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CA Internet Security Suite Plus – Download

December 27, 2017 | Author: admin

CA Internet Security Suite is a complete application for protecting your system from internet threats. It also carries out file backups, system scans and regulates kids' use of the web.

CA Internet Security Suite covers four areas of security: Files, Viruses, Internet and Children. Within these modules you can scan for viruses and malware, secure documents, backup important files and protect your PC from identity theft. For children, there's a parental blocking system, that should keep kids away from unsuitable websites.

The Internet module includes real time protection for files and incoming emails. You can start or schedule a system scan whenever you want, although they are very slow. In general CA Internet Security Suite is a heavy resource user, and even though alerts are configurable, they still interrupt and slow down your PC. Scans are deep, but don't discriminate between good and bad internet cookies, which is annoying.

CA Internet Security Suite is comprehensive, and does do what it clams. It's very easy to use, with an interface that anyone will understand. However, it's too resource hungry and intrusive to recommend wholeheartedly.

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Collaborative Security: An approach to tackling Internet …

December 27, 2017 | Author: admin

NOTE: A set of PowerPoint slides explaining Collaborative Securityis available for use in presentations.

People are what ultimately hold the Internet together. The Internets development has been based on voluntary cooperation and collaboration. Cooperation and collaboration remain the essential factors for the Internets prosperity and potential.

Collaborative Security is an approach that is characterized by five key elements:

Achieving security objectives, while preserving these fundamental properties, rights and values is the real challenge of cybersecurity strategy. The design and implementation of security solutions should be undertaken with consideration as to the potential effect they might have these fundamentals.

Everyone has a collective responsibility for the security of the Internet: multistakeholder cross-border collaboration is an essential component.

Commercial competition, politics and personal motivation play a role in how well collaboration happens. But, as collaborative efforts have demonstrated, differences can be overcome to cooperate against a threat. Such voluntary as-needed working for the benefit of everyone collaboration is remarkable for its scalability and its ability to adapt to changing conditions and evolving threats, yielding unprecedented efficacy.

Informed by these reflections, we introduce the term Collaborative Security to describe our approach for tackling Internet security issues.

Collaborative Security is an approach that is characterized by five key elements. These are described below.

1. Preserving opportunities and building confidence

The Internet enables opportunities for human, social and economic development on a global scale. Those opportunities will only be realized if Internet participants have confidence [2] that they can use the Internet for secure, reliable, private communication all across the world.

A security paradigm for the Internet should be premised on fostering confidence and protecting opportunities for economic and social prosperity, as opposed to a model that is based simply on preventing perceived harm. Moreover, security solutions should advance that objective in design, and in practice. Otherwise, security solutions may go too far, thereby jeopardizing the very infrastructure that ties together the global economy, and provides the engine for its growth.

2. Collective Responsibility

The Internet is a global interconnected network of networks. It is, in effect, a global common resource and a highly interdependent system. Participation on the Internet means global interdependency.

In an interconnected interdependent system, no one participant can achieve absolute security. And, no security solution exists in isolation. There will always be threats, so it is useful to consider security in terms of residual risks that are considered acceptable in a specific context.

Internet security depends not only on how well participants manage security risks they face, but also, importantly, how they manage security risks that they may pose to others (whether through their action or inaction) the outward risks.

These factors mean that Internet participants have:

Furthermore, if Internet participants act independently and solely in their own self-interest, not only will the security of the Internet be impacted: the overall pool of social and economic potential that the Internet offers the global community will also diminish. Therefore, Internet participants need to see this as a long-term investment for the benefit of everyone.

Note: The scope of collective responsibility extends to the system as a whole: it is not the same as asking everyone to be responsible for their part of the ecosystem. Therefore, collective responsibility requires a common understanding of the problem, shared solutions, common benefits, and open communication channels [3].

Multistakeholder cross-border collaboration is an important component of collective responsibility. Its success depends on trustful relationships between nations, between citizens and their government, between operators, service providers, and across all stakeholders.

3. Security solutions should be fully integrated with rights and the open Internet

Security solutions should be fully integrated with the important objectives of preserving the fundamental properties of the Internet (open standards, voluntary collaboration, reusable building blocks, integrity, permission-free innovation and global reach (also known as the Internet Invariants [4]) and fundamental human rights, values and expectations (e.g. privacy, freedom of expression).

Any security solution is likely to have an effect on the Internets operation and development, as well as users rights and expectations. Such effects may be positive or negative. From our perspective, it is important to find solutions that support the Internet Invariants and fundamental rights and values.

4. Security solutions need to be grounded in experience, developed by consensus and evolutionary in outlook

Security solutions need to be flexible enough to evolve over time. We know that technology is going to change and threats will adapt to take advantage of new platforms and protocols. Therefore, solutions need to be responsive to new challenges.

Like a human body that may suffer from viruses, but gets stronger and more resilient as a result, new technologies, solutions and cooperative efforts that build on lessons-learned make the Internet more resilient to threats.

Experience shows us that, in a quickly evolving system such as the Internet, an open consensus-based participatory approach is the most robust, flexible and agile.

Partial solutions and staged deployment are important and should be taken seriously. A collection of incremental solutions may be more effective in practice than a grand design. Even if an approach does not solve the problem completely, it might help to contain it, or to change the economic equation significantly enough, so as to make the vulnerability much less attractive to malicious actors.

The focus needs to be put on defining the agreed problem and finding the solution. We also need to make space for the new, the innovative and the odd. We need to be prepared to test disruptive or non-traditional ideas.

In the end a process, which draws upon the interests and expertise of a broad set of stakeholders is likely to be the surest path to success.

5. Targeting the point of maximum impact: think globally, act locally

Security is not achieved by a single treaty or piece of legislation; it is not solved by a single technical fix, nor can it come about because one company, government or actor decides security is important.

Creating security and trust in the Internet requires different players (within their different responsibilities and roles) to take action, closest to where the issues are occurring.

Typically, for greater effectiveness and efficiency, solutions should be defined and implemented by the smallest, lowest or least centralized competent community [5] at the point in the system where they can have the most impact.

Such communities are frequently spontaneously formed in a bottom-up, self-organizing fashion around specific issues (e.g. spam, or routing security) or a locality (e.g. protection of critical national infrastructure or security of an Internet exchange).

As much as possible, solutions should be based on interoperable building-blocks e.g. industry-accepted standards, best practices and approaches.

We believe that this Collaborative Security approach for addressing Internet security issues is critical for ensuring the future of the open Internet as a driver for social and economic innovation. As a network of networks without centralized control, the security of the Internet cannot be maintained by any single entity or organization. It is important that these issues be addressed by all stakeholders in a spirit of collaboration and shared responsibility in ways that do not undermine the global architecture of the Internet or curtail human rights. The Internet is for everyone: lets work together to realize its full potential.

[1]See Internet Invariants: What Really Matters http://www.internetsociety.org/internet-invariants-what-really-matters

[2]In this context, an Internet participants confidence is formed, among other things, taking into account the degree of perceived security risk associated with using the Internet and whether that degree of risk is acceptable while protecting opportunities for economic and social prosperity. A better understanding of actual risks and how to reduce them to an acceptable level are two main factors that build confidence.

[3]Please refer to Understanding Security and Resilience of the Internet http://www.internetsociety.org/sites/default/files/bp-securityandresilience-20130711.pdf

[4]See Internet Invariants: What Really Matters http://www.internetsociety.org/internet-invariants-what-really-matters

[5]In politics, such approach is called a Subsidiarity principle: Solutions should be defined and implemented by smallest, lowest or least centralized competent authority. We feel that the word community better matches the sense of bottom-up development. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidiarity

Read more about specific examples: Introducing Collaborative Security, our approach to Internet security issues by Internet Society CITO Olaf Kolkmann

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Is Quantum Computing an Existential Threat to Blockchain …

December 25, 2017 | Author: admin

Amid steep gains in value and wild headlines, its easy to forget cryptocurrencies and blockchain arent yet mainstream. Even so, fans of the technology believe blockchain has too much potential not to have a major sustained impact in the future.

But as is usually the case when pondering whats ahead, nothing is certain.

When considering existential threats to blockchain and cryptocurrencies, people generally focus on increased regulation. And this makes sense. In the medium term, greater regulation may stand in the way of cryptocurrencies and wider mainstream adoption. However, there might be a bigger threat further out on the horizon.

Much of blockchains allure arises from its security benefits. The tech allows a ledger of transactions to be distributed between a large network of computers. No single user can break into and change the ledger. This makes it both public and secure.

But combined with another emerging (and much hyped) technology, quantum computing, blockchains seemingly immutable ledgers would be under threat.

Like blockchain, quantum computing has been making progress and headlines too.

The number of quantum computing companies and researchers continues to grow. And while there is a lot of focus on hardware, many are looking into the software as well.

Cryptography is a commonly debated topic because quantum computing poses a threat to traditional forms of computer security, most notably public key cryptography, which undergirds most online communications and most current blockchain technology.

But first, how does computer security work today?

Public key cryptography uses a pair of keys to encrypt information: a public key which can be shared widely and a private key known only to the keys owner. Anyone can encrypt a message using the intended receivers public key, but only the receiver can decrypt the message using her private key. The more difficult it is to determine a private key from its corresponding public key, the more secure the system.

The best public key cryptography systems link public and private keys using the factors of a number that is the product of two incredibly large prime numbers. To determine the private key from the public key alone, one would have to figure out the factors of this product of primes. Even if a classical computer tested a trillion keys a second, it would take up to 785 million times longer than the roughly 14 billion years the universe has existed so far due to the size of the prime numbers in question.

If processing power were to greatly increase, however, then it might become possible for an entity exercising such computing power to generate a private key from the corresponding public key. If actors could generate private keys from corresponding public keys, then even the strongest forms of traditional public key cryptography would be vulnerable.

This is where quantum computing comes in. Quantum computing relies on quantum physics and has more potential power than any traditional form of computing.

Quantum computing takes advantage of quantum bits or qubits that can exist in any superposition of values between 0 and 1 and can therefore process much more information than just 0 or 1, which is the limit of classical computing systems.

The capacity to compute using qubits renders quantum computers many orders of magnitude faster than classical computers. Google showed a D-Wave quantum annealing computer could be 100 million times faster than classical computers at certain specialized tasks. And Google and IBM are working on their own quantum computers.

Further, although there are but a handful of quantum computing algorithms, one of the most famous ones, Shors algorithm, allows for the quick factoring of large primes. Therefore, a working quantum computer could, in theory, break todays public key cryptography.

Quantum computers capable of speedy number factoring are not here yet. However, if quantum computing continues to progress, it will get there eventually. And when it does, this advance will pose an existential threat to public key cryptography, and the blockchain technology that relies on it, including Bitcoin, will be vulnerable to hacking.

So, is blockchain security therefore impossible in a post-quantum world? Will the advent of quantum computing render blockchain technology obsolete?

Maybe, but not if we can develop a solution first.

The NSA announced in 2015 that it was moving to implement quantum-resistant cryptographic systems. Cryptographers are working on quantum-resistant cryptography, and there are already blockchain projects implementing quantum-resistant cryptography. The Quantum Resistant Ledger team, for example, is working on building such a blockchain right now.

What makes quantum-resistant or post-quantum cryptography, quantum resistant? When private keys are generated from public keys in ways that are much more mathematically complex than traditional prime factorization.

The Quantum Resistant Ledger team is working to implement hash-based cryptography, a form of post-quantum cryptography. In hash-based cryptography, private keys are generated from public keys using complex hash-based cryptographic structures, rather than prime number factorization. The connection between the public and private key pair is therefore much more complex than in traditional public key cryptography and would be much less vulnerable to a quantum computer running Shors algorithm.

These post-quantum cryptographic schemes do not need to run on quantum computers. The Quantum Resistant Ledger is a blockchain project already working to implement post-quantum cryptography. It remains to be seen how successful the effort and others like it will prove when full-scale quantum computing becomes a practical reality.

To be clear, quantum computing threatens all computer security systems that rely on public key cryptography, not just blockchain. All security systems, including blockchain systems, need to consider post-quantum cryptography to maintain data security for their systems. But the easiest and most efficient route may be to replace traditional systems with blockchain systems that implement quantum-resistant cryptography.

Disclosure: The author owns assorted digital assets. The author is also a principal at Crypto Lotus LLC, a cryptocurrency hedge fund based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, and an advisor at Green Sands Equity, both of which have positions in various digital assets. All opinions in this post are the authors alone and not those of Singularity University, Crypto Lotus, or Green Sands Equity. This post is not an endorsement by Singularity University, Crypto Lotus, or Green Sands Equity of any asset, and you should be aware of the risk of loss before trading or holding any digital asset.

Image Credit: Morrowind /Shutterstock.com

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What is Quantum Computing? | SAP News Center

December 23, 2017 | Author: admin

Whether its a astrophysical operations, weather prognosis, or explorations for locating oil and gas resources, powerful super computers are now ready to assist the computation of the most complex problems.

Yet there are some challenges that even the fastest computing machines in the world have been unable to solve, namely the simulation of molecular structures, which has left many professionals in the medical and chemical industry scratching their heads. The development of effective drugs against illnesses, as well as better quality fertilizer to help fight world hunger, is largely dependent on the ability to perform the relevant calculations.

Another example is optimization. A rucksack can hold up to 20 kilograms. If we take several objects all with a specific weight and use, a specific number of objects must be selected that does not exceed the maximum weight of the rucksack but maximizes the value. Inventory management frequently encounters these sorts of challenges, yet mathematical evidence shows that these problems cannot be solved satisfactorily using conventional computers.

This all comes down to how computers are built. The smallest possible storage unit (a bit) can have a value of either 0 or 1. Bits are physically represented by two voltage potentials that correspond to the states 0 and 1. This binary representation of information pushes it to the brink of its capabilities to perform certain tasks.

Qubits: Superposition and Entanglement

In 1981, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman claimed that a so-called quantum computer could be used to perform computations. This theoretical concept went on to generate a wealth of interest and has since become a broad field of research and development.

A quantum computer works with quantum bits, or qubits. In contrast to a traditional computer system, the states of qubits can overlap. In other words, they do not merely represent 0 or 1, but can achieve a mixed state where they are both 0 and 1 at the same time. This is known as a superposition. When measured however, Qubits behave like classical bits and yield the value of 0 or 1.

If various qubits are added together, they do not have a defined state but exist as a qubit entirety. In quantum mechanics, this process is known as entanglement, and refers to how the measurement of two qubits is dependent on the other. For instance, if two qubits are measured and the first measures as 1, the state of the second qubit is already known.

Overcoming Quantum Decoherence

Together, superposition and entanglement form the decisive difference from which quantum computers are said to benefit: with a given number of qubits, numerous sequences of conventional bits can also be displayed. This calculation is therefore equal to the calculation of all bit sequences simultaneously. For certain problems, this quantum parallelism ensures a decisive speed advantage compared to regular computers.

Decoherence nevertheless remains a challenge for researchers. As soon as closed quantum systems start interacting with their environment, the system and environment state are changed irreversibly and errors can occur if this happens during the calculation process.

To ensure that the operations are conducted without mistakes or errors, the quantum computer qubits should preferably be decoupled from their environment which, in turn, minimizes the time to decoherence. This can lead to a possible conflict of objectives, since it is also necessary that the state of an individual qubit can be changed from the outside.

The number of qubits also plays an important technical role the higher the number, the greater the expected speed advantage. At the same time, this increases the number of obstacles to avoid decoherence with each individual qubit.

Five Criteria for Quantum Computers

Based on these ideas, in 1996 physicist David DiVincenzo formulated five criteria that he deemed sufficient for a quantum computer:

So far, no one has succeeded in developing a system that fulfills all these requirements. This is partly due to the lack of clarity surrounding the most appropriate candidates able to physically implement qubits. The energy level of an atom and the angular moment of electrons are currently under discussion, although many other possibilities are also under research.

Applications for Quantum Computing

Further progress continues to be made in the development of quantum computers. To date, none of the prototypes have shown any definitive advantages compared against traditional super computers. This predominantly comes down to the number of qubits used. The widespread view suggests that 50 or more qubits should show a benefit a number that has been officially announced but never achieved.

Experts expect that the first standard quantum computer will appear at some point in the next 10 years. Yet for those who are expecting to have a device under their desks at home may be disappointed; for the foreseeable future, this technology will most likely only be used to perform tasks on a large scale.

Quantum Cryptography: Already in Use

Beyond the development of quantum computers, other technologies benefiting from quantum mechanical effects have sparked interest. An example of this is quantum cryptography, which has been under development since the 1970s, and is now ready for implementation.

Data is the fuel of the 21st century. The world can hugely benefit from the distribution of more devices that interconnectedly generate and analyze data. At the same time, security risks such as data theft and data abuse continue to rise. Experts have estimated that cybercrime cost the economy $454 billion in 2016.

Compared to the solutions already available, quantum cryptographic processes can provide an additional level of safety and security. Discoveries in quantum physics reveal that such encryptions are not only difficult to hack, but downright impossible if they have been implemented correctly.

The aforementioned qualities of quantum systems form the basis for this level of security. Individual light particles transfer a code that is used in message encryption. The particles cannot be intercepted and measured without disruption. If someone were to try and intercept, they would not be able to access the code without being detected.

Progress in quantum computing development is the main motivation to continue developing quantum cryptography. Current encryption processes, such as RSA, rely on the assumption that there is no process in existence fast enough for the prime factorization of large numbers. Yet in 1994, Peter Shor demonstrated that this type of algorithm can be achieved on a quantum computer. The first team to produce an adequately-sized standard quantum computer can therefore hack all such security systems.

Yet this development is still a long way away from the projected 1,000 qubits that would be needed to hack RSA. In areas where secure communication and data transfers are extremely important, quantum cryptography can already offer solutions to safeguard against current and future attacks.

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Bitcoin Fees Have Become Infeasible – Bitcoin News

December 23, 2017 | Author: admin

In 2013, one bitcoin cost $20. In 2017, it costs $20 to send one bitcoin. With record highs, thriving adoption, and media attention, this should be a celebratory time for bitcoin believers. And yet its hard to shake the feeling that something isnt quite right. How did we reach a point where the worlds bank killer and Western Union crippler has become incapable of taking on the institutions it once sneered at? Bitcoin is hot as hell right now. But its also a mess.

Also read:Bitpay Plans to Use Bitcoin Cash for Payment Invoices and Debit Loads

By any reckoning, 2017 has been a phenomenal year for bitcoin. Even the currencys most ardent supporters would have struggled, 12 months ago, to predict the current state of affairs. But neither could they have envisaged, in their worst nightmares, it costing upwards of $20 to transfer a fraction of a coin. To chalk this year up as an unfettered success story calls for moving the goalposts and performing mental gymnastics. Bitcoin has made great leaps alright. Its just unfortunate that not all of them have been forwards.

It can be debated whether Satoshis white paper envisioned bitcoin as a P2P settlement for micro-transactions. What cant be debated is that bitcoin is effectively now unsendable and undependable for anything under a couple of hundred dollars. From the clearnet to the darknet, the conversation is the same: fees have become untenable. Despite this, bitcoins most ardent defenders remain in denial.

On some corners of the internet, questioning the gospel of Satoshi and the infallibility of bitcoin is heresy. I cant send a friend five dollars without a $15 transaction fee and this is the currency of the future? raged one Redditor, to which the first three responses on r/bitcoin ran:

Theres a modicum of truth to these rejoinders, but in the here and now, muh segwit or just wait for LN isnt much help.

Everyone has their price, a dollar figure at which theyd be willing to sell bitcoin, and also a figure theyre willing to pay to send it. Paying $20 to transfer $10 million of bitcoin seems reasonable. Paying the same amount to send $100 worth seems ridiculous. Bitcoin has been unsuitable for micro-transactions for some time, but its now reaching a stage where its unsuitable for mid-sized transactions.

Is bitcoin a store of wealth because thats its best use case, or has it simply morphed into one because no one can afford to move it?

Many of bitcoins new investors are of humble means, setting aside $50 a week or whatever they can spare to put into digital currency. Always store your coins in a wallet you hold the private key for, they were urged. Now theyre discovering that their only option is to store their bitcoin on an exchange, at least until their holdings reach a level where its practical to withdraw to a hardware wallet.

If cryptocurrencies were to be likened to energy sources, bitcoin would be coal: expensive to move and impractical to transport in small quantities. Its impossible to order a handful of coal every time you want to light a fire: its a sackful or nothing. Ethereum (gas) and bitcoin cash (hydro) are the opposite: cheap and on tap.

Coal does have one thing in its favor though longevity. In cryptocurrency terms, bitcoin is a veritable fossil. Its been there from the start and, thanks to its market dominance, brand recognition, and capital locked in, will be extremely hard to destroy. Scaling solutions will probably arrive, and transaction fees will eventually drop, though quite when is anyones guess. The question is if those solutions will arrive in time. Until then, bitcoin will continue to serve as coal fueling the furnace on the runaway Cryptocurrency Express: an indispensable hot mess.

What do you think is the solution to high fees? And what measures have you been taking to mitigate rising fees? Let us know in the comments section below.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock.

Express yourself freely at Bitcoin.coms user forums. We dont censor on political grounds. Check forum.Bitcoin.com.

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Key (cryptography) – Wikipedia

December 21, 2017 | Author: admin

In cryptography, a key is a piece of information (a parameter) that determines the functional output of a cryptographic algorithm. For encryption algorithms, a key specifies the transformation of plaintext into ciphertext, and vice versa for decryption algorithms. Keys also specify transformations in other cryptographic algorithms, such as digital signature schemes and message authentication codes.

In designing security systems, it is wise to assume that the details of the cryptographic algorithm are already available to the attacker. This is known as Kerckhoffs' principle "only secrecy of the key provides security", or, reformulated as Shannon's maxim, "the enemy knows the system". The history of cryptography provides evidence that it can be difficult to keep the details of a widely used algorithm secret (see security through obscurity). A key is often easier to protect (it's typically a small piece of information) than an encryption algorithm, and easier to change if compromised. Thus, the security of an encryption system in most cases relies on some key being kept secret.

Trying to keep keys secret is one of the most difficult problems in practical cryptography; see key management. An attacker who obtains the key (by, for example, theft, extortion, dumpster diving, assault, torture, or social engineering) can recover the original message from the encrypted data, and issue signatures.

Keys are generated to be used with a given suite of algorithms, called a cryptosystem. Encryption algorithms which use the same key for both encryption and decryption are known as symmetric key algorithms. A newer class of "public key" cryptographic algorithms was invented in the 1970s. These asymmetric key algorithms use a pair of keys or keypair a public key and a private one. Public keys are used for encryption or signature verification; private ones decrypt and sign. The design is such that finding out the private key is extremely difficult, even if the corresponding public key is known. As that design involves lengthy computations, a keypair is often used to exchange an on-the-fly symmetric key, which will only be used for the current session. RSA and DSA are two popular public-key cryptosystems; DSA keys can only be used for signing and verifying, not for encryption.

Part of the security brought about by cryptography concerns confidence about who signed a given document, or who replies at the other side of a connection. Assuming that keys are not compromised, that question consists of determining the owner of the relevant public key. To be able to tell a key's owner, public keys are often enriched with attributes such as names, addresses, and similar identifiers. The packed collection of a public key and its attributes can be digitally signed by one or more supporters. In the PKI model, the resulting object is called a certificate and is signed by a certificate authority (CA). In the PGP model, it is still called a "key", and is signed by various people who personally verified that the attributes match the subject.[1]

In both PKI and PGP models, compromised keys can be revoked. Revocation has the side effect of disrupting the relationship between a key's attributes and the subject, which may still be valid. In order to have a possibility to recover from such disruption, signers often use different keys for everyday tasks: Signing with an intermediate certificate (for PKI) or a subkey (for PGP) facilitates keeping the principal private key in an offline safe.

Deleting a key on purpose to make the data inaccessible is called crypto-shredding.

For the one-time pad system the key must be at least as long as the message. In encryption systems that use a cipher algorithm, messages can be much longer than the key. The key must, however, be long enough so that an attacker cannot try all possible combinations.

A key length of 80 bits is generally considered the minimum for strong security with symmetric encryption algorithms. 128-bit keys are commonly used and considered very strong. See the key size article for a more complete discussion.

The keys used in public key cryptography have some mathematical structure. For example, public keys used in the RSA system are the product of two prime numbers. Thus public key systems require longer key lengths than symmetric systems for an equivalent level of security. 3072 bits is the suggested key length for systems based on factoring and integer discrete logarithms which aim to have security equivalent to a 128 bit symmetric cipher. Elliptic curve cryptography may allow smaller-size keys for equivalent security, but these algorithms have only been known for a relatively short time and current estimates of the difficulty of searching for their keys may not survive. As of 2004, a message encrypted using a 109-bit key elliptic curve algorithm had been broken by brute force.[2] The current rule of thumb is to use an ECC key twice as long as the symmetric key security level desired. Except for the random one-time pad, the security of these systems has not (as of 2008[update]) been proven mathematically, so a theoretical breakthrough could make everything one has encrypted an open book. This is another reason to err on the side of choosing longer keys.

To prevent a key from being guessed, keys need to be generated truly randomly and contain sufficient entropy. The problem of how to safely generate truly random keys is difficult, and has been addressed in many ways by various cryptographic systems. There is a RFC on generating randomness (RFC 4086, Randomness Requirements for Security). Some operating systems include tools for "collecting" entropy from the timing of unpredictable operations such as disk drive head movements. For the production of small amounts of keying material, ordinary dice provide a good source of high quality randomness.

For most computer security purposes and for most users, "key" is not synonymous with "password" (or "passphrase"), although a password can in fact be used as a key. The primary practical difference between keys and passwords is that the latter are intended to be generated, read, remembered, and reproduced by a human user (although nowadays the user may delegate those tasks to password management software). A key, by contrast, is intended for use by the software that is implementing the cryptographic algorithm, and so human readability etc. is not required. In fact, most users will, in most cases, be unaware of even the existence of the keys being used on their behalf by the security components of their everyday software applications.

If a password is used as an encryption key, then in a well-designed crypto system it would not be used as such on its own. This is because passwords tend to be human-readable and,hence, may not be particularly strong. To compensate, a good crypto system will use the password-acting-as-key not to perform the primary encryption task itself, but rather to act as an input to a key derivation function (KDF). That KDF uses the password as a starting point from which it will then generate the actual secure encryption key itself. Various methods such as adding a salt and key stretching may be used in the generation.

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Quantum Computing Explained | What is Quantum Computing?

December 21, 2017 | Author: admin

In this series, Life's Little Mysteries explains complex subjects in exactly 200 words.

Ordinarycomputersmanipulate "bits" of information, which, like light switches, can be in one of two states (represented by 1 or 0). Quantum computers manipulate "qubits": units of information stored in subatomic particles, which, by thebizarre laws of quantum mechanics, may be in states |1> or |0>,orany "superposition" (linear combination) of the two. As long as the qubit is left unmeasured, it embodies both states at once; measuring it "collapses" it from the superposition to one of its terms. Now, suppose a quantumcomputerhas two qubits. If they were bits, they could be inonly oneof four possible states (00,01,10,11). A pair of qubits also has four states (|00>,|01>,|01>,|11>), but it can also exist in any combination of all four. As you increase the number of qubits in the system, you exponentially increase the amount of information they can collectively store. Thus, one can theoretically work with myriad information simultaneously byperforming mathematical operations on a system of unmeasured qubits (instead of probing one bit at a time), potentially reducing computing times for complex problems from years to seconds. The difficult task is to efficiently retrieve information stored in qubits and physicists aren't there yet.

Follow Natalie Wolchover on Twitter @nattyover. Follow Life's Little Mysteries on Twitter @llmysteries, then join us onFacebook.

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Best Internet Security 2017 – Total Security Software for …

December 20, 2017 | Author: admin

Best (Premium) Internet Security Software

It's a cruel world out there, with no shortage of malware, ransomware and phishing attacks to swoop in and steal your data, money and personal information. So whats the best way to protect your devices and preserve your peace of mind?

The answer is to build the tallest and thickest wall around your digital life with a premium antivirus suite. Based on our extensive testing, weve determined that your best option is Kaspersky Total Security. It offers not only excellent malware detection, but also has webcam protection and a sandboxed browser for safe online banking and shopping.

Premium antivirus products cost upward of $100 per year, but they offer many extra features that low-cost or free antivirus programs don't have. Their product licenses often cover multiple installations on several platforms including Mac, Android, iOS and, sometimes, Windows Phone although other platforms' software may be more limited. The most cost-effective premium packages offer all-you-can-scan plans, with unlimited device installations across multiple platforms.

All eight products below include parental controls and password managers, and give users online accounts to remotely manage antivirus software on all of their devices. Most of these programs also offer two-way firewalls, system optimizers, file shredders, file encryption and specialized web browsers hardened against infection or hijacking.

A few have anti-theft features to help you track down a lost or stolen laptop, and/or dedicated protection for webcams and specialized defenses against ransomware encryption. Some also include non-security-related features, such as backup software or online storage.

We've done extensive evaluations on eight of the latest flagship antivirus suites from Bitdefender, ESET, F-Secure, Kaspersky Lab, McAfee, Norton, Panda Security and Trend Micro. We installed the latest version of each suite on an Asus X555LA laptop running fully patched 64-bit Windows 10 on an Intel Core i3 processor. The laptop had 6GB of RAM and 36GB of files on a 500GB hard drive.

To assess each suite's ability to protect against malware, we used the most recent sets of antivirus-software evaluations conducted on Windows 7 and Windows 10 by Germany's AV-TEST lab. The lab routinely subjects programs from about 20 of the world's leading antivirus makers to onslaughts of both widespread malware and less common, but more dangerous, zero-day malware. We also used results of tests by Austrian lab AV-Comparatives, which every month exposes top antivirus products to current online malware.

Our OpenOffice performance test measures system performance by timing how long a spreadsheet program takes to match 20,000 names and addresses. We ran the test multiple times during each of four scenarios: before a program was installed, after installation but while not scanning, during a full scan and during a quick scan.

We also considered the number and usefulness of each programs additional security and privacy features, as well as their setups, interfaces and ease of use.

[Editor's Note: Best Buy has removed Kaspersky Lab products from its shelves, citing concerns regarding Kaspersky's alleged (but as yet undocumented) ties to the Russian government. However, until we see evidence that Kaspersky software is a threat to consumers, we will continue to recommend it. Here is further clarification of our position.]

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Norton Internet Security – Download

December 20, 2017 | Author: admin

Norton Security is a reliable security suite for your PC, with a powerful engine, firewall, an Identity Safe feature, and usability of the highest level. This release does not revolutionize the product, but it does optimize several features.

Norton Security provides comprehensive, real-time protection against viruses, worms, trojans, spyware and rootkits, acting as a filter for email, instant messaging programs and internet browsing.

Norton is also able to analyze your Facebook wall, which is increasingly becoming a tool for spreading malware.

Thanks to SONAR technology, the proactive defense module can identify more precisely any unknown threats. Norton Security can also block websites and malicious downloads, and includes options to configure Silent Mode.

The virus also integrates Norton Power Eraser, an advanced tool to use when the engine fails, with its classic scan which can delete malware that has allegedly attacked the system.

Norton Security includes an evolution of the Insight module, which analyzes files and running processes, classifies those which are reliable, and excludes them from being scanned, thus optimizing the resources available to your system.

Unlike Norton Antivirus, Internet Security offers a few more features, starting with a two-way firewall that can filter incoming and outgoing connections. The firewall has a fair degree of configurability and is organized in such a way as to be usable even by less experienced users. It also has parental controls (via Norton Family) to protect your children online.

Norton Security also pays particular attention to others dangers on the network, and that's why it offers a module, Identity Safe, to protect your personal information, passwords, and credit card details against any online scams.

In addition, the suite includes a startup manager, which is useful for speeding up startup on your computer.

Usability is one of the strengths of Norton Security. The start screen shows an overview of the security status of the system, as well as quick access to the main features of the program, inlcuding Scanning, Live Update, and Advanced Settings.

Norton Security has a scanning engine that's reliable, powerful, and has moderate consumption of content resources.

It offers many advanced features for experienced users, but at the same time, is capable of being used by more novice users thanks to its excellent basic configuration.

Norton Security is first-level suite for keeping your PC safe.

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Norton Internet Security - Download

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Get the Best Internet Security Software of 2016!

December 20, 2017 | Author: admin

Internet security is a very broad term that is addressed differently in different antivirus products. In general, it means security against threats when you are using the internet. Many features fall under the "internet security" category and some security companies even provide an entirely separate product for anything web-related. This is because possible threats can come from many places when you are using the internet, from social media and websites to browser add-ons and your personal email. Each of these places needs to be protected using different technology and will usually have its own feature in internet security suites. In order to find the best internet security 2017 has to offer, you will need to first understand why security is important.

These days, most of the work or activity you do on your PC involves the internet. This includes browsing websites, logging into your bank account, reading your emails, post on Twitter, and more. So much of what you do involves the internet and as a result that's where most threats come from. A security suite with internet security not only scans files already on your computer for threats, but also tells you which websites contain malware before you visit them, which files you shouldn't download, and what emails contain phishing scams.

Most antivirus products have at least some sort of internet security feature, but many of them don't provide comprehensive protection on all fronts. It is important to understand what kind of protection you need, what features are important to you, and what products provide these features before purchasing a subscription.

Important features you should look for when searching for the best internet security software:

You may also want to check out additional internet security features like social media protection or parental controls. This will inform you of dangerous links on your feed, and protect your children from unsafe websites and even prevent internet access altogether during certain hours.

Before making a final decision, you need to understand what features are important to you and what kind of activity you do online. How will you choose the best internet security software suite for your needs? Some antivirus products don't provide internet security features and some provide all-inclusive packages for online and offline protection on all fronts. While these all-inclusive products are usually more expensive, it is well worth the investment if your PC accesses the internet on a regular basis. The best internet security software will have all of the aforementioned features, and be the best fit for your personal or business needs.

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Get the Best Internet Security Software of 2016!

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