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Data Leakage and Apps

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HPC:Fan Page Icon Posted 2020-11-11 2:44 PM
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I realized we brought this thread (https://www.hpcfactor.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=18947&posts=25) off topic, my apologies to NTWare. So I thought since the transmitting of personal data was of interested, I'd create this thread to continue the discussion.

I don't know how you all "cope" with the current state of app developers (from big titans like Google to indie developers) sharing your data. But I thought I'd share some of my feeble attempts at trying to keep things cordoned off.

On my phones where applicable using Android, I use a free app called "NoRoot Firewall". This starts up as a service and uses a local proxy that makes it so I can deny or allow applications to access the internet. On top of this, the only Google account I have and use is only for Android and the App store. This isn't a perfect solution, but it helps minimize data leakage. Especially to random apps you may install from third party vendors.

However, Android which is made by Google phones home about absolutely everything. So unless you've "de-Googled" your phone, Google has your data. There are plenty of ways to flash more security minded Android versions, but they don't work on all phones.

So how do you keep your data from leaking? Or at least, attempt to?
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hpcboy Page Icon Posted 2020-11-12 12:50 AM
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Good call. I am just an average user and these are what I've always been doing:

Android apps:
Check carefully the App permissions for every single app installed/to be installed:
Quote
What's new --(scroll down)--> App info --(scroll to the very bottom)--> App permissions --click "see More" -->... (darn)

1. Avoid if possible any apps asking for "Read phone status and identity"
2. Avoid any non-networking apps asking for "View network connections" or "View Wi-Fi connections"
3. Keep the number of installed apps to the minimum
(4. I don't trust iOS at all)

Social media:
1. Do not post anything personal (including my real name) on Facebook, Twitter and the like.
2. Be extremely careful about exposing own identity (name, photos, etc.). For example, on my blog you never find out any private information about me.
3. Obsession with selfies is simply dumb.

General practice:
1. Never post my email address and other personal identity information anywhere directly on any unencrypted websites and for purposes unrelated to account registration or purchasing products.
2. Use multiple email accounts. Separate personal/essential/work-related uses from non-essential uses. Use only dummy accounts in all non-essential places. I registered my (mostly) read-only FB account using a dummy email address.
3. On my phone, turn off wifi, bluetooth, and GPS/location tracking when these are not in use.
4. Never consent to terms asking for sending my information to 3rd party whatever for promotion purposes and blah.
5. Likewise, do not accept receiving advertisements whenever possible
6. Process and keep my private information offline if possible. Use an HPC offline instead of an always connected "smartphone".

There may be more. These are just what comes right off the top of my head.


Edited by hpcboy 2020-11-12 1:30 AM
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HPC:Fan Page Icon Posted 2020-11-12 9:28 AM
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Very nice HPCBoy.

When it comes to social media, I tend not to use it. There's only one social media site I use infrequently and that's Gab.com.

When it comes to my PC, I make very sure I have a firewall installed. (Plenty of options out there.) There's also a new app in development, might want to check it out: https://safing.io/portmaster/#downloads
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hpcboy Page Icon Posted 2020-11-12 11:40 AM
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A couple of others more general but rather obvious ones, though not directly related to apps themselves:

- Stay away from those unencrypted free wifi networks typically found in restaurants, public amenities, transportations, etc..

- Never put sensitve data on memory cards or usb drives that would be used in print shops.

- Always scan downloaded files (I use virustotal.com, in addition to my installed antivirus program)

- Use browser plugins like AdBlock and ScriptSafe by default (you'll be surprised by how many alien stuff get blocked). Avoid accepting cookies unless necessary.



Edited by hpcboy 2020-11-12 11:53 AM
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hpcboy Page Icon Posted 2020-11-12 11:51 AM
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When it comes to social media, I tend not to use it. There's only one social media site I use infrequently and that's Gab.com.


Perhaps my biggest loss for not living in social media is FOMO.
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ntware Page Icon Posted 2020-11-13 12:58 PM
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HPC:Fan - 2020-11-12 4:28 AM

When it comes to social media, I tend not to use it. There's only one social media site I use infrequently and that's Gab.com.


When it comes to social media, the only site I use is hpcfactor.com
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C:Amie Page Icon Posted 2020-11-13 1:29 PM
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Well said ntware, well said.

I use none, nilch, nadda myself... because I'm sane
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HPC:Fan Page Icon Posted 2020-11-13 2:30 PM
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Also, keep this in mind: If the product is free, you're the one that's actually the product. Facebook is a great example of this. It's a "free" service, but you pay with pretty much every ounce of data they can ween out from you.

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can't remember Page Icon Posted 2020-11-13 3:16 PM
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hpcboy - 2020-11-13 7:40 AM

- Use browser plugins like AdBlock and ScriptSafe by default (you'll be surprised by how many alien stuff get blocked). Avoid accepting cookies unless necessary.



uBlock Origin is the good one nowadays, both AdBlock[1] and AdBlock Plus[2] accept payments from ad companies to unblock their ads.
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HPC:Fan Page Icon Posted 2020-11-13 5:03 PM
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I forgo using a browser extension and use AdGuard. There are free alternatives that do basically the same thing. This allows you to have blocking without worrying about browser extensions. Especially if you use more than one browser.

Just to flesh this out a little more; the software I personally use are as follows:

Ads: AdGuard (AdGuard.com)
Firewall / Antivirus: Comodo (Comodo.com)

Free alternatives:

Ads: AdMuncher (admuncher.com)
Firewall: Comodo (Comodo.com)
Antivirus: (avira.com)

Android:
NoRoot Firewall (100% free) (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.greyshirts.firewall&hl=en&gl=US)

P.S.
I've heard that Comodo may or may not send user information. I've not found anything that confirms or debunks it 100%. The rest on this list should be free of such issues.



Edited by HPC:Fan 2020-11-13 5:22 PM
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stingraze Page Icon Posted 2020-11-14 12:11 AM
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can't remember - 2020-11-14 12:16 AM

Quote
hpcboy - 2020-11-13 7:40 AM

- Use browser plugins like AdBlock and ScriptSafe by default (you'll be surprised by how many alien stuff get blocked). Avoid accepting cookies unless necessary.



uBlock Origin is the good one nowadays, both AdBlock[1] and AdBlock Plus[2] accept payments from ad companies to unblock their ads.


The only downside about these adblockers is that your information on where you visit goes to the adblocker companies.
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C:Amie Page Icon Posted 2020-11-14 10:57 AM
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I run pihole in a VM ( https://www.c-amie.co.uk/technical/installing-pi-hole-in-hyper-v/ ) for a network wide ad-blocker, but I also have local ublock origin or adblock plus installs for the things that DNS blocks can't stop (e.g. YouTube).

I've since moved it to Debian, but the process is much the same.
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hpcboy Page Icon Posted 2020-11-14 11:17 AM
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And don't just believe that Linux is free from spyware and malware.

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C:Amie Page Icon Posted 2020-11-14 11:36 AM
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You realise that this was disabled in Ubuntu 16.04, released 21st April 2016; before we start whipping Canonical too hard.
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hpcboy Page Icon Posted 2020-11-14 12:20 PM
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Even so, there's no absolute guarantee that other distros haven't gone/won't go down the same path.


Edited by hpcboy 2020-11-14 12:20 PM
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