Following on from the WSIS in Tunisa there has been some press about net freedom within Tunisa itself. Government censorship of independent blogs and journalists has made it to a number of news sites, including the BBC as linked below.
People should know that in Tunisia, the very place they’re holding this summit, the internet is censored. Cyber-dissidents are tracked down and arrested. You can’t have access to any opposition websites in Tunisia
Julien Pain, Reporters Without Borders
Using tools and services such as anonymous proxies or the tor network it is possible to blog anonymously and read blocked sites – but as pointed out in the article government policy will ensure that self censorship occurs and the audience is restricted.
“Technically, you can bypass internet censorship fairly easily. But when it’s in place, it’s a reminder to the local population that there are consequences for certain types of content.
“Filtering doesn’t have to be 100% effective. It just has to get the message across for people to start self-censoring.”
Hungry for net freedom in Tunisia
Since wireless continues to be a popular alternative to wiring your office, i thought a quick round up of current technologies would be appropriate.
In Summary:
Open Access – bad, anyone can watch your traffic or access your network as if they were plugged directly into your hub.
WEP – bad, can be cracked in minutes with the latest tools. Once the key is cracked intruder has access as if the AP was Open. Read your network traffic and access your network.
WPA – good, if configured properly with a strong key this will stand up to all but the most skilled attackers.
Now if the only equipment you have is WEP – then the risk can be mitigated. Change keys on a regular basis and encrypt all communication via ssl. Keep in mind though that you are running a very open system – so be aware of the information you are sending through the air.
A detailed and thorough summary of the options available
A review that goes through the steps taken by a high power user to set up and use Ubuntu on a productive business desktop. As always this will be relevant to many organisations thinking of moving to Ubuntu on the desktop.
This is not a typical review, because you’ve read enough of those. Instead, lets pretend I’m a typical worker, who just happens to have a soft spot for Open Source software. I want to use Linux, but I have a job to do. The price of Freedom should not be my salary. I don’t have time to fiddle, all I care is whether or not it can do what I want, right now.
Ubuntu on the business desktop
While this article is about a UK Survey and home users it is very applicable to all users and organisations around the world. Here at ironcove.net we are attempting to bring some awareness of Security Issues and ways to address them. Unlike many in the industry we are not in the game of FUD (Fear, Uncertainity and Doubt) which is often used to sell products and services in the Information Technology Security Field.
Small steps and some basic understanding will eliminate most Security threats. It is not rocket science and it does not have to cost a fortune.
Widespread ignorance about basic computer security in UK is putting millions of people at risk from net-savvy criminals, a survey suggests.
It found 83% of 1,000 people questioned were not doing enough to protect themselves online, with 53% saying they did not know how to improve security.
Net users told to get safe online
A guide to encrypting filesystems or file containers using a loopback. Well written and specific to the Ubuntu Distribution of linux this is an excellent easy to follow guide to a topic that can be quite technical.
Encrypted Filesystem Howto – Ubuntu Linux
