With the increasing prevalence of AI-powered language models, such as ChatGPT, it is essential to understand the best practices when engaging with them. These tips aim to help you optimize your interaction with ChatGPT, ensuring accurate and effective responses. In this blog post, we will discuss five useful tips and provide three additional ones for an even better experience.

Tip 1: Reframe Negatives as Inverse Positives

As large language models (LLMs) often struggle with understanding negatives, it's better to rephrase your queries using inverse positives. For example, instead of saying, "Ensure no methods include the function except the third one," try phrasing it as, "Ensure only the third method includes the function."

Tip 2: Keep the Context Clear and Error-Free

ChatGPT's performance is heavily influenced by the context of your conversation. Typos or errors can lead to less accurate and less intelligent responses. To prevent this, always double-check your messages for clarity and start a new chat if previous errors have piled up.

Tip 3: Ask ChatGPT for Better Requests

To improve the quality of your requests, ask ChatGPT to help you rephrase them. By requesting a more clearly worded version, you can start a new chat and provide that refined request to ChatGPT, which can lead to more accurate and helpful responses.

Tip 4: Troubleshoot Bugs One at a Time

When dealing with multiple instances of the same bug in your code, first ask ChatGPT to solve a specific instance of that bug. Once it provides a solution, ask how you can apply the same fix to the entire codebase. This approach is more effective than asking for a comprehensive solution right away, as it reduces the chances of introducing new bugs.

Tip 5: Use Clear and Specific Questions

The more precise your question, the better the response from ChatGPT. Vague or ambiguous questions may result in unclear or irrelevant answers. To maximize the effectiveness of your interactions, always ask specific, well-structured questions.

Tip 6: Don't Hesitate to Rephrase

If ChatGPT doesn't provide a satisfactory answer, try rephrasing your question or request. Different phrasing can sometimes yield better results, as it may better align with the model's understanding of the topic.

Tip 7: Set Context and Limitations

When asking for information or suggestions, it can be helpful to provide context and set limitations. For example, if you need help with a coding problem, specify the programming language and any constraints or requirements. This will guide ChatGPT in generating more appropriate and targeted responses.

Bonus Tip 8: Let ChatGPT Be Your Rubber Duck

When you're stuck on a problem, consider using ChatGPT as your rubber duck for debugging. Sometimes, just explaining the issue to the AI in a clear and concise manner can help you gain new insights or reveal overlooked details. By treating ChatGPT as your rubber duck, you not only benefit from its potential solutions but also from the clarity that comes with articulating your thoughts.

Conclusion

To get the most out of your interactions with ChatGPT, follow these 8 tips for effective AI communication. This will help you maximize your ChatGPT experience and unlock its full potential. By reframing negatives, maintaining a clear context, and asking precise questions, you can receive more accurate and helpful responses from ChatGPT. Don't forget to troubleshoot code step-by-step, rephrase queries when needed, and set context for optimal results. Embracing these best practices will greatly enhance your AI interactions and help you make the most of your ChatGPT experience. Happy chatting!

So what is google authenticator?

When a black-hat steals your password, you might be locked out and your sensitive information might be viewed or even deleted. The doxxers could also pretend to be you and send you unwanted or harmful emails to all of your contacts. They could even reset your other accounts' passwords such as banking, shopping, etc. with your account.

If you lose access to your account and everything in it, what would you do?

With Google Authenticator, you can protect your accounts against password theft for free. Among the services that use it are Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more. It is easy to set up and can be used as part of a process known as two-factor authentication (2FA). Two-factor authentication simply means authentication which is made up of two parts, so not only a login and password but an additional code request.

Google authenticator works slightly differently from the method of sms codes being sent directly to your mobile which you then later enter to be able to login (making it difficult for doxxers who also could potentially clone your phone). It’s because it’s also time based. Essentially, the Google authenticator goes with the common knowledge that it would be that your device and the code sent would only work if they were in-sync and were being used around the same time.

Instead, a random code is generated by the app (iOS/Android) for use when you log into various services. It is done through a QR code which uses an algorithm based on scanning and synchronising of time where the 6-digit passcode is made up of the time being sent and the secret key to form an original pass code. It is technically possible to receive the code via text message every time, but the Google Authenticator app provides an added layer of security asking you for this algorithmic code which rotates every time you try to login.

A devoted hacker can socially engineer an attack against your phone company using SMS-based 2FA. By generating codes on your phone using algorithms, Google Authenticator eliminates the possibility of SMS-based attacks.

You must enter a password and a unique verification code which is sent to your phone. This will keep the bad guys out because even if these black-hats have your password it won’t be enough for them to hack into your account as you have the additional verification system now which requires your phone and time of verification.

So does google authenticator work offline?

The short answer is yes.

Mobile or internet connections are not required to use Authenticator. The secret key is an alphanumeric code of 16 or 32 characters generated by the system. The software generates the same code as Google with the help of TOTP technology, which does not require an internet connection.

The only thing it depends on is the current time and a shared secret (which is shared at the time of setup).

It can then simply combine the secret and the current time to generate the one-time password (OTP) (usually 6 or so digits). Using the same password on both servers, the remote server can compare them.

Based on previous codes, it is impossible to predict the next one for OTP. This means that as long as only two parties know the secret, each OTP will be secure.

We hope this guide has helped you. You may also be interested in our article Do Password Managers Work Offline? or our other ways of keeping the black hats out of your personal details on our blog Pragmatic Paranoia; paranoia at its best!

Out of all the benefits of using Stack Overflow, choosing any desired name to make a programmer account sits at the top.

It is an open-source public platform, all it requires is a simple membership and active participation to earn reputation points and badges, regardless of the name you choose.

Whether you're on Stack Overflow to find jobs or get answers to your questions, choosing the right name makes all the difference. And is a great way to find feet on this platform, even as a beginner.

Should You Use Your Real Name On Stack Overflow?

Since Stack Overflow is more of a job forum, a good rule of thumb is to use your real name on Stack Overflow. It gives a professional impression to your prospects.

However, you have the option to either use your initials only or your full name. If you use your full name, anyone can easily find your Stack Overflow profile on Google.

Is It Safe To Use Your Real Name As A Username?

Unlike many informal social media platforms, Stack Overflow is quite safe and professional. It allows its users to use their real name as a username without any doubt.

In case you're not comfortable using your real name for safety reasons, you can choose a screen name's effect. However, that must be easy to read, pronounce, and free of any offensive words. But, violating the platform's terms and policies may put you in serious consequences or even ban your account in the worst scenarios.

Can I Change The Name On Stack Overflow?

The short answer is yes. Stack Overflow allows its users to change their name any time they want, but that should obey their policies.

In order to change the name on Stack Overflow, follow the simple steps mentioned below.

1. Log in to your Stack Overflow official account.
2. Go to your profile page, where all developers hang out.
3. Click on the option to edit profile & settings.
4. Enter your login credentials again to ensure it’s you.
5. Now, change your name by choosing another suitable name.
6. Click on Done.

As of now, Stack Overflow is home to over 14 million registered users. It has over 21 million questions and 31 million answers shared so far. This clearly shows that Stack Overflow is not only limited to questions and answers about programming. It also offers numerous opportunities to connect with ideal prospects and drive extra traffic to the desired website.

Keeping this in mind, the majority of users use Stack Overflow as a middle party to rank on search engines with multiple keywords.

Does Using Your Real Name On Stack Overflow Help With Your Career?

As I said earlier, using your real name on Stack Overflow is beneficial to create an impressive profile and make you sound credible, which may not be the case with using any typical name.

The majority of users on Stack Overflow or its sibling platform - Meta Stack Exchange - prefer using their real name while making their account held responsible for their opinions. Using your real name under the answers also allows you to own the questions and look reliable from the other crowds on the platform.

Is Stack Overflow An Online Freelance Site?

Yes, Stack Overflow is one of the very few reliable freelance sites. And it's best for programmers who want to grow their network in as little time as possible because it's less saturated than other freelance sites.

As a respectable freelancer, I would recommend you to use your real name on the platform. It will generate a high percentage of happy clients and a greater satisfaction guarantee which is hard to get on other crowded freelance sites.

Is Stack Overflow & Stack Exchange The Same?

The basic difference between Stack Exchange and Stack Overflow is their purpose for use. Though both of them are created by the same software, Stack Exchange is more of a Q&A website, giving an open-source platform to let people interact.

On the other hand, Stack Overflow is owned by Prosus and comes under the flagship of MetaStack used for networking and finding or recruiting programming jobs online.

Can I Use Pseudonyms On Stack Overflow?

Using pseudonyms on Stack Overflow comes with its set of pros and cons. They are important to consider before you make your account on their official website.

However, using a pseudonym as your username would probably be different from the name on your CV. Chances are higher that your prospect may have doubts and turn down your CV because of this small mistake.

Because of this, I would not recommend using a pseudonym on the platform as your name. It may create confusion with the real name that you use in your professional documents, such as a CV.

Conclusion

Stack Overflow is one of the largest programming Q&A websites, with hundreds and thousands of questions posted every single day.

Mostly, the questions are related to a programming language but can also be on relevant topics. The more you answer on Stack Overflow, the more upvotes you get. And the more upvotes you get, the more you get the opportunity to find your ideal prospects.

However, when you answer a question, it's posted on the platform under the username of the account. So, whenever someone reaches for a relevant query, your answers have the maximum possibility to pop out on the search engine.

But what if you used a fake username that doesn't sound credible, which may hurt your audience's feelings? Therefore, I would recommend using your real name on this professional platform. You never know when your answers start ranking on the search engine, and you start getting traffic to your official website.

Now that you know if you should use your real name for a Stack Overflow or not, it would be a lot easier for you to make your official account and be on the safe side.

Out of all these tools, one stands out like a glow stick in the dark. It acts as the primary defense against stalkers. That is Tor.

What Is Tor?

The word Tor is short for The Onion Routing.

Naval Research Laboratory employees of the United States designed this software. Initially, the Tor browser served the naval force of the United States. Its primary aim was to conserve the privacy of government communication. Slowly, the browser gained popularity amongst common people. Today, Tor has over four million active users.

Tor is a private browsing tool that guarantees anonymous surfing. It does this by encrypting the connection many times. Then Tor passes this encrypted information to multiple relays. The relays are spread worldwide and act as layers of protection.

The best characteristic of Tor is that it is a private browsing tool. This means one organization does not control it. Volunteers sitting around the Globe control all these relays. Hence ensuring safety.

Nodes That Make The Tor Work:

To understand how the Tor browser works, we need to have a good understanding of all of its protective layers.

Tor Guard Node

When you search for something on the Tor browser, they first connect you to the Tor guard node. This node is like the main entrance to enter the world of Tor. For every Tor user, there is a set of guard nodes available. Every time you surf the Tor browser, it connects you to one of the Tor guard nodes.

Tor guard node gets your IP address, but there's nothing to worry about. This node is hard to crack into, so don't worry. No cyberpunk can see your IP address or use it to doxx you.

Tor Middle Node

Tor middle nodes are what makes the Tor network so big. These nodes/relays can not access the IP address of those surfing Tor. Nor do they know which website you are about to access. When you look something up on Tor, it goes from guard node to middle node in encrypted form. Tor passes the encrypted data from one middle node to another.

Tor middle nodes add a layer of security. Then your data is passed to the exit node.

Tor Exit Node

The final destination of any query entered into the Tor browser is the Tor exit node. Unlike guard nodes, exit nodes do not know your IP address. So, the website you have accessed doesn't get your real IP address. What it gets instead is the address of the Tor exit node.

So when people make illegal searches, exit nodes take all the burden. This means many exit nodes of Tor become victims of legal notices and get warnings about being taken down.

What Are The Advantages Of Using Tor?

Tor is a private browsing tool that conceals your activity online. It has a feature that resets the cookies when you stop using it.

When you access a website through the Tor browser, it assures your anonymity. No hacker or government agency can get this information.

Tor hides the identity of its users as long as they surf on the Tor browser. It is because it promises to keep you anonymous 24/7 that it has become the favorite pick of news reporters and social workers. Tor doesn't require its users to register themselves or pay hefty fees. It is a private browser that anyone can enter through Firefox, etc.

Is Tor Safe Without VPN?

Now that we know all about Tor, let's throw light on a frequently asked question. Is Tor safe without VPN?

To answer that, we must understand what VPN is. And how it differs from Tor.

VPN is a virtual private network. It safeguards your identity online by assembling an encrypted network for your data. It is like a hidden tunnel built across a public network, helping you receive and share encrypted data, anonymously.

What Are The Advantages Of Using A VPN?

VPN hides your original IP address and allows you to surf unanimously.

VPN has its servers spread all across the globe. This eliminates the problem of regional limitations. So, you can access the websites of any country easily.

VPN helps you beat the censorship employed by the government on certain websites. VPN develops a safe connection when you connect your device to public Wi-Fi.

Virtual Private Network vs The Onion Routing

Both VPN and Tor effectively protect your identity and have areas of expertise. Tor safeguards your privacy when you try to access the websites blocked by your country. VPN helps you surpass the regional restrictions, hence letting you stream your favorite shows.

Tor servers can not be detected and hence they can be used to access the dark web. In contrast, VPN offers no such service. Instead, it hides your identity from the traditional websites you are accessing. This stops the websites from accumulating your data and selling it.

Tor ensures no one can find a single trace of what you've accessed. Whereas, VPN protects your data from getting hacked when using public Wi-Fi.

However, Tor and VPN both excel at protecting your identity in different ways. This proves that it is safe to use Tor without VPN. In fact, Tor's official website doesn't recommend the use of Tor with VPN. Tor asks its users to make no such attempt unless they are experts. You can jeopardize your safety by using the two tools together without adequate knowledge.

Though Tor is capable enough of protecting your identity online, know that nothing is hundred percent secure. Several security concerns have been raised in the past decades.

Anyone Can Become A Tor Node Operator

While this decentralization is an advantage, it can quickly turn into a major disadvantage. Since Tor node operators can see your IP address and data, they can easily steal it. One hacker named Dan Egerstad started operating Tor nodes. In a short period, he gathered a significant amount of personal information.

You Are Easily Recognizable When Using Tor Via Public Wi-fi

Eldo Kim, a Harvard student, used Tor to send out bombing threats. When he accessed the Tor browser with the university's internet connection, he became easily traceable.

Government Agencies Can Regulate Tor Nodes

One report reveals that some Tor nodes are run at hefty costs. Let's say thousands of dollars. No ordinary person would pay that much for nothing. So it is believed these Tor nodes are owned by the government. They use them to collect information about Tor users.

Existence Of Malicious Tor Nodes

A decentralized system of Tor works on the belief that every node volunteer is 100% true to the cause. That is to protect the identities of all its users. Unfortunately, the truth is quite contrary. In 2016, few researchers came up with their discoveries in a paper named "HOnions: Towards Detection and Identification of Misbehaving Tor HSDirs“. The objective of this paper was to illustrate how the group identified 110 malicious Tor relays.

Conclusion

Now that you know the good and bad of Tor, it is on you to decide whether it is a good browser for you.

Yes- you guessed it, they’re all Discord usernames. It’s only common sense that dictates to us that we shouldn’t be using our actual names on Discord for security reasons. We can also have fun and get creative with selecting our usernames along the way.

We will also outline how to change your name on Discord and discuss trending security threats currently on Discord and some ways to keep you safe from hackers and doxxers on Discord in this article. So read on to learn how to keep the black hats out from your channel!

But first, in case you don’t know about Discord is; it is a messaging platform with voice call abilities similar to programs like Skype or Slack. It's software which allows you to create channels to interact with others, share media, links and more. Its popularity has risen especially among gamers for sharing updates, features and media. It reportedly has over 250 million users with at least 14 million users logging in daily.

Discord Server Names

So, we know you shouldn’t use your real identity on Discord; but how do you change your name? Here are the steps to change your Discord server name.

There is a limit to the different ways you can change your nickname on Discord. Here are the main ways:

• The first is through the server settings. To change your username on a single server go ahead and login to discord on any server. Next, you can simply select the server you wish to change the name of. Then you can right click and open the drop-down-menu on the left-hand side of the server. You will see a drop-down arrow on the desktop and three vertical dots (or an ellipsis if you’re using a smartphone).
• You can then select a new nickname.
• Click on the name on the left side of the screen. Next, click on 'Server Settings' * 'Overview'
• By entering it in the textbox, you can change the name of the server. It’s as simple as that.

You may also wish to note that It is only possible to change this setting if you own or administer the server. If you want to change your name, but aren't sure what kind of name to use, you can learn about some great Discord server names for your battles between servers. Create a Discord server name by matching these words or game names with others.

But why go through all this trouble of selecting an alias name? Well to keep the hackers and hijackers out of our lives changing our name to an unidentifiable alias is always a good start.

Especially due to some of these doxxing and scamming trends that we are seeing recently.

The ways black hats dox you

Discord is potentially being used in unforeseeable diabolical ways.This is not only for spreading malware but also as command and control servers. Essentially, Discord is being used as a base for operations led by black hats. The main intent being to steal your credentials (another reason why you shouldn't expose your true details).

Other cyber-security news to be aware of it that malware mobs have been using Discord.

In a devious attempt to spread their malicious programs. This does not mean the doxxers necessarily spread malware across Discord itself, but rather use Discord’s CDN for the hosting of their indespicable files. They upload the host file to Discord where victims click a well disguised url.

This is convenient for doxxers as these links often have Discord’s domain name right at the beginning of the url, leading to a great deal of credibility for trusting individuals who are oblivious to such deceptions. A great chunk of people will trust this link because of Discords credibility and happily click download and execute.

Whatever sneaky kinder-surprise is contained within these particular malevolent links awaiting their victims; we know it's going to be a bad egg. These links also often spread like wild-fire via forums, emails, etc. These downloadable files are often disguised as cracked versions of games, though are encapsulated by viruses. There may also be cunning mining bots attached. This becomes like an interminable game of Russian-roulette, with more and more malware and links attached in endless cycles of attacks.

Even if you delete a file you sent via Discord, it can still be found in every chamber with varying degrees of awfulness. Download links will still work in perpetuity for files that appear to stay on Discord servers indefinitely! They will still work even when deleted in Discord itself. As a response to such attacks Discord stated that they rely on a combination of pro-active scanning and reaction based reports to detect malware and viruses. They state that as soon as they are aware they try to eradicate such content immediately.

A lot of bold claims without many solutions presented by Discord, but in all fairness there is not much to be done except from banning the sharing of such executables or anything that could host them like ZIP and RAR files. Or ultimately if they get really bad they could ban the ability to extract them altogether.

The devilish deals don't end there. There have been countless other scams and hacks on Discord. For example, a few months ago researchers discovered that Discord was also being used as a common and control server. In other words, computers which were infected by malware would connect indirectly to a rogue Discord server being fed additional malicious commands.

The principle behind it is so that it is indistinguishable from all other regular Discord traffic. It would also make it extremely difficult for anti-virus software to discern whether it was a friend sending you ridiculously bad memes or the commands telling a victim computer to send over all of your saved passwords. It is very convenient for doxxers to use Discord for these purposes as it is quick and easy to set-up, compounded by the fact that these thieves need a system to act as a command control server anyway.

This malware is designed to also steal things like steam credentials and other saved passwords, cookies, and even PayPal and credit card information. The scary thing is that it's very early days and the devious scams and attacks we predict are only going to keep getting worse over time. We hope that Discord finds ways to mitigate these issues as they become more wide-spread but in the meantime there are precautions that you can take other than changing your name to protect yourself.

How to stop the black hats?

Of course do not blindly trust any url links that are shared with you. Also do not click on any files hosted on Discord. Ensure that you are wise about who you allow into your Discord circle. Ensure you take all additional security steps such as the 2 step authentication option which you can read more about here in our article discussing How to prevent getting Doxxed on Discord.

Here you will find a guide about all the additional security settings concerning Discord, such as how to create roles and rights, how to enable 2fa authentication, and covering topics such as using the right VPN to protect yourself and switching on the Explicit content filter. If you’re still afraid and want to know more about avoiding these sharks from gobbling you right up; visit our blog which provides the latest Cybersecurity news; Pragmatic Paranoia, paranoia at its best!

You may use Java to create a simple desktop calculator or a large-scale e-commerce website handling hundreds of requests per second. It's impossible to guarantee 100% security out of the box. When writing code, you must ensure that it can deal with attacks and misleading requests.

When it comes to software development, Java is an excellent choice. Depending on your needs, you can implement any degree of security. Insecure defaults are to blame for a large number of Java security flaws. Developers must now have extensive programming skills to design basic programs that anyone can't readily hack. The documentation for Java is appalling: it's not difficult to get things to work, but it's not always apparent how to do things correctly.

Your company's operations and message are more widely disseminated when it is featured in the media. The significance of positive media publicity in your marketing plan cannot be overstated. Getting good press coverage is a great way to build your reputation. Owned, compensated, and earned are the three categories of media coverage.

Why Is Java Insecure?

Design decisions such as generics, compulsory entity programming, the treatment of unsigned integers, and the inclusion of floating-point arithmetic have been criticized by the Java language and Java system software.

The performance of Java-written software has been compared to that of other programming languages, notably in its early versions. Complex Java applications that must function with all of the many Java implementations must consider their variations.

There are a slew of advantages to learning one language over others. In addition to being open-source, the documentation is readily accessible. The options are numerous in terms of third-party libraries. There is also a large community of developers currently using the program.

What Are Some Major Java Insecurities?

When you type in "java insecure" or "java vulnerabilities" into Google, you get many articles recommending that you remove or deactivate Java. However, Java often publishes several security updates at once, and there are still many vulnerabilities to address.

There will always be problems in software, but the number of flaws Java has, does not seem typical. What's more perplexing is that if a single architectural choice is causing numerous flaws, why not replace that design? Multiple other programming languages do not have this issue, indicating that whatever Java is doing incorrectly can and should be improved upon. There must be a better answer.

Which Feature Makes Java Insecure?

1. Code Injections

Code injections may be performed on any program that takes user input. Your program's performance may be adversely affected by a code injection if the supplied data has unexpected consequences.

2. Command Injections

An attacker can execute shellcode on the server that's running your application using a Command injection, more frequently known as a "shell injection."

3. Connection String Injection

A collection of connection strings defines an application's connection to a data source. It can connect to your LDAP directories and files, as well as your relational databases.

4. LDAP Injection

Any anonymous user may inject executable queries through an LDAP injection by exploiting input validations. LDAP is the Light Directory Access Standard (LDAP) for directory service authentication, an open and cross-platform protocol.

5. Reflected XSS

"Reflected XSS," also known as "reflected cross-site scripting," is when malicious scripts are launched via links.

6. Resource Injection

When an attacker successfully alters the resource IDs utilized by the program to carry out harmful operations, it is known as a resource injection.

7. SQL Injection

The backend application is tricked into returning sensitive information or running malicious scripts on the database by inserting SQL code into data requests.

8. Second Order SQL Injection

It takes two steps to do a second-order SQL injection. Before executing anything, an attacker modifies the code of your program. They could be waiting for further information or for a particular event to occur.

9. Stored XSS

Script injection into the contents of a site or app results in a stored XSS attack, which is also known as persistent XSS.

10. XPath Injection

XML documents remain popular and extensively used, despite the rise of JSON as a data structure star. The XPath syntax is used to identify specific elements in an XML document. Similar to SQL injections, anyone may exploit the concept of XPath injections.

How Secure Is Java As Compared To Other Languages?

Because of the following factors, you may find Java secure:

• A virtual computer known as a sandbox is used to execute Java applications.
• Explicit pointers are not supported in Java.
• As the name suggests, a byte-code verifier looks for potentially unlawful code that could violate the user's right of access to an object.
• It includes a Java security package, which offers explicit security.
• Safety at the level of a library is assured.
• When we load new code, we do a runtime security check.
• Additionally, several security-enhancing measures are included in Java.

Is Python More Secure Than Java?

Even though Python and Java are regarded as secure programming languages, Java is more secure. The web application is protected by Java's robust authentication and authorization control features. Every time the compiler generates the code, a class file is produced with byte-code, and the JVM tests it for malware and viruses.  

Python is a straightforward programming language that's easy to troubleshoot. With minimal code, it is simpler to debug and prevent the code from becoming more difficult in the future. Python's security safeguards fall short compared to Java's robust security features.

What Is The Log4j Vulnerability?

Java applications, particularly those that capture log information, utilize Log4j as a standard logging library. An easy-to-use exploit that permits remote code execution and logs message manipulation to load and run malicious programs into the environment may be used to infiltrate the system.

Understanding The Vulnerability?

However, Log4j 2.0 provides "lookups" that include Java Name and Directory Interfaces (JNDI) lookups that were not limited and led to the vulnerability in the logging frameworks. Administrators may use the JNDI directory service API to find data and other resources to connect to LDAP or DNS. A Java class loaded by malicious people – even those who aren't skilled hackers – might theoretically allow the victim servers to run illegitimate code.

This vulnerability got massive media coverage because different tech giants such as Apple, Google, Amazon, etc configure most of their applications. Numerous hackers attempted to exploit the flaw.

The companies are concerned because hackers can get access to the central server of the computer and can locate other networks. The companies took some significant steps to fix the patches.

Conclusion

The amount of programming language security, like other areas of cyber security, relies on what we mean when we say "secure." Compared to other widely used languages, Java has fewer known vulnerabilities. At first appearance, several modern languages seem to be more secure than Java.

Because of Java's widespread use, several security flaws have been discovered. Hundreds of bug hunters are looking for Java language vulnerabilities because of its general use, giving Java an unfair "edge" in this industry. It's also possible that newer languages like Ruby's supposed security are more a function of their specialized use than its inherent soundness.

This is what Ardash Chetan on LinkedIn had to say concerning NFS security, “NFSv4 designed to work on the internet. One of the main reasons to design NFSv4 was to provide strong security, with negotiation built into the protocol. The main security in V4 is mandatory Kerberos support and improvement in username/UID management. NFSv4 provides all security capabilities such as Server authentication, Client authentication, User Authentication, Data integrity, Data confidentiality.”

NFS communication is based on request-response protocol (RPC). RPCs are essentially insecure unless performed in a firewalled network. These v4s also have restricted scalability and bandwidth.

Before diving into how and why NFS is insecure, at least you should understand how it works. NFS is a primitive client/server protocol for remote file sharing, like Telnet. It allows the client computer to view, store, and update remote server files as though they were stored locally.

Communication occurs based on mount commands, with attributes and options, made in the server. The current versions are NFSv3, NFSv4, and NFSv4.1.

In this post, you will learn why and how NFS is insecure, and some NFS security best practices.

NFS security issues

The lack of sophisticated encryption capabilities renders NFS vulnerable to cyberattacks. Any smart intruder can easily intercept and read your data in transit.

An eavesdropper gains unauthorized access to your data before reaching the host. An impostor will gain unauthorized access to the network.

Your NFS server cannot differentiate between daemon mountd filehandles and falsified ones. An attacker can configure its client computer to snoop the connection and make away with a filehandle, read and alter a server file the root does not own.

As aforementioned, NFS uses RPCs to communicate, such that client/server communication does not happen vice versa. NFS file system exports occur locally- hosts have a particular mount point. The mountd daemon enforces the host list. Isn’t that a threatening vulnerability?

An attacker client may access the corresponding server portmap daemon to execute a mountd daemon request. The mountd will perceive the request as valid and obeys the command.

If you unrestrictedly export a file system, an attacker can remotely tamper with your file or the system files. The intruder wins and takes full control over your computer.

By default, the UNIX numeric groupid and userid (AUTH_UNIX) specifies your authentic identity for accessing a directory or a remote file. It’s simple for any user to execute a program that generates a request to obtain file access for any user.

These security issues exist, but why do some of you still use this file sharing protocol?

You should probably understand the following general ways of securing NFS to minimize the insecurities.

NFS security best practices

• Install the latest software application patches. If you don’t have patches that address security matters, you will have given an attacker a run for their bucks and time. NFSv4 version has specific security mechanism improvements. It supports Kerberos 5 data protection and authentication to support the preexisting AUTH_SYS security. This security feature saves for future security mechanisms addition.
• Configure your NFS server to export the file systems with the least necessary privileges. Use SMIT or the /etc/exports file editing to specify your file privileges. If you want to only read from your file system, you should not write to it. So an attacker cannot overwrite data, alter config files, or even code executable bugs to your exported file system.
• Configure your NFS server to categorically export file systems for your allowed users. NFS will enable you to specify clients who access a particular file system. This will discourage unauthorized file systems access.
• Partition individual exported file systems. In the case of a system degradation attack, the attacker cannot write an exported file system. If they manage to write until it’s complete, your other applications and users cannot avail the file systems.
• Configure your NFS implementations to map unknown or privileged to unprivileged user requests. The NFS clients will not allow file system access with root/ unknown user details. An attacker will not act/ operate as a privileged user to access the file system.
• Embrace Secure NFS. Secure NFS uses Data Encryption Standards (DES) for authenticating RPC transactions hosts. Secure NFS encrypts the RPC time stamp requests; hence an attacker cannot spoof them. The receiving end decrypts the time stamp and confirms the authenticity of the RPC requests.

Does NFS have authentication?

NFS uses DES algorithms to encrypt a timestamp in RPC transactions. The timestamp then authenticates your computers the moment the token does sender authentication.

Each file system is secured additionally and optionally because NFS authenticates all RPC transactions. You can easily specify a secure file system export option. It’s possible because file systems are exported with the standard UNIX authentication by default.

Does NFS use TLS?

NFS host connections are clear-text by default, making them incompatible with sensitive data. Transport Layer Security (TLS) can cover this protocol data security.

TLS 1.2 encrypts NFS traffic in transit when your file system is mounted. An industry-standard AES-256 cipher cryptographic element is responsible for this encryption.

Every file system that a client accesses in transit should have encryption.

Conclusion: Is NFS secure?

NFS is vulnerable to most streaming internet attacks. It is a primitive transfer protocol used for remote file sharing. Its use diminished as more secure and advanced technology transfer protocols were established.

NFS authenticates data handling through DES algorithms that encrypt RPC transactions. NFS lacks definite encryption mechanisms unless used with TLS. The latest version, NFSv4.1, has a relatively less susceptible level of security. If you can carefully configure specific settings and features, NFS can still serve your remote file sharing tasks.

Dark web forums take advantage of your gaming enthusiasm. It’s addictive, and you are always in for an offer or loyalty program. When you sign in for Fortnite subscriptions, you give out personal information-name, email id, credit cards, location, etc. The doxxers send malware your way and collect the information. The tools and offers you get entice you to surrender the information they are mining.

Most of these issues arise due to your recklessness. Do you read to comprehend the privacy policies of the gaming platforms you subscribe to? How about your cookie settings? How long do you review them? Do you clear your browsing history? Have you been checking updates for your Fortnite series?

You will learn whether you can get doxxed on Fortnite and the various ways to mitigate the threats, vulnerabilities, and risks in this post.

So that you may believe… I have fallen victim to on-screen doxxing amid a war but severally. Yet last week, as I engaged the Fortnite Battle Royale, some random guy dropped my phone number and an old address. I had long forgotten the address. Crazy, right? It seems it’s not just an IP search. This kept me wondering how the script kiddy doxxed me. And how could I avoid this?

Read on.

What is doxxing in gaming?

You agree with me that gaming is gaining popularity every day. From gambling to Xbox consoles to e-sports, fans and gamers sign in for rewards, fun, offers, bonuses, and premium games. Every bit of information you give out on-and-offline displays who you are. No wonder doxxers dubbed gaming accounts as hotcakes.

Your Fortnite duo or squad partner can collate your credentials one by one as you interact. This happens across all the gaming platforms- GTA, CS: GO, etc. So your opponent or any other gamer who can log into the forum can do anything with your information. That’s how doxxing in gaming occurs.

A Redditor, /u/DestroyerDain, once received a doxxing threat on Fortnite, “So I got added by some random dude, and he said that my personal account was his friends (complete bs) and now after talking with him, he has threatened to doxx me. What should I do in this situation?”

As you will learn later in this post, there are several ways in which your information is mined and processed ready for doxxing.

How can you get doxxed on Fortnite?

There are several ways in which doxxers can compromise your anonymity. Here are some of them;

Through IP and ISP spoofing

In the anecdote above, you read how I got my old address dropped in my on-screen chat. The doxxer stole my IP address. Social engineering is their reasonable step when the doxxer has the address (stolen from the Fortnite account).

They can cun your internet service provider (ISP) to give them more of your information. A single masked call made to the ISP, pretending to belong to the Fortnite/Epic Games tech support team, the doxxer requests your information;

• Real name
• Phone numbers
• Email address
• Date of birth
• Physical addresses

Through social media

Here’s an excerpt from the Epic Games, the Fortnite streaming platform, “And if you choose to link your Epic account with your account on a third-party social media (like Facebook), gaming (like Steam), or other similar website or service, or if you interact with an ad for one of the Epic Services on an external website or service, the company that operates that website or service may share some information with Epic in accordance with their privacy practices.”

The information collected includes your place of work, location, visuals, friends, schools attended, family members, etc. Do you still think that your online privacy is okay? It’s high time you create unique passwords and usernames for every social account you own.

Through data brokers

To get your information, a doxxer can spend their bucks on data brokers like PeopleFinder. These data brokers collect your publicly available repositories- e-citizen, voter registry, loan apps, e-commerce sites, and fellow data brokers. Fortnite clearly states, in its policy and privacy page, that they can share your information “publicly. For example, your display name, content you create or share, basic game statistics, and other similar data may generally be accessible to others.”

Through phishing

The PC and console Fortnite Battle Royale versions allow for unmoderated, live chat between gamers. Phishing involves disguising interaction that lures you into giving out your credentials. Whatever information the doxxer acquires, they can use them against your reputation or further malice.

How to avoid getting doxxed on Fortnite

Here's to your anonymity at Fortnite or Epic Games and other gaming sites. It's so traumatizing to get doxxed. Worst still, you can't imagine how it hurts to get doxxed by a stranger. Read on to learn these tactics.

1. Use a VPN or proxy to safeguard your IP address

A VPN or proxy hides your IP address when you are online. You get connected to a secure server before your public streaming internet. Thus any doxxer spying on you when you're active on Fortnite sees the VPN or proxy server IP address instead. Yours remain hidden. You can get free or premium tools. These tools are even more helpful when you are using unsecured public WiFi. Others like Avast SecureLine VPN can make your visible online location virtual.  

2. Run away from third-party logins

Fortnite can request, not force, you to log into their account with Google, Facebook, etc. These platforms can share your details with Fortnite. That is another avenue for doxxers to collect more of your information. You may fall victim to data breaches. Imagine what would happen if your passwords leaked.

3. Ensure your social media presence is private

You share a lot of your information on social media, especially those that third parties require you to log in to their accounts. You are not intimidated to share; it's deliberate. You can use a burner username. Avoid adding details like date of birth, photos with addresses in the background, family members, workplaces, etc.

4. Request your online information removal

Data brokers collate and sell your information. They have your browser history, online transactions, and much more. In case of fatal data breaches like the Equifax data breach, your information might leak. You can contact the brokers directly to remove your information though it will take longer. And you cannot identify all of them. Avast BreachGuard can quickly help you monitor the dark web for any leaks. It also helps remove the information.

Conclusion

Online gaming platforms are becoming hotcakes for the doxxers. Gamers share a lot about themselves. Doxxers can deploy such techniques as phishing to quickly gather your information on Fortnite. Yet you can stick to the above ways to avoid getting doxxed. For any information about doxxing, visit our page here.

How do password managers work?

There are three main types of password managers, one is the offline password manager which stores the passwords on your actual devices. There is secondly the web-based password manager which is stored on a cloud giving you a wide level of accessibility across various devices. Lastly, there are token-based or stateless password managers. This one involves a local piece of hardware which is usually either a usb stick or flash disk which contains a key to unlock a particular account. There is not a particular need for a list of passwords to recall as a password vault as the token generates a new one every time you login to a new account.

Can you use multiple password managers?

You can but you shouldn’t. You're effectively increasing the chance of your credentials being stolen if you use two or more password managers with identical credentials. This is due to the fact that there are now more entrance points. In general, password managers all have the same level of security; however there are issues when you try to use more than one at the same time.

Having more than one password manager only opens up the flood-gates to doxxers. Therefore, we recommend finding one well-secured manager; one with a quality cipher-system and with a strong encryption key. Also, having multiple password managers would only make the use of a password manager obsolete as the whole point of a password manager is convenience, that is to only use one master password, or to have less to remember. In other words, by adding more logins, you are adding alternative methods of accessing your account, which is only opening more entryways to your passwords.

Therefore, adding more methods of logins cannot reduce the risk of hostile hijack, but rather increases the risk since more passwords provide the attacker with additional entry points. If you use more than one login, then your "security level" is only as high as the weakest authentication system you are using.

We can suggest that if you must use a password manager, you may use a stateless or token-based password manager for sites which allow it. You can then use an offline or cloud-based alternative for the remaining ones.

Likewise, there are certain cases such as with offline password managers where you can use multiple password managers as you want, as long as they don't have the same entries.

There is also another alternative for people who have high-profile important passwords and less important accounts which they want to keep on different password managers. This is a little bit inspired by the don’t put all your eggs in the same basket analogy.

This is called the 2-password manager method. This is when instead of using one password manager you use one password manager for all of your highly sensitive information and another on your device for non-important every-day passwords. But in general this is usually a less common practice as it can cause issues when importing and exporting passwords.

We hope that this guide has helped you. You may also be interested in our guide on Do password managers work offline? Or Are password managers a single point of failure? We are pragmatic paranoia, being paranoia at its best, bringing you the latest cybersecurity news!

Our primary focus will be on Meta’s WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, and WhatsApp Messenger. Actually, most of the features are modifications of the original WhatsApp messenger app. These are the versions available on Google Play and verified by Play Protect. These versions are available for Android, MacOS, Windows, and the web.

Almost every smartphone user uses WhatsApp, as reported by Statista. Additionally, Facebook admits to accessing and using WhatsApp Messenger information. These figures raise concern for security and privacy.

Mozilla Foundation has this report, “In May 2021, WhatsApp found itself at the center of controversy regarding its privacy policy. The main change was regarding sharing data, including communication content with businesses, with the larger Facebook Group.”

WhatsApp has privacy and security vulnerabilities, risks, and threats like any other app and platform. There’s always a cause for worry on third parties. So should you use your real name as a username? Read on to learn why you should use it or not.

Should I use my real name?

Your real name is the legal identity in your passport, national ID, birth certificate, and any other legal document. There’s no way that WhatsApp intimidates you to use real names as usernames. In fact, WhatsApp messenger clearly states that the name you enter is not your username or pin. That’s why you are allowed to use emoticons.

But again, the Business version nomenclature varies. You cannot use your real or burner name unless you attach enterprise identification credentials, e.g., John Doe Hardware. You can read the rules here.

Remember your friend, colleague, next of kin, and anybody else can turn out as an attacker. How many scenarios have you heard partners stalking each other on WhatsApp? The highest demographic of WhatsApp users are aged between 26-35.

Most of you are either dating, soul searching, engaged, or new in a marriage. Haven’t you at some point been busted? The fact is, using real identity can put you in trouble. A brute force attacker can use your name to find perfect matches for your credentials, to mention but a few.

If you use WhatsApp payment methods, you should use your real name. Service providers will require you to use documents whose credentials match when signing in and transacting.

At least your circle of friends and WhatsApp group’s participants can identify you with the name you use. Yet you don’t owe anyone an explanation for using weird names. The choice is yours. What matters most is the number you used to sign into WhatsApp.

What if I don’t use my real name?

Avoiding the use of your real name is not a crime, unless in the future. Your classmates know you by name. Your colleagues know your name. It’s often the people you know that contact you on WhatsApp. For WhatsApp Business, use your enterprise name.

You will likely reduce the chances of a tracker using your name compared with other usernames. Attackers countercheck your cross-platform usernames to find some actual data about you. You’d rather use a unique one for each of them. You will likely reduce the chances of a tracker using your name compared with other usernames.

For online WhatsApp transactions, it’s a different case. If you are in the select countries that support this, ensure your WhatsApp name matches the legal one.

Security and privacy risks of using real name

Brute force cyberattacks

Your username can give a hint and an exit plan to a malicious doxxer or attacker. An attacker tries out the various username and password combinations until they find a perfect match.

In credential recycling, the attacker reuses passwords and usernames from, perhaps, data brokers to try cracking your systems.

Executing reverse brute force, the attacker uses a commonly used password, e.g., john doe. They make several trials until they hit it.

Third-party identity theft

Meta, formerly Facebook, is the WhatsApp parent company. According to their privacy policy, Meta disclaims any suspicious activity with your WhatsApp data. But they request you to access some system permissions on your smartphone. Yet history and the internet do not forget.

You should limit some of these permissions outside your app. I recommend you disable the location, camera, calendar, photos, contacts, and microphone permission access in Android and iOS. You should limit some of these permissions outside your app. Unless you do this, you will risk your data being stolen.

Data broker data collation

Data brokers collate and sell your data. They use various mechanisms, including data breadcrumbs like usernames, to do extensive data mining of a victim. Remember, your real name is your legal identity. This is why it makes it easy to use as a leader in data mining.

Social engineering

WhatsApp uses Novi and BHM UPI for instant transactions in special places. Your WhatsApp name should match your ID or bank account name to comply with the service providers. When an attacker or any malicious person gets the information, they can use it for social engineering.

They can use your name to send spammy emails and WhatsApp group links pretending to be you. Another can create an account in your name using a different number and commit the same offense.

Swatting

Swatting is common in the US. A malicious person can, for instance, prank call the police and use your name as an offender.

What does WhatsApp do to protect my account?

End-to-end encryption

This method ensures that your messages, voice calls, video calls, and media are encrypted on transit. Any interceptor may not read the scrambled data. The sender and recipient are the only ones who can read the information.

Support center

There’s no platform whose users have a monopoly of knowledge over it. Issues arise. That’s why WhatsApp messenger has a help center for all your problems and help.

The view once option

You can exchange media that disappear after receiving and opening just once to add to your privacy. If you use an older version, you should update it for this technique to take effect.

Two-step verification (2FA)

2FA is optional but so necessary. Upon successful account sign-in, you can access the 2FA feature. You can use a secure PIN to log into your account on a different device when you enable it. This article covers a lot of this.

Choice of who views your status, profile picture, online status, and the About feature

You have control over who can read your statuses, see your profile picture, check your last seen update, and the information of your ‘about’ feature.

Change of WhatsApp web QR code

When you log into WhatsApp web on your PC, you will remain connected, whether your Android is online/offline. But you can log out or request to change your QR code for security reasons.

Group privacy settings

The latest versions allow you to choose whoever should add you to their group(s). So whenever you dislike their ideas or suspect malice, you avoid accepting the invitation.

Conclusion

WhatsApp is a powerful social media platform. It comes with a variety of genuine and counterfeit versions and types. Depending on how you use it, the information you share can benefit or destroy you.

Unless stated otherwise, you should not use your real name on WhatsApp. Attackers can use your WhatsApp identity to commit malicious intentions. Be careful when using WhatsApp web.

Visit the WhatsApp webpage or social media accounts for further reading and support.

Doxxing, especially on online gaming platforms, is real. But there are ways you can place checks and balances to avoid getting doxxed. These techniques wholly depend on your vigilance. You will realize you always ensnare yourself in these online avenues.

The world is a global village. You interact with the bad and good guys. It can be intentional or unknowingly. You fill in blank forms and submit them online to the world.

How many games have you signed in to? Do you ever wonder who checks your location, next of kin, addresses, among other personal information?

Read on to discover the League of Legends doxxing turrets and inhibitors.

How can you get doxxed on League of Legends?

"Hi, to the person who dox'ed my wife in the League of Legends game, posting her name/location/personal information in the game, and then threatened to "do something after the game" - I have reported the game logs to @riotgames / @RiotSupport - also contacted police to follow up," Nick Bunyun's tweeted on June 25, 2020.

Have you been wondering how doxxers get your information? Read on.

Using a legal username

A legal username carries many of your details; physical address, family members, place of residence, financial records, etc. A doxxer can use your username to acquire more of your information from data brokers and government agencies. The WhoIs lookup reveals a lot about most online enthusiasts too.

When the information is available, they use it for their malice. They can socially engineer others with it, swat you, hack your LoL account to claim rewards, and so on.

Fake surveys and suspicious links

A doxxer can create forms and online surveys with embedded links. These links usually redirect to malware and related sites. Filling in surveys is like unintentionally surrendering your details. You will realize at the eleventh hour.

Doxxers are smart enough to compile them and establish a pool of decisions on what they can do to you. A doxxer can hack your LoL account to participate in the game, guess passwords to your financial records, swatting, etc.

IP address spoofing

Usually, happen when you connect to an insecure public wifi network. You will log into LoL and play. But a malicious doxxer takes advantage to intercept and determine your location and much more.

By the way, a doxxer can be a fellow summoner in the UK, your girlfriend in the room, you understand? This /u/Phlashpoint Redditor was doxxed this way.

Social engineering

Online gaming street brilliant ninjas can trap you to their premium offers. Reportedly, some LoL account boosters were recently unmasked. They used the L#, the LoL scripting site, to con gamers. Who doesn't accept an offer to inflate their skill rating? That's how the doxxers collected a considerable sum of money from gamers.

Instances of League of Legends Doxxing

Doxxing happens to almost anyone unless you have learned how to avoid it. LoL, gamers are a global group of enthusiasts. Some have malicious intentions;

1.   This gamer reported how they were doxxed on Reddit.

/u/stuckontheeastcoast, “I was just successfully bullied off of league... my support was a troll and had a friend playing with them. They were stealing CS, and I asked if they could please stop, and then when our JG offered a FF I said “yeah, my support is a troll,” having taken a non-supp item and purchased two of the same base items. They literally went into ALL and started saying “report bot, they’re racist.” I never said one damn thing other than that they were trolling and they proceeded to continue saying I was racist. I took all screencaps but with cancel culture, this isn’t even funny. This can get someone fired in an instant. Please don’t do this. I legitimately had to walk away from my game in tears scared I’m going to get doxxed. I took screencaps to show I never said anything but still the panic attack wasn’t worth it. Please don’t do stuff like this. Please! Racism isn’t a joke, to begin with, don’t try and demean it by doing stupid stuff like this.”

2.   A LoL player once admitted that they have been swatting gamers. They stalked and targeted the US and Canadian gamers. He also claimed to have shut down Space Mountain twice.  

3.  A data breach that targeted North American LoL gamers hit hard. Riot Games confirmed the breach and admitted that many LoL enthusiasts’ details were stolen; salted and hashed passwords, transactional records, email ids, usernames, etc.

How to avoid getting doxxed on League of Legends

1. Use strong passwords

A brute force attack technique is used to crack passwords and other log-ins to an account. But it’s based on trial and error. So with a strong password, you can make a doxxer climb up a slippery slope. You can opt to use a password generator, and there are lots of them. Use alphanumeric passwords of at least eight characters.

2. Beware of social engineering

Social engineering involves conning gamers. You are lured into buying discounted power-ups, loyalty bonuses, hacks, etc. Think twice when the deal is too good- it’s common sense. Yet most gamers fall victim. Unless LoL and its partners announced in their official pages and email, you should not subscribe to random offers.  

3. Use a strong and trusted VPN

VPN protects and secures your account, transactions, and general online presence. What happens behind the screen as you play games is unknown until the malice is launched. You never expect a doxxer to send a memo.

With VPNs like Nord Secure, Torguard, etc., you can get rid of doxxers. Stream the games online at your pleasure while the tools take care of the protection. You can use free or premium tools.

4. Avoid unfamiliar links

Malicious doxxers wrap spamware links in sweet messages and offers. They are used to collect your data, try finding passwords to your account, send Trojans to your PC, etc.; that’s why you should normalize using unique passwords for every account apart from LoL.

5. Use burner usernames

Your legal/real name is a virtual ‘you.’ Your email does not necessarily have to bear any of your real names. LoL does not intimidate you into using any of your real names as your summoner, either. Burner usernames and emails reduce the chances of identity theft that may eventually lead to doxxing.

Conclusion: Can you get doxxed on League of Legends?

Doxxing is real as long as you’re present online. League of Legends streamers is a group of good and bad guys. Some summoners have been doxxed before. Most of the ways of doxxing in gaming and elsewhere are almost similar. And still, there are simple ways to mitigate them, as detailed above. We’ve covered most of them on our page.

What Is Self Doxxing?

As the term indicates, Self doxxing is an act of doxxing. The only difference is that instead of a hacker, you dox yourself. I know that's a bit confusing. Why would anyone doxx themselves? Isn't that dangerous?

Well, the answer is No. Self doxxing does not put you in danger. In fact, it does the exact opposite. When you dox yourself, you come across all the information that is available online. It can be anything, from your house address to your contact number.

Next, you can request the site to remove your personal information. Or if the information is present on your social media sites, you can hide it. This way you can effectively protect yourself from getting doxxed.

Why Should You Consider Self Doxxing?

Doxxing has resulted in a lot of unfortunate incidents. A teenager's life changed completely when nude pictures were posted online. The pictures spread like wildfire. Before she could take any action, 24000 men had seen them. Her phone was full of unsolicited messages. Though time passed, to this day the poor girl suffers from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

A twitch user took extreme measures after his house address got doxxed. According to 25 years old, several police raids were called to his home. All this traumatized him so much that he left his permanent residence and shifted elsewhere.

Another popular doxxing incident happened during Hong Kong protests in 2019. From police officers to social workers, everyone's personal information was leaked. This resulted in defamation, house raids, and jobs being lost.

The purpose of telling you all these stories is that doxxing can happen to anyone. Anytime. So, if you love your privacy, you need to self-dox immediately.

How To Do Self Doxxing?

If you think, doxxing is something only hackers can do, you're wrong. Most hackers do not use any special websites to doxx. In fact, most of those sites can easily be accessed by anyone. Including you. So protecting yourself with help of self doxxing, is easier than you think.

Let's take a look at all the tools you would be using when you self doxx.

Search Engines:

Search engines are very popular amongst doxxers. So your self doxxing journey must begin with search engines. They give you basic information about yourself. Plus help you find sites where most of your information is stored.

Most common search engines include:

1. Google
2. DuckDuckGo
3. Bling

When Self doxxing, it is best to access google from the browser you don't use. For example, if you normally use Chrome, use Firefox instead.

Put your name/nickname into the search tab and see what comes up. You can also put your address and contact number in the tab, to see what pops up.

These targeted searches reveal a lot about a person. To make your self doxxing journey successful, you must use these Google search tips.

If you find any information on Google, you must request the removal of content. Just follow this link to do that.

You can also turn out Google Alerts to get informed about any new information that is being indexed.

Data Brokers And People Search Sites:

When you are target searching search engines, they often lead you to data brokers. Or people search sites. Such sites are all packed with sensitive data about countless internet users. Most often than not, these sites are free to use. Or let you access any sort of information after payment of a minimal fee.

These search sites usually collect all this data without people's consent. Most of it comes from public records of people. You may not see your current house address on such a website. But they will most definitely have your old address, phone numbers, and passwords. It may also have the names of your family members.

Scary, right? Well, that's the benefit of self doxxing. You find out what the internet knows about you and get it removed. Some of the most famous data broker sites that steal information are listed below.

• Check Them
• Voter Records
• Persopo
• Fast people search
• Radaris

What To Do If You Find Your Information On Any Website?

In case you find your information on any of the above mentioned sites, it is best to opt out. To do that, you have to follow a few simple steps and tips.

1. When requesting to opt out of data, these sites will ask you for your personal information. Never give them new information. Use what they already have.
2. It is best to create a burnout email address to access such sites. If that is not possible, use an email address that you use infrequently.
3. Instead of giving your real contact number, set up a Google voice or other voice-over IP account.

Reverse Image Search:

People upload pictures on their social media accounts without any hesitancy. These personal images are what doxxers love the most.

To make sure your social media images are not available on any suspicious site, you can perform a reverse image search.

To do this, right click on your image and then click on the "Copy image" location. This will give you the URL of your picture. You can then paste this URL into any search engine and check where your pictures are available.

Click on this link if you want more guidance on how to use reverse image search for investigation.

Social Media:

Last on the list is Social Media. A place that stores personal information and images of billions of users. People usually end up sharing a lot more on social media than is required. This information is used by doxxers to destroy their peace.

Just like doxxers, you need to thoroughly go through every social media account. This includes your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and any other site you use.

Make sure there are no posts that reveal information about your location. Or disclose the identity of your loved ones. In case you like posting pictures, update your privacy. It is best to keep your pictures available for those you know and trust.

You also need to search any previous accounts that you once used. Report them and ask the social media authorities to delete them.

Final Words

Here you go, we have listed all possible ways you can self doxx. It is best to carry out self doxxing every few months. Most of these sites are always collecting information. So don't be surprised if you find information about yourself on these sites again.

Remember that there is no way to completely erase your information from the internet. You can make it hard for trouble makers to access it though.

POP3 is an old, outdated email protocol that is very much vulnerable and exposed. Using this protocol makes your emails easily manipulatable by anyone that has access to the servers used by your email client app.

Microsoft had to stop support for POP3 starting from its Windows 8 OS version. Windows 8 arrived with IMAP and Exchange as the two protocols to choose from, for email transfer. What does that mean? It means that Microsoft also understands the vulnerability of POP3.

What is POP3?

POP - Post Office Protocol - is an email protocol used in the early days of email. Notwithstanding, some email clients still support this protocol, and it’s just BAD. Just as SMTP and IMAP, the POP3 protocol provides a channel for an email to go through a sender’s device to the receiver’s device.

However, POP3 transfers emails as Plain Text. It means even the tiniest of your information is clear to anyone that has access to the servers the email needs to pass through, to get to the recipient’s device.

Email frauds and scams keep increasing. Hence, individuals and organizations move from insecure POP3 protocol to IMAP. They also use other security protocols that support encryption (built-in). So, if by now, you still use POP3 on your email client, you're simply - almost - putting your data for sale.

Why is POP3 Insecure?

Let's analyze some of the crucial reasons why you should stop using POP3 now and switch to any other security protocol such as IMAP, Exchange, SMTPS, and others.

Your Emails are Processed Locally

POP3 doesn't synchronize your data across devices. It simply downloads your data to the device you're currently logged in to and processes everything on that device. So, if anyone can access that device or your storage drive fails, you're DONE with it.

It is Simply Old

POP3 is just an old email protocol that’s gradually dying off and losing support. Newer protocols with extensive support for newer email security features and technologies are now available - for free. So, it’s time to move from the old ways and embrace the new techs.

Can You Secure POP3?

Well, you can add TLS/SSL to your POP3 server to encrypt the data you share across the server. But the major thing is, POP3 does not support synchronization, so it would still be difficult to access your emails across devices, easily.

Many people suggest using IMAP over POP3. Let’s review a few reasons to discuss why they do that: :

• IMAP supports synchronization and processes all changes on the server-side, not on the storage of your device.
• With IMAP, attachments on emails won’t download automatically until you open them.
• IMAP provides more flexibility for setting up your email on a computer, mobile device, tablet, or any other device.
• Email clients like Mozilla Thunderbird and Microsoft Outlook support IMAP over POP3.

Conclusion

POP3 is insecure because it processes emails locally and downloads both attachments automatically. While you can add TLS/SSL to POP3 servers, the protocol does not support most modern features that make email transfer flexible and feasible for organizations.

Most email clients use SMTP as the default email protocol. All the messages that we send through this protocol are unprotected because SMTP does not support encryption or authentication algorithms in its basic nature.

However, let's analyze SMTP and see how you can integrate security add-ons to protect your emails if your mail client uses this protocol.

What is SMTP?

SMTP stands for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. It is the most common email transfer protocol used by most email clients. Its function is simple. It picks up your email and moves it through various servers to arrive at the recipient’s device.

The transfer process takes seconds. But since the protocol does not support encryption, anyone can trap the email that you have sent while it’s still on the way to the recipient’s device. The person can also alter or extract the details of the email.

Why is SMTP Insecure?

As stated earlier, SMTP is insecure because it doesn't support encryption or authentication algorithms. This makes it very easy for scammers to send malicious emails with spoofed addresses.

But then, a lot of email clients use this protocol. Hence, in a bid to make it safer and secure for email transfers, new security/authentication methods are introduced. Authentication methods such as Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) were all launched as a means of securing the SMTP protocol.

Threats To SMTP Security?

There are several threats to SMTP when it is used in its ordinary state for email transfer. These threats include:

• Spam and Phishing: Scammers can get into your SMTP server and use your server to send malicious emails to your contacts and organizations. This act is called Open Relay.
• Data Leaks: It is easy for scammers to hack into SMTP servers and extract information from the emails sent through the servers.
• Virus and Malware Spread: Hackers leverage the insecure nature of SMTP to spread malicious software through emails.
• DoS Attacks: It won't take serious technical skills for a hacker to get into an SMTP server and perform Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks. This means flooding other email servers with lots of emails, which may lead to a server crash.

Can You Secure SMTP? How to Secure SMTP?

Although SMTP is insecure, there are many ways that you can secure SMTP. Let’s review a few of those.

SSL/TSL

Yes, you can secure SMTP using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption or Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption. But, using SSL or TLS to protect your SMTP server requires a little tweak because SMTP servers use port 25, and SSL cannot connect to that port. So, you need to select port 465 for the setup to work.

Client-Side Solutions

Email clients deploy client-side solutions such as Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) and Secure MIME (S/MIME) to secure SMTP traffic and ensure that their users’ emails are sent through a secure network throughout the servers.

SMTPS (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol Secure)

SMTPS is a newer, secure version of SMTP that uses TLS encryption to ensure that emails are securely sent across servers to the recipient’s device. Put simply, it is a way of securing SMTP at the transport layer, by wrapping SMTP inside TLS.

Conclusion

The best thing you can do is integrate security features and add-ons to your SMTP server to protect the emails you send/receive. By encrypting SMTP servers, it becomes more difficult for hackers to decode and extract the data or information embedded in an email.

The email itself is insecure. It is left for you to secure your important data by leveraging newer email security technologies and solutions.

Well, email is here to stay. It remains, up to this day, the most ubiquitous means of communication between individuals and organizations. Companies prefer Emails even after the widespread acceptance of social media networks and Instant Messengers (IMs). Email is the "Ideal" communication medium for corporations, enterprises, SMEs, and even individuals. Don't you use an email address for all professional communication? Yes, you do.

Today, email apps are embedded everywhere. They are built into mobile devices, computer OSes, gaming consoles, and almost every device out there. In fact, you need to have an email address to be on the internet. Yes, that's because you need an email for many functions. You need an email to sign up for offers, streaming services, deals, giveaways, online registrations, etc.

You need to enter your email address when setting up your iPhone, or your Android device. That's how important email is.

No doubt, email is here to stay, but you should understand that every data or file you share through email is liable to fall to sniffers and hackers. Now, let’s get to the details.

Why is Email Insecure?

There are quite many reasons why we say that email is insecure. Reports have it that people send billions of emails daily. But, a very big percentage of those emails are “Spam.” If you don't believe me, go check out the spam folder of your email account.

Also, it is easy to alter the addresses in an email's "From" and "To" address bars. Hence, scammers try to impersonate reputable individuals and organizations. They send sensitive emails with the intention of gaining access to the "Target" company database or financial records.

According to Help Net Security, most companies suffer data breaches due to email impersonation attacks. Also, the IT Pro Portal clarifies that “Spam Emails” are the commonest way to spread malware, viruses, and malicious URLs.

From different sources, it is clear that email is very much vulnerable and insecure.

Highly-touted email services like Lavabit and Silent Circle have shut down due to email insecurity concerns. Nevertheless, people aren't giving up on using emails. It is the primary - and probably the most reliable - medium for personal and business communications.

Well, some new technologies and algorithms can help email clients to checkmate spam. Here, we have let out the reasons and "facts" why email is an insecure platform for sharing sensitive data.

Email Wasn’t Built With Security In Mind (No Encryption)

As crazy as it seems, this is the truth about email. It launched when the internet wasn't too exposed and versatile as it is at the moment. At first, you could only send emails using a computer. All emails sent were transparent and open. So, anyone could read the content because there was no encryption.

Earlier, emails went through open protocols and methods. Most of those methods are still existing to this date. Today, people can send emails through various devices, networks, and platforms. While many people view it as flexibility - the ability to send and read emails from any device - the real truth is that those devices can be compromised.

How Emails Can Be Altered

There are three places where sniffers can intercept and compromise any email. It is very easy to compromise emails on devices; how?

On the Sender(s) or Recipient(s) device(s)

If someone finds their way to access your PC, smartphone, smartwatch, or tablet, the person can read your emails without restriction. Well, except when you locked your email app with a password or two-factor authentication (2FA) security.

Hence, it is easy for an authorized person to read emails from both the sender's and recipient's devices. More so, when malware gets into a device, one of the things it does is to search for email files and data in the device's local storage - that's where the concern is.

Network Connections

When it comes to networks and servers, it's a bit tougher. A scammer needs to be technically intelligent to understand how to temper emails while on transit to a recipient's device.

For someone to have access to your sent email while it’s still on transit, the person must have access to:

• Your email provider (your ISP, Outlook, Hotmail, Google, Yahoo, etc.).
• Your network connections.
• And the recipient’s network connection with their email provider.

For someone to access your emails when you send to someone using the same email service as you do (e.g. sending email from a Gmail account to another Gmail account), the person only needs to temper with your network connection (as the sender) or that of the recipient's.

Once either of the connections is vulnerable, your email content can fall to the scammer. Similarly, if you're sending to an email address hosted by a different service (a Gmail account to an Outlook account or company account), there are several third-party channels the email needs to go through to get to the recipient.

Most times, those third-party channels are not safe and built with the latest security algorithms. That gives a technical scammer easy access to what's transmitted on the network.

You may be sure that your connection is secure, but what about the connection of the recipient?

Server Connections

Sadly, most servers are vulnerable and easy to penetrate by scammers. Also, some email servers store email messages as “Plain Text." This makes it very easy for anyone who has access to the server to read every detail of an email message.

So to say, most email servers are not end-to-end encrypted, and that's a huge security concern. Well, they leave it unencrypted for advertising purposes. Also, that helps to search for emails - using keywords - easier for the users.

What Can You Do?

Fine, emails are insecure, but are there any better alternatives? One can’t say there are any better alternative communication channels out there.

Yes, IMs like WhatsApp offer end-to-end encryption. This means no other person can read or access the files you send, even if they hack into your network or WhatsApp's servers. But still, many people prefer email for corporate communications. Here are some tips on how to use emails securely:

• Ensure an email service provider uses strong encryption and security technologies. That should be your first lookout before hosting your email with them. Mainly, most email clients and services use Transport Layer Security (TLS). This encryption tech (TLS) is to ensure a secure connection between your device (the email sender) and the service.
• If an email is no longer needed, delete it and also clear it from “Trash.”
• Corporate and business emails should not be active elsewhere. Except on authorized, well-secured devices and systems used within the organization's premises.
• Use end-to-end encrypted channels to send sensitive details and files.
• Only use highly-reputable email services such as Outlook, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. When setting up an email on your company’s server, ensure to integrate security add-on features. That would help verify incoming and outgoing emails on the server.

Conclusion

Yes, email is not secure by default, but you can manually make it secure for yourself or your company. Not all links sent to your mailbox are genuine. Some are spam links that contain malware and viruses to phish your device.

Actually, it is still impossible to get 100% security with email. But, if you adhere to precautions and integrate security features, you can protect your data - to an extent.

Moreover, if you are just starting out on email and are confused whether you should use your real name or not, read our article to better find out if you should or not.