Topic: general rant/rave
Considering the crap the Gummit and parasites and hacks like Google are up to, never mind the attempts your neighbors and wardrivers can make to steal your ID or hack your computer, here are a couple cool tricks to help isolate yourself.
1. The Internet is great for buying things with a credit card, problem is, the HOAX thats floated on un-suspecting shoppers about "secure shopping sites."
they are LYING to you about security. Why? Not that the site doesnt use a 'https' connection and claim to use SSL and encryption technology, they arent telling you, as they probably dont know, about the parasites that are looking in on your supposedly secure shopping session like GOOGLE.
Heres how to get rid of the bastards.
If youre doing a transaction with ABC co on line, it APPEARS that your computer is connected to ABCs and all is secure. It isnt, because its unlikely that ABC hosts the connections and websites that you do the transaction on.
Usually, especially with small companies, they hire all that out.
Problem is, parasite bastards like Google are glomming onto your "secure connection" and can most likely RECORD the entire transaction.
Ive make many on line transactions that blocked these parasites with a simple trick to kick the Googles and ad sites off the secure connection. Its easy.
The trick is to exclude any site from connecting to your computer that isnt absolutely required to process the transaction.
Download Netscape 9, install it. Once installed, set the system DATE on your computer back a year. Clear the cache and browser history. If the browser was open, close and re-open it.
go to the shopping website and notice pop up dialog boxes start to appear, stating that 'this sites security certificate is not valid'
That means the security cert has a current date, that is now in the FUTURE from what date your computer thinks it is.
You have the option to accept the cert, or hit the ESC key and dismiss it, along with dismissing the website thats trying to connect.
If you have a virus scanner that allows tracking what connections are made to a browser, you can keep track of whats connecting.
Proceed to shop and check out, and hit ESC any time theres a pop up that isnt named after the shopping site.
I did one today and blocked about 6 parasite sites, including Google
realize any of these sites have access to record your CC NUMBER if they are connected.
Next trick to thwart the neigbors and Google-secure your Wi Fi
No, setting encryption only keeps the stupid people out, as long as they can see your router, youre a target
Forget tricks like hidden SSIDs also, all it take is an IP sniffer to find it.
to not be hacked, dont be SEEN.
that requires hiding the router so only you can see it.
To an RF CONNECTION, that is.
The router is a tiny radio station sending and receiving data. Anyone within a certain range (physically) can connect to it.
If they cannot receive the signal, they cannot connect to it.
Some routers can be modified with software to allow their transmit power to be raised and lowered (DD-WRT) but a hacker with a good high gain antenna can get around that.
Wi Fi signals are microwave, 2.4x GHz and the signals are funny, they are truly line-of-sight and bounce off metal surfaces.
Heres where we borrow some Gummit technology, as in putting sensitive communications sites underground and shielding them.
Put the router in the nearest HVAC duct. That will confine the signal to inside the furnace ducting. It will propagate through the house, but only inside the duct-work. It will exit through openings in the duct work, and in most structures, those openings point UP.
So, the signal goes up where some jackass wardriving down the street cannot receive it, theyd have to be on your houses ROOF.
Put your computers wireless adapter reasonbly near a duct outlet and voila, youre on, but no one else can see it.
For extra security, put your computers adapter under-ground, such as in a basement, also put your wireless modem, if you use one, underground so it has to 'look'upwards to get a signal. that means someone outside has to also be elevated, or very close to the house to attempt to intercept or detect that signal
With DD-WRT, reduce router transmit power. Less power- less range.
It works for me, I walk outside on the porch with my laptop and the network disappears.
So much for Googles car wandering around collecting Street View info...
