Soteria Cloud Backup News

In years gone by, payphones were widely used across South Africa and as a result there are various sites where you can find these phones. Still in operation, but not as frequently used, these phones are found largely in city centres, hospitals, shopping malls, some schools and in the rural areas too. You might even have walked or driven past them in recent years and found yourself wondering what would become of them?

Enzo Scacella, the chief of marketing at Telkom stated that in 1994 not many South Africans had access to telephone services and so the need for public payphones existed. However, with the introduction of affordable smart phones and mobile devices, the need for payphones has become greatly reduced.

Earlier this year Telkom announced that it was carrying out feasibility studies to see if the phone booths can be used as Wi-Fi hotspots. Enzo Scacella confirmed while being interviewed on Morning Live in July 2014, that Telkom has the infrastructure to convert these units effectively. Unfortunately no roll out plan or timeline was given should the concept be approved and considered viable.

The project, still very much in its infancy, is that each payphone will emit a 10m signal to which smart phone users can connect and access the internet free of charge. This will prove to be especially beneficial to those living in disadvantaged areas – it is estimated that over 20 000 payphones are located specifically in these areas.

While all of this was made public at the end of June and early July 2014, not much has been said since on the matter, which has made interested parties wonder if Telkom is in fact going to go ahead with the plans or if the idea has been scrapped.

At Soteria Cloud we are fully supportive of the technological advancement that is seen in South Africa and we would love to see added benefits such as free Wi-Fi at public payphones and so much more. If you have any further insight on this story or would like to let us know what you think – get in touch with us!­­

All parents want to protect their children from the potential dangers of the world and the internet is just one of many, but it’s a considerable one. Unfortunately, living in a technologically advanced society, you should prepare yourself to accept that your children will quickly learn about computers, mobile devices and the internet, and will probably even surpass your own knowledge! The fear of the unknown dangers can be quite crippling to a parent. Of course there are numerous ways in which parents can supervise and monitor their child’s internet use and communications and, until recently, ComputerCop software has been promoted as the perfect tool for this.

In fact, ComputerCop software was so well advertised for its ability to protect the interests of underage/young online users, that local law enforcers and district attorneys have been distributing the software freely to parents, schools, libraries and other institutions across USA.

It was recently discovered however that while ComputerCop does monitor online usage, it is not the protective tool that it was thought to be. The program is in fact spyware that sends information about a user and their browsing activity in an unencrypted format, to third party servers. How is this done? With keystroke capturing features that the program includes. Of course law enforcers, being unaware of this, had no idea that the very families making use of ComputerCop were putting their personal information (and that of their young child’s) at risk, and exposed.

It was only a matter of time before industry professionals, offering similar software packages, questioned the origin and legitimacy of ComputerCop, leading to an in depth investigation by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The following issues were discovered with ComputerCop in addition to their keystroke logging feature:

• The company is falsely advertising that it has a letter of endorsement from the US department of Treasury. This letter of endorsement has been deemed a fraudulent document since its existence was discovered.

• ComputerCop and its main distributers in New York also claim that the American Civil Liberties Union has endorsed them – this is not true.
• ComputerCop also uses an expired endorsement from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in their current advertising which allows the program to feature their name. This agreement was in place in 1998 only and was never renewed.

At Soteria Cloud we recommend that parents and guardians, who want to protect their children and families from the potential dangers of the internet, should set parameters on their computers and invest in legitimate security software. All sensitive documents and information should be saved, preferably to the cloud and young children making use of the internet at school and at home should be supervised.

The JP Morgan Chase data breach, reported in August 2014, initially was said to have affected 1 million customer accounts. However in an official filing made in late September 2014, it was confirmed that 76 million households and 7 million business accounts were compromised in this particular data breach. These figures make this particular data hack the largest ever to be reported!

JP Morgan, while still on the defensive, states publicly that the accessed information included names, phone numbers, addresses, email addresses and various internal customer data. It is claimed that there is no evidence that other sensitive information such as user ID’s, social security numbers and passwords were ever accessed.

The company strongly advises that customers will not be held liable for unauthorised purchases and that to date, no fraudulent purchases or activity have been seen since the data breach. The financial firm claims that no financial information was stolen but the hackers have full knowledge of all software that is found on a standard JP Morgan computer and this alone is a threat / danger. It is obvious that vulnerabilities in the JP Morgan software can now be found and exploited to gain future, illegal access to the systems and information. Many customers are nervous about whether their information, data and customer accounts are safe at this stage and in the future.

At Soteria Cloud we were shocked to hear of the JP Morgan hack which was first revealed to the public in July 2014. We strongly advise our clients to take precautions when hosting client accounts with service providers. Always make sure that you have a back up of information and data and change your password on a regular basis, just to be safe. To learn more about how to protect your system and data, contact Soteria Cloud today.

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Despite popular belief, BADusb is not malware. You cannot download BADusb as a file and use it to infect and cause havoc on a computer system. It is an actual USB device that is designed to connect to a computer in an unusual way (for USB’s that is). These are regular USB’s that have been altered and once you plug such a device into your machine, it will go about running commands and executing files at will until the mission has been accomplished. What is that mission? Absolute destruction! The BADusb means nothing on your computer is safe – data, programs, the works. Those who save most of their important documentation and information on their computer are urged to do regular backups to avoid the negative outcomes, should a BADusb make its way into your business or home office.

You might be wondering how such a device or the details on how to alter such devices made its way into the hands of unscrupulous people. Well, we have the Derbycon gathering in Louisville, Kentucky (in September 2014) and a few careless security experts and hackers in attendance to thank for that – unfortunately.

There’s more bad news…you will certainly not be able to tell the difference between a regular and altered USB and as the files on the USB itself will not be infected or considered dangerous, your regular computer security software will probably not detect a thing. Why is this? Security software is designed to scan files on a drive and as such is unable to inspect drivers that might be running inside the USB. This is where the real danger lies. Experts in computer security have been unable to provide much in terms of security advice to avoid being a victim of the havoc and lost information that the BADusb leaves in its wake.

Some tips to avoid being a victim of this nasty device:

• Only plug trusted devices into your computer.
• Never use or buy pre-owned USB devices.
• Don’t leave your computer or mobile device unattended or unlocked.
• Backup your system information and data on a regular basis, just in case.
• Be sceptical of accepting free USB sticks and devices.

The world eagerly awaits a solution to the BADusb problem that is faced by all computer users. However, by being careful and setting your computer security to block the start up of any new programs and drivers on your computer, you could protect your data and system. For more information and advice on how to protect your system from information and data loss, feel free to contact us at Soteria Cloud today.

Imagine being able to use your window or the screen of your Smartphone as a solar energy-charging source! How much frustration would you be eliminating from your life knowing that you have access to solar power, when your devices are running low on battery charge? Think it’s impossible? Well researchers have recently created something that will change the way you think about solar power and its benefits, with a transparent solar cell that can turn any sheet of glass into a solar energy source. It is said that the aim is to be able to make use of these cells not only on small surfaces, but possibly even in high rise buildings with lots of windows.

There has been great excitement and buzz about this particular product as it is the very first actual transparent cell created. Previous versions were only partially transparent and even then they would cast a colourful shadow in the light. This solar cell is different and we believe that it is going to do great things!

The scientists involved in the research and creation of the cell have noted that replacing your Smartphone’s screen with this material could actual benefit you by supplying you with a few extra minutes or hours of battery life on a single charge. The idea is to ensure that the product works perfectly for large-scale industrial applications and smaller applications such as cell phones, tablets and similar.

Due to the fact that creating solar panels has offered very little in terms of aesthetic appeal in the past, the transparent solar cell is certainly bringing about a great deal of excitement. While many are thinking of innovative ways to make use of it, the researchers at Michigan State University are working hard to get the most out of their new creation.

What do you think about this particular product? If given the option, would you replace the screen on your Smartphone or other devices with a glass for solar energy? Many probably would and we can’t wait to see what lies in store for this new solar cell!

Fox News recently reported that The White House is refusing to disclose any computer and online security information relating to the Federal Health Care website in an attempt to deter hackers from trying to access records and information.  Associated Press requested freedom of information from the Centres for Medicaid and Medicare Services which was denied. The websites involved apparently experienced a glitch where millions of people were unable to register for ObamaCare which is the state provided health care system.

The feedback provided by The White House was that providing such information could violate health-privacy laws as it would provide sufficient information to hackers who are eager to crack the system. While requests have been made to release some information and sensor sensitive information, Associated Press has reported that absolutely no information will be revealed.

It is said that The White House is trying to create a form of security through obscurity and that by not disclosing information they will ensure that hackers will not be able to form a strategy to break in to the system and access files. It was also noted that this is an acceptable form of security, but what is being questioned is why other information such as numbers of break-ins experienced or details on how systems store personal data, which is typically made common private sector knowledge, is also being withheld in this case.

The cyber security experts working for the Government have advised that there is a concern that any state computers used to verify the personal particulars of insurance applicants; that are linked to the federal system, would be vulnerable to attack if any security related information is disclosed. It has been stated that these concerns have been addressed, but currently there is no change in the decision to protect such information.

The importance of protecting your data is becoming more evident with each passing day. Hackers, personal identity theft and various other forms of fraud can all originate from lack of security. Make sure that you have your computer security systems in good order if you want to avoid being a victim of such crimes.

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Do you worry about the safety of your personal information when you register to use an online service or shop online? While many may overlook potential security risks, millions have fallen victim to identity theft as a result of data theft / hacking. 145 million disgruntled eBay users had their personal information compromised earlier this year. Now this security breach has resulted in eBay being faced with a class action lawsuit! The lawsuit is founded on the accusation that the company does not offer adequate security, for protecting the personal information of its users.

What personal details were stolen? Customer’s names and email addresses, phone numbers, mailing addresses, encrypted passwords and dates of birth. As a result, 145 million eBay customers were requested to change their passwords, but this was already too little, too late. The situation is said to have cause a major decline in revenue for eBay – a problem the company is working towards overcoming.

It is said that eBay noted that security breaches were a constant threat and so knew the value of the personal information and data that it holds. eBay is further being accused of knowing that about the theft of data and not taking efficient action to report the situation to its customers.

The privacy of electronically transmitted information is protected by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and the Federal Stored Communications Act, and the lawsuit states that eBay is in violation of both.  The lawsuit aims at receiving a monetary payout for the potential fees and expenses that can be incurred as each member affected will need to be vigilant and keep an eye out for potential fraud in their name.

As eBay takes the necessary steps to ensure that their sensitive data is better protected, so should you. Ensure that your private information and documents are well taken care of by backing up to the cloud. Soteria cloud storage solutions will ensure that your private information remains just that – private.

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If you need to use glasses to look at your laptop, television screen, tablet or other handheld device then you are in for a surprise! The market is set to see the introduction of vision correcting screens that will ensure that you can put your glasses away and see absolutely perfectly.

How does it work? The display technology is designed to make use of algorithms that are based on your actual glasses prescription. Light is altered via each pixel on the screen and will alter the image you see just like your glasses or contact lenses would. While there is much talk about this particular technology, it must not go unmentioned that while it will help those with common eye-sight problems, it will be able to help with more complex vision problems such as Spherical Aberration and similar.

A paper detailing the research and findings is said to be set for presentation at the Siggraph conference which is held in August in Vancouver, Canada. Once this is done, the developers look forward to creating a prototype that can be used by real people, in real life situations. This could take a few years, but this doesn’t take away from the excitement that many have regarding the creation of this product.

Vision correcting screen technology is being worked on by researchers at MIT and Microsoft. The device being created has been tested with a Canon DSLR camera lens that is able to simulate various vision problems.

One of the challenges that the developers might be faced with is ensuring that users are positioned the right distance from the device and at the right angle. There is talk of the technology being able to recognise head movement in order to adjust the image successfully.

While technology seems to be booming and improving each and every month, it is important to keep up to date with all that is happening. Check back to our blog regularly for more interesting news on technological advancements.

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