Privacy Tools.zip

Enclosed are four programs that I have found very useful for the paranoid (I am annoyed, and so am I ;) on the internet so in no particular order the first.

Keepass

A password generating and storage tool it can generate passwords up to 64 random characters in length and use all 256 ascii characters this will give you a password of 256 to the 256 power possible combinations... That's a lot. ;) The nice thing about it is that all the passwords are stored in a single encrypted file that you can drag and drop/ Email/ store on a flash drive and it stays protected by one password. In fact you can store as many copy's as you wish download the program each time and still access your passwords. ( I store the file and the program on a flash drive and on the cloud so that is always with me so I can access my files so long as I can remember my password. ;)


A quick word on passwords… Don't use “Secret” as your password. ;( And the most common password is 12345, followed by 123456. A better way to make up a PASSPHRASE, just use something you can remember that is something you observe happening; For instant “that Dam Cat! is in the 1 year old's crib Again!” using each first letter translates into (tDCiit1yocA!) Easy to remember hard to guess. ;)

Just a suggestion.

TrueCrypt

This is a bit of a tricky one because the project has just stopped supporting the program, but I personalty believe that it has more to do with politics that programming.

All current suggestions in the popular press are to move to the microsoft bit locker security program. Here are the reason that I am still including truecrypt.

#1 They have just completed an independent security audit. That was a third party going through each line of code to see how it worked. It passed.

#2 If you wish YOU can do the same thing because it is open source. So if you see anything it the program that seems to be doing anything funny you can examine it yourself.

#3 microsoft bit locker is propitiatory which means that YOU CAN'T look at the code; you have to take microsoft's word that it is secure. So microsoft can stick anything they want into their code.

#4 microsoft makes gob's more money from government contracts than they make from you.

So if any government agency from any government tells microsoft to put in a backdoor, or no more billion dollar contracts to microsoft. Then I am sure that microsoft will of course tell them where they can stick all their dirty money “We are going to protect our customers privacy”!!


If you believe this I have a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you cheap. ;)


This is the last copy of truecrypt that works so don't upgrade, the latest one is just to transfer your data to bitlocker. But if you don't believe me PLEASE! check for your self. (Everyone! knows that no one lies on the internet. ;)

It can create a file on your drive of any size to store your data and programs, And it will just show up as a new drive on you system. You can drag and drop or use it as just a regular drive. And the file can be stored/moved just like a big file (But if you need space and just delete that big truecrypt file it's goodbye to everything that is stored on it. Or it can encrypt an entire drive or partition. Or (And this is just neat. It can create an encrypted drive alongside an encrypted drive. So you have 2 encrypted drives that only look like one, (One to store your tax returns and one for your plans for world domination. You will access one or the other by using 2 passwords. One for the Inland Revenue and the other for your minions ( You mean you don't have a thousand little yellow guys living with you? How strange. ;) But the other is still encrypted. ;))

Tor

THE way to browse the internet anonymously. You system connects with your ISP, Then your ISP is instructed to connect with a bridge system that will then connect with ANOTHER bridge system then a third. ONLY then will the last bridge connect with the porn site I mean the news site behind the iron curtain so you can get your Pravda straight from the horse's A.. I mean it's mouth.

The plus- you can connect with the site you wish, The minus- the hops through the bridges take time. So by it's very nature it is going to be slower than a direct connection. YouTube and streaming video hesitate. Gaming is impossible (I am not going to even ask why you would want to hide from a game site but I am sure that someone has some reason. ;) Another drawback is that you will be seeing your site from wherever your exit bridge is, so you might have to learn to read your news in Greek. (or you can tap the green onion at the upper left of the browser window to change your route instantly.) READ the TOR site before you start to post your plans for world domination. (In other words, If you post your E-Mail address you can expect James Bond to knock on your door and spoil your whole day! ;)

Portable Apps

A way to store programs YOU like on a flash drive, with a nice menu and free programs to download, it will allow you to take your programs to what ever computer you have to work on. (You can learn a word processor and have it and your documents on your flash drive and it will run the same way on every system you access. (No more micosoft changing word on you every time you try to use it. I keep having to relearn the keystrokes combination to turn on/off features because they keep changing them!! ;) The site has over 300 programs ranging from LibreOffice (A free office suite) to typing tutors and games to educational software.

So you can place ALL these programs on a flash drive and YOUR programs can travel with you on just a flash drive.

I have used each of these programs and they work fine for me but of course your mileage may vary.

And remember that when you set out to take over the world, everyone else who is trying to take over the world is likely to object. ;)

P.S. A site of interest you might consider checking out Http://www.TWiT.tv (Yes that is a .tv not a .com. ;) Good luck and Merry Christmass.