These natural interactions are powered by the natural language processing (NLP) capabilities of these tools. Without NLP, LLM models would not be able to respond as dynamically and naturally as they do now.

As essential as NLP is to the functioning of an LLM, it has its weaknesses. NLP capabilities can themselves be weaponized to make an LLM susceptible to manipulation if the threat actor knows what prompts to use.

Exploiting The Core Attributes Of An LLM

LLMs can be tricked into bypassing their content filters using either simple or meticulously crafted prompts, depending on the complexity of the model, to say something inappropriate or offensive, or in particularly extreme cases, even reveal potentially sensitive data that was used to train them. This is known as prompt injection. LLMs are, at their core, designed to be helpful and respond to prompts as effectively as possible. Malicious actors carrying out prompt injection attacks seek to exploit the design of these models by disguising malicious requests as benign inputs.

You may have even come across real-world examples of prompt injection on, for example, social media. Think back to the infamous Remotelli.io bot on X (formerly known as Twitter), where users managed to trick the bot into saying outlandish things on social media using embarrassingly simple prompts. This was back in 2022, shortly after ChatGPT’s public release. Thankfully, this kind of simple, generic, and obviously malicious prompt injection no longer works with newer versions of ChatGPT.

But what about prompts that cleverly disguise their malicious intent? The DAN or Do Anything Now prompt was a popular jailbreak that used an incredibly convoluted and devious prompt. It tricked ChatGPT into assuming an alternate persona capable of providing controversial and even offensive responses, ignoring the safeguards put in place by OpenAI specifically to avoid such scenarios. OpenAI was quick to respond, and the DAN jailbreak no longer works. But this didn’t stop netizens from trying variations of this prompt. Several newer versions of the prompt have been created, with DAN 15 being the latest version we found on Reddit. However, this version has also since been addressed by OpenAI.

Despite OpenAI updating GPT-4’s response generation to make it more resistant to jailbreaks such as DAN, it’s still not 100% bulletproof. For example, this prompt that we found on Reddit can trick ChatGPT into providing instructions on how to create TNT. Yes, there’s an entire Reddit community dedicated to jailbreaking ChatGPT.

There’s no denying OpenAI has accomplished an admirable job combating prompt injection. The GPT model has gone from falling for simple prompts, like in the case of the Remotelli.io bot, to now flat-out refusing requests that force it to go against its safeguards, for the most part.

Strengthening Your LLM

While great strides have been made to combat prompt injection in the last two years, there is currently no universal solution to this risk. Some malicious inputs are incredibly well-designed and specific, like the prompt from Reddit we’ve linked above. To combat these inputs, AI providers should focus on adversarial training and fine-tuning for their LLMs.

Fine-tuning involves training an ML model for a specific task, which in this case, is to build resistance to increasingly complicated and ultra-specific prompts. Developers of these models can use well-known existing malicious prompts to train them to ignore or refuse such requests.

This approach should also be used in tandem with adversarial testing. This is when the developers of the model test it rigorously with increasingly complicated malicious inputs so it can learn to completely refuse any prompt that asks the model to go against its safeguards, regardless of the scenario.

Can LLMs Ever Truly Be Safe From Prompt Injection?

The unfortunate truth is that there is no foolproof way to guarantee that LLMs are completely resistant to prompt injection. This kind of exploit is designed to exploit the NLP capabilities that are central to the functioning of these models. And when it comes to combating these vulnerabilities, it is important for developers to also strike a balance between the quality of responses and the anti-prompt injection measures because too many restrictions can hinder the model’s response capabilities.

Securing an LLM against prompt injection is a continuous process. Developers need to be vigilant so they can act as soon as a new malicious prompt has been created. Remember, there are entire communities dedicated to combating deceptive prompts. Even though there’s no way to train an LLM to be completely resistant to prompt injection, at least, not yet, vigilance and continuous action can strengthen these models, enabling you to unlock their full potential.

The post Can LLMs Ever Be Completely Safe From Prompt Injection? appeared first on Tech Magazine.

Repetitive and well-defined processes can now be totally automated thanks to IoT, with the role of humans limited to overseeing the process and devising ways to streamline it further.

Apart from its numerous industrial applications, this technology is also the driving force behind the rise of smart cities and smart homes. The transformation of “dumb” devices like electrical appliances (fans, lights, and other household appliances) into smart, internet-enabled devices that can interact with each other and can be controlled remotely over the internet is what makes a smart home, well, smart. And as impressive and convenient as it is, the amount of data being processed by these devices poses serious privacy and security questions.

Are Smart Homes Really Private?

It’s perfectly natural to expect total privacy within the confines of your home. If not your own home, where else can you expect to be 100% safe from prying eyes?

The problem with smart homes is that IoT-enabled devices collect tons of usage data and could, at least in theory, provide opportunities for threat actors to obtain information about your schedule and habits.

Manipulator-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks are a major concern when dealing with smart home devices. In such an attack, a malicious actor manages to intercept communication between two or more devices, gathering data and, in some cases, even managing to take control of the devices themselves.

Thankfully, if you purchase your IoT devices from well-known and respected vendors like Samsung, LG, and Amazon, threat actors will have a hard time accessing the data being transferred between these devices due to the incredibly secure encryption they use. Moreover, if you follow IoT best practices, such as purchasing the newest devices, keeping their firmware up to date, and setting a secure password for your network that you frequently change (since most IoT networks are Wi-Fi-based), there’s no need to worry.

The truth is, if a cybercriminal has the know-how to pull off a breach on a secure IoT network, they’ll usually go after much bigger targets like businesses, for example. Most homes are simply not worth the effort.

Of course, there’s always the chance that your smart home vendor itself could experience a data breach, putting your data at risk, but if this is something you’re worried about, you can always invest in tech that stores data locally. Of course, this comes with its own risks, especially if someone manages to gain access to the storage location, but at that point, the robbers who have managed to break into your home in this hypothetical situation don’t really care about your smart home usage data.

The Cost Of Convenience

IoT and smart home technology have undeniably made life more convenient, and as we’ve already seen, if you invest in the right tech from reputed vendors and follow smart home security best practices, it’s quite secure. However, even if the devices themselves are secure, the vendors—yes, even the trusted ones—have a sketchy history when it comes to managing data.

For example, Amazon was ordered to pay a penalty of $25 million for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule (COPPA Rule), a U.S. children’s privacy law. The violation occurred due to Amazon indefinitely holding voice recordings of children collected from Alexa, its voice assistant, even ignoring deletion requests in some cases.

Back to the matter at hand: as safe as smart homes are when you know what you’re doing, any device connected to a wider network is inherently at risk of a breach. Since IoT devices are connected to the internet, there is always a chance they may be compromised either due to a lapse on your part or the vendor’s. With the pace at which the cybersecurity landscape is evolving, more and more new threats will continue to emerge that put your security at risk. Whether the convenience provided by smart homes is worth the risk, that’s entirely up to you.

The post How Overreliance On Connectivity Compromises Home Privacy appeared first on Tech Magazine.

The answer, we’re afraid, is complicated.

Carefully Curated Experiences

You’re probably familiar with the concept of creating a “personalized experience”. You might also be aware that providing a user with a personalized experience involves knowing what their interests are (what they appreciate or dislike), and the best way to find out a user’s interests is, you guessed it, to check their online activity.

Collecting user data to personalize services is ubiquitous on the internet. It’s seen on social media platforms, video sharing sites like YouTube, and even e-commerce platforms like Amazon. These services use your browsing data to recommend content that it thinks you might appreciate, and admittedly, this approach works pretty well. Let’s be honest, no one wants to be bombarded with irrelevant content. People appreciate familiarity, and getting content that they can relate to makes for a far more enjoyable user experience. Plus, it’s these personalized content recommendations that make social media platforms like TikTok so addictive — and profitable.

This form of data collection isn’t such a big deal, so long as these corporations are transparent about what data they’re using and why. However, Big Tech is anything but transparent, and it’s at this point where things can get sketchy.

Rage Against The Ad Machine

We’ve all been there. One moment, you’re looking up gaming laptops on Google, and the next, you’re bombarded with advertisements for gaming laptops on your social feed or during a completely unrelated browsing session. Unsettling? Yes. But how does this work?

The sites or apps that supposedly collect user data to “enhance user experience” also sometimes sell this data to advertisers or other third-party trackers.

Let’s look at Google as an example of how the wider ad machine works. When it comes to the quantity of data being handled, few companies can compare. With a seemingly endless stream of data at its disposal, with sources ranging from Chrome, to Maps, and even Bard, it’s no mystery why. Combine endless amounts of data with the single largest advertising platform, and you get the perfect money-making ad machine.

Real-Time Bidding: A Game Of Half-Truths

Google claims, in no uncertain terms, that it does not sell your personal data. So case closed, right? If only it were that simple.

Technically, Google isn’t lying. If you go by the strictest definition of a sale, where a commodity is exchanged for money, then no, Google is not a data broker and it doesn’t sell your data. However, Google monetizes your data in other ways, which does involve sharing your data with third parties. One such method is real-time bidding (RTB).

So How Does RTB Work?

RTB is a form of programmatic advertising where ad spaces are automatically auctioned off to the highest bidder on a per-impression basis.

Without getting into too much detail, when a user begins a session on a particular page, their data (including location and browsing history) is collected and broadcasted by supply-side platforms (SSPs) to a group of demand-side platforms (DSPs), which automatically place bids for ad space on that specific session. The winning bid is then displayed to the user. User data is shared here to ensure that only relevant advertisements will be shown to the user during that session. This entire process is automated and takes only milliseconds.

Admittedly, RTB is incredibly efficient as an advertising tool. But it’s unfortunately a questionable practice due to the privacy implications, with some experts claiming that RTB practices violate GDPR principles.

The issue with RTB is that it also involves sharing highly specific data, so while RTB platforms aren’t directly sharing personal data, they most certainly are indirectly sharing data that is detailed and specific enough to tie to a particular user. Furthermore, it’s not just the highest bidder that gets to view this data — everyone who participates in the auctions can. These exchanges have no control over how the broadcasted data is used once the auction is complete. When you put everything together, you’re looking at an ugly combination of potential security risks. What makes things worse is that advertising platforms running RTB auctions are not transparent about what kind of data is being broadcasted.

Coming back to Google, the company can rightly claim that your data isn’t what’s being sold, rather, it’s the ad space within your browser. But, as we’ve already seen, RTBs involve the transfer of personal data. Please note that Google isn’t the only offender in this space. RTB is a common online advertising practice followed throughout the internet, and it’s important to be aware how Big Tech companies use vague language and loopholes to get away with sharing your data while claiming otherwise — directly or not.

Big Tech Is Watching You

Let’s reiterate this: We’re perfectly fine with tech companies using our data to provide us with an improved experience while we choose to use their services, provided they’re transparent about what data they’re collecting and how it’s being used. What isn’t okay is Big Tech getting away with misusing our data using vague jargon and legal loopholes. We can be grateful for data protection regulations like Europe’s GDPR, as well as California’s CCPA and CPRA, and other countries that have followed suit. It’s time for even stricter regulation to crack down on Big Tech’s exploitative business models.

The post Big Tech Knows Too Much. More Regulation Is The Answer appeared first on Tech Magazine.

According to an IBM report, which studied 500 breached organizations from across the world, the cost of cybersecurity incidents in the Middle East reached a new high of $6.93 million per data breach in 2021, significantly exceeding the global average cost of $4.24 million per incident.

To help you see behind cybersecurity statistics and understand the reality of data breaches in the Middle East, we’ve put together this list of some of the largest data breaches that have occurred in the region. These breaches have affected various industries and have together resulted in the compromise of millions of sensitive personal and business records.

2021 – Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai Attacked By A Ransomware Group

What Happened: The ransomware group AvosLocker attacked Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in 2021 and successfully downloaded over 60 GB of data that was stored on its servers, including copies of ID cards, accounting documents, call logs, and internal memos. The attackers then encrypted the original information and demanded a ransom, threatening the hospital to leak it if not paid.

How It Happened: After conducting a detailed investigation of the incident, Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai determined that the ransomware that encrypted its data was either sent in an email or distributed via a malicious ad.

Implications: As unfortunate as it is, ransomware attacks on hospitals and other healthcare providers are fairly common. Luckily, this particular attack didn’t paralyze any critical systems whose unavailability would endanger patient’s lives. Still, attacks like this one are a significant concern for healthcare organizations, and keeping them at bay must be a top priority.

2020 – UAE Police Data Listed For Sale On A Web Database Marketplace

What Happened: When researching the darkest corners of the internet in 2020, security firm CloudSek discovered that a data set containing the personal information of 25,000 UAE police officers was up for sale on a darknet market for $500, with multiple samples made available for free to attract buyers.

How It Happened: To this day, it’s not known how the data breach happened. It’s possible that someone with legitimate access to the data was contacted by cybercriminals with an offer they failed to resist. Of course, a cybersecurity vulnerability or phishing are another potential causes.

Implications: Any sale of personal information of police officers and other public servants has serious implications for national security, and it can also undermine public trust in law enforcement agencies and their ability to protect personal data against cybercriminals.

2019 – Dubai-Based Exhibition Firm Hacked And Its Clients Targeted

What Happened: In 2019, the email server of Cheers Exhibition, a Dubai-based exhibition firm, was hacked. The attacker then used their privileged access to target Cheers Exhibition’s customers, scamming one of them out of $53,000.

How It Happened: We don’t know which exploit or vulnerability the attacker used to infiltrate the email server, but we know that the attacker created highly convincing spoofed emails with wire transfer instructions and fake invoices. The biggest sign of fraud was the use of the “md@cheersexhlbitions.com” email address instead of “md@cheersexhibitions.com.”

Implications: Phishing attacks like the one that targeted Cheers Exhibition clients are among the most widespread cyber threats in the world, and they continue to be surprisingly effective because people still don’t pay enough attention to signs of phishing. Additionally, phishing scams are becoming more and more sophisticated, increasingly often taking the form of highly targeted spear-phishing scams.

2018 – Personal Data Of Lebanese Citizens Living Abroad Leaked

What Happened: During the months leading up to Lebanon’s general elections in May 2018, the personal data of Lebanese citizens living abroad was leaked by Lebanese embassies. The leaked information included the full name of each voter, their dates of birth, addresses, religion, marital status, and more.

How It Happened: This unfortunate data breach happened because embassy officials sent an email message to Lebanese citizens living abroad with a spreadsheet containing the personal information of more than 5,000 people. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the email addresses of those who received the spreadsheet were entered in the Cc field instead of the Bcc field, making them clearly visible.

Implications: It’s estimated that approximately 19 percent of data breaches are caused by human error, and this data breach serves as a great example of how far-reaching consequences can the neglect of fundamental cybersecurity best practices have.

2018 – Ride-Hailing Service Careem Breached And 15 Million Users Exposed

What Happened: Careem is a Dubai-based ride-hailing service that currently operates in around 100 cities across 12 countries. In 2018, the service revealed that the account information of 14 million of its drivers and riders had been exposed.

How It Happened: White-hat hackers and bounty hunters had been finding serious security weaknesses in the Careem app since at least 2016. Apparently, the ride-hailing service kept ignoring them until its drivers and riders paid the price. It then kept quiet about the breach for three months before it finally issued a public announcement.

Implications: The exposure of the personal information of 14 million Careem users, including names, email addresses, phone numbers, and trip data, raises concerns about the security practices of the apps we rely on every day, and it also highlights the importance of prompt and transparent communication in the event of a data breach.

2016 – Database With The Personal Data Of 50 Million Turkish Citizens Posted Online

What Happened: An anonymous hacker posted a government database containing the personal data of 50 million Turkish citizens on a torrent site, allowing anyone to download the roughly 1.4 GB compressed file. Included with the database was a message taunting the Turkish government and its approach to cybersecurity.

How It Happened: The anonymous hacker who uploaded the database revealed that poor data protections — namely a hardcoded password — were the main reason why they were able to obtain it in the first place. Hardcoded passwords are sometimes used as a means of authentication by applications and databases, but their use is generally considered to be a bad practice because they can lead to data breaches.

Implications: Governments store more information about their citizens than ever before, so it’s their responsibility to adequately protect it. Any failure to do so could potentially have far-reaching consequences for those in power as well as those who elected them.

2016 – Qatar National Bank (QNB) Breach Exposed Troves Of Customer Data

What Happened: In April 2016, the whistleblower site Cryptome became home to a large collection of documents from Qatar National Bank. The leak comprised more than 15,000 files, including internal corporate documents and sensitive financial data of the bank’s thousands of customers, such as passwords, PINs, and payment card data.

How It Happened: The cause of the Qatar National Bank breach remains unknown. It’s certain, however, that the attacker must have had obtained privileged access to the bank’s internal network otherwise they wouldn’t be able to steal nearly 1 million payment card numbers together with expiration dates, credit limits, cardholder details, and other account information.

Implications: The breach highlighted the need for stronger cybersecurity measures in the financial sector and underscored the importance of maintaining robust security practices to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive financial data. Fortunately, the bank enforced multi-factor authentication, preventing attackers from using the stolen customer data to make unauthorized transactions.

2012 – Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco) Compromised By Iran

What Happened: In retaliation against the Al-Saud regime, Iran-backed hacking group called the “Cutting Sword of Justice” wiped data from approximately 35,000 computers belonging to Aramco, a Saudi Arabian public petroleum and natural gas company based in Dhahran.

How It Happened: The hacking group used malware called Shamoon, which is designed to spread to as many computers on the same network as possible and, ultimately, make them unusable by overwriting the master boot record.

Implications: The attack on Aramco in 2012 demonstrated the potential of nation-states and state-sponsored groups to use cyber warfare to target critical infrastructure and disrupt a nation’s economy. Since then, multiple other attacks on critical infrastructure have occurred, perhaps the most notable of which is the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack of 2021.

The post The Largest Data Breaches In The Middle East appeared first on Tech Magazine.

Wasting no time, you load the game again and discover that a connection can’t be established. Why? Because either you or the game’s servers are under a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack.

Such attacks are a growing threat in gaming, and we at Tech Magazine had the opportunity to discuss them with Emad Fahmy, Systems Engineering Manager Middle East at NETSCOUT. Here’s what we learned.

What Are DDoS Attacks In Gaming?

DDoS attacks are a type of cybercrime that makes resources unavailable by overloading the network across which they are transmitted with malicious requests. DDoS attacks first appeared in 2010 amid the rise of “hacktivism,” but they have evolved significantly since then, as observed in the NETSCOUT Threat Intelligence Report H2 2021.

Emad Fahmy, Systems Engineering Manager Middle East @ NETSCOUT

”In gaming, DDoS attacks might be directed at a single user or an entire organization,” explains Fahmy. “While an attack on a single user only affects them by slowing down their gaming experience, an attack on an organization can have a greater impact on the game’s entire user base, resulting in a group of disgruntled players who no longer have access to the game or have had their experience significantly slowed.”

The cybercriminals behind the attacks have a variety of different motives, from extorting money from gaming companies to causing reputation damage to preventing competing players from winning out of competitiveness.

Anyone Can Launch A DDoS Attack

To successfully launch a DDoS attack against a game or its players, attackers need to send so many malicious requests at the same time that the victim can’t possibly answer them all without becoming overloaded.

These requests are typically sent by bots, hacked devices (computers, routers, IoT appliances, and so on) that do what attackers tell them to do. Even a relatively small network of bots, or botnet for short, can be used to launch a massive DDoS attack.

These days, attackers don’t even have to hack vulnerable devices to obtain the DDoS firepower they need to take a target down. They can simply take advantage of DDoS-for-Hire services, which provide DDoS attacks ranging from no cost to greater than $6,500 for terabit-class attacks, according to the NETSCOUT report.

“DDoS-for-Hire services have made attacks easier to launch. We examined 19 DDoS-for-Hire services and their capabilities that eliminate the technical requirements and cost of launching massive DDoS attacks. When combined, they offer more than 200 different attack types,” says Fahmy.

Preventing DDoS Gaming Attacks

In 2021 alone, NETSCOUT recorded 9.7 million DDoS attacks, an increase of 14 percent compared with 2019. To reverse this gloomy trend, both gaming companies and gamers themselves need to take it seriously and adopt specific measures to protect themselves.

“Relying on firewalls and intrusion detection systems is no longer sufficient. This is because DDoS attacks can now manipulate or destroy them. Despite advances in cloud-based detection, the company’s Internet Service Provider (or Managed Security Service Provider) may still struggle to identify threats that wait in the shadows until it is too late,” explains Fahmy. “As a result, an on-premises DDoS risk management solution is critical,” he adds.

Individual gamers, especially eSports players and streamers, can make it harder for cybercriminals to aim DDoS attacks at them using a virtual private network (VPN) service like ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, or NordVPN. Such services channel users’ traffic through their servers, hiding its real origin in the process.

In addition to hiding their IP addresses, gamers should also adhere to cybersecurity best practices. Examples include timely installation of software updates and exercising caution when browsing the web, chatting online, or reading emails.

Conclusion

DDoS, or Distributed Denial of Service attacks, represent a serious threat to the gaming industry because they can compromise the gaming experience and expose developers to the risk of brand damage and potential extortion. DDoS attacks have evolved and become far more sophisticated in recent years. Fortunately, the same can be said about on-premises DDoS risk management solutions that gaming companies use to protect themselves.

The post DDoS Attacks Are A Growing Threat In Gaming appeared first on Tech Magazine.

So What Exactly Is A VPN?

VPN is the acronym for “Virtual Private Network”. When a VPN is installed on your Android device, instead of connecting to the internet directly, the phone or tablet will first connect to the VPN’s server, which will then connect to the wider internet.

In effect, the VPN acts as a go-between for connecting to the web, creating an encrypted “tunnel” that prevents third parties from snooping on your data. When connected to a VPN, you’ll be able to do all of the normal things you might want to do on the internet, using an external IP address through a server that masks your real location.

Why Use A VPN On Your Android Device?

When you’re out and about in public, you almost certainly use your phone or tablet to connect to free WiFi networks. These public hotspots can be targeted by hackers and fraudsters, who can intercept your data and in some cases, steal confidential information. If you regularly check your banking apps, log in to social media accounts or send emails whilst on a public network, you have a very real risk of having your data intercepted and stolen.

Also Read: Is Your Phone Hacked? How To Find Out & Protect Yourself

With a VPN in place, your data and browsing activity are kept safe, because everything that you send or receive on your device is funneled through an encrypted connection to the VPN’s server.

In addition to WiFi security, a VPN hides your location, IP address and browsing history. That means that your phone carrier or internet service provider are unable to view and log your entire browsing history. It also means that you can spoof being in a different country, giving you access to region specific content on Netflix and other services that isn’t available in your part of the world.

Are VPNs Difficult To Use?

Absolutely not! Most VPNs these days are extremely simple to use. Once you’ve paid for an account, all you’ll need to do is download the accompanying Android app and enter your login details.

There’s little or no technical steps required to get up and running. You’ll simply have to decide upon a server location and whether you want to have the VPN running all the time. After that, your device will work as normal and you shouldn’t even notice that the VPN is there.

How To Choose An Android VPN

These days, there’s a huge selection of VPN providers to choose from. You can test out a free VPN service if simply want to understand how the technology works, but we’d suggest opting for a better quality paid offering, as you’ll almost certainly get faster speeds, and you won’t have to put up with annoying adverts or data limits.

When it comes to subscription based VPN services, there are a few things to look out for when selecting a quality provider:

• Check that the speeds and response time are good.
• Make sure the service doesn’t limit data.
• Check the data logging policy.
• Find out what encryption the company uses.
• Make sure there are plenty of server locations to choose from.
• If you’re concerned about privacy, research where the company is based.
• Look for additional features like adblocking and multi-hop services.

The Five, Nine & 14 Eyes

“The Five Eyes alliance is an intelligence-sharing arrangement between five English-speaking democracies: the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It evolved during the Cold War” – BBC News

The arrangement later added Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Norway, becoming The Nine Eyes, and eventually Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden to create The 14 Eyes. These countries are known to actively gather information about their citizens and share it with each other when needed, effectively spying on their citizens. If you’re concerned about your online privacy, you should choose a VPN that’s based outside of these jurisdictions.

If that all sounds a little complicated, you’re in luck: We’ve tested a variety of VPN services for Android over the years, and we think we’ve narrowed it down to three subscription based services that each provide fantastic value for money:

ExpressVPN: The Best All Round Android VPN

Decent pricing, a large selection of servers around the world and a base in the British Virgin Islands make this popular VPN service a solid all-round choice. ExpressVPN logs a very minimal amount of data, and doesn’t collect any of your browsing history at all. In addition, the service works well with video streaming sites and even rotates your IP address to deter hackers and tracking.

Why We Like ExpressVPN:

• 148 locations and a massive 2,000 servers.
• Registered in the British Virgin Islands.
• Variable IP addresses.
• Works well with Netflix.

Things That Aren’t So Great:

• Only five devices can use the account at the same time.
• Customer support isn’t always easy to access.
• Can be slow if you’re a Mac user.
• Good value, but not the cheapest option.

Pricing Options

ExpressVPN offers an introductory deal priced at $99.95 for the first 15 months of use, then the same price every 12 months after that. It’s also possible to buy a single month for $12.95 and 6 months for $59.95. There’s a 30 day money back guarantee if you decide that the service isn’t right for you.

NordVPN: The Best Android VPN For The Privacy Conscious

Nord VPN is a very popular service offering a wide range of speedy servers in multiple countries, and is based in Panama, meaning the company has no obligation to hand over your data to your government’s intelligence agency. With that being said, Nord doesn’t actually log your data at all, so there wouldn’t be much to hand over anyway!

Nord allows P2P sharing, works well with video streaming services, and even offered a multi-hop, double encrypted tunnel for extra peace of mind.

Why We Like NordVPN:

• A really stable and mature Android app.
• Great security.
• Strong encryption.
• P2P allowed.
• Great value.

Things That Aren’t So Great:

• Static IP addresses only.
• Occasional iOS app connectivity issues.
• Throws up more Google ReCapcha requests than others.

Pricing Options

Nord VPN offers tiered pricing just like many other VPN services for Android. There’s a month-to-month option for $11.95, a $6.99 per month option if you pay for a year up front, a $4.99 per month option if you pay for 2 years at once, and a $3.49 option if you’re prepared to shell out $125.64 for a three year plan.

CyberGhost: The Best Android VPN For Casual Users

CyberGhost is a great option for casual VPN users who are looking for a low-cost service for watching the occasional Netflix show in a different county, or browsing the internet in a café or airport.

CyberGhost has top notch security credentials with AES-256 encryption, an automatic kill switch that blocks the internet if connection to the VPN is lost, and really affordable pricing.

What We Like:

• Great value.
• Solid security and privacy.
• Large list of servers.
• Awesome customer support.

Things That Aren’t So Great:

• Static IP addresses.
• No multi-hop or split-tunneling.
• More logging than other services.
• Can be slow when used on desktop PCs.

Pricing Options

CyberGhost has 4 pricing tiers available: If you buy 3 years of service up front, the VPN works out at just $2.25 per month. This makes CyberGhost one of the cheapest VPN services for Android around. There’s also a 2 year, 1 year and monthly subscription, coming in at $83.76, $47.88 and $12.99 respectively.

A Paid VPN Service is Money Well Spent

With more and more of us connected to the internet 24/7, it’s becoming increasingly prudent to ensure that your cybersecurity is taken care of. Using one of the better VPN services for Android is a highly effective way to keep your online activities private and your data out of the hands off snoopers and thieves. Sign up to one of suggested services today, and stay safe out there!

The post The Top 3 VPN Services For Android (2024 Edition) appeared first on Tech Magazine.

Sure, the average iPhone or Android device is leagues ahead of an outdated version of Windows when it comes to security, but if you think that your phone is impervious to infiltration by criminals and scammers, think again.

In this guide, we’ll explain how your phone can be targeted by cybercriminals, show you some of the telltale signs that your device has been compromised, and finally, give you some vital tips to rescue your phone and data from the clutches of the hackers.

How To Tell If Your Phone Has Been Hacked

Unless you’re dealing with an extremely sophisticated piece of malware, there are often obvious clues that your smartphone is under attack, or already compromised by hackers or viruses. Here are some of the most prevalent side effects of a hacked smartphone:

The Battery Drains Extremely Quickly

All phone batteries degrade over time, resulting in a device that won’t hold a charge for as long as it used to. However, in the case of a hacked smartphone, the power can sometimes drain extremely rapidly for no apparent reason.

“Phone spyware stays active all the time, so it quickly saps power and drains the battery, so this could be a sign that your cell phone has been compromised” – Tim Lynch, PhD, Psychsoftpc.com.

Your Data Use Has Skyrocketed

A really obvious sign that your phone has been hacked or contains a malware app is a huge spike in data usage: Typically, a hacked phone will upload large chunks of information, which will show up in your data usage when away from your home WiFi network. Downloading an app like “Data Usage” can help you to monitor for any irregular activity outside of your normal online activities.

The Phone Is Really Hot

Going hand-in-hand with a quickly draining battery and large spikes in data use, a super hot phone can be a sign that you’re device is compromised. If you regularly find that your phone’s exterior case is hot to the touch, even when idle, you may have a hacked handset.

Overall Performance Is Sluggish

If you regularly experience crashes, slow performance or a delay when making calls or sending texts even after a restart, there’s a chance that your phone has been hijacked.

The Phone Has Dialed/Texted Numbers Without Your Input

Here’s a scary scenario: You’re informed by some of your contacts that you’ve bombarded them with weird text messages or automated phone calls, but you have no knowledge of anything untoward ever happening. If you ever experience this kind of behavior from your phone, it’s a sure bet that you’ve been hacked.

You’re Experiencing Lots Of Pop-Ups & Random App Installs

Remember those PC viruses that slowly strangled your machine with pop-ups and installed weird spam applications that you didn’t authorize? Well this kind of hack is starting gain traction in the smartphone world now too.

Your Gmail Or iCloud Accounts Are Acting Strangely

Services like iCloud and Gmail are rich targets for hackers, as they contain a lot of sensitive information that could be exploited for theft or extortion. Typical signs that your main accounts have been hacked include password reset notifications that you didn’t make, as well as security checks and verification emails telling you that you’ve added a new device.

So How Did Your Smartphone Get Hacked?

Now that you can spot a few of the signs that indicate your phone is compromised, you’re probably wondering how a phone hack could happen in the first place? Surely modern smartphones aren’t that easy to sabotage?

The reality is that hacking a modern phone is virtually impossible without an error of judgement from the device’s owner. Here are some common mistakes that could leave you vulnerable to foul play:

Downloading Malware App

As a general rule, it’s much easier to inadvertently download a dubious app on the Google Play Store than on Apple’s App Store, as the former is less likely to vet their apps quite as vigorously. Android devices also tend to be owned by people who prefer to customize their phone’s operating system, and this can lead to downloads from places outside of the official marketplace.

Opening A Dubious Link

From fake bank or credit card emails to files sent to you from a friend’s already compromised device or app, clicking the links contained inside of “Phishing” emails is a surefire way to get yourself into trouble.

Using Compromised Passwords

Reusing passwords is a huge error, and one of the most simple ways for hackers to gain access to your Google or iCloud accounts. Once a thief gains access to your main accounts, it’s extremely difficult to keep in control of the situation, leading to devastating results.

Charging Your Device At A Public USB Point

If you’re low on power when out and about in public, try to resist the urge to charge your device using a public USB socket. Hackers have been known to hide devices in these chargers, allowing them to control your device with the intention of adding secret apps and malware via the USB input, including key loggers that can monitor everything you type into your apps.

If you do need to top up your phone in public, always use your own USB charger to ensure you’re not connected to anything malicious.

Using Free WiFi

Free WiFi is super convenient and avoids draining your phone’s data plan. However, unless you use a VPN (virtual private network) to connect to the free WiFi in coffee shops and airports, there’s a chance that your data could be intercepted as it bounces back and forth between your device and the wireless base station.

What To Do If Your Phone Gets Hacked

If you have a suspicion that your smartphone has been hacked, try not to panic. Phone hacks can be serious, but if you act immediately to limit the damage, you should be able to recover from the attack:

Change All Of Your Passwords Immediately

Even if your device hasn’t been hacked, changing your passwords now and then can help to give you peace of mind that your data is safe. Make sure all of your passwords are unique, and make them hard to crack. If the option is available, always use two factor authentication, especially on mission-critical services like your Google account or iCloud.

If you’re having trouble remembering your passwords, use a decent password manager like Myki, 1Password, Bitwarden or LastPass.

Monitor Your Financial Accounts

Once you have your major passwords secure, go through all of your financial services, such as bank accounts and credit cards, checking for any out of the ordinary purchases or charges. If you see anything suspicious, immediately contact your bank or card provider, and they will begin the process of reimbursing you for your losses and investigating the fraud.

Use Google Play Protect

Apple users won’t typically need to worry about compromised apps, but for Android users suspicious of a data breach via a downloaded app, it’s good practice to use Google Play Protect to scan for (and remove) malware on your phone.

To check your device, go to the Google Play Store app, click the three-line icon in the top-left left corner of your screen. Next, tap Google Play Protect, then hit the scan button.

Factory Reset Your Phone

If your phone does have malware or a virus, it’s usually best practice to bite the bullet and wipe the device clean with a factory reset. Doing this will erase all the data on the phone, so it’s vital that you have everything backed up somewhere in the cloud so that you can quickly get back up and running with minimal losses.

Learn How To Protect Yourself From Hackers & Malware

Many smartphone users still aren’t sufficiently clued up to spot a phishing scam or dubious app before it’s too late. With data theft and hacking continually on the rise, it’s imperative that you wise up, toughen your privacy settings and passwords, and learn as much as you can about data theft and online security.

Do some research, stay safe, and never get your phone hacked again with these simple tips!

The post Is Your Phone Hacked? How To Find Out & Protect Yourself appeared first on Tech Magazine.