Best VPNs for staying home in the UK: Work and stream in 2020 - Mashable

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• Best VPNs for staying home in the UK: Work and stream in 2020 - Mashable
• Five Open Source alternatives to Slack - Gizchina.com
• Encryption for Android (Guide) | 3 ways to Secure your Android phone - https://proprivacy.com/

Best VPNs for staying home in the UK: Work and stream in 2020 - Mashable Posted: 31 Mar 2020 06:41 AM PDT Remote workers are turning to VPNs to securely access internal company networks and stream restricted content. Best for security NordVPN NordVPN offers top-tier encryption with a strict no-logging policy verified by independent auditors. Best for speed ExpressVPN ExpressVPN is a comprehensive service that offers great connection speeds and strong encryption. By Joseph Green2020-03-31 13:36:04 UTC We've been banging on about VPNs for years, and now the world has opened its eyes to how great these services are for boosting online security and bypassing geo-restrictions. There are two reasons for this sudden realisation. The first is that more and more businesses are making the transition from a traditional office setting to a remote workforce. A VPN is absolutely essential for working remotely because it provides an organisaton with an encrypted connection for securely accessing internal company networks. The second reason is all about entertainment, and the fact that VPNs can be used to watch shows on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and more of the most popular streaming sites. The need for online entertainment has grown recently, and more people are now turning towards VPNs to unlock blocked or restricted content. The message is: VPNs are vital for both work and play at home. What is the best VPN for your home? The first thing you're likely to notice when you begin the hunt for a VPN is just how many services there are to consider. Yes, it's good to have options, but it's easy to get bogged down by all the choice. That's why it's important to focus on some key factors when making your decision: Reliable encryption — the most important thing to consider is how well a service protects your connection, so your data and identity remain hidden from prying eyes. Fast connection speeds — the best VPNs offer servers in countries all around the world, ensuring that you get a fast and reliable connection for when you need it most. Kill switch — this technology makes sure your sensitive data is not exposed, even if your connection drops unexpectedly.  Customer support — if you encounter any problems, it's good to know that you can rely on support agents with the technical knowledge to help. Multi-logins — some accounts let you connect multiple devices simultaneously, which is great for protecting an entire household under the same subscription. If you take all of these features into consideration, and find something that ticks most of the boxes, you should be in a good position. Don't panic if things still aren't clear though, because we have already considered these points in detail. We're nice like that. We have lined up some of your best options for working and playing at home, with top providers like ExpressVPN and NordVPN making the cut. There is something for everyone and every budget in this list. All you have to do is pick your favourite. These are the best VPNs for staying home in 2020. Fast connection speeds • Money-back guarantee • Good spread of server locations • Support available via livechat and email Expensive • No free trial One of the best services on the market, but also one of the most expensive. ExpressVPN ExpressVPN is a comprehensive service that offers great connection speeds and strong encryption. Monthly: £10.18/month Six-month plan: £7.85/month 15-month plan: £5.24/month ExpressVPN is more expensive than most of the other options on this list, but that's because it offers an impressive blend of security, speed, and customer support. It's one of the best options for working and streaming from home, if you're willing to pay a little extra. ExpressVPN provides AES 256-bit encryption with a split tunneling tool and kill switch. It also promises to uphold its strict no-logging policy when it comes to both your activity and your connection, and provides access to a massive network of servers to ensure you don't suffer from buffering. As a nice bonus, users get access to a blog filled with how-to guides, troubleshooting tips, general security advice, and useful infographics. This is all in addition to live chat and email assistance that's available around the clock.  Unlimited bandwidth • Seven connections • Kill switch • Money-back guarantee • Cheap Not the fastest connection speed Great value service if you're willing to commit to one of the longer contracts. CyberGhost VPN CyberGhostVPN lets you connect seven devices at the same time, so everyone at home is protected. Monthly: £10.29/month One-year plan: £4.59/month Two-year plan: £3.09/month Three-year plan: £2.10/month CyberGhost VPN is one of the best services for work and play at home, and that's down to its 256-bit encryption, unlimited bandwidth, automatic kill switch, and no-logging policy. It's also great value, if you're willing to commit to a long contract. Another big advantage of this service is that you can connect seven devices to the same account, meaning that everyone in your family can be protected under the same plan. Alternatively, you can safeguard all the devices that you use, like your laptop, desktop, and tablet. Some reports do suggest that CyberGhost VPN's apps are a little slow to connect to servers, but you can always rely on the money-back guarantee if you're not impressed. What do you have to lose? Kill switch • Ad blocker • Simple to install • High-grade encryption Relatively recent data breach NordVPN prioritises security and simplicity, but has suffered data breaches in the past. NordVPN NordVPN offers top-tier encryption with a strict no-logging policy verified by independent auditors. Monthly: £9.68/month One-year plan: £5.66/month Two-year plan: £4.04/month Three-year plan: £2.82/month NordVPN keeps things simple, and focuses on security. It offers apps for a variety of platforms including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android, and comes with a kill switch and built-in ad blocker that protect your devices from malware and phishing scams. NordVPN did suffer a data breach in 2018 when an attacker exploited an insecure remote management system, but there haven't been any similar incidents since. It is also very transparent about its policies, and has recently conducted an independent audit after some unsubstantiated rumours were spread about its service. Something that sets NordVPN apart from the competition is the Double VPN feature that lets you encrypt your data twice, effectively hiding your data behind two VPN servers. This probably isn't necessary for most users, but it's nice to have.  Kill switch • Server total and spread • Apps Dated interface • Sluggish connection speeds Private Internet Access offers everything you need to get the job done, but does have an ugly interface. Private Internet Access Private Internet Access has apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and an extension for Chrome. Monthly: £2.45/month One-year plan: £4.72/month Private Internet Access is packed full of impressive features that everyone should appreiciate. These go some way towards making up for the dated interface and sluggish speeds. Users get access to thousands of servers based in countries all around the world, which helps with streaming. Private Internet Access also comes with a kill switch, IPv6 leak protection, and strong levels of encryption. It also has apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and an extension for Chrome.  It may not be the fastest or the sexiest VPN, but it's definitely one of the best. If you aren't satisfied, then you can always fall back on the money-back guarantee. Fast connection speeds • Split-tunnelling • Apps for streaming • Customer support Logging problems • Doesn't support torrenting One of the best services for streaming due to fast download speeds and app support. PureVPN Impressive download and upload speeds mean you can stream without interruptions. Monthly: £8.39/month One-year plan: £3.19/month PureVPN is one of the best services for streaming, because it offers fast download and upload speeds. It's also a good option for working from home, but it shines when it comes to entertainment.  PureVPN lets you stream content, unblock geo-restricted websites, and share files with safety-focused features like split-tunnelling making sure that your data and identity is not compromised. It works with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome, and Firefox, and it even has apps for media streaming boxes like Android TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Kodi. PureVPN has come under fire for disclosing user information in the past, and potential users should consider this carefully. Cheap • Attractive interface • Free service • Easy for beginners Lacking some advanced features Straightforward and attractive interface is great for beginners, but may be lacking some of the more advanced features. TunnelBear TunnelBear's slick and simple interface is ideal for beginners. Monthly: £7.94/month One-year plan: £3.96/month We don't know why, but a lot of VPNs have a really dated interface, but not TunnelBear. The app consists of a world map that shows you where your server is connected, and to connect to a server in another country, you click on a tunnel. It's simple, attractive, and contains bears. It's not all good though, because TunnelBear has a fairly low server count, and lacks some of the more advanced features that you'll find with the likes of NordVPN and ExpressVPN. It's still a great option for beginners TunnelBear even has a free option that gives you access to all of its features, but with a limit on your browsing of 500MB of data per month. That enough to give you an idea of whether or not TunnelBear is for you.

Five Open Source alternatives to Slack - Gizchina.com Posted: 31 Mar 2020 09:41 AM PDT Since its introduction in 2009, Slack has become one of the best communication platforms for companies. And they may not have succeeded in completely replacing email, but it certainly didn't go too badly. The company debuted on the Stock Exchange last June, and, in just a few hours. It managed to get its valuation to exceed 23,000 million dollars. Slack alternatives From its demand in service, many new Open Source messaging app projects have emerged, which stand out for their strong commitment to security, offering companies to install (sometimes free of charge) the solution on their own servers. And its orientation to the world of software development and DevOps. They are as follows. Riot Like Slack, Riot allows you to chat, exchange files, make voice calls, hold video conferences, and work with some bots. The application is developed on the Matrix platform. That has two significant advantages in terms of security and privacy. The data gets store in a private server, and conversations are end-to-end encrypted. Riot allows it to be installed for free on the servers of any company. Although those interested can also contract it as a managed hosting service. Like Slack, it also has open APIs that allow its integration in a good number of applications, like instant messaging standouts. Riot has support for both the leading desktop platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux) and mobile (iOS, Android) and web version. Zulip Chat With a collaborative philosophy very similar to that found in Slack. The Zulip Chat approach, however, is committed to improving communication within channels. That according to the company, in Slack ends up being overwhelming and difficult to manage. To achieve this, its function is to unify messages with real-time communication. That we find in instant messaging platforms and clients such as Slack, with the asynchronous email. So that messages don't get lost in the flow of information. In the integrations section, it has a large number of features like Slack, with an API that allows companies to develop new ones and support for IFTTT, Hubot, or Zapier. Similar to Riot, Zulip has applications for the leading platforms, although it does not have a web version. Rocket.Chat Rocket.Chat is one of the most solid alternatives to Slack that we can find right now, with companies like Intel, Samsung, RedHat, or Nokia among its main clients. Although it is a general-purpose application, it also has a strong orientation to the world of software development and DevOps. With great native integrations for services such as GitHub, AWS, or Jira Software, among many others. On the communication side, it also allows having videoconferences natively. In the security section, in addition to offering end-to-end conversation encryption, it provides the possibility of securing user access by enabling double-factor identification, and all kinds of "granular" permissions for the different channels. Like other Slack Alternatives, it has applications support for the leading platforms. It allows its use in SaaS and On-Premises (also in private cloud solutions), but unlike the same, except in the "Community" edition. We will have to pay per user even if we install Rocket.Chat on our servers. Mattermost Perhaps the easiest way to define Mattermost is as a Slack Open Source "clone". Its design and interface match the needs of large companies. And in this sense, the company boasts clients like Daimler, ING, or Cigna. Mattermost has a strong orientation to the world of development and DevOps, with integration and practically among all the platforms and applications that model cloud scenarios. Such as Ansible, Bitbucket, AWS, Chef, Docker, Fedora, Jira, Jenkins, Nagios, etc. This makes it one of the best Slack Alternatives. Wire The latest Wire application is perhaps the most elegant. With a design that showcases its function in every little detail. Wire app is one of those solutions that allow boasting in the company. Contrary to the previous two, it is more based on the world of programming and development. And its primary focus of action is to facilitate communication in marketing and sales, human resources, or finance teams. And although it has an interesting group of integrations with external services, the house brand its commitment to security. Alongside end-to-end message encryption, Wire promises to bring that encryption to multi-device scenarios (and not just where the initial contact occurs).

Encryption for Android (Guide) | 3 ways to Secure your Android phone - https://proprivacy.com/ Posted: 02 May 2019 12:00 AM PDT Encryption in its most basic form is the process of changing information into illegible code to prevent people from accessing your data. As of Android 7.0 Nougat, which was first released in March 2016, almost all Android phones come pre-encrypted. However, this encryption is not without problems. In this article, we show you several ways of encrypting your Android phone. 3 ways to encrypt your Android phone Use Third-party file Android encryption apps If you store highly sensitive data on your phone then, you really shouldn't trust Android's encryption. What you can do, though, is secure your data using third-party apps.  EDS/ EDS Lite is an open source app that allows you to store files in a secure VeraCrypt (or LUKS, EncFS, or CyberSafe) container on your phone. Cryptomator will encrypt data locally as well as securely syncing it to the cloud. High-end Samsung users also have the built-in Secure Folder feature, which allows you to store files and apps in a specially encrypted folder protected by the Samsung Knox security platform. Similar features are available on Huawei, OnePlus, Oppo, Viovo, and Xiaomi phones. Note that numerous third-party app locker apps exist, but as far as we are aware these do not actually encrypt data stored by the locked app. Enable Lockdown mode Android 9.0 Pie has introduced a neat feature aimed at stopping people from forcing you to unlock your phone. Once enabled, "Lockdown mode" brings up an "Enter Lockdown" option when you long-press the power button. Selecting it disables biometric authentication methods such as fingerprint scanning and Smart Lock (which can open your phone when connected to an authenticated WiFi network or Bluetooth device, for example).  To enable Lockdown mode in Android Pie 9.0 Pie: go to Settings click on security Lock screen preferences click on lock Screen Secure Lock Settings click on Show lockdown option on Samsung phones Encrypting SD Cards on Android Most phone manufacturers no longer support external SD card storage. A notable exception is Samsung, although others also exist. If your phone supports expandable storage then it should be possible to encrypt it. On a Samsung S9+, this is simply done by going to Settings, selecting Biometrics & security and choosing to Encrypt your SD card, but may vary by device.  SD card encryption is completely transparent in use, as long as you access encrypted files from the phone you encrypted them on. The files cannot now be accessed in any other way, though. If you lose or break the phone used to encrypt the SD card, you will not be able to recover data stored on it.   Current Android Encryption Before Android 7.0, data was protected using dm-crypt full disk encryption (FDE). An open source transparent disk encryption subsystem used in Linux, dm-crypt is commonly used for desktop encryption. This approach works quite well on desktop computers, but not so well in Android as users rarely power their devices down. Android enforced strong lock screen protection (via either password or fingerprint) to mitigate against this problem, but this could never be as secure as the 128-bit AES-CBC with essiv:sha256 encryption used to secure data when the device was off. If an adversary could bypass the lock screen, a not impossible task, then the encryption keys would just be sitting there in the memory for them to grab. Final thoughts These days, high and mid-range Android phones all come encrypted straight out-of-the-box, and this should also soon be true of low-end Android phones.  This is undoubtedly a step forward for the security of most phone users' personal data, but if you store sensitive files on your phone, then you should further encrypt them using something like EDS.

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