Digital Survival - Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

Email Security

katie — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:10:24 +0000

Few of the webmail providers available offer SSL access to your email. Some of them give you a secure login to protect your password but the messages you send and receive are not secure. Some even insert the IP address of the computer you are using into all of the messages you send. Two providers which are worth considering are Gmail and Riseup.

GMAIL: can be used entirely through a secure connection, as long as you login to your account from https://mail.google.com (with the HTTPS), rather than http://mail.google.com. To ensure ultimate security, you also need to set a preference that tells Gmail always to use SSL in sending and receiving mail. However, we don't recommend relying entirely on Google for the confidentiality of your sensitive email communication. Google scans and records the content of its users' messages for a wide variety of purposes and has, in the past, conceded to the demands of governments that restrict digital freedom.

RISEUP: If you don't have an email account yet, or wouldn't mind switching, the best we can recommend is Riseup https://mail.riseup.net. RiseUp offers free email to activists around the world and takes great care to protect the information stored on their servers. They have long been a trusted resource for those in need of secure email solutions. Unlike Google, they have very strict policies regarding their users' privacy, and no commercial interests that might conflict with those policies. In order to create a new RiseUp account, however, you will need two 'invite codes' which can be given out by anyone who already has a RiseUp account.

Regardless of what secure email tools you decide to use, keep in mind that every message has a sender and one or more recipients. Even if you are accessing your email account securely, your recipients may not be using a secure email account when reading and replying to your messages. To ensure private communication, you and your contacts should all use secure email services. If you want to be certain that messages are not intercepted between your email server and a contact's email server, you might all choose to use accounts from the same provider. In this case, RiseUp is a good one to choose.

If you suspect that someone is monitoring your email, you should read 'Tips on responding to suspected email surveillance' at http://security.ngoinabox.org/en/chapter_7_2

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Gmail

Riseup

security

Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

Search engine security

katie — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:27:58 +0000

If you are concerned about someone monitoring your search keywords, you can use an SSL connection with Google. Just type in https://www.google.com. This doesn't prevent Google from logging your search requests, but it does ensure that your search is not being monitored by a third party on the internet. If you are also concerned about Google logging your search requests, you can use a search engine like Scroogle http://scroogle.org), which uses Google's search database but doesn't log your keywords.

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Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

Web-browsing tips

katie — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:11:34 +0000

Don't use Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer is the most common web browser, but it has many flaws and vulnerabilities that viruses and spyware take advantage of. Instead, consider Mozilla Firefox which is recognised as being safer and more secure than Internet Explorer. It's free to download and install, and it has a number of add-ons which enhance the security and privacy of your internet browsing. You can find out more about it and download it in the Security in-a-box Hands on Guide (http://security.ngoinabox.org/firefox_main)
Beware of Pop-Up Scams. Viruses, adware and spyware. They will trick you into thinking that you’re downloading or installing things that are good for your computer. Often when you’re surfing the web, ads will pop up on your screen, saying things like, “Your computer may have viruses – click here to protect your computer!” Sometimes these pop-ups look just like messages from Windows or another legitimate program. Don't respond to these prompts.
Use Bookmarking! It's easy to lose track of all the great stuff you see on the web, and bookmarking is one way both to record addresses and to organise them. Every browser has a bookmark menu. If you use internet cafes, you can use a service like Delicious which will provide you with a place on the web to store your bookmarks.
Never ever give up your account information if you have doubts about security. Although it is very helpful and easy to buy things and do your banking online, be sure to check the security of the online stores you wish to use, as well as that of any banks you may have transactions with. They should always use SSL.

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Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

Internet security

katie — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:44:33 +0000

All data travels through the internet in a readable format unless it is encrypted. SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer; this is the technology which allows your computer to communicate over the internet privately. SSL turns the information into a code (encrypts it) so that it cannot be read by unauthorised people. You may have seen SSL on banking websites where you are required to enter private financial information. You will know when you are on an SSL-supported website because you will see a little padlock sign on the lower frame of the browser window, and the internet address of the site will begin with HTTPS rather than HTTP. It is a good idea to use SSL for your email too, if possible. It will encrypt your login details (so that no one can get hold of your password) and your outgoing email so that it cannot be intercepted on the way to the recipient. If you are using email software (where your email messages are downloaded straight to your computer) such as Thunderbird or Microsoft Outlook, it should be set to use SSL – this needs to be agreed with your server. For webmail accounts, such as Gmail and Yahoo, you will probably also have to enable SSL, either as a preference in your account settings or by typing in the HTTPS manually (by logging in to https://gmail.com instead of http://gmail.com). You should always make sure that your connection is secure before logging in, reading your email, or sending a message.

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internet

security

Secure Socket Layer (SSL)