Update your software regular – apply updates

There is a constant loop happening: Hackers find exploits in software and the software people patch them up. Make sure you apply the latest versions to all your software including operating systems, apps and websites to ensure you have the latest secure versions....

Lock your computer and phones. Review security settings

Turn on auto-screen lock features using passwords and 2FA. Facial recognition lock can be unlocked by cops using your face (same with fingerprint). Review and configure security settings. Review and configure app settings (eg turn off location unless it explicitly...

Phone security

Phones have become very complex and usually ship with dodgy settings out of the box so the first and most important rule about modern smart phones is DON”T TRUST THEM. Make sure your are geek street smart. Here are some ways to improve your phone security: learn...

Secure Phone communications

Anything encrypted is better. SMS and voice was built to be intercepted and recorded (since the paper telegram days). Apple messenger and Facetime are respected, however requires iphone. Older phones have lots of vulnerabilities – not recommended  

Smart password mangement

Weak passwords are the primary way to hack you. Simple passwords can be broken by a “brute force attack” where average computers have enough resources to crack them reasonably quickly. Password manager A “Password manager” allows you to store...

Location and tracking

Your location is being tracked and recorded via your mobile device. Many private companies are recording and selling this info. Many drone assassinations in the Middle East are targeted via the location of a persons mobile device. Turn off location (GPS) Unless you...

2FA – Two factor authentication

Sometimes called two-step verification. A process in which users provide two different methods to verify themselves. SMS or email codes in addition to your usual login user and password are common approaches. 2FA apps are a recommended approach. You will need to...

Private Internet – Stop using Google and FaceBook (so much)

Google has become so useful in many areas that it has become an important tool in many peoples life. Google is also an extensive tracking engine that is building a very extensive and detailed profile on you. Microsoft’s Bing engine is doing the same thing....

Private Internet – Block ads and trackers

Minimise browser plugins as some have built in trackers. Cookies are stored in your browser to personalise your experience on websites and are also used to track you. Delete these regularly (every time you quit) to reduce their ability to build a profile on you. In...

Private Internet – VPN – Virtual private network

A VPN works by connecting your computer  (using encryption) to another computer located somewhere else in the world. Your access to the  internet then comes from that computer located somewhere else in the world. So if the computer is located in France, then you are...

Private Internet – Tor – Anonymous Browsing

Bounces internet users’ and websites’ traffic through “relays” run by thousands of volunteers around the world, making it extremely hard for anyone to identify the source of the information or the location of the user. Use tor with your VPN and ideally with a secure...

Private Internet – Anonymous Connection

You could use a public wifi but be careful and use a VPN as they are insecure and can be used to hack you. You can also order an overseas SIM online with Australian data roaming – that doesn’t require ID.

Private internet – commerce

There are two major ways to buy things anonymously online. The first one is using Visa or Mastercard gift cards. These can be bought with cash at many supermarkets and at Australia Post. The other way is using the crypto-currency: Bitcoin. Please search for more...

Advanced anonymous internet

So you want to be a ninja online? Like martial arts to be truly invisible online you need to spend a lot of time becoming an expert in the technology. There are no shortcuts to becoming a martial arts ninja but there are some ways to skill up without being a top level...

Security Culture – working in groups

Security culture is an agreement made by a group which outlines the minimum security, tools and security processes the group will use. This allow individuals to understand their personal risk as well as the risk to the group and the groups actions. Security culture...

Remote Group collaboration – working online

Slack, Google and similar tools are not encrypted: authorities can request the hosting companies to hand over the documents, user list and the chat logs. Even if you delete a message on Slack, we cannot be sure Slack actually deletes them from their servers or their...

Document Collaboration

Crypt pad is  realtime Collaborative docs simplar to google docs. Due to its secure nature it laks an easy way to group documents, requiring the need to create and manage an inventory of the secure URLs. You can also use a desktop text or document editor and share by...

Secure Email

Google and similar tools are not encrypted: authorities can request the hosting companies to hand over your data. Secure email can be simplified by your group using only one email service such as riseup, tutanota, or protonmail. This means the “end to end”...

Video conferencing

We are looking for a better option for video conferencing. It is important to know that regular phone conversations or popular VoIP tools like Skype or Google Hangouts have wiretapping capabilities built-in. Authorities can request Microsoft to record and hand over...

Phones and laptops in meetings

Microphones and cameras can be remotely activated without you knowing and can be switched on remotely. Good practice is to gather all devices and remove them from meetings. Even if they have dead batteries, this encourages good security culture. Some people place tape...

Databases and CRMs

(In our context ) A database is a  collection of information on people. A CRM (Client Relationship Manager) is a specialised database for managing people’s information, interactions and relationships with people. As database tools become more advanced, we are...

Email list management

Should be self-hosted somewhere overseas. The servers hosting the email list management software contain the list of all email subscribers. Ideally, all subscribers should use a brand-new email account solely dedicated for receiving emails from the email list.

What is a domain?

A domain name is your website address on the internet and gives you an online identity or brand. It’s a valuable part of your business identity and is an important marketing tool that can help customers find and identify with your business. A domain usually...

How to choose a domain

Choosing a domain name can be tricky as lots of words have already been registered by someone else and are not available. Some tips for choosing a name: Be unique – this will make it more likely that your name is available. It is also more likely that your...

How to register a domain

You can register/purchase your domain name from numerous online companies called a “Registrar”. Accredited registrars can be found here http://www.auda.org.au/registrars/accredited-registrars/ Separate companies to register your domain and hosting? using...

What is hosting?

Hosting is where your website lives on the internet. This includes the actual computers and hardware that runs your website. Machine You can run your website from your laptop or computer. This is not a good idea due to redundancy. Website servers have the same...

How to choose the best host

Here are some considerations when choosing your hosting company Support You get what you pay for and ensure you are paying for support. Make sure you look for 24hr support. I have had a case in the past where a site has gone down and the host company did not notice it...

Hosting – basic client tools

When you sign up for a hosting packing you will receive access to an area where you log into. This allows you to: manage your hosting set up your email install software do backups Do not go with a hosting company that will not give you access to these controls. These...

How to get a domain working with your website

Once you have registered your domain you will need to set it up so that it works with your hosting. The domain needs to be “Delegated” by configuring the “DNS” (domain name server). This means the domain needs to be “pointed” to...

Email and the different approaches

Email can be setup in various ways: Hosted with your website as one account. Hosted (separate from your website) by a dedicated email company (eg. Gmail). Hosted (separate from your website) by your company’s or organisation internal IT department (eg. exchange)...

Hosting – setting up email

The process of setting up your email varies across hosts. Your hosting company will provide you a management area where you login and set up your email. For more information, see  Hosting – basic client tools

Disaster planning

Disaster Plan for example.org.au Host serversaurus.com.au Check Status status.serversaurus.net Support terms: serversaurus.com.au/sla/ 9am-5pm Mon-Fri Phone Support. 9am-5pm Mon-Sun Ticket Support. Submit support tickets to: Phone: 1300 341...

FTP – introduction

FTP is short for File Transfer Protocol. Your website is hosted on a machine somewhere on the internet (local or in another country). Within your hosting setup is your account that contains all your website files and data. This is a very similar setup to your own...

Code editors – introduction

For advanced customisation of WordPress, you will need to edit software files. It is really important to use a simple text editor. A simple text editor does not have any formatting (bold/fonts etc). If you edit website files with an editor that supports formatting,...