Archives April 2014

Do You Need the World's Most Secure Email?

Or is Privacy Even Possible?

Is privacy and a secure email on your wish list? How does the “most secure email program” sound to you? Or rather, is that still possible in this post-Snowden era? How about a completely secure search engine?

Find out more from my latest column here and there.

Shhh… Heartbleed Check & Fix

The open source OpenSSL project revealed Monday a serious security vulnerability known as the “Heartbleed” bug that is used by two-third of the web to encrypt data, ie. to protect usernames, passwords and any sensitive information on secure websites. Yahoo is said to be the most exposed to Heartbleed but the company said it has fixed the core vulnerability on its main sites. There are several things you would need to do to check for Heartbleed bug and protect yourself from it, apart from changing your passwords. And according to the Tor project, staying away from the internet entirely for several days might be a good idea.

Check these YouTube video clips for more information – and find out how to fix it on Ubuntu Linux.

When Chaos Trumps Security

Lapse in Taipei a Lesson for Hong Kong

It doesn’t take much for unfolding events to break down security, especially if security forces aren’t well trained to handle unexpected situations. The continuing standoff between the Taiwan government and protesters over the lack of transparency during the negotiations of a cross-Strait services pact between Taipei and Beijing has stolen global headlines and illustrates that scenario.

Scores of university students stormed the legislative chamber in Taipei on March 18, leading to the continued unrest that has been dubbed the “Sunflower Movement”. That was followed by 100,000 people who gathered for a sit-in protest outside the Presidential Office Building earlier this month.

Contentious issues aside, the entire episode – with memorable scenes of students fending off the raiding police by piling entrances and exits with furniture and riot police using batons and water cannons on them – prompted the nagging question: Was security at the government buildings in Taipei so lax and easily penetrable? Definitely, from my personal experience.

Please find the entire column here.