You can now easily take video download from Facebook, Instagram,YouTube,Twitter....

With the widespread availability of the Internet today, there are still times when it may not be feasibly available. Be it on a flight, during the commute to work or simply put the blame on poor network reach, such situations can arise frequently. 

For example, suppose I need to watch a lecture on YouTube but I won’t have access to the Internet on my flight later on in the day. I’ll simply download the lecture up ahead and watch it offline later then. Furthermore, people like journalists, bloggers and videographers can download videos to analyze or edit them according to their needs. 

If you can relate, turns out that you could easily download online video and audio files using a new downloading tool from SaveFrom.net to watch them later.

You can do so in 4 simple steps:

• Visit SaveFrom.net by entering the URL in your browser bar. 
• Enter the video link from which you want to download in the search bar. You could also alternatively add “ss” before the URL and press enter in the browser bar which will lead you directly to the site. For example, “ssyoutube.com” could be used.

• Choose the video resolution from the dropdown right to the download button, different options are available here depending on your needs. You can also download it in MP3 form by clicking the button to the far right beside it. 
• Click on the download button and the video will start downloading.

Tada! It’s that simple and easy-to-use. Such files can also be downloaded from additional resources including Instagram, DailyMotion, Twitter, SoundCloud, and Facebook. 

For those of you who prefer in-browser extensions, you can install the tool on Chrome by runningSaveFrom’s script through another extension named MeddleMonkey.

For Android users, they may download a dedicated app for their device while iPhone users will have to use it with the help of another third-party tool as Apple does not allow direct downloading of music and videos.

As with everything, privacy & security-focused users can be relieved that all the videos downloaded are never stored by the tool and remain on the source’s servers. Moreover, upon a scan of the site by Norton, the result displays no safety issues. If you lose the video you downloaded, you can simply re-download it using the aforementioned steps. Seems like a win-win for all!

The Sim jacker vulnerability

The Simjacker vulnerability could extend to over 1 billion mobile phone users globally.

As time passes, we’re witnessing more exploits building upon the usage of sim cards including the ever-famous sim swapping method. To add to these, just recently, AdaptiveMobile Security had released details of a previously undiscovered exploit dubbing it as SimJacking. How it apparently works is illustrated very simply with the help of a diagram below, however, there’s more to its intricacies.

Example of how Simjacker vulnerability can track mobile phone location of vulnerable subscribers – 

US DOJ to subject Google, Facebook and other to antitrust investigation

company Alphabet has confirmed that it is under investigation by the United States Department of Justice. Specifically, the DOJ suspects Alphabet of antitrust practices, and is demanding all information and documents related to prior antitrust investigations involving the company around the globe. While the DOJ stated that it was just beginning to investigate major tech companies back in July 2019, we now know the department's efforts have kicked into high gear.

Alphabet and Google aren't the only major tech companies under the crosshair right now. Apple, Facebook, and Amazon are all known to be under investigation as well, and we wouldn't be surprised if other platforms like Twitter soon found themselves under scrutiny, too. President Trump has quite the love-hate relationship with Twitter, as he uses it frequently to announce major policy decisions and communicate with the general populous. He has also criticized the platform, however, (along with Google) with accusations of bias.

So, what does all of this mean for you, a consumer? For now, nothing. In the future, however, we're likely to see these bigger tech companies become more reigned-in. In the case of giants like Facebook and Google, who command a massive percentage of any given market as well as corporate entities, we wouldn't be surprised to see their empires divided.

Talk of breaking up companies like Facebook and Google has been rumbling for years now in political spheres. However, we'd be more surprised to see any damage done to their fundamental services; i.e. Google's Search/AdSense and Facebook's main social networking platforms. Fortunately for web users and advertisers at large, though, that scenario seems quite unlikely.

As I warned markzuckerberg few months ago,then you can see this privacy disaster on Facebook!!! Next has to be WhatsApp...

Some few days ag

o another privacy disaster hits Facebook users.But mark Zuckeberg and his team would not have read such news with surprise because I remember few months ago I wrote about the database uncertainties and irregularities especially in the login credentials.I have read mant tweets about this and seemingly many this it is a problem prone to the western hemisphere,am telling you that"africa" is also under this privacy threat!!It should be noted carefully that even whatsApp is with privacy issues,under some research on security of social media,I in June this year discovered that the VPNs used mainly in African can make many fall prey to privacy leakages of which leakages are Paramount to the users security in terms of gps location ,phone book,calls and sms ...etc..i i wi write about this later in my final analysis by the end of September.
To add insult to the already enraged privacy advocates, Facebook has yet again disappointed its user base. It has been revealed that 419 million phone numbers belonging to Facebook users have been exposed due to a breach in an online unsecured database.

The database contained 133 million records from the US, 18 million in the UK and 50 million in Vietnam. However, a Facebook spokeswoman has added that in actuality the data of 210 million users was revealed since the unsecured database contained duplication.







About more than a year ago, if you entered a phone number into Facebook’s search bar, it would reveal the account connected to that number. Although Facebook has abandoned this practice, it is believed that the phone numbers were scraped before it did so.
Unsecured database leaked phone numbers of 419 million Facebook users
Screenshot of the leaked database

However, according to GDI Foundation’s security researcher Victor Gevers tweeted that “Although Facebook had disabled the API that shares users mobile phone & address details back in 2011, this data leak with scraped Facebook details was deployed recently in August 2019 on the latest version (4.0.12) of MongoDB. There is also a mail server running on that server.”

 Although Facebook had disabled the API that shares users mobile phone & address details back in 2011, this data leak with scraped Facebook details was deployed recently in August 2019 on the latest version (4.0.12) of MongoDB. There is also a mail server running on that server 🤔 https://twitter.com/zackwhittaker/status/1169327242528219136 …

There were several databases on the exposed server containing 419 million records — including 133 million on U.S.-based Facebook users and 18 million on U.K. users.

Nevertheless, the breach is still alarming for a number of reasons. Firstly, phone numbers are a goldmine for hackers who would definitely enjoy sending loads of marketing messages and calls to these users.






Secondly, they could be used to aid in sim swapping for users who have been using their phone numbers as a part of two-factor authentication. How serious can this be? Well, last week, Jack Dorsey’s Twitter account was compromised just due to such a technique despite him being the CEO so this leaves a layman much more vulnerable.


Moreover, the phone numbers were linked to Facebook accounts identifiable by a unique public ID assigned by the platform and that could be used to discern someone’s username.

“TechCrunch verified a number of records in theunsecured database by matching a known Facebook user’s phone number against their listed Facebook ID. We also checked other records by matching phone numbers against Facebook’s own password reset feature, which can be used to partially reveal a user’s phone number linked to their account,” reported the site.the unsecured database has been taken down with Facebook investigating in the meanwhile. We do not know if the affected users would be compensated in any way or even be informed. This leaves us with a simple yet profound lesson of not relying on companies no matter how big they may seem, there will always be human errors after all.

Somal troops repulse two alshabab terror attacks

Somali troops repulsed two separate attacks by Al-Shabaab militants on El-Jaalle military training facility near Marka town, and again on El-Salini base near K-50, Lower Shabelle region. There are reports of injuries from the attack on El-Jaalle - per security sources.

I cannot sleep...I want all this rubbish out of western uganda

The Police in Kisoro District are investigating circumstances under which a Kisoro based Lawyer was shot dead last night.
Kigezi Regional Police Spokesman Elly Maate told this Online Publication that Lawyer Sendegeya Issac was shot dead in the wee hours of July 21st 2019, by yet to be identified thugs at the gate / door of his residence in Nturo village, Chihe Parish in Nyakinama Sub County in Kisoro district.
“We received a distress call about the shooting and when police officers responded they found the man already dead” Maate said.
Maate said that after the shooting, the relatives of Sendegeya in a bid to save him removed him from the spot where he had been shot and put him in his sitting room and this act interfered with scene of crime procedures making investigation difficult.
“The Police however discovered one cartridge at the scene and that will be used to help in establishing the origin of the gun that was used by the assailants” Maate explained.
Maate said that the body of Sendegeya who owned Law chambers in Kisoro Town has been taken to hospital for a post mortem report to be carried out as Investigation into the shooting continue.
A case of murder by shooting has been registered under reference number SD 02/21/06/2019 at Kisoro Police Station to help in further investigations.
Kisoro LC 5 Chairman Abel Bizimana said that the district has lost a human rights activist and advocate who was helping the local people access justice.
Maate said a manhunt for the assailants who are moving with a gun is going on in Kisoro District and the place being close to Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda borders, security has been tightened to ensure that the assailants do not sneak out of the country.

17 killed in a bomb blast in Mogadishu

BREAKING: At least 17 killed nearly 30 others injured in Mogadishu car bomb blast, per medical sources. The Al-Shabaab militant group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Local internet service providers (ISPs) have been instructed by the local government to force their respective users into installing a government-issued certificate on all devices, and in every browser.

The certificate, once installed, will allow local government agencies to decrypt users' HTTPS traffic, look at its content, encrypt it again with their certificate, and send it to its destination.

Image: Eugene / via Bugzilla

Kazakh users trying to access the internet since yesterday have been redirected to web pages that contained instructions on how to install the government's root certificate in their respective browsers, may it be a desktop or mobile device.

For example, this is the page shown by local ISP Kcell, and this is another one that Beeline is showing to its customers.

KAZAKHSTAN GOVERNMENT SAYS IT'S FOR THE BEST

Local ISPs started forcing their customers into installing the government's root certificate yesterday, following an official government announcement.

In a statement posted on its website, the Kazakh Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace said only internet users in Kazakhstan's capital of Nur-Sultan will have to install the certificate; however, users from all across the country reported being blocked from accessing the internet until they installed the government's certificate. Some users also received SMS messages on their smartphones about having to install the certificates, according to local media.

Ministry officials said the measure was "aimed at enhancing the protection of citizens, government bodies and private companies from hacker attacks, Internet fraudsters and other types of cyber threats."

GOVERNMENT PREVIOUSLY FAILED IN 2015

The Kazakh government first tried to have all its citizens install a root certificate in December 2015. At the time, it ruled that all Kazakh user had to install their root certificate by January 1, 2016.

The decision was never implemented because the local government was sued by several organizations, including ISPs, banks, and foreign governments, who feared this would weaken the security of all internet traffic (and adjacent business) originating from the country.

At the same time in December 2015, the Kazakh government also applied with Mozilla to have its root certificate included in Firefox by default, but Mozilla declined.

Currently, browser makers like Google, Microsoft, and Mozilla are discussing a plan of action on how to deal with sites that have been (re-)encrypted by the Kazakh government's root certificate. No decision has been reached, at the time of writing.

Your VPN is not too safe for you.... Check if your logged to an UKUSA IP address

The reason people have Virtual private networks (VPNs) is that they protect our online privacy, however, privacy is essentially non-existent if you live in a place where the government is allowed to track your online activities. This is why you need to get a good VPN, the goal is to make sure that you don’t have to worry about third-parties keeping an eye on you.However, while using a VPN, it is important to know if it is in a 14 Eyes country. – Now, that being said, you are probably asking what is a 14 Eyes country?

Before you decide to use a VPN, it is important to have a good amount of background information on the VPN company. In terms of the 14 Eyes countries, they all have entered into the UKUSA Agreement which basically allows countries to share information about international communications between two parties. This is obviously something that would bother VPN users because why should anyone be allowed to access your online activities especially when it does not involve anything illegal such as terrorism or explicit content involving children or animals?

How is the UKUSA Agreement Utilized?

In the United States, it is “illegal” for the government to spy on its citizens. There have to be warrants and lots of other legal proceedings done for the government can surveil its citizens. The United Kingdom, for example, doesn’t have any of the same limitations that the United States has on surveillance of the same American citizen. This could allow the United States under the UKUSA Agreement to give a nudge to UK authorities to look at different folks and see exactly what they are up to.

  

Naturally, there are certain rights that folks have in different countries that protect their privacy, but in the world of online communications, the legal rulings in these areas are, at best murky. Because there is an evolving legal precedent, it’s difficult for users to know exactly where their rights to privacy in online communications and visits begin and end. That’s why many turn to VPNs since a reliable VPN doesn’t track what you do online. 

What are the 14 Eyes Countries?

14 Eyes refer to the countries who have signed the UKUSA Agreement. Obviously, the UK and the USA are part of the 14 countries. The other twelve are:

Italy
Canada,
Australia
Denmark
France
Netherlands
Norway
Germany
Belgium
Sweden
Spain
New Zealand

Additionally, other countries that are believed to be part of the 14 Eyes but not officially are Israel and Japan. After the Snowden leak, it was confirmed that Singapore and South Korea are also taking part in the agreement.

Why You Should Avoid a VPN in a 14 Eyes Country?

Many countries – especially the United States – can get your internet history and worse yet, they can do so without notifying you. The VPN that is located in a 14 Eyes country is subject to laws that essentially allow the legal system to compel the private entity (a VPN) to surrender information about a user’s web habits.

Furthermore, VPNs in these countries are forced to keep logs of exactly what someone browses and what they do on the Internet. Therefore, if you are going to use a VPN, it is extremely wise to get a VPN that is not based in any of the 14 eyes countries and be wary of any VPN based in Singapore, South Korea, Israel, and Japan.

How do I Find Out Where a VPN is Located?

It is actually not too difficult to find out which VPNs are not based within the 14 Eyes countries. The easiest way to find this out is to do a Google Search, but when you look at a VPN’s landing page you will notice the address at the bottom will probably tell you where it is based. If you are still not sure, look at the billing information. 

Some countries where you may find great VPNs in are Hong Kong, Taiwan, and several Eastern European nations that are part of the EU and NATO. These countries allow you to have the technical savvy of one of the 14 Eyes countries while not having to deal with the different issues that plague VPN usage such as a lack of privacy. 

Selecting a Good VPN

The key to selecting a good VPN is first understanding the purpose. There are different VPNs for gaming and others that are great for streaming. However, when looking generally at a VPN, the key is having a few really solid features. Understand that you’ll have to pay for a VPN, but what they offer makes it worth it.

The first feature to look for is a large number of servers. This will allow you to select the server closest to you. A close server allows for a better connection, especially in terms of gaming. Another important factor is that the VPN doesn’t track your data. This is why many people trust VPNs, and when you have a VPN from a place that isn’t part of the 14 Eyes nations, then you have a VPN that you can trust.

Another important consideration is the ease of use of a VPN. When you get one that doesn’t make it too complicated to log on and get to work, then you will have no problem using the VPN for all of your purposes.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, governments will always try to overreach into what you do in the privacy of your home. While you are working at getting a VPN that’s not based in one of the 14 Eyes countries, be sure that your information is not being tracked by free VPNs since such providers are known for selling browsing data to third-parties.

Nevertheless, VPNs provide great security and protect your privacy very well, so be sure you get a VPN that keeps your information away from overreaching governments.

Agent Smith malware exploits Android vulnerabilities to target unsuspected users for credential stealing.

The IT security researchers at CheckPoint have discovered a new variant of smartphone malware whose primary target is Android devices and so far the malware has infected more than 25 million Android devices.

Dubbed “Agent Smith” by researchers; the malware identifies and exploits vulnerabilities in Android OS and replaces existing apps on the targeted device with malicious ones – All that is done without permission or knowledge of the victim. It is worth noting that Agent Smith disguises as Google-related app

Currently, Agent Smith has capabilities to steal sensitive information from Android devices such as banking credentials and private messages, etc. Furthermore, the malware works as an adware to spam users with fraudulent ads to make extra money which somehow follows the same pattern found in CopyCat, Gooligan and HummingBad attacks.

What’s worse is that the number of targeted devices is not limited to Android’s older version such as Android 5 and 6 but those on newer versions have also been infected in this campaign.

According to Check Point, the malware was initially discovered in early 2016 on “9Apps,” a third-party app store. At that time, the malware was present in Google related updaters. The researchers believe that Agent Smith’s author is working on to spread the malware infection on the Play Store. In fact, researchers notified Google about 11 malicious apps on Play Store including two Jaguar Kill Switch infected apps which were already had 10 million downloads. 

Screenshot: Check Point

For now, most of Agent Smith’s victims are based in India however users in other Asian countries including Pakistan and Bangladesh are also among its victims. However, researchers have identified a significant number of devices infected with Agent Smith in Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Screenshot: Check Point

“The actors behind Agent Smith seem to have moved into the more complex world of constantly searching for new loopholes, such as Janus, Bundle, and Man-in-the-Disk, to achieve a 3-stage infection chain, in order to build a botnet of controlled devices to earn profit for the perpetrator,” said CheckPoint’s researchers in their blog post.

At the time of publishing this article; Google successfully removed all 11 infected apps from Play Store yet it raises questions on Google’s security for Android.

Moreover, researchers have highlighted the risks surrounding Android devices and adviced that businesses and users should work on “having an advanced mobile threat prevention solution installed on the device to protect themselves against the possibility of unknowingly installing malicious apps, even from trusted app stores.”

“The “Agent Smith” campaign serves as a sharp reminder that effort from system developers alone is not enough to build a secure Android eco-system. It requires attention and action from system developers, device manufacturers, app developers, and users, so that vulnerability fixes are patched, distributed, adopted and installed in time.”

Usman Rahim, Digital Security and Operations Manager for The Media Trustalso commented on the growing threat of Agent Smith: “Agent Smith taps into the growing convergence of adware and malware. Bad actors are using adware to commit various forms of fraud and identity theft. One thing is for sure, app providers should carefully vet the adware vendors they work with if they want to protect their brands and their revenue.”

“As the recent GDPR fines show, being the victim of a hack can put you in regulatory trouble to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. In this regulatory environment, there simply is no other defense than knowing who you’re working with and what they’re doing to your users,” Usman told Hackread.

If you are an Android user, watch out for this malware threat and refrain from downloading unnecessary apps from Play Store and third-party websites. Also, use a reliable anti-virus software program and educate yourself about ongoing threats and their prevention.