"Fast Pair" equals fast insecurity

Audio headsets that connect to computers wirelessly via Bluetooth demonstrate how quickly this loss of control turns into a security problem. Millions of Bluetooth-capable products utilize Google's "Fast Pair" service, which is nonfree software that promises to make pairing of wearable devices easier. It uses Bluetooth Low Energy and Android’s location services to detect nearby Bluetooth devices automatically and prompts you to pair. Security researchers discovered this feature was really a bug, as it introduced a serious weakness across a wide range of devices. More...

[–] 1 point 3 months ago (1 child)

A VeraCrypt volume resides on a device/filesystem that utilizes a wear-leveling mechanism (e.g. a flash-memory SSD or USB flash drive). A copy of (a fragment of) the VeraCrypt volume may remain on the device. Therefore, do not store hidden volumes on such devices/filesystems.

I understand that page is a bit dense, so I'm quoting the relevant text from the above source.

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  • [–] 17 points 4 months ago* (2 children)

    Public statements of support from its CEO for a regime actively weaponizing technology to build a mass-surveillance state.

    Removing its no logging policy after being compelled by court order to log and disclose a user’s IP and browser fingerprint.

    Personally, I gave up on Proton after they amended their TOS to include a mandatory arbitration clause, including a ban on class action lawsuits. IMO only the dirtiest of corporations rely on mandatory arbitration clauses. Without the spectre of a class action lawsuit, if a VPN were to get caught breaking its promises to its users, the only real damage the company would likely suffer would be reputational. These are for-profit corporations. The only way we can hold them accountable is to put their profits at risk.

    edit: looks like @oce beat me to it

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  • [–] 24 points 4 months ago (15 children)

    ffs - first Proton, now this.

    I've never liked the idea that I have to trust my VPN, and this news raises a pretty significant trust issue. Makes me think I've been approaching this from the wrong angle.

    Anyone have experience with the TOR daemon?

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