

Note that there is absolutely no guarantee that our tips will make your PC PRISM proof. One of the generally held beliefs in the security world is that, with enough resources on the part of the attacker, any secrets that are known about can eventually be unearthed. But let's say that you support an "Arab Spring" movement in a country whose interests parallel those

(Excerpt) Read more at pcworld.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cybersecurity; prism; protectpc
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1 posted on 06/11/2013 11:48:05 AM PDT by Nachum
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To: Nachum

The #1 use for Skype is video sex.

Thus Obama has the blackmail goods on a WHOLE lotta people


2 posted on 06/11/2013 11:52:03 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Nachum

Unplug it and throw it in the lake.


3 posted on 06/11/2013 11:52:52 AM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: Nachum; a fool in paradise

Disconnect from the internet, which is what I’ve done.


4 posted on 06/11/2013 11:53:28 AM PDT by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious!)
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To: Nachum
Wrap it up!


5 posted on 06/11/2013 11:54:55 AM PDT by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious!)
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To: Nachum

TOR over commercial VPN.


6 posted on 06/11/2013 11:55:32 AM PDT by proxy_user
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To: Nachum
Is this something that should be encouraged to fight domestic terrorism, or is this sort of government intrusion something that should be deeply distrusted?

When any objection to a government program or action is likely to be considered an act of domestic terror (the regime is terrified that we will come to our senses and remove them), you bet it should be distrusted!

7 posted on 06/11/2013 11:55:38 AM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed &water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS, NOW & FOREVER!)
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To: Nachum

I’m wondering if they have a back door in all the firewalls and anti-virus software out there. I am sure there are some freepers who would be well informed on this.


8 posted on 06/11/2013 11:56:10 AM PDT by Principle Over Politics (Is this a free country or what?)
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To: Nachum

9 posted on 06/11/2013 11:56:43 AM PDT by COBOL2Java (Fighting Obama without Boehner & McConnell is like going deer hunting without your accordion)
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To: Nachum

10 posted on 06/11/2013 11:57:12 AM PDT by Sopater (Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? - Matthew 20:15a)
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To: Nachum

If someone here can tell me how to improve the speed of TOR, I’d appreciate it.


11 posted on 06/11/2013 11:57:17 AM PDT by GeorgeWashingtonsGhost
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To: proxy_user

Who invented TOR?


12 posted on 06/11/2013 11:57:55 AM PDT by Principle Over Politics (Is this a free country or what?)
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To: Nachum

13 posted on 06/11/2013 11:58:08 AM PDT by COBOL2Java (Fighting Obama without Boehner & McConnell is like going deer hunting without your accordion)
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To: Nachum

14 posted on 06/11/2013 11:58:48 AM PDT by Utah Binger (Southern Utah where the world comes to see America)
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To: Revolting cat!
Shoulda replied in white font.
15 posted on 06/11/2013 11:59:25 AM PDT by Pan_Yan (I believe in God. All else is dubious.)
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To: Nachum

If you connect to the Internet they have you. There’s nothing you can do to stop them. They don’t even have to get into your computer. They’re piped straight into the servers. Anything that comes to you or you send to anywhere has to go past their listening programs.
They are reading this right now!


16 posted on 06/11/2013 11:59:54 AM PDT by servo1969
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To: Nachum

Unplug it.

As a software developer I have lamented to all about this cloud nonsense for years. No matter what you do, if you do not have physical control of your data it is not secure, period! Nothing will prevent a hacker or a lapse in simple security (like leaving a laptop laying around) from getting your data.


17 posted on 06/11/2013 12:01:51 PM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: proxy_user

Tor was created by the Gov...they sure know how to break that.


18 posted on 06/11/2013 12:01:57 PM PDT by caww
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To: Nachum

Any computer connected to a network is subject to being compromised.

As for encrypting email? That’s pointless as the NSA has a budget to crack encryptions and they’ll spend billions to break encryptions while most people spend a few bucks to nothing at all (open source) to buy encryption.

The one-time cipher pad is still the single most reliable way to defeat spies. Book ciphers are simple and easy to use and are practically impenetrable especially if you use obscure books as your reference.


19 posted on 06/11/2013 12:02:01 PM PDT by MeganC (You can take my gun when you can grab it with your cold, dead fingers.)
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To: servo1969

That’s exactly right...there’s nothing you can do if you have a computer or cell phone.

Actually they can even use these when you have them shut down.


20 posted on 06/11/2013 12:04:01 PM PDT by caww
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