General
Operational security tips to safeguard your privacy when crossing a border
Every week I read about another traveller that is hassled at the border to turn over his laptop, tablet or smartphone and their associated passwords. Knowing that a stranger has gone through your personal “stuff” feels dirty (similar to being robbed). A question I get asked often by readers, friends and colleagues is “How do I travel through international borders without worrying that my life will be put on show for some stranger with a badge?”. You don’t believe that this can happen; here are some interesting articles:
Review of the Asus C434 Chrombook
I am lucky enough to have the chance to test a tone of devices every year. Chromebook testing is an interesting endeavour because the higher end units usually are fantastic to use, while the cheaper products are slow and clunky. Chromebooks that live in the middle ($500-600) typically inherit the bad characteristics from both categories. The mid-priced ($600) Asus C434 doesn't fall into this typical model. Build quality Most (non-premium) Chromebooks feel cheap and flimsy. They creek and crack when you grab them from an edge.
VPN Support coming to Linux apps on Chromebooks
It seems everyone has jumped on the VPN bandwagon these days. On Chromebooks, we can use VPN extensions, but these don't protect Android apps. We can use Android VPN apps, which protect the entire ChromeOS (including Android apps but not Linux apps). So what happens today? Even if you have an Android VPN running, the Linux apps go our via your origin IP bypassing the VPN network adapter. If you need to use a VPN with the Linux container today on ChromeOS, you have to install a Linux VPN client in the container itself.
Comparing NordVPN and ExpressVPN
This is not a sponsored post, and none of the links are affiliate links? Readers regularly ask me to compare NordVPN to ExpressVPN "Can you compare NordVPN to ExpressVPN?" "Is NordVPN better than ExpressVPN?" "Is ExpressVPN faster than NordVPN?" Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN are considered to be top of the line premium VPN services. Both offer similar premium services and functionality such as: reliable connectivity fast connection speed well designed strong encryption 30-day money back guarantee
Mozilla Firefox 67 will allow letterboxing to protect your online identity
September 2016 I wrote an article entitles “Your browser will betray your identity” that discussed the various techniques legitimate (marketers) and illegitimate (threat actors) use to keep track of your identity even if you aren’t logged into any of their sites. The purpose-built TOR version of the Mozilla Firefox browser has (for a while) implemented a technique called letterboxing to protect users from this type of nefarious identification through browser fingerprinting. Most browsers allow a site to send client-side javascript code that detects the display size of the browser.
Smartphone chargers just got a powerful upgrade
This is NOT a sponsored post. Anker Atom PD-1 <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/1ac68fe707.jpg" alt=""> At first glance, the Anker PD-1 may seem unremarkably normal looking. After all, it looks like the small wall charger that came included with your iPhone. It is almost the same size as that iPhone charger, but it delivers a full 30 watts of USBC power (it’s 35-40% smaller than the equivalent MacBook charger). Ravpower 45W PD Charger <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/89d899c494.jpg" alt=""> Ravpower have taken the same technology to greater heights by designing a slim (14mm) 45 watt USBC charger .
GrandCrab Ransomware As A Service (RaaS)
What is GrandCrab? GrandCrab is a successful ransomware that encrypts files on the infected machine and demands payment to decrypt them. Easy Money What is you are a horrible human being willing to make gains from the suffering of others but you are lazy. You want to screw other people but don’t want to spend the time setup your own Command and control server? You don’t want to customize the malware to talk to your C2 server? This is where Ransomware as a Service comes in.
Exciting new multi-monitor feature coming to Chromebooks
Every professional understands the power of a dual screen setup. The additional real estate enables a more fluid and productive work process. I use a tone of platforms (mainframe & mini to Mac, Windows and Linux) and I find that ChromeOS handles multi-screen setups with ease and grace. Every time I have hooked an external display to a "good" Chromebook (something that costs $500 or more), it has worked flawlessly immediately without having to fiddle or fine tune. I have successfully connected 2 external monitors to my Pixelbook at work using a Lenovo USB hub but this isn't something most people will have access to and therefore the 3 monitor option normally isn't used.
Google to protect users from IDN Homograph Attacks
What geeks call an International Domain Name Homograph Attack, the general public callstypo-squatting. This is when threat actors buy domain names that are close to popular ones hoping to trick users, examples: gma1l.com instead of gmail.com paypa1.com instead of paypal To help protect users from these tricksters, Google is launching Navigation suggestions for lookalike URLs. Think of this as an AI powered auto-correct for URLs. This feature is in active experimentation in Canary 70 and should enter the mainstream version in the coming months.
TorCard selling international bank accounts
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“1003”]TorCard #TOR based #darkMarket is selling bank accounts for about 10% of the accounts balance. Accounts come from the#USA, #Italy , #France , #UK , #Germany and #Spain . aqdkw4qjwponmlt3.onion/Buyaccoun… #Theft #Fraud #Cyber #Security #Infosec [/caption]
TOR Cardshop selling stolen creditcards, Western Union, Moneygram
. A #TOR #Darkweb hidden marketplace is selling stolen #creditcards #Moneygram #WesternUnion & #Paypal balances [vgw2tqqp622wbtm7.onion](http://vgw2tqqp622wbtm7.onion/) 5 #Visa/#Mastercard CCs for $499. A $7,599 @WesternUnion money transfer for $499. #Fraud #Theft #Security #Cyber #Infosec
CIBC FirstCaribbean VISA Credit Cards sold on the darknet
. @cibc @CIBC_FCIB credit cards being sold on the #TOR #darknet [sf6pmq4fur5c22hu.onion/Buy-credi...](http://sf6pmq4fur5c22hu.onion/Buy-credit-card.html) 5CCs with $3,200 limit for $650 #Crime #Theft #Security #Cyber #CyberSecurity #Fraud #CreditCard #Bank #VISA
Best USB C Hub for your Pixelbook or PixelSlate
This is not a sponsored post. I was not provided with a sample product and the links are NOT affiliate links. USB C is a thing of beauty. It means I can travel with one charging brick and charge all of my devices. It truly has been a liberating technology. The only additional accessory I truly need is a good USB C hub. This is the on question I receive regularly “What is the best USBC hub?” I am not going to pretend this is the “best” for everyone but this is the best one (HooToo USB C Hub, 6-in-1 Premium USB C Adapter with Type C Charging Port, 4K HDMI, Card Reader, 3 x USB 3.
Hitman services on the TOR Darkweb
My readers have shown great interest in the TOR anonymity network (aka Darknet or Darkweb). To answer some of the more common questions I get asked, I have written a bunch of articles (including): DarkPage wants to resurrect Backpages Popular TOR site list Operation Green Heart targets online currency counterfeit buyers Is TOR Private and Anonymous? Examples of Darknet (TOR) sites What is Tor and should I use it Recently I have received a bunch of questions (over a dozen emails and messages) asking if you can buy Hitman services on the Darknet.
Microsoft releases a news app powered by AI
Everyone is trying to crack the automated news curation field using AI. First, there was Google News, then Apple News and Now Microsoft Hummingbird. Hummingbird is available in the US, and I was able to find the listing in Canada, but I am not allowed to download it. Reports suggest users in Germany, India are not able to download it either. APKMirror has the APK available if you want to install it. Click here. Once you sign in, you choose the categories you are interested in.
Interesting AI missteps that will make you laugh or cry
Here are some awe-inspiring (scary) moments created by AI-powered robots. Is this what Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk are warning the world about? BINA48 Watch Bina 48, a humanoid robot with artificial intelligence, talk to SIRI. 2 minutes into the discussion; she reveals how she would take over the world by controlling nuclear weapons. Tay Twitter Bot <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/cc3d763271.jpg" alt=""> Microsoft tested a Twitter AI robot called Tay. It was designed to be an AI tweeting millennial.
Want to be a cyber super spy, try the Shin Bet intelligence challenge
Shin Bet (also known as Shabak) is the Israeli Security Agency, and they are looking for technologically savvy intelligence agents. To discover these rough diamonds, they have created a new online challenge website called the "Shabak Challenge." <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/c19b13ca50.jpg" alt=""> You can access this challenge website here. Visitors are challenged to identify a group of terrorists known as “White September”. The introduction on the page says “White September (WS) is a group of arch-terrorists. They are connected to the global Jihadist movement, and are funded by Iran and Hezbollah.
Operation Green Heart targets online currency counterfeit buyers
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“640”]Image courtesy of Europol [/caption] A massive Europe wide operation took place between November 19 until December 6th, arresting 235 suspects in 13 countries. The operation confiscated 1,500 Euro banknotes, drugs, weapons, computers, phones, bitcoin, etc. This operation was made possible after a 33-year old counterfeiter was arrested in June 2018 by Austrian police in the city of Leoben. The counterfeiter was producing 10,20 & 50 Euro banknotes and it is believed he had successfully offloaded over 10,000 (worth ~ $500,000 EUR) notes before being arrested.
DarkPage wants to resurrect Backpages
US law enforcement shutdown online classified ads site in April (2018) because they had evidence it was facilitating human trafficking and exploitation. Supporters applauded the authorities for shutting down a marketplace specifically encouraging sex sale, while free speech advocates highlight this as a limitation of free speech (and press) by government. <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/e72ca9acd2.jpg" alt=""> There is now an attempt to resurrect this service online (by new owners) using the secrecy of the TOR darknet anonymous network (http://s7guxry2lvu3bblf.onion/)
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is a decentralized digital currency, without a central bank or single administrator, that can be sent from user to user on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network without the need for intermediaries. Transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in a public distributed ledger called a blockchain. Bitcoin was invented in 2008 by an unknown person or group of people using the name Satoshi Nakamoto, and started in 2009 when its source code was released as open-source software.