Monthly Archives: April 2022

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If you use the Tor browser and you dont like the default language, its easy to switch between various languages available in the browser. Well show you how to do that on both your desktop and your Android phone.

Later, if you prefer, you can go back to the default language.

RELATED: How to Browse Anonymously With Tor

To make Tor use a different language on your desktop, first, launch the Tor app on your computer.

In Tors top-right corner, click the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines).

In the menu that opens, select Settings.

In settings, scroll down to the Language section. Here, click the drop-down menu for your current language and choose Search For More Languages.

A Tor Browser Language Settings box will open. At the bottom of this box, click the Select a Language to Add drop-down menu.

From the list of languages, select the language youd like to use Tor in. Then, next to the drop-down menu, choose Add.

If youre using the selected language for the first time, allow Tor to download the language files. When this is done, youll see your new language appear in the box.

Close the box by clicking OK at the bottom.

Back on the settings page, to apply your changes, click the Apply and Restart button.

Tor will close and reopen, and youll now see it using your newly selected language.

And thats all there is to it. Happy browsing in your favorite language!

RELATED: How to Change the Display Language in Windows 10 and Windows 11

Tors Android app also offers multiple language options. To use it, first, launch Tor on your phone.

Then, in Tors bottom-right corner, tap the three dots.

From the menu that opens, select Settings.

On the Settings page, choose Language.

The Language screen will display all the available languages. Select the one youd like to use.

As soon as you tap a language, Tor will start using it.

And thats how you use your favorite web browser in your favorite language. Enjoy surfing in this privacy-focused web browser!

RELATED: Is Tor Really Anonymous and Secure?

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How to Change the Tor Browser Language - How-To Geek

The internet can be divided into three main parts the surface web, the deep web and the dark web. The surface web makes up about 0.03% of the internet, and includes anything immediately accessible by the public through search engines like Google or Bing. The deep web makes up the other 99.7% of the internet and contains encrypted sites that dont immediately show up through searches. This includes anything with a log-in or a paywall, including personal email or social media accounts, databases or dropbox. The dark web is a small, hidden part of the deep web that requires special software to access.

Joslenne Pea is a visiting assistant professor at Macalester who specializes in human-computer interaction.

All of our other browsers Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer track us by location. Thats how they send us content that they advertise or sponsor. But, there are certain anonymized, private encrypted browsers that allow access to the darknet, Pea said.

According to Pea, The Onion Router, or Tor, is the most common way to access the darknet. Onion routing allows anonymous browsing and communication by bouncing a searchers internet traffic through three layers, or random servers in the Tor network. This way, authorities monitoring internet traffic cannot track the location of Tor users.

Tor was originally created by the U.S. Navy in the 1990s to allow secure communications between officers, so that hostile forces could not determine users identities and location even if they were monitoring internet traffic. In 2002, Tors creators released the code under a free and open software license. Now, the organization is a registered non-profit that supports free speech, transparency and online civil liberties.

Isabela Bagueros is the executive director of the Tor Project. Bagueros emphasized the power of Tor in allowing free dialogue and access to information.

Our mission is to advance human rights by providing free and open technology for people to have privacy and anonymity on the internet, Bagueros said. People use Tor to protect themselves because their rights are being violated.

Activists, dissidents and whistleblowers have been known to find protection from censorship and arrest through Tor.

There are technical examples like Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, as well as campesinos and Indigenous communities who document violations and need a secure method of communication with lawyers. Tor is currently being used in Russia and the Ukraine, where there is a lot of surveillance and censorship happening, Bagueros said. Sometimes people just use it to access the normal internet when their country has a firewall.

Facebook, secure email addresses, bitcoin wallets, VPN providers, radios, and news outlets including ProPublica, BBC and Sci-Hub are all available through the Tor network.

The dark web is the subject of much controversy and curiosity. Many associate this part of the web with illicit activities and nefarious forums. Apurv Singh Gautam is a threat researcher at Cyble, a cyber threat intelligence company. Gautam said that darknet ecommerce plays a significant role in driving the market for stolen data.

[Darknet sites] contain everything related to drugs, weapons, databases, research materials, etc Threat actors sell databases, hacking services, malware, etc. Gautam said.

With the rise of cryptocurrencies (which allow anonymous, difficult-to-trace transactions), darknet markets have garnered greater attention.

In 2013, the FBI investigated and shut down The Silk Road, an online market that hosted laundering activities and illegal drug sales using Bitcoin. Its creator, Ross William Ulbricht, is now serving a lifetime sentence in prison. With Interpol, the FBI, and other law enforcement agencies successfully arresting online criminals, some users may question how much privacy and anonymity the Tor browser truly offers.

Im not saying Tor is perfect, because there is no technology that is but we havent yet found an attack, or even evidence of someone exploiting a vulnerability in our technology to deanonymize people, Bagueros said. We have seen successful stories [of arrests] made through common police work, like watching peoples behavior or getting [guilty parties] to download a link or file.

Bagueros recognized that criminal activity may occur through Tor browsers, but noted that the darknet hosts only a small portion of online illegal activity. She condemned the use of anonymous browsing for criminal activities, but admitted that Tor could do little to reveal criminals identities.

If you add a feature where you can identify people, then you create a backdoor, a vulnerability. [Authorities or malicious actors] could exploit this weakness and use it against people who actually need the protection. If I build this system to know who users are, I would be putting millions of Tor users who need this protection into a vulnerable place, Bagueros said.

Bagueros condemned the growing prevalence of targeted ads, fake news and the commercialization of data.

Its important for people to ask why such a tool is necessary. Why is the protection of your data not just part of the infrastructure of the internet? I wish we didnt have to build Tor and the whole internet was safe for everybody, but thats not the case, Baguaros said.

Bagueros also urged people to reconsider the term darknet for describing anonymous browsers and Tors services.

People assume that all [Tor] sites are engaged in illegal activity The reality is that a lot of these onion sites are normal servers, Bagueros said. People should not condemn anonymity In a democracy, voting is anonymous for a reason. Anonymity gives you the power to express what you are thinking and what you want without retaliation.

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Bites of Life: Shining Light on the Dark Web - Macalester College The Mac Weekly

Cyberattacks continue to grow year over year. An astounding 5,126,930,507 breached records in 2021 represent an 11% increase in security incidents compared to 2020, based on IT governance analysis. Security professionals are in a constant battle to improve organizational security posture and prevent risks across all potential attack surfaces.

Web threats are, by far, the dominant attack vector for which Secure Web Gateways (SWGs) and NG Firewalls utilize URL/content filtering, advanced threat defense, and malware protection to defend users from internet-borne threats, as well as help enterprises enforce internet policy and regulation compliance. While security teams focus on the inbound threats from adversaries, they should also keep in mind in their risk assessments the weakest link in the security chain.

Humans. People are fallible, and they make mistakes. Even with proper awareness and education by IT teams to online risks, we all can be tricked to click on a phishing link that seems legit. Adversaries are taking advantage of human nature and use social engineering attacks to play on our emotions and curiosity. They often invoke urgency so that people will not stop to think. In their haste, people act against the companys and their own best interests. Employees also attempt to bypass security controls to gain access to websites that breach acceptable internet usage policies, such as adult content sites, gaming and gambling sites, and P2P file sharing websites. Rogue employees, or even overly enthusiastic employees with good intention, may try to circumvent the organizations security restrictions to perform tasks or other assignments by downloading unauthorized applications, connecting to unsanctioned online applications and cloud services, or using public proxy servers or VPN services, all of which impose greater risk to the organization by extending the attack surface.

In this blog post, I will address the different ways organizations can improve their security posture from internal risks imposed by either rogue employees trying to bypass security controls, or compromised hosts with malware that tries to exfiltrate data.

A rogue employee undermines the organization by ignoring rules and policies. They might openly break these rules, without concern of being fired, or covertly subvert them to keep from being discovered. Their actions might be relatively harmless, or serious enough to pose a risk to the security of the organizations data. In the worst cases, they may open the door to malware, or attempt to undermine the organization by giving data to a competitor or engage in corporate espionage.

As organizations utilize excessive restrictions to protect data and reduce the attack surface, the first thing users are going to do is look for a way around them, and then the security measures completely fail. Some of the tools available to circumvent security controls and organizational policy are web proxies and VPN. Both proxies and VPNs enable a high degree of privacy, allowing anonymous access of the internet. By doing so, the user is able to hide online activity and bypass any security policies, exposing the organization to malicious sites or data exfiltration. Lets dive into the differences found in such anonymity tools.

A proxy server acts as gateway between users and the internet. A proxy server has an IP address of its own, so internet traffic appears to be coming from somewhere else, hiding the sources true IP address. Proxy is ideal for basic functions like anonymous web browsing and circumventing content restrictions. Proxys main advantage is performing IP masking and misdirection, making it good for the viewing of geographically limited content. Proxies allow users to bypass content restrictions, monitoring, or enforcement of website content restrictions.

The different proxy types include:

A Virtual Private Network, or simply VPN, gives you online privacy and anonymity by creating a private network from a public internet connection. A VPN is similar to a proxy server in that it makes internet traffic appear to be coming from a remote IP address. However, with VPNs, traffic runs through an encrypted tunnel between the remote VPN network and the users computer or device, making VPNs an effective solution for ensuring network security and anonymity.

A VPN from a reliable provider ensures users have a safe way to browse the internet, especially when using Wi-Fi at a public location such as airports, hotels, and cafs, but you actually may be logged into a Wi-Fi network created by cybercriminal who now can easily spy on your browsing and steal any personal information you used online.

VPNs have been used by the business sector for many years. Remote employees use VPNs to create a tunnel from their device to the organization over the internet. Once a VPN tunnel is established, users on the public network are able to send and receive data as if they were directly connected to the private network. VPN usage skyrocketed by 41% in a single month, according to industry research on how COVID accelerated the distributed workforce.

There are many VPN services out there from free to premium VPN with ultra-speed connectivity. VPN services arent without their drawbacks, though. While theyre meant to protect your privacy, a VPN provider can see your web traffic and, in some cases, log it.

While Proxies and VPNs are good tools to remain anonymous and circumvent any organizational/governmental restrictions, Tor stands out first in the line when we compare the level of anonymity provided by various tools. Tor, or The Onion Router, is an open-source privacy network that enables anonymous web browsing. The worldwide Tor computer network uses secure, encrypted protocols to ensure that users online privacy is protected. Tor users digital data and communications are shielded using a layered approach that resembles the nested layers of an onion.

Tor technology was initially developed and solely used by the U.S. Navy to protect sensitive government communications. The network was later made available to the public as an open-source platform, meaning that Tors source code is accessible to everyone. Tor is upgraded and enhanced by volunteer developers in the Tor network. (source: https://www.torproject.org/about/history/)

Using a distributed network of nodes on the Internet, Tor provides anonymity to users. Internet Service Providers (ISPs), governments, and corporations cant know which sites youve been visiting. Authorities also cannot censor content or know your location.

Tor is able to do this because it hides your IP address and the addresses of sites you visit. Your packets are bounced across multiple nodes, with each node having only information about the previous and next hops along the route. Moreover, Tor nodes are run by volunteers without any centralized control. Tor is a network service, not a peer-to-peer service like BitTorrent.

The easiest way to use Tor is to use the Tor Browser, but there are many other services and software based on Tor. Due to the extreme anonymity Tor provides, its also been widely used by cyber criminals conducting illegal activities in the deep and dark web. Unless your organization is involved with analyzing the dark web using Tor for security research, Tor access should be blocked and no one in the organization should have any reason to search there.

Security professionals in charge of applying security measures need to find the balance between over-security, which impacts productivity and may result in frustrated employees or inspire over-enthusiastic employees to bypass the restrictions, and less-security, which may expose the organization to cyber risks. It is important for IT to strike a balance between not excessively clamping down on users activities while simultaneously educating users to stay secure and use IT infrastructure responsibly.

Employee security awareness training and education about cyberthreats are crucial to minimize damage from phishing emails and opening suspicious links, the impact of ransomware attacks on the organization, and the risk of sensitive data falling into the wrong hands. Some of the practices you should perform include:

I remember taking the Google phishing quiz a few month ago and I admit that I missed a few phishing cases. Even a trained eye can be fooled in regard to the legitimacy of a phishing website or a phishing email. So, monitoring and policy enforcement is essential. Goes without saying that web security, content filtering, and firewall policies should be in place to block malicious content.

A good practice is to block access to proxies, VPNs, and Tor. An application control system can be implemented to prevent the installation of the Tor browser, for example. Even if someone did manage to install it, using the network security system rules can be set to detect Tor traffic. Additionally, access to public proxies and VPNs should be restricted. There is no reason for an employee to use such services besides going to online apps or services that arent allowed by organizational policy, or in attempts to exfiltrate data and hide their tracks.

The Allot Traffic Management and Assurance platform is an inline network solution for checking and inspecting each packet in the network. Its Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) engine and classification logic are powered by machine learning and AI. Additionally, dedicated data and security researchers optimize, update, and create new detection logic to detect the most obfuscated proxies, VPNs, and Tor traffic out there. Our recent research is able even to detect applications and types of activities varying from file transfer, streaming, or web surfing within encrypted links (stay tuned for more info about it later on), enabling security professionals to gain visibility and control on everything that is running in the network.

Allots solution for traffic management and enforcement can also be used to detect and block any activities done over proxy, VPN, or Tor, and complement any security device already in place. Since the Allot engine inspects every packet on the network layer, it provides another layer of protection, detecting unauthorized traffic and stopping it. Please contact us for more information.

In short, security awareness training, constant monitoring and enforcement, and access restrictions are all strategies you can employ to stop rogue employees.

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How to protect against the weakest link in cybersecurity THE USERS - Security Boulevard

Dark Social it just sounds nefarious, right? But theres no need to break out a Tor browser and dive into the depths of the dark web; this stuff is legit. And once you understand and leverage it, it can be the difference between your marketing just working and blowing up. Gyi and Conrad explain what Dark Social is, why it can be difficultnay, impossibleto track through your traditional attribution channels, and why it is nonetheless one of the most powerful weapons in your arsenal you may not have even known you had.

Also, CallRails marketing outlook for law firms in 2022 is out. In the latest edition of By the Numbers, the guys dig into the findings and share not only the most important takeaways but also highlight what these findings mean for you and your practice.

In the Clio Legal Trends Report, it turns out law firms with growing revenue are twice as likely to use financial reporting tools. Understanding your firms financial performance helps you boost revenue. More at the Clio Legal Trends Report.

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Special thanks to our sponsors Alert Communications, LawYaw, Posh Virtual Receptionists, and Clio.

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What Is Dark Social and Why It Matters - Legal Talk Network

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oi-Oneindia Staff

| Updated: Thursday, April 28, 2022, 10:57 [IST]

You're about to visit your favorite site, and find that you are unable to enter it. How could this happen, and is there a way to solve it? Read on to find out.

Why IP addresses get blocked

IP bans are a common occurrence on the internet. They can happen for a variety of reasons, but most often they occur because someone has been doing something that is against the rules of a website or service. IP bans can be very frustrating, because they can prevent you from accessing a website or service that you otherwise would be able to use. Fortunately, there are ways to circumvent IP bans.

Restart your router

This is the most common method of getting around an IP ban. If you have been banned from a website or service, chances are that your IP address has been blacklisted. By restarting your router, you will be assigned a new IP address, which will hopefully not be blacklisted. You may have to do this multiple times before succeeding. It's as easy as plugging out a cable, waiting 30-60 seconds, and plugging it back in again.

Bypass IP bans with a mobile proxy

One way to bypass IP bans is to use a mobile proxy. A mobile proxy is a type of proxy that uses a 3G or 4G connection instead of a static residential IP address. This means that you will appear as a genuine mobile visitor, regardless if you're actually visiting the site on a mobile or desktop device. Mobile proxies with 4g connections can be difficult to set up for those without the necessary technical knowledge, because you need to configure them correctly. They can also be expensive, because you need to pay for the data that you use. The biggest benefit with mobile proxies is that they are the most modern and trustworthy proxy category available in 2022.

SSH Tunneling

SSH tunneling is a good way to prevent IP bans. SSH tunneling encrypts your traffic and routes it through a server that is not banned. Again, this can be difficult to set up and is mostly suited for tech savvy people, but it is a very effective way to circumvent IP bans.

Use VPN software

Another way to bypass IP bans is to use a VPN. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) encrypts your traffic and routes it through a server in another location. This means that your IP address will not be visible to the website or service, and you will be able to access it. VPNs are easier to set up than proxies, making them suitable for everyone. A possible drawback is that they can be slow, because your traffic is being routed through the VPN server which may be lacking in speed. On the plus side, VPNs tend to be much cheaper than proxies.

Tor Browser as a free option

Tor Browser is a free and open-source web browser that allows you to access the internet anonymously. When you use Tor Browser, your traffic is routed through a network of servers, making it difficult for anyone, including websites, to track your IP address. This makes it an ideal tool for bypassing IP bans. However, Tor Browser can be slow and sometimes unreliable as many Tor servers have been discovered and blocked by many websites.

Final note

A great benefit to these solutions is that not only can you access a website or service again, but all of them (except the Router-solution) provides you with an excellent layer of anonymity. There are a number of reasons why you might want to stay anonymous online. Maybe you're worried about being tracked by governments or corporations, or maybe you just don't want your online activities to be linked back to your real identity. Whatever the reason, there are a number of ways to protect your privacy.

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IP bans - why they happen and how to prevent them - Oneindia