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Whenever I read something about Windows 10, be it a news article or a forum post, I also read the word "privacy nightmare". It refers to excessive data collection practices by Microsoft's new operating system. Some of these can't even be disabled by going the usual way using built-in settings. Luckily, these are the forums of a VPN provider where you can find guides on what to look out for when you want to forcibly shut down the unnecessary "spying". And I wanted to contribute to this by introducing software which helps with this task. O&O ShutUp10 Focused on privacy settingsMust be installed: NoIcons after every setting warn you about possible risksShows you what exactly is changedConvenient search if you look for a specific settingDoNotSpy10 Focused on disabling services like Cortana, sensors, telemetry, and othersMust be installed: Yestraffic light coloring of settings indicates possible impact on the systemshows brief explanations for every settingfree download is ad-supportedW10Privacy Focused on privacy settings and all pre-installed appsMust be installed: NoMore detailed toggles, like just preventing OneDrive's sync feature instead of disabling/uninstalling it as a wholetraffic light coloring of every setting indicates possible impact on the systemhovering over a setting shows some info on what is done when toggledMaybe we should not ditch the OS but ditch the name: Microsoft Privacy Nightmare, or PN. Microsoft PN. Would really be a witty step after the last creative developer left Microsoft sometime after the Vista release. If you ask me, they instead hired devs who get an instant erection seeing so much data.... from just one Win10 installation.

https://netzpolitik.org/2016/secret-report-german-federal-intelligence-service-bnd-violates-laws-by-the-dozen/ Published by Netzpolitik.org, a privacy-focused german blog which has a reputation for taking a stand on privacy, net neutrality and the political part of the internet in Germany In the past politicians tried to sue the blog's creators for disclosing secret documents. Sometimes, it's like a smaller, less hardcore version of Wikileaks, just not so "boom, secret documents in your face", more like "we've got some docs here, we think it's critical for you to know, so we sum the contents up for you". Most of the time they publish news with a few comments from the privacy's point of view and give recommendations to certain privacy-related problems. My recent software against Windows 10 spying thread originated from one of these posts.

Droid-Break extends the Android section of prism-break.org and includes a more up-to-date collection of apps. I already replaced a few of my apps with those on this list, a few more are considered. Which apps are you using? Share your app lists and recommendations here. Stories about what drove you to replace certain apps are welcome, too. As a side note, there's also a subreddit devoted to open source software for Android.

Hi, I have a Mofi 4500-4GXeLTE-SIM4 V2 4G/LTE Router (this is a router combined with the cellular radio) connected to Verizon (ISP). First question I hope it's an easy one, can I configure AirVPN on the Mofi router itself, so any device connected will always use VPN? Second question is about port forwarding. To this router I'm planning to connect a surveillance camera system that it's a dedicated appliance (not an actual computer from what I can see) and I need to be able to access from outside. I need to open ports 80, 5445 and 5446. Reading some information it seems that AirVPN cannot do port forwarding below port 2048, is there any workaround so I can see port 80 from outside? Third question is about the static public IP address, I assume I don't get a static address from AirVPN, so I guess I have to use a Dynamic DNS to gain access to the camera system, right? Your help is much appreciated.

The goal is clear: The more they have the bigger their surveillance system.. Source

http://justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/proposed-amendment-rule-41.pdf As I understand it, the FBI wants the authority of a world police and the (official) right to take down VPN users...

I read about it a few days ago. It's nothing new, I think, because, you know, NSA, surveillance, direct access and the like.. but this one is quite interesting for people in Germany. You may heard that a certain German Telecom is subject to non-stop "exclusive" traffic surveillance (NSA having direct access to it's customer's traffic). And if you read my signature you will find out that my ISP is the German Telecom. So when I'm not connected to AirVPN they basically know where I am and what I'm doing - thanks to a program named "Treasure Map". It's aim is to make a real-time "internet map" to display every single device. It's used as an additional information service for plotting targeted attacks and other cool things. How I feel about it?

The owner of one of the TOR directory servers himself confirmed he had seen the source code of XKeyscore and saw his server's IP hardcoded in there. The server is located in Nürnberg, Germany, and is called Gabelmoo. Id est: XKeyscore logged every attempt to access his server. Additionally, comments made in the source code show that everyone who is accessing the directory server is made an "extremist" - at least in the terminology of the NSA. In the source code the student hasn't seen any proof that TOR relay servers are exposed to the same risk. This task might be allotted to another application... Source#1 Source#2 excellent addition by sheivoko - the XKeyscore rules!

The following pictures are part of an article by Heise Online, referring to a book by Glenn Greenwald. The NSA intercepted packages containing Cisco routers in order to install spyware on it. ^ Proof ^ That happened when the spyware wasn't working like it should (Edit: Pictures were moved and renamed by heise's CDN; fixed <3)

Hello, after reading the latest terrifying news about the NSA's ability to intercept and defeat VPN encryption I think we could all use a refresh on some behind the scenes AirVPN practices and defences against this evil. First off here is the Ars article, if you haven't read it strap in tight it's an unnerveing ride... http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/03/nsas-automated-hacking-engine-offers-hands-free-pwning-of-the-world/ So what I'd like to know are what all defences AirVPN has in place to counter the things we've learned the NSA is doing to defeat even the strongest VPNs. 1. When is the last time AirVPN has completely wiped ALL of its internal systems and done fresh installs, and fully patched OS's and software OFFLINE? 2. We've learned governments will intercept hardware in the course of delivery and install "plants" before you even receive your new hardware. Have you taken into account where your hardware has been since it left the manufacturer? 3. Users are easily fooled if their connection is being hijacked during the time they open a new connection to AirVPN servers, is there anyway to alert a user, OR kill the connection with a warning if you (can) detect connections being made from a different location? 4. From this most recent article we've learned the NSA has "VPN cracking blades." In the article it's focused on IPSEC VPNs, have there been known weaknesses that would allow the NSA to bruteforce any part of IPSEC? How does their method strike you as per AirVPNs entire network configuration? These are just some basic questions that I could come up with, please feel free to point out any misunderstandings I may have had, and please anyone feel free to add any critical questions I didn't list. Thanks a lot, I do love AirVPN!