Source: beSpacific…
Subject: Review – best free anonymous browsing software for Windows | beSpacific
https://www.bespacific.com/
TechRadarPro: “If you’re looking for the best free privacy software to help you browse the web anonymously, then you’ve come to the right place, as we’ve listed the top choices to help protect your privacy. There are plenty of legitimate reasons why you’d like to use privacy software to browse anonymously. As well as preventing third parties building up a profile of you, the best free privacy software can open up the web, granting you access to sites blocked in your country, to access region-locked content when you’re travelling away from home, and to add a layer of protection when you use a public Wi-Fi network. If you would prefer to keep your personal details private, a VPN or proxy tool will help. You can check out our best VPN buying guide (or our best free VPN guide) or See our guide to setting up and maintaining a VPN.”
Source: Reuters…
Subject: Tech firms let Russia probe software widely used by U.S. government | Reuters
WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) – Major global technology providers SAP (SAPG.DE), Symantec (SYMC.O) and McAfee have allowed Russian authorities to hunt for vulnerabilities in software deeply embedded across the U.S. government, a Reuters investigation has found.
The practice potentially jeopardizes the security of computer networks in at least a dozen federal agencies, U.S. lawmakers and security experts said. It involves more companies and a broader swath of the government than previously reported.
In order to sell in the Russian market, the tech companies let a Russian defense agency scour the inner workings, or source code, of some of their products. Russian authorities say the reviews are necessary to detect flaws that could be exploited by hackers.
Source: The New York Times (may be free via Google, subject to number of articles read; or paywall/subscription req’d) …
Subject: Have You Been a Victim of Social Media Identity Theft? – The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/
Tens of millions of fake accounts infest the world’s social media platforms. Is one of those fake accounts impersonating you?
In a recent article, The New York Times detailed a global black market in stolen social identities. These stolen identities — names, pictures, hometowns, and other personal information ripped from real peoples’ social media profiles — are the raw material for many “bots,” automated accounts bought and sold in bulk, sometimes by celebrities and entrepreneurs eager to bulk up their apparent influence on social media platforms.
Source: USA Today …
Subject: Car renters beware: Bluetooth use can reveal your private data
Major rental-car companies have no policies to delete sensitive information collected during the trip once you return the car, according to a report from Privacy International supported by Consumer Watchdog and other groups.
Police in the United Kingdom are adding automotive infotainment systems as an additional source of information on potential investigative leads, the report said.
What kind of personal data is collected?
Lots of information can be saved when you connect your phone to a car.
Which companies should to be wary of?
“AAA advises consumers to disconnect their synced phones upon returning their rental cars and to become familiar with rental car companies’ privacy policies,” AAA Arizona spokeswoman Michelle Donati-Grayman said.
[Ed. note — because we all know that rental car privacy policies are the gold standard :-)]