SumTips: 7 Facts You Need to Know About Russia's VPN Ban

President Vladimir Putin recently signed a law that further restricts online privacy in Russia. Read on for highlights of the legislation.

1. The legislation does NOT ban all virtual private networks (VPNs); it requires VPNs to block users from all government-censored content or face shutdown.

2. The legislation includes a blacklist of online resources with restricted access.

3. The legislation requires messaging services to log and store users’ phone numbers.

4. The legislation has the disapproval of whistleblower Edward Snowden: “Banning the ‘unauthorized’ use of basic internet security tools makes Russia both less safe and less free. This is a tragedy of policy. If the next generation is to enjoy the online liberties ours did, innocuous traffic must become truly indistinguishable from the sensitive.”

5. The legislation was signed into law on July 30 and will be enacted later this year on November 1. It follows a 2015 measure that requires telecommunications companies and internet service providers to retain user data for up to a year….and increases government censorship prior to the March 2018 elections.

6. It’s bad, but it could be worse: The Red Web author Andrei Soldatov acknowledged, “I think the regulation is a bit outdated and very difficult to implement, but this law is still very dangerous, because it means all the internet service providers will be in violation, and this will be a good tool with which to put pressure on them.”

7. SumRando Cybersecurity's VPN will continue to strive to meet your online needs in Russia and worldwide.

Surf secure and stay Rando!

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Want more SumTips? Read on!

• SumTips: How to Bring Back Cameroon's Internet
• SumTips: Where Art Is Under Attack
• SumTips: 4 Digital Activists You Should Know

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SumTips: How to Bring Back Cameroon's Internet

Step One: Read Access Now’s open letter to telecommunications companies in Cameroon on the internet shutdown.

“The internet shutdown in Cameroon’s anglophone regions has been continuing for a month and has significantly interfered with citizens’ daily lives. By blocking access to information and services, the disruption thwarts the exercise of human rights, including the freedoms of expression and association, and slows economic development, seriously harming the innovative businesses dependent on your services. We estimate the shutdown has already cost more than US$1.39 million and grows daily.”

Step Two: Know the open letter’s recommendations.

We recommend that [telecommunications companies]:
1.    Publicly denounce the shutdown and the harm it has caused to your customers and your company’s economic and reputational interests;
2.    Detail the geographic scope and technical implementation of the blocking;
3.    Reveal the demand from the government that required you to block internet access, and any gag order or other pressure to conceal the demand; and
4.    Jointly push back against the government demand, through all legal and policy tools at your disposal, in order to restore internet access.

Step Three: Sign Avaaz’s #BringBackOurInternet petition.

“As citizens from Cameroon and around the world, we call you to sanction the government of Cameroon until they restore internet for all it’s citizens. We condemn the actions by President Biya to shutdown the internet in anglophone areas of the country and repress freedom of expression. The United Nations considers internet shutdowns as a violation of the international human rights law, we need you to respond and act for the respect of human rights.”

Be an advocate, surf secure and stay Rando!

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Want more SumTips? Read on!

• SumTips: Where Art Is Under Attack
• SumTips: 4 Digital Activists You Should Know
• SumTips: 4 Countries Concerned with Cybersecurity in 2017

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SumTips: 4 Digital Activists You Should Know

It’s February, which means the 2017 Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards are right around the corner. This week, the shortlist of nominees was announced in four categories: arts, campaigning, digital activism and journalism. Featured below are the nominees for digital activism, recognized “for innovative uses of technology to circumvent censorship and enable free and independent exchange of information”.

• Jensiat: a (heavily censored) Iranian online graphic novel that offers accessible sexual health and cybersecurity awareness and provides access to verified digital security resources. According to Jensiat’s creators, “Our interactions with readers leads us to believe they have picked up what we’ve been discussing, and are incorporating them into their online lives.”

• Bill Marczak: Marczak’s Bahrain Watch promotes accountable and transparent governance by investigating and running campaigns in response to activists’ social media posts. Said Marczak, “There’s many an activist who face serious risks from their government of being beaten up or being tortured just because they express opinions. I think that’s unacceptable and that’s one of the things I am trying to prevent.”

• Evan Mawarire: When Pastor Mawarire expressed his displeasure with the Zimbabwean government by posting a video of himself draped in the country’s flag, people listened. More than eight million people joined a government boycott in response. Explained Mawarire, “I called the campaign #ThisFlag because it encouraged citizens to get involved in reclaiming national pride by condemning the shameless actions of government and its officials.”

• Turkey Blocks: an Alp Toker-led team that monitors, reports on and investigates internet restrictions in Turkey. Turkey Blocks’ successful tools have begun to be utilized elsewhere. Reported Alp Toker, “Our alerts, issued within minutes of detection, have helped Turkish citizens to stay online when shutdowns get implemented and provided the media with enough confidence to report assertively on digital censorship in Turkey.”

Index on Censorship will celebrate the award recipients at a gala on April 19.

Thank an activist, surf secure and stay Rando!

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Want more SumTips? Read on!

• SumTips: 4 Countries Concerned with Cybersecurity in 2017
• SumTips: Davos' 2017 Guide to Business Cybersecurity
• SumTips: 7 Ways to #StandWithStreep

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SumTips: 4 Countries Concerned with Cybersecurity in 2017

As 2017 begins to take shape, one thing is clear: this year will not be the year of the massive, unexpected data breach. Rather, it very well could be the year of accepting cybersecurity weaknesses and looking to enact much-needed protective measures. In just the past week, four countries worldwide have highlighted areas in need of cyber attention:

• Australia: Intelligence officials fear Australian political party leaders will be the next victims of cyberespionage. Cyber Security Minister Dan Tehan acknowledged, “The use of cyber to maliciously influence the democratic process is a recent development in statecraft and we need the proper protections in place in Australia to prevent it happening here.”

• Canada: increased opposition to pipelines has only heightened the Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s warning to domestic energy companies about the risk of cyber espionage and attacks. “You should expect your networks to be hit if you are involved in any significant financial interactions with certain foreign states,” stated a CSIS briefing.

• India: A turn to digital payments has brought scrutiny to India’s lack of cybersecurity: “While India does have an early warning system and a national computer emergency response team, there is no clear national incident management structure for responding to cyber-security incidents,” reported the Software Alliance (BSA).

• United Kingdom: a shortage of cybersecurity experts has the potential to put businesses in the UK at cyber risk. Reported Mariano Mamertino, “Sadly the supply of skilled workers isn’t keeping up with employer demand, and Britain’s cyber security skills gap, already the second worst in the world, is getting worse. The problem is fast approaching crisis point, and British businesses will inevitably be put at risk if they can’t find the expertise they need to mitigate the threat.”

Know your risks, surf secure and stay Rando!

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Want more SumTips? Read on!

• SumTips: Davos' 2017 Guide to Business Cybersecurity
• SumTips: 7 Ways to #StandWithStreep
• SumTips: 11 Countries Where Journalism Still Threatens Personal Safety

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SumTips: Davos’ 2017 Guide to Business Cybersecurity

The annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, is underway. While the election of Donald Trump to the American presidency has attendees questioning what else 2017 will bring, one concern remains clear: cybersecurity.

In conjunction with the live event, the Forum offers a host of suggestions for making the coming year cybersecure, for businesses and individuals alike:

 
From “Why being a responsible leader means being cyber-resilient”:

• Cyber risk is a systemic challenge and cyber-resilience a public good. Without security and resilience in our networks, it will be impossible to safely take advantage of the innumerable opportunities that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is poised to offer. Responsible and innovative leaders, therefore, are seeking ways to deal with these risks. In order to meet these challenges and be truly responsive to and responsible for the challenges of digitalization, leaders need tools and partnerships.

From “Defending against cybercrime: how to make a business cyber-resilient”:

• Cyberattacks, cyber-breaches and cybercrime are not new problems and are universally acknowledged to be costly, pervasive and increasingly sophisticated. The best defence against such intrusions is cyber-resilience: building capabilities to protect yourself and your business from cyber threats, and building the ability to rebound from attacks, should they happen.

From “Four steps to protect your business against cybercrime”:

Ask yourself these questions:

• Is the board on board? Security has to be on the board’s agenda. They need to be constantly thinking about the worst case scenario: what would happen if your information were stolen? How badly would your business be damaged if one individual were bribed or blackmailed? What are all the possible ways someone could attack?

• Is security part of your culture? The board members can’t do everything themselves. You need to build security awareness into your organization’s culture by making it part of everyone’s role. Give them responsibility, and encourage them to speak up.

• Have you separated your data? The trick is to make sure you have layers between your systems. If your customer data is behind another wall, it’s safer. You want to make sure your most valuable information is hidden – even from your own employees. You don’t see bank vaults out on the street. They’re behind checkpoints, cameras and closed doors. Do the same with your data.

• Do you have all the basics sorted? Start with making sure passwords are strong and long and ensuring that all the right policies are in place. Encryption should be used across the board and you need a response team ready to deal with attacks and minimize the damage. Spare a moment to think about whether your partners are keeping your data safe. Most importantly, think from a criminal’s perspective: try hacking back into your own business to identify vulnerabilities and then fix them.

Protect yourself, surf secure and stay Rando!

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Want more SumTips? Read on!

• SumTips: 7 Ways to #StandWithStreep
• SumTips: 11 Countries Where Journalism Still Threatens Personal Safety
• SumTips: 7 Findings From Secure the News' Leaderboard

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SumTips: 11 Countries Where Journalism Still Threatens Personal Safety

In August, we reported the deaths of 27 journalists since the beginning of 2016. Now, the year closes with a total of 48 journalist lives lost: 18 murdered, 26 killed in crossfire or combat, and 3 killed on dangerous assignments. The Committee to Protect Journalists’ list has grown to include:

Syria – 6 more journalists killed (14 total)

• Mohsen Khazaei, an Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Agency (IRIB) reporter, was killed in November by shrapnel. He had been reporting on fighting in western Aleppo.

• Abdul Salam Kanaan, an Al-Jisr TV photographer, was killed in October by shrapnel from a missile. He had been recording Syrian airstrikes on Zafraneh at the time.

• Taha Shawkat Al-Halou, freelance photographer and former photographer and reporter for the Daret Ezza Media Center, was killed in August by a missile. He was returning from covering airstrikes in Aleppo.

• Ahmad Hallak, an Al-Buraq Media Institution correspondent, was killed in August by an airstrike. Hallak had been en route to report on fighting in Aleppo.

• Mohammed Sayyed Hassan, an All4Syria reporter and Al-Nabaa Media Center founder, was killed in August by an airstrike. Hassan had been reporting on Russian airstrikes on Atareb at the time.

• Abdullah Mohammad Ghannam, a correspondent for the Shahba Press Agency, was killed in July by an airstrike. He had been filming the fallout of a previous airstrike.

Iraq – 4 more journalists killed (6 total)

• Ali Risan, an Al-Sumaria TV channel cameraman, was killed by a sniper’s bullet in October. Risan had been covering fighting between government security forces and Islamic State forces in the Al-Shura area.

• Ahmet Haceroglu, a Turkmeneli TV manager, was shot and killed by a sniper’s bullet in October. He had been covering fighting between Kurdish security forces and Islamic State forces in Kirkuk.

• Mustafa Said, a Kurdistan TV cameraman, was killed in August by mortar fire. He had been covering fighting between Kurdish security forces and Islamic State forces near Mosul.

• Ali Mahmud, an Al-Ghadeer TV cameraman, was killed in July by a heat-seeking missile. He had been covering fighting between Kurdish security forces and Islamic State forces near Mosul.

Yemen – 2 more journalists killed (6 total)

• Awab al-Zubiry, a freelance photojournalist and communications student, was killed in November by explosives. He had been reporting on fighting between pro-government and rebel forces in Taiz.

• Mubarak al-Abadi, president of the Nabaa Media Foundation, was killed in August by mortar shell. He had been reporting on fighting between pro-government and rebel forces in al-Jawf province.

Afghanistan – 2 more journalists killed (4 total)

• Naimatullah Zaheer, a reporter for Ariana News Television Networks, was killed by a roadside bomb in November. Zaheer had been en route to Lashkar Gah, where the Afghan military and the Taliban had fought the night prior.

• Mohammad Nasir Mudasir, editor-in-chief of Melli Paigham Radio and founding member of the Afghan Independent Journalists’ Association, was shot and killed by unknown gunmen outside his office in December. Mudasir had frequently received threats from the Taliban.

Libya – 1 more journalist killed (3 total)

• Jeroen Oerlemans, a freelance photographer from the Netherlands, was killed in October while covering a battle in Sirte. He had been shot while running across a street to capture an image of the front line.

Somalia – 3 journalists killed

• Mahad Ali Mohamed, a Codka Mudug Radio journalist, was shot and killed after leaving his house in November. A stray bullet from ongoing fighting was responsible for his death.

• Abdiaziz Ali, a Radio Shabelle journalist, was shot and killed in September by two men on motorbikes. Ali had recently contributed to a series about Somalis forced to flee their homes.

• Sagal Salad Osman, a Radio Mogadishu producer and presenter, was shot and killed in June on her university campus. The police believe Al-Shabaab to be responsible.

Pakistan – 2 journalists killed

• Mehmood Khan and Shehzad Ahmed, cameramen for DawnNews and Aaj News, respectively, died in August in a Quetta suicide attack that killed more than 70. Khan and Ahmed were in attendance to film a group assembled to mourn the loss of Bilal Kasi, the murdered president of the Baluchistan Bar Association.

Guinea – 1 journalist killed

• El-Hadj Mohamed Diallo, reporter for Guinée7 and Afrik, was shot and killed in February during unrest outside a meeting of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea, the country’s main opposition party. Diallo was in attendance to report on the events.

Ukraine – 1 journalist killed

• Pavel Sheremet, a writer for Ukrainska Pravda and recipient of CPJ’s 1998 International Press Freedom Award, was killed in July when the car he was driving exploded. Sheremet had been on his way host a show at Radio Vesti.

Myanmar – 1 journalist killed

• Soe Moe Tun, a reporter for Daily Eleven, died in December in an attack that left bruises on his face and head. He regularly reported on sensitive subjects.

Brazil – 1 journalist killed

• João Miranda do Carmo, editor of the confrontational SAD Sem Censura (Santo Antonio do Descoberto Uncensored) was shot and killed outside his house in July. Prior to the attack, he had received death threats and witnessed his car set on fire.

Be safe, surf secure and stay Rando!

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Want more SumTips? Read on!

• SumTips: 7 Findings From Secure the News' Leaderboard
• SumTips: 5 Highlights of Snowden's Twitter Interview
• SumTips: 6 Reasons the Internet Is Unkind to Indian Women

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SumTips: 7 Findings from Secure the News' Leaderboard

At this point, the average internet user knows to check for HTTPS encryption (the little padlock at the top of a browser) before entering sensitive information online. And while many of the websites that require sensitive information—typically banks and online vendors—have made necessary security upgrades, the websites that often go forgotten are those of media outlets.

In response, the Freedom of the Press Foundation recently launched a new tool: Secure the News, a platform that provides information on the security of more than 100 media websites. The results are a little unsettling. May we suggest a VPN the next time you need to catch up on your current events?

• 29% of news sites surveyed provide HTTPS encryption; only 14% default automatically to HTTPS.

• The United States’ Intercept was the only site to receive an A+ security rating. Runners up include the UK’s Guardian and the United States’ Buzzfeed, ProPublica, TechCrunch and WIRED, who also provide and default to valid HTTPS. These sites have HSTS capabilities, but are not preloaded (HSTS protects against HTTPS downgrade attacks).

• 9 news sites worldwide received a security rating of B for providing and defaulting to HTTPS, but lack HSTS altogether. These include Germany’s Die Welt; the Moscow Times; the Toronto Star and the Washington Post.

• 15 news sites worldwide received a security rating of C. These sites offer valid HTTPS and are available over HTTPS, but do not default to it and lack HSTS altogether; they include France’s Le Monde; India’s Anandabazar; Italy’s La Stampa; Wirtualna Polska; Saudi Arabia’s Al Arabiya; and the UK’s Independent and BBC.

• 25 news sites worldwide received a security rating of D. These sites only offer valid HTTPS and include Germany’s FAZ.NET; Spiegel Online and Süddeutschede; the India Times and Indian Express; Poland’s Onet; Russia’s TACC; and the United States’ New York Times and Ars Technica.

• The remaining 50 news sites received a security rating of F, for their complete lack of HTTPS and HSTS. These global sites include Australia’s Age; China’s Global Times, People’s Daily, Shanghai Daily and Xinhua News Agency; India’s Andhrajyothi, DNA India, Hindu, Hindustan Times and Mathrubhumi; Italy’s Corriere della Sera; Qatar’s Al Jazeera; Russia’s Pravda Report; Spain’s ABC.es, el Mundo, el Pais, el Periodico and la Vanguardia; the United States’ Univision; the Associated Press; and Reuters.

• Currently, 0 sites have committed to making a change, but the Freedom of the Press Foundation expects Secure the News’ report will begin to prompt such action.

Use HTTPS, surf secure and stay Rando!

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Want more SumTips? Read on!

• SumTips: 5 Highlights of Snowden's Twitter Interview
• SumTips: 6 Reasons the Internet Is Unkind to Indian Women
• SumTips: What to Say When the Internet Goes Off

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SumTips: 6 Reasons the Internet Is Unkind to Indian Women

Cyber VAW (violence against women) threatens women daily in India, concludes a recent study by Japleen Pasricha, founder and director of Feminism in India.com. The report, “Violence” Online In India: Cybercrimes Against Women & Minorities on Social Media offers statistics not to be overlooked:

1.    Women in India frequently block or ignore their online harassers rather than report their unwanted behaviors, despite the creation of a Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) portal for this very purpose.

2.    Of the 500 women surveyed, 36% of those who were harassed online did nothing in response. 28% merely reduced their online presence.

3.    30% were unaware that laws existed to protect them.

4.    38% of those who reported online harassment found the legal response to be “not at all helpful.”

5.    15% of respondents reported experiencing depression, stress, insomnia or other mental health issues in response to online harassment.

6.    Specific incidences include:

• A writer, poet and activist threatened with acid attacks and gang rape for tweeting about a Hyderabad beef-eating festival.
• An activist harassed during an online discussion about violence against women; she later left the conversation.
• A journalist and author also known as “India’s most trolled woman.” Her decision to publish an account of her childhood sexual abuse has been met with criticisms including the label “antinational.”

Read the report, surf secure and stay Rando!

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Want more SumTips? Read on!

• SumTips: What to Say When the Internet Goes Off
• SumTips: How to Protect Yourself Online in Uncertain Times
• SumTips: 12 Reasons "Freedom on the Net 2016" Matters

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SumTips: What to Say When the Internet Goes Off

The Gambia goes to the polls on December 1, but the election’s legitimacy is already under attack. Dictatorial President Yahya Jammeh has been in power since 1994 and, by the looks of a November 30 internet and phone shutdown, has no intention of leaving office. However, as with most attempts to silence dissent, Gambia’s recent blackout has only brought more global attention to the country’s inequities:

#Gambia just shutdown the internet? It's not the first time. Read all details here: https://t.co/DXVJVJEZuS and tell #Banjul to #KeepItOn pic.twitter.com/v4gQ3gUjGS

— Demba Kandeh (@saadems) November 30, 2016

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Why is it so easy to switch off the Internet in Africa? The Gambia is the latest on this dark path. https://t.co/Q2TDxkyYTX #Keepiton

— Moses Karanja (@Mose_Karanja) November 30, 2016

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Internet Shutdown in #Gambia ahead of pres. election. Not good sign for a free & fair election, for HR https://t.co/uJrtCjytUk #Keepiton

— julieowono (@JulieOwono) November 30, 2016

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#Gambia President says election can't be "rigged" because using colored marbles as ballots; then shuts down internet https://t.co/s0hJxcM7eF

— Deji Olukotun (@dejiridoo) November 30, 2016

Access the internet via VPN, surf secure and stay Rando!

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Want more SumTips? Read on!

• SumTips: How to Protect Yourself Online in Uncertain Times
• SumTips: 12 Reasons "Freedom on the Net 2016" Matters
• SumTips: 140 Characters Stifled by More Than Space

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SumTips: How to Protect Yourself Online in Uncertain Times

[Source: Shutterstock.com]

In 2016, the digital era giveth and the digital era taketh away. Citizens everywhere—from those outraged at the Turkish government to those outraged at the results of the American presidential election—have the power to use the internet to communicate their innermost thoughts, feelings and desires, but also risk persecution if those sentiments fall into the wrong hands.

Digital rights defender Access Now has created “A First Look at Digital Security,” an easy-to-access guide to enhancing security for those who choose to challenge the status quo online:

If you are a journalist:

• Protect your sources; correspondence with editors; time-sensitive research and written drafts.
• Use encrypted emails, instant messenger, texts, voice apps and document sharing daily; a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when on untrusted Wi-Fi; and full-disk encryption when going through security checkpoints.

If you are an activist or blogger:

• Protect your research and data; online accounts; and correspondence with other activists.
• Use two-factor authentication and strong passwords; security checkups offered by social media platforms; full-disk encryption and encryption of flash drives, hard drives and all other sensitive files; expanded short urls; and anonymous chat.

If you are a civil rights defender:

• Protect the financial information of donors and employees; contact information of partners and clients; integrity of your organization; and private documents.
• Use the latest version of available software; strong passwords; a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when on untrusted Wi-Fi; caution with opening links and attachments; full-disk encryption when going through security checkpoints; and discretion in personal postings online.

If you are a student engaged in a movement:

• Protect your personal privacy; online identity and persona(s); and access to information.
• Use circumvention and anonymity tools (including VPNs); privacy enhancing browser extensions; regular clearing of chat history; anonymous chat; separate online personas; and discretion in personal postings online.

If you are you:

• You just might find that everything above applies.

Right now, the election of Donald Trump to the American presidency has much of the United States wondering what exactly is the status quo and what online sentiments will be respected and protected, a state of uncertainty not unlike what individuals worldwide face daily. Check out the guide and if you need more support, the Access Now Helpline is there for you: help@accessnow.org.

Surf secure and stay Rando!

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Want more SumTips? Read on!

• SumTips: 12 Reasons "Freedom on the Net 2016" Matters
• SumTips: 140 Characters Stifled by More Than Space
• SumTips: 5 Current Limitations on African Internet Freedom

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SumTips: 5 Current Limitations on African Internet Freedom

Internet censorship has been going strong in Africa since the continent’s first official act of online censorship took place in 1996 (Zambia decided to remove a banned newspaper from the internet).

More recently, Uganda’s Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa provided an opportunity to explore the findings of the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa’s (CIPESA’s) State of Internet Freedom in Africa 2016 report. Its results highlight 5 important trends:

1.    African governments are increasingly turning to internet shutdowns as a method of limiting freedom of expression and access to information.

• Uganda blocked access to social media in 2016 during its presidential elections and presidential swearing-in ceremony. 
• In 2015, Burundi responded to public protests against President Pierre Nkurunziza by shutting down social media networks.

2.    Courts of law are used to limit freedom of expression online and to prosecute journalists and activists for their words.

• In Tanzania, 10 social media users have been charged with violations such as “insulting the president” since a cybercrime law went into effect in September 2015.
• Zambia searches for and prosecutes citizen journalists who are critical of the government.

3.    Online surveillance, including monitoring communications, is routinely used by African governments.

• In January and February 2016, 10 social media users in Kenya were arrested or questioned because of their online communications.
• Rwanda actively monitors citizen communications.

4.    Ongoing blockages of websites and SMS services further limit access to information and modes of communication.

• Ethiopia blocks hundreds of websites and shutdown the entire internet twice in 2016.
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo recently began to block websites that are critical of the government.

5.    Although less common, removal of online content is also utilized by governments.

• In 2013 and 2014, Zimbabwean authorities routinely pressured social media users to remove content from various platforms.

CIPESA asks that African governments respect the human rights to freedom of expression, access to information and privacy; that civil society and media advocate for internet freedom as a human right; and that telecom companies and ISPs actively work to protect the privacy of their subscribers. We couldn’t agree more.

Read more, know your rights, surf secure and stay Rando!

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Want more SumTips? Read on!

• SumTips: 10 Facts on Encryption and Human Rights from Amnesty International
• SumTips: 8 Must-Have Tips From EFF's Surveillance Self-Defense Guide
• SumTips: How Donald Trump Proves that Freedom of Speech Works

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SumTips: 10 Facts on Encryption and Human Rights from Amnesty International

Amnesty International recently released a report ranking 11 technology companies on encryption and human rights.

The results reinforce what we already know:

• Encryption helps protect people’s human rights online.

• Encryption stops cybercriminals from stealing our personal information, and helps prevent unlawful government surveillance of our communications.

• There is virtual consensus among expert technologists and cryptographers that it is impossible to put in place a system of special access that could only be used by the intended state authorities. If a backdoor exists, others–criminals, malicious hackers, or other governments–will also be able to access it.

…and remind us that there is still work to be done:

• Only three of the companies assessed–Apple, LINE, Viber Media–apply end-to-end encryption as a default to all of their IM services. Of these, none are fully transparent about the system of encryption they are using.

• In five cases Amnesty International found a gap between policy and practice: for example, Microsoft has a clear stated commitment to human rights, but is not applying any form of end-to-end encryption on its Skype service. 

• All of the companies, with the exception of Tencent, have stated publicly that they will not grant government requests to backdoor the encryption on their messaging services.

• Apple is a powerful advocate for privacy and security and is applying a strong form of encryption to its services. However, Amnesty International found that the company could do more to tackle these issues from a human rights perspective and inform its users about the threats to their human rights and the way that the company is responding.

• Facebook deploys end-to-end decryption by default on WhatsApp, but not on Facebook Messenger.

• Telegram Messenger, Kakao Talk and Google Allo do not warn users when using weaker encryption.

• Snapchat and BlackBerry Messenger offer no commitment to freedom of expression and make no policy recognition of online threats to human rights.

Know what your chat app can do for you, surf secure and stay Rando!

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Want more SumTips? Read on!

• SumTips: 8 Must-Have Tips From EFF's Surveillance Self-Defense Guide
• SumTips: How Donald Trump Proves that Freedom of Speech Works
• SumTips: 9 Cyber Security Awareness Month Events Not to Miss

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SumTips: 8 Must-Have Tips from EFF’s Surveillance Self-Defense Guide

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is an international digital rights group that supports user privacy, free expression and innovation. In addition to its impact litigation, policy analysis, grassroots activism and technology development, the nonprofit offers an online Surveillance Self-Defense Guide, with overviews of what digital surveillance is and how it can be countered; tutorials on installing and using protective software and tools; and briefings on relevant situations. Eight must-have tips include:

1.    How to Make a Super-Secure Password Using Dice (Animated): Think your complex password is secure? Think again. Computer programs allow hackers to guess millions of passwords in just one second. For greater security, try Arnold G. Reinhold’s Diceware technique.

2.    How to Delete Your Data Securely on Windows: Think a file moved to your computer’s trash folder is gone forever? Not exactly. Try BleachBit for secure file deletion for Windows (and check out EFF’s resources for deleting data from Linux and Mac OS X).

3.    How to Enable Two-factor Authentication: Not willing to rely on a single password to keep your accounts secure? Take the extra steps required to add an additional authentication method (usually your phone number). Facebook calls it ‘login approvals’; Twitter calls it ‘login verification’; Google calls it ‘2-step verification’; and we call it plain smart. A complete list of websites that offer 2FA can be found at https://twofactorauth.org/. 

4.    How to Use OTR for Windows: Looking for a secure chat application? Try OTR (Off-the-record) with instant messaging client Pidgin. OTR encrypts chats, identifies your chat buddy and prevents servers from logging conversations, but beware—it cannot control the actions of your chat buddy. Also, check out EFF’s resources for OTR for Linux and Mac).

5.    A Detailed Guide to Attending Protests (International): Interested in exercising your freedom of expression? EFF provides measures to take to protect your electronic devices, before and during a protest.

6.    A Detailed Guide to Protecting Yourself on Social Networks: Regarding Facebook, Twitter and Google+, have you asked any of the following questions lately: How can I interact with these sites while protecting myself? My basic privacy? My identity? My contacts and associations? What information do I want to keep private and who do I want to keep it private from? If so, EFF has answers.

7.    What Is Encryption? An Overview: You have questions; EFF has answers.

8.    A Detailed Guide to Choosing the VPN That’s Right for You: We may be biased, but we’d say that SumRando’s promise of no logging, secure server locations and acceptance of alternate payment options make it an excellent choice.

Know your resources, surf secure and stay Rando!

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Want more SumTips? Read on!

• SumTips: How Donald Trump Proves that Freedom of Speech Works
• SumTips: 9 Cyber Security Awareness Month Events Not to Miss
• SumTips: 5 Human Rights Violations Not to Be Ignored

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SumTips: How Donald Trump Proves That Freedom of Speech Works

[Source: Gage Skidmore]

We said it in May and we’ll say it again: Freedom of speech—especially following years of silence—can be messy, ugly and uncomfortable for all, but it is the dialogue that it brings that is absolutely necessary to achieve a lasting peace.

The weeks leading up to the American presidential election have become quite the free speech-fest, with a slew of colorful comments from Republican nominee Donald Trump sparking ongoing debate from politicians and Facebook friends alike.

On Friday, a recorded conversation from 2005 of Donald Trump and television personality Billy Bush was released. In it, Trump bragged about how his celebrity status enabled him to grope, kiss and have sex with women as he saw fit: “When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”

The ensuing response, however, has overwhelmingly suggested that the Donald’s days of omnipotence are coming to an end:

By Saturday, 2008 Republican presidential hopeful Senator John McCain had withdrawn his support for Trump.

On Sunday, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Trump broke precedent and did not shake hands at the start of their town hall debate.

During the debate, Trump diminished his 2005 commentary as mere “locker room talk,” in essence providing a more definitive answer to the debate’s opening question (“Do you feel you are modeling appropriate and positive behavior for today’s youth?”) than he was willing to give when the question was asked.

Clinton, in turn, used Trump’s “locker room talk” as an opportunity to remind voters that this was in no way an isolated incident: “So, yes, this is who Donald Trump is. But it’s not only women, and it’s not only this video that raises questions about his fitness to be our president, because he has also targeted immigrants, African-Americans, Latinos, people with disabilities, POWs, Muslims, and so many others.”

On Monday, Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan announced that he would neither defend nor campaign for Trump, and encouraged fellow Republicans to proceed as they saw fit. To date, the total number of Republican leaders not supporting Trump has reached 160.

On Tuesday, Donald Trump let us know what he really thinks about his dwindling Republican support: “It is so nice that the shackles have been taken off me and I can now fight for America the way I want to.”

In short, Donald Trump’s commentary has made us all a little uncomfortable, but now that it is out in the open, we can see him and America a little more clearly. Will the United States prove to be a country that prefers a woman or a misogynist as its commander-in-chief – and, accordingly, to what extent should the rest of the world follow its lead or walk away?

Know of other ways Trump’s freedom of expression has deepened our understanding of American politics? Let us know in the comments below.

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Want more SumTips? Read on!

• SumTips: 9 Cyber Security Awareness Month Events Not to Miss
• SumTips: 5 Human Rights Violations Not to Be Ignored
• SumTips: 5 Countries on Censorship Watch, According to Ban Ki-moon

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SumRando Cybersecurity is a Mauritius-based VPN, Web Proxy and Secure Messenger provider. Surf secure and stay Rando!