Cybersecurity

cross-posted from: https://futurology.today/post/1308742

Hey guys, first post here and on an alt, I hope I don't get flamed. If there's not enough info I'll post another thread tomorrow.

Its been ~5-7 years since using Linux (Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Debian/Mint/Fedora/etc) as my daily driver. Windows since then for dev and games with kids,, but now I have a laptop that can run my dev env in a VM.

I'm an advocate for privacy and security, but I'm also at the "config once, mostly work for a while" camp... I don't like spending a ton of time fixing things. I don't need Whonix or QubesOS-level compartmentalization (unless it runs Barbone's now), but I tried OpenSuse Tumbleweed on a recommendation and the fine-tuning of flatpak controls seemed really nice. I'd love to be able to sandbox as much as possible without breaking things. Memory and exploit-hardened kernel/apps is a huge plus. Basically GrapheneOS as a Linux distro would be fantastic, even though it comes with its own issues.

Am I overthinking here? Should I commit to Debian, Fedora, or OpenSuse and learn to sandbox and harden properly (if so which has best docs and community)?

I forgot the copy-paste specs my laptop hardware info to my phone earlier, but its an HP Victus 15-fa0032dx

HP Victus 15.6" 144Hz FHD IPS Gaming Laptop (Intel i7-12650H 10-Core, 16GB DDR4, 512GB SSD, RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6), Backlit KYB, WiFi 6, BT 5.2, HD Webcam

I don't use the Bluetooth or webcam, so those drivers aren't necessary. Does Wayland work for this, and is that really necessary?

Sorry for the noob questions. Mid-30s guy with kids wanting to get this done this week if possible. Please excuse spelling and grammar mistakes.

SIDE NOTE: NOT AT ALL opposed to learning new systems, especially for security, as long as it doesn't require hunting down obscure undocumented commands.

Thanks all

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/11130497

Tech that comes with weak passwords such as “admin” or “12345” will be banned in the UK under new laws dictating that all smart devices must meet minimum security standards.

Measures to protect consumers from hacking and cyber-attacks come into effect on Monday, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said.

It means manufacturers of phones, TVs and smart doorbells, among others, are now legally required to protect internet-connected devices against access by cybercriminals, with users prompted to change any common passwords.

Brands have to publish contact details so that bugs and issues can be reported, and must be transparent about timings of security updates.

It is hoped the new measures will help give customers confidence in buying and using products at a time when consumers and businesses have come under attack from hackers at a soaring rate.

Since my last post on monocles, I've got into the XMPP also known as jabber rabbit hole, here are few things I learned that you might find useful.

What is XMPP

The architecture of the XMPP network is similar to email, while a XMPP server conforms an email server (server.com) and XMPP clients conforms email clients ([email protected]). The difference is that everything happens in realtime over a persistent XML-TCP stream. The XMPP protocols are free & public, that any of us can use.

Differences with other communication services

• It's one of the few actually decentralized communication platforms, there is no default server to join like in matrix.org. In a group chat with 100 people don't be surprised that all 100 of them belong to different servers
• Hacker friendly & knowledgeable communities that are usually friendly
• Easy to setup transports/gateways (similar to bridges) between different networks, such as IRC or even proprietary ones like whatsapp.

Self hosting a server

Self hosting xmpp is really simple, I personally opted for ejabberd and it only took ~10 minutes to set it up with voice & video call support.

Other options for servers are available here

Joining a server

You can find servers open for registration here

Clients

A list of available clients for different platforms is available here