Everyone who follows events concerning online community has probably heard about the hacking attempts by CIA. Thanks to WikiLeaks, we are now aware of the new, special technology that CIA uses to hack into other people’s routers. Even more, many believe that pretty much any product with internet access is vulnerable.
That means that the list includes far more than just your desktop. A part of it is also Android and iOS devices, Samsung TV, WiFi routers, and more. Now, you might think that you aren’t a CIA suspect, so this doesn’t concern you. And that is true.
However, pretty much every hacker in the world now knows how to use this method to hack around. They might not let you off the hook as easily as the CIA. And so, the only thing that you can do right now tries and protect yourself.
How does it all work?
Since knowledge is half the solution, you must learn about the threat first, and choose the method of protection second. So why has CIA developed these methods and tools, and what are they planning to do?
Well, the report from WikiLeaks says that this method will help with breaking into surrounding electronic devices. That means that everyone’s privacy is at stake once again. The files that the whistle blowers have published number around 8,700, which is a pretty big number. Even Edward Snowden didn’t manage to publish that much when he released a leak.
This newest like is known by the name ‘Vault 7′. The documents that we got are showing how incredibly easy it is to hack pretty much anyone and anything. Our security is basically a joke, but it goes even further than that. CIA is actually capable of using this method for pinning the blame for cyber attacks on others. This might include individuals or even entire countries.
There are even reports of other cyber weapons, but details about them have first gone to different tech companies. It was necessary for them to have a head start and at least try to create some sort of defenses in their software.
Spy agencies like CIA are doing their job by finding and using exploits and vulnerabilities in different systems. This is important to know, because our devices’ security is bad enough as it is, and we need to be aware that someone might be spying on us right now.
Also, the documents from Vault 7 are only dated from 2013 to 2016. That means that even this information is only a part of a bigger picture. So, now that you know all that, are you still sure that you have nothing to worry about?
Remember that CIA is not the only one with these tools anymore, and any one of us can now become a target. There are multiple groups, agencies and alike that might want to poke around our systems, and now they can.
Now we come to the part where we talk about our security, and how you can increase its quality. Remember that knowledge is half the job, and by knowing about it, you are already fighting back
How to protect your Android?
Android has millions of users around the world, which is good for the company, but not so much for your security if you are one of them. The files from Vault 7 have around 1,000 pages that talk about Android exploits. Especially in danger are those who still use Android phones with OS version 4.0
If you aren’t sure which version does your device run, now is the time. Mostly because Google says that around 30% of users (420 million of them) are using this very version. If you do have this system, the best thing that you can do is allow regular updates. And not only for your system, but for all the apps too.
That is relatively easy for the newer versions, but the old ones like Samsung Galaxy S3 can’t do it. The modern software is too much for them, and if you are using one of these, you would probably get a new phone as soon as you can. It doesn’t matter how much it costs, only whether or not can it deal with the new updates.
Also, use lock screen that’s unlocked by a PIN code. Verify apps setting is probably a good idea too since this will scan all of your apps that came from a third-party source. This will also help with keeping the malware off.
How to protect your iOS devices?
No offense to Android fans, but keeping iPhones and other devices with iOS up to date is much simpler. If you use one of these, you are probably already fully updated. Still, it doesn’t hurt to check, and it can save you from a lot of pain.
Vault 7 documents show that the majority of iOS devices are not targeted since they use iOS 9 and 10. However, since over a billion people uses iOS devices, the minority of users that are still potential targets numbers over 50 million.
Even if the iOS version 9 is allegedly safe, you should still consider updating to 10, since new is always better, when it comes to software versions. That goes for iPhones, iPods, and any other device with these systems.
As far as security goes, Apple claims that majority of vulnerabilities from the files are already dealt with. They are fixing the rest of them right now. However, just like with old Android version, old Apple devices might not be able to get the new updates. This goes for iPhone 5, 6, 7, and any of their versions too. Once again, the best thing that you can do is to get a newer version of the device.
How to protect your Samsung TV?
The situation gets a bit more complex if you are a Samsung TV user. From the documents, we found that most of the programs would attack Samsung F8000 series. Those have microphones that can enable voice controls. Specific models that are often targeted also include UNES8000F, UNES7550F, UNF7000, and E8000GF plasma.
Samsung claims that users don’t have to do anything when it comes to updating since all of the processes are automatic. As for the vulnerabilities of each model, they are currently looking into them. Now, if you are asking yourself what can a TV be used for, remember that they have microphones built in.
There’s a special tool that can make your TV look like it is not working, when in fact it records your conversations. All of the conversations would then end up with CIA.
So, if you can’t update your TV and make it safe with a new version of the system, what can you do? Well, so far, nothing much. You can unplug it, but that is pretty much it for now.
Even TVs are advancing too fast these days, and monitoring even them becomes too much for a regular user to handle. Still, if you increase WiFi’s security, you will know that you have done as much as you can right now.
How to protect your router?
Another vulnerability of your home network is your router, and CIA has managed to find a way to infect even that. Most of those that are vulnerable are from Asia. They involve names like Huawei, ZTE, and Mercury.
The same advice goes here as well. That means to update your software as often as you can, and use the best possible security. If you still worry, buying a better router is, perhaps, the best solution for you.
Protect your computer
All of Windows, Linux, and Apple computers are targets as well. Pretty much every single one ever has some vulnerabilities that CIA can exploit. The best thing that you can do to stop this is to get a good antivirus or antimalware. Additionally, once again, keep track of your software, and update it whenever you can.
Here are some more things for you to remember:
- Do not use Internet Explorer. Many who have given a chance to any other browser are well aware of how old, slow, and outdated IE is. Still, way too many people are still using it, and all of them are in danger.
- Do not trust your antivirus to protect you from everything. They are extremely useful, but not almighty. It is important to still use your computer carefully.
- Do not open suspicious emails, and especially not any links that they might hold within. If you receive anything like that, it is probably an attempt of a phishing attack.
- Do not go to suspicious websites. They are full of malicious content, and you will hardly get anything worthwhile in return.
Use a VPN
Another great solution for all of your devices is to use VPNs. These are private networks that specialize in protecting your connection and data flow. They will make sure that you are safe from hacking, malware, even ads.
They will protect your data flow by shielding it with a secure tunnel, but they will also encrypt it so that nobody can see what you are doing. Even your ISP won’t know. And the best of all is that many VPNs cover all of the devices that were mentioned.
There are also many of them out there, so making a choice when it comes to which one to use can be difficult. That is why we recommend a VPN by the name of TorGuard. It is good, strong, and fast, but also easy to use for those with experience, as well as for those without any.
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Conclusion
With this new leak, we only learned that we are even less safe than we previously thought. The majority of the devices that we come into contact with every single day are endangering our privacy. Mostly because of their own flaws.
A perfect system doesn’t exist, and they are not to blame for being imperfect. Still, they do their best to fix these flaws, and it is up to us to do our part as well. Follow the instructions for each device, and make sure that you enhance your security as best as possible.
