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The Fallout of Edward Snowden and his Leaked Documents, Eight Years Later

On June 21, 2021, Edward Snowden celebrated his 38th birthday in Russia. He’s been in the country for over eight years, having been granted permanent residence in the country in October 2020 [1]. Snowden, an American, has not returned to his native country since leaking millions of classified documents detailing the massive surveillance programs that the United States undertook.

While many have heard Edward Snowden’s name, the programs that he uncovered have seemingly faded in the public consciousness in recent years. Snowden’s reveal of massive global surveillance programs in 2013 was a wake-up call for many Americans, when modern technology and digital communication were truly becoming everyday tools at work and home. His leaked documents highlighted how so many Internet activities are never truly private.

Snowden’s Career Beginnings and Disillusionment

Snowden began his career by joining the Army in May 2004, but was discharged four months later due to broken legs he suffered in a training accident [2]. Following his short time in the Armed Forces, he gained a position as a “security specialist” at an NSA-contracted facility, beginning his time in the intelligence community. He then joined the CIA in 2006 until 2009, years that disillusioned his faith in America’s intelligence community [3]. He described an incident where the CIA purposefully intoxicated a Swiss banker and encouraged him to drive home. When the banker was arrested for drunk driving, the CIA offered him help in exchange for becoming an informant. 

Following his resignation from the CIA, Snowden worked as an NSA contractor in Japan with high-level security clearance for three years before moving to Hawaii to join Booz Allen Hamilton, another private contractor. He joined Booz Allen Hamilton with the sole intent of gaining clearance to new classified files. After just a few weeks on the job, Snowden gained access to the classified material, downloaded it on a flash drive, and fled the United States shortly afterward. Finally, he distributed the materials to media outlets he trusted, particularly The Guardian, with the first revelations posted publicly in June 2013.

What Programs Did Snowden Reveal?

The biggest revelation in Snowden’s leaked documents was the existence of a National Security Agency program called PRISM. Under the program, the NSA had direct access to the servers of the biggest tech companies, including Google, Apple and Facebook without their knowledge [4]. Using this direct access, the NSA could collect users’ emails, search history, and file transfers without a court order. Even if you were an American citizen, you could have been subject to this surveillance if your messages ever touched a non-American server.

Snowden explained the horrifying simplicity of the NSA’s programs, stating “I, sitting at my desk, [could] wiretap anyone, from you or your accountant, to a federal judge or even the president, if I had a personal email [5].” This allegation was initially denied by government officials, yet leaked documents showed a program called XKeystore allowed analysts to search enormous databases with just one piece of identifying information [5].

In addition, Snowden revealed NSA phone-tapping of allied leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [6]. These revelations caused an uproar among American allies, particularly in Europe. The NSA also monitored various charity organizations and businesses including UNICEF, the United Nations’ agency dedicated to providing aid to children worldwide and Petrobras, Brazil’s largest oil company.

The Legal Justification

All of these programs were justified by Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act, a bill signed in 2008 that amended the original Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. The 2008 amendment rid FISA of its warrant requirement, allowing the NSA to spy on any foreign communications without a court order. In practice, this meant any communications that touched a foreign server were legally allowed to be collected.

Snowden explained “Even if you sent [a message] to someone within the United States, your wholly domestic communication between you and your wife can go to New York to London and back and get caught up in the database [7].” Because the data had reached a foreign server, no matter how short of a time, the NSA was able to collect, store and potentially analyze that data through Section 702’s legal framework. 

The Effects

A Washington Post investigation found that approximately 90% of account holders in a leaked data cache were ordinary Internet users, with just a tenth of the account holders being NSA targets [8]. These account holders were subject to daily tracking, with NSA analysts having access to intimate conversations unrelated to national security. Put simply, the NSA had access to millions of Americans’ personal data, able to be perused by low-level analysts with little more than an email address.

In addition, government officials’ responses to Snowden’s leaks were swift and severe. Then-Secretary of State John Kerry stated that Snowden’s leaks “told terrorists what they can now do to (avoid) detection [9].” Various other officials agreed with Kerry’s assessment, stating that suspected terrorists had begun changing their communication tactics following Snowden’s revelations [10]. While the NSA claimed that digital surveillance helped prevent over 50 “potential terrorist events,” then-President Obama stated that other methods could have prevented those attacks [11].

Data Privacy vs. Protection

Above all, the NSA has been criticized for conducting digital surveillance beyond the scope of national security. While government officials have stated that the surveillance saved countless lives by preventing terrorist attacks, claims that these programs solely stopped potential terror attacks are dubious. The inappropriate collection of everyday Americans’ data, however, is undeniable. Millions of Americans’ emails, video calls and search histories were readily available to low-level NSA analysts. While Edward Snowden remains a highly controversial figure today, his revelations of mass global surveillance undoubtedly increased Americans’ concern for data privacy. And while some still view Snowden as a criminal or traitor, some see him as a brave whistleblower who revealed just how exposed our data, and our lives, can be.

  1. Ilyushina, Mary. “Edward Snowden Gets Permanent Residency in Russia – Lawyer.” CNN. October 22, 2020. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/22/europe/edward-snowden-russia-residency-intl/index.html.
  1. Ackerman, Spencer. “Edward Snowden Did Enlist for Special Forces, US Army Confirms.” The Guardian. June 10, 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/10/edward-snowden-army-special-forces.
  1. Harding, Luke. “How Edward Snowden Went from Loyal NSA Contractor to Whistleblower.” The Guardian. February 01, 2014. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/01/edward-snowden-intelligence-leak-nsa-contractor-extract.
  1. Greenwald, Glenn, and Ewen MacAskill. “NSA Prism Program Taps in to User Data of Apple, Google and Others.” The Guardian. June 07, 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data.
  1. Greenwald, Glenn. “XKeyscore: NSA Tool Collects ‘nearly Everything a User Does on the Internet’.” The Guardian. July 31, 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/31/nsa-top-secret-program-online-data.
  1. Ball, James, and Nick Hopkins. “GCHQ and NSA Targeted Charities, Germans, Israeli PM and EU Chief.” The Guardian. December 20, 2013. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/20/gchq-targeted-aid-agencies-german-government-eu-commissioner.
  1. Sanders, Katie. “PolitiFact – Fact-checking John Oliver’s Interview with Edward Snowden about NSA Surveillance.” Politifact. April 9, 2015. https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2015/apr/09/edward-snowden/fact-checking-john-olivers-interview-edward-snowde/.
  1. Gellman, Barton, Julie Tate, and Ashkan Soltani. “In NSA-intercepted Data, Those Not Targeted Far Outnumber the Foreigners Who Are.” The Washington Post. July 05, 2014. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/in-nsa-intercepted-data-those-not-targeted-far-outnumber-the-foreigners-who-are/2014/07/05/8139adf8-045a-11e4-8572-4b1b969b6322_story.html.
  1. “Kerry: Edward Snowden Should “man Up” and Come Home.” CBS News. May 28, 2014. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sec-kerry-edward-snowden-should-man-up-and-come-home/.
  1. Nakashima, Ellen, and Greg Miller. “U.S. Officials Worried about Security of Files Snowden Is Thought to Have.” The Washington Post. June 24, 2013. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-officials-worried-about-security-of-files-snowden-is-thought-to-have/2013/06/24/1e036964-dd09-11e2-85de-c03ca84cb4ef_story.html.
  2. Gerstein, Josh. “NSA: PRISM Stopped NYSE Attack.” POLITICO. June 19, 2013. https://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/nsa-leak-keith-alexander-092971.

Another Day, Another Cyberattack: Kaseya Software and the Future of Ransomware

Once again, a major ransomware attack has affected businesses and consumers across the globe. Kaseya, a software company that provides IT infrastructure for managed service providers, was the victim of this latest cyberattack. Over the 2021 Independence Day weekend, REvil, a Russian-based hacker gang sent out a malicious software update to Kaseya’s clients, resulting in up to 1,500 small businesses being compromised[1]. Now, the group is asking for USD 50 million to undo the damage, the largest ransomware demand in history[2].

While the effects on some compromised businesses were minor, others were hit hard. For example, hundreds of grocery stores in Sweden were forced to close after their cash registers became inoperable following the attack, with railways and pharmacies in the country also being affected[3]. Additionally, some New Zealand schools were taken offline because of the attack[4]. This worldwide attack shows how crippling ransomware attacks can be, and highlights the importance of businesses protecting and securing their data.

The History of REvil

REvil, short for Ransomware Evil, is a Russian-based group of cybercriminals that attacks businesses by encrypting their data and rendering it unusable until a ransom is paid to them. Founded in 2019, REvil quickly gained prominence and, recently, has increased the scale of its attacks. While the average ransom demand from REvil was just USD 728,000[5], recent attacks have shown the group’s willingness to aim for more. For example, REvil attacked JBS, a meat processing company, in May. While food shortages were avoided, the company still paid REvil USD 11 million to prevent further supply chain interruptions[6]. Even worse, REvil uses its ransom money to hire new hackers and research new ransomware technology, becoming a thriving business of cybercrime[5]. In just two years, REvil has become a powerful group, launching successful ransomware attacks across the globe.

A Troubling Trend

Unfortunately, the Kaseya attack is just one example of a larger problem faced by businesses around the globe. Hacker groups seek to attack and exploit any business they can by threatening to destroy or leak data unless a massive payment is made. Much worse than simple computer viruses, ransomware attacks can grind business to a halt within hours.

Cyberattacks involving ransomware have increased further in 2021, with recent attacks affecting people and businesses around the globe. In May, an attack on the Colonial Pipeline affected millions of Americans, causing fuel shortages in the Southeast. Even though Colonial Pipeline paid the ransom within hours of the attack, the effect was still felt by millions. 

The Colonial Pipeline attack was just one of the thousands of expected ransomware attacks in 2021[7], and, unfortunately, they show no sign of slowing down. As long as hackers continue to find vulnerabilities in business security, ransomware attacks will continue. With more and more work being done online, data becomes more and more vulnerable. Ransomware attackers can strike at any time, destroying a business’s ability to function. And even if a business pays the ransom, it can take a long period of time to get back to normal. 

So while ransomware prevention can be a headache, it helps make sure you are as protected as possible from attackers. After all, there is nothing hackers love more than a business with lax cybersecurity.

Tips to Prevent Ransomware Attacks

Create and Frequently Update Offline Backups of Data: While this is a time-consuming process, this is the best way to ensure your business can still function if a ransomware attack occurs. Backing up your data offline ensures that if you are affected by ransomware, your important data will be safe from hackers. Simply delete your affected systems and reupload your offline data onto a new system.

Consider Using White Hat Hackers: While hackers have a negative connotation, white hat hackers can help businesses tremendously. They ethically check and test your cybersecurity measures and inform you of any potential vulnerabilities. Once you know the issues, you can fix them and protect your business from the hackers who wish to hurt rather than help.

Update your Antivirus Software: This is the simplest, easiest way to make sure you and your business are protected from ransomware attacks. Each update of antivirus software helps patch vulnerabilities that are present. Staying up-to-date helps ensure you are as protected as possible from unethical hackers who check for holes in security. If your business is on an older version of antivirus software, hackers can find a way past the protection and hold your business hostage. Patching these holes through software updates keeps you safe from old security bugs that attackers often exploit.

The Future of Ransomware

As technology evolves further, unfortunately, so do the practices of unethical hackers. Every day, businesses and individuals put data at risk of cyberattacks. While businesses and antivirus softwares try to ensure every security vulnerability is patched, hackers may still find a way to attack. However, following the tips mentioned before and safeguarding your data can make you less likely to become a victim of a ransomware attack.

Unfortunately, if attackers obtain data and threaten to sell or leak it unless a ransom is paid, a business has few options other than paying the ransom or losing the data. Once attackers have access to the data, there is not much a business can do. This is why the best defense against ransomware is prevention. Taking the time to secure your data, update your software, and find vulnerabilities will increase your protection from cybercriminals who wish to wreak havoc on a business.

Securing Your Data

At AXEL, we believe data privacy is a right. Unlike other tech companies, we will never sell your data to third parties, helping ensure your data is only yours. Our file-sharing application, AXEL Go, uses blockchain technology and AES 256-bit encryption to provide the most secure cloud-sharing system in the industry. Whether for business or personal use, AXEL Go helps protect your most important files. 

Sign up today to receive a free 14-day trial of our Premium service with all of AXEL Go’s features unlocked. After the trial period, you can choose to continue your Premium account for just $9.99/month or use our Basic service free of charge. Together, we can help protect data from malicious attackers.

[1] “Up to 1,500 Businesses Compromised by Latest Ransomware Attack, Kaseya CEO Says.” CBS News. July 06, 2021. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ransomware-attack-kaseya-1500-businesses/.

[2] “In Private Conversation, Hackers behind Massive Ransomware Outbreak Lower Demand to $50 Million.” CNBC. July 05, 2021. http://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/05/revil-hackers-behind-massive-ransomware-outbreak-drop-demand-to-50m.html.

[3] Browning, Kellen. “Hundreds of Businesses, From Sweden to U.S., Affected by Cyberattack.” The New York Times. July 03, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/02/technology/cyberattack-businesses-ransom.html.

[4] Satter, Raphael. “Up to 1,500 Businesses Affected by Ransomware Attack, U.S. Firm’s CEO Says.” Reuters. July 05, 2021. http://www.reuters.com/technology/hackers-demand-70-million-liberate-data-held-by-companies-hit-mass-cyberattack-2021-07-05/

[5] Javers, Eamon. “Axis of REvil: What We Know about the Hacker Collective Taunting Apple.” CNBC. April 23, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/23/axis-of-revil-inside-the-hacker-collective-taunting-apple.html.

[6] Bunge, Jacob. “JBS Paid $11 Million to Resolve Ransomware Attack.” The Wall Street Journal. June 10, 2021. https://www.wsj.com/articles/jbs-paid-11-million-to-resolve-ransomware-attack-11623280781.

[7] Hum, Thomas. “Over 65,000 Ransomware Attacks Expected in 2021: Former Cisco CEO.” Yahoo! Finance. June 14, 2021. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/over-65000-ransomware-attacks-expected-in-2021-former-cisco-ceo-125100793.html.

Digital Assistants are Invading your Privacy

Digital assistants have been a part of daily life for millions of people since Apple acquired Siri in 2011 and integrated it into the iPhone 4s. Now, all the big players are in the game. Google, Amazon, and Facebook are competing to be the consumer’s choice for in-home digital help. While the commercials make them look convenient and nearly indispensable for modern life, the truth is users are inviting Big Tech surveillance into their most private moments. In this blog, we’ll make the argument that you should think twice before using one of these services.

Privacy nightmares

The digital assistant marketplace is pretty crowded. Although many smaller companies and startups are coming up with solutions in the space, Apple’s Siri, the Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Facebook Portal dominate the sector. All of Big Tech wants to have an always-on, AI-enabled voice recorder in your home. The question consumer should be asking themselves is ‘Why?’

Well, first off, it’s a growing industry. The market size is over $3 billion this year, and analysts believe it could grow to be an over $40 billion industry by 2027[1]. Obviously, this type of explosive growth is going to attract Big Tech investment.

But what other incentives are there? Well, we know that all of the major tech corporations have had issues with privacy violations in the past. Even Apple, which makes its money from hardware sales and has less reason to harvest mass amounts of user data, has had public privacy issues. To their credit, they at least seem to listen to privacy advocates and either change their policies or at least make them transparent. Unfortunately, you cannot say the same for the others in the space.

Amazon wants to sell more retail items and therefore wants as clear of a profile as possible on its users. That way, it can advertise to them more efficiently. Google and Facebook are even worse. Their entire business models revolve around offering free services to consumers. Nearly all of their revenue comes from personalized advertising. Thus, they have the biggest incentive to collect and analyze everything their customers do while using their products (and many times even after they’re finished using them!)

The pitch

So knowing that these companies don’t take privacy seriously, why do they keep attracting new users? They make a compelling pitch about modern convenience. We live in a society where time is at a premium, and any new gadget that can save a few precious moments is the next best thing. Digital assistants use voice commands, so users don’t have to type out questions or commands. Instead of tapping through a few screens on your phone, you can simply say ‘Call Grandma, ’ and before you know it, you’re chatting with granny about all the birds she’s seen in the yard that week.

This kind of functionality is powerful. You can make and begin music playlists for the big dinner party, schedule appointments on your calendar, or even integrate digital assistants into your smart home. Then, adjusting the thermostat or checking on the oven timer is easier than ever before. But just stop and think for a moment. How much time are you actually saving? Tapping a few buttons is already much more convenient than any previous generation. Suppose your swing-dancing, bird aficionado grandma wanted to make a playlist for a party. In that case, she’d need to have the records she wanted to play at the ready and manually change them out continuously. Sitting at a computer and pulling out your phone, and tinkering for five minutes is already so much easier. In our opinion, the marginal utility you gain from digital assistants is not enough to overcome the privacy issues.

The issue

The main problem with these devices is that they never stop listening as long as they receive power. They may not be recording until they hear the ‘activation word’ (typically some version of ‘Hey!’), but they always listen for that phrase. So, that in of itself is more than a little creepy. But, it opens you up to opportunistic hackers. If a malicious agent wanted to, they could exploit a vulnerability in the device’s software and then have full access to your personal conversations. In the case of the Facebook Portal, which comes equipped standard with a high-definition camera, a bad actor could gain access to video of your home. The truth is, this technology isn’t foolproof either. The devices can mishear the activation word and begin recording conversations you’d prefer to remain private.

Even if a hacker doesn’t actively target you for surveillance, the open secret about digital assistants is that a representative from the manufacturer’s company could be listening to you. They all are known to employ people to do randomized quality assurance checks. In fact, some have heard about the users’ illicit activities! In some jurisdictions, recordings from digital assistants can be used against you in a court of law[2]. Talk about an unwelcome snitch.

Overall, we believe that if you have any concerns about your privacy at all, don’t use a digital assistant. Do things the old-fashioned way (from 2010) and use your fingers. It may mean an extra 15 seconds multiple times throughout the day, but you get the peace of mind of knowing that your private moments aren’t compromised.

Privacy first

AXEL believes that privacy is a right and that tech companies shouldn’t infringe on it. This philosophy drives the development process of all of our software solutions, like AXEL Go. AXEL Go is a secure, private file storage and sharing platform. It gives you the power to choose precisely how private you want your files to be and never collects your personal information or mines your content. Try it now for free and receive a 14-day trial of our Premium service. All of the fantastic features are unlocked and you can see for yourself that tech products and privacy don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Take back control of your data with AXEL Go.

[1] Sneha Korad, Rachita Rake, Vineet Kumar, “Global Intelligent Virtual Assistant Market”, AlliedMarketResearch.com, 2020, www.alliedmarketresearch.com/intelligent-virtual-assistant-market

[2] Erica Vowles, Jeremy Story Carter, “Your Google Home or Fitbit could be used against you in court”, ABC.net.au, March 8, 2018, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-09/your-google-home-or-fit-bit-could-be-used-against-you-in-court/9510368

Breaking Down Biden’s Executive Order on Cybersecurity

On the heels of two of the largest hacks in United States history (SolarWinds and Microsoft Exchange Server), President Biden released an executive order on May 12th dealing with cybersecurity. Let’s dig into what’s in the order and how it could affect the nation’s cyber defense strategy.

The breakdown – Remove barriers to sharing information

IT contractors collect a vast amount of data every day for federal government agencies. Due to contractual obligations and restrictions, however, these agencies don’t share this data freely with each other. This can lead to knowledge gaps and situations where agencies can’t put together a complete picture of a threat. This executive order seeks to eliminate these knowledge gaps by amending service provider contracts and streamlining the information-sharing process.  

AXEL Commentary: Since organizations are already collecting this data, ensuring a pipeline for sharing seems like a good idea. The caveat is that there were no specifics as to what is actually being collected daily. For example, are they tracking international or domestic actors? Both? Does it violate privacy or civil liberties? When you’re talking about the U.S. Government surveilling people under the guise of national security, the track record is spotty, to say the least.

Modernize federal cybersecurity

There are no reasons given why the current cybersecurity protocols are lagging, but let’s assume that the Administration is correct that the government isn’t on the cutting-edge of cyber defense. Of course, you’d hope this assumption wouldn’t apply to agencies dealing with crucial defense systems such as nuclear weapons, but…

The main priority of this section is to migrate federal computer systems to cloud-based options that integrate ‘Zero Trust Architecture.’ Zero Trust networks eliminate the concept of an ‘edge’ and require all users, whether they connect through a local or cloud-based node, to validate and provide the necessary credentials to maintain access.

AXEL Commentary: Zero Trust Architecture is an excellent idea in an ideal world. In reality, thus far, it’s proven to be little more than the go-to buzzword for IT department heads. The cost of updating legacy systems to the Zero Trust model would be prohibitive. The Administration is talking about updating all federal networks to this method. Knowing how slow government can be to upgrade, it seems infeasible that Zero Trust security can be implemented holistically any time in the near future. The technical difficulties combined with the eventual re-training efforts required would be enormous.

Solidify security throughout the software supply chain

As the recent hacks proved, federal agencies often rely on private third-party vendors for their software solutions. These solutions typically aren’t developed with cybersecurity as the main priority, leaving critical systems susceptible to attack. This order aims to incentivize organizations throughout the supply chain to harden their security systems.

AXEL Commentary: Again, it comes down to the question of practicality. The order prioritizes this initiative specifically for ‘critical systems, so the scope is at least somewhat limited. It certainly makes sense to ensure software providers for important systems prioritize security. The details for how this would actually play out are scarce, but there is some optimism that it can be accomplished.

Create a Cyber Safety Review Board

This order establishes the framework for a Cyber Safety Review Board. Members on the board would assess ‘significant cyber events’ taking place on national networks and recommend remediation procedures or tips for future prevention.

AXEL Commentary: Jokes about the unstoppable expansion of governmental bureaucracy aside, it’s surprising such a committee doesn’t already exist. Cyber-attacks have been a national security threat for decades, so you’d figure there would be a board that analyzes attacks, but evidently not. However, depending on the competence of those assigned to this committee, it could help with future incidents.

Standardize cyber incident response across agencies

The Administration wants to unify the response guidelines for federal agencies to provide a coherent interdepartmental plan. This would result in a more coordinated response with standardized incident logging procedures, making analysis and cooperation easier.

AXEL Commentary: Theoretically, this change could be beneficial. It depends on how different the systems of individual agencies are, however. If one department’s specific network requires a significantly different and more tailored response, making it a ‘one-size-fits-all’ situation could hamper remediation efforts. Unified logging procedures are a good idea in any case.

Improve vulnerability detection capabilities

0-day, or previously unknown, exploits are a common way hackers breach sensitive networks. The executive action looks to deploy more resources toward vulnerability detection.

AXEL Commentary: The specifics of the ‘how’ here aren’t detailed. Is the government going to employ teams of penetration testers who search out a systems’ weak points? Hopefully, because that’s the best way to find exploits. Of course, this assumes there are people in federal agencies that have the skills to tackle the task. If not, the lag between finding, clearing, hiring, and deploying the necessary white hat hackers could be considerable.

And, those are the main points of the executive action. There are a few other sections, but they piggyback and expand upon these goals. If you’d like to read the entire document for yourself, visit whitehouse.gov and do so. Let us know if you think we left out anything important! Overall, it’s an interesting plan that sounds great on paper. It’s hard to argue that the United States doesn’t need to overhaul its cybersecurity practices.

As always, the devil is in the details. How exactly will the plan’s implementation go? Will it be funded adequately? What problems will agencies run into along the way? Only time will tell, but we hope for a resounding success.

AXEL: Secure solutions for your organization

Most software products aren’t geared toward robust cybersecurity, and the United States government agrees. AXEL provides an alternate path that provides high-tech security without sacrificing usability. The secure, private file-sharing and cloud storage platform, AXEL Go, embodies this philosophy. Developed with integrated blockchain technology, InterPlanetary File System integration, and 256-bit encryption capabilities, AXEL Go is the best way to share and store files online safely. Try it out today and receive a 14-day free trial of our premium service. You’ll see how easy cybersecurity can be. So, stop waiting for a data breach and protect your organization with AXEL Go.

The 2021 Guide to Online Privacy

According to a 2019 survey, nearly three-quarters of Americans are “more alarmed than ever” about their online privacy[1]. This concern is well deserved, as it seems every day there’s another story about shady corporate data collection policies or a major data breach.

So, how can you protect yourself? Luckily, you don’t have to live off the grid without electricity while hoarding military surplus MREs from the Cold War to prevent total surveillance. While most of the Big Tech offerings don’t make user privacy a top priority, some alternatives do. Here, we’ll look into the common ways you can stay private online.

Web Browsers

The most popular web browser, by far, is Google Chrome[2]. Unfortunately, it’s also the worst for privacy. In fact, you may notice a running theme throughout this guide; stop using Google! Google is one of the top privacy offenders, and its suite of software and services is absolutely massive, so you probably use them frequently. Safer ways to surf the web include the following solutions.

Firefox. Developed by the non-profit Mozilla corporation, Firefox provides a wealth of privacy settings. However, many of these options are not on by default, so you will want to dig into them a bit to set things up how you want.

Safari. This is the standard web browser for iOS and macOS. As far as Big Tech companies go, Apple stands out as being better about privacy than the others, which holds true for its browser. Again, you will need to optimize the settings for privacy, but the interface is clear and intuitive. Apple makes its money from high-priced hardware, so it has less incentive to collect and sell as much data as possible.

Brave. Brave is a newcomer to the browser game, and it has made its name on protecting privacy. It blocks ads, trackers, scripts, and more. It offers high-performance compared to its competition too! However, there are two caveats; It serves you ads by default (although you get paid for viewing them and you can disable them), and it’s built off of the Chromium browser, which uses the same code base as the nefarious Chrome. On the plus side, this does make it compatible with popular Chrome extensions, so it really boils down to your risk-reward calculations.

Search Engines

Stop using Google! Just don’t. Now, for some searches, Google will likely return better results. But for the vast majority of occasions, one of the following alternatives will get the job done without tracking your every move.

DuckDuckGo. This is easily the most usable privacy search engine. It has most of the same features (Videos/Images/News/etc.) as Google, and they never track your behavior. It doesn’t employ invasive algorithms either; it parses search results via a simple traffic calculation, so you also don’t get the censorship prevalent on Google.

For most users, DuckDuckGo is going to be the way to go. Other privacy search engines are significantly more niche, but we’ll still cover a few of the more interesting ones.

Ecosia. This is a front-end for the Bing search engine, but it ditches the trackers associated with Microsoft’s product. So, you get the power of Bing without the drawbacks. One of the more novel aspects of this solution is that the Ecosia organization plants trees when you use it. Of course, to fund this, you have to deal with ads, but at least you’re not being surveilled.

Peekier. Peekier says it’s “The most privacy-oriented search engine,” and its official privacy policy is impressive. It uses its own algorithm and generates results with thumbnail images of the sites themselves. So, it’s aesthetically pleasing, albeit a bit more bandwidth-hungry (just something to be aware of if you’re dealing with low data caps from your internet service provider.)

SearX. This is a very interesting option that’s completely decentralized. In fact, you can set up your own instance of the search engine to help out with the project! It has helpful advanced search capabilities that can assist with finding particular files. Unfortunately, it’s also the least user-friendly (you have to click on an instance before searching) and can be buggy. Still, it’s definitely one to keep an eye out for if the team can iron out the kinks.

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

One of the easiest ways to hide your location and identifying information when online is to invest in a VPN. They’re starting to become mainstream, as you’ve probably heard advertisements for them on your favorite podcast or YouTube channel.

With a VPN, you’re using a service that masks your network’s IP address. So, trackers online think the computer is in a completely different part of the world. Another benefit is the data sent between your computer and websites is encrypted and unreadable to would-be snoops. We recommend everyone use a VPN if they want to remain private on the internet. Many VPN providers are available, and we encourage you to do your own research about which is suitable for you. A quick DuckDuckGo search should put you on the correct path (see what we did there?)

Android vs. iOS

As we previously detailed, Apple is generally better with privacy. Android, a Google product, is pretty hopeless out of the box, but if you’re a tech whiz, it can be improved. If you need to get an Android phone for compatibility or price reasons, we recommend getting one you can install custom ROMs on and download a third-party privacy-based operating system. This isn’t for the everyday user and only works on specific phone models. The most popular privacy ROMs are LineageOS, CalyxOS, and GrapheneOS.

The first two attempt to replicate the functionality of Android while maintaining a semblance of privacy. GrapheneOS, on the other hand, goes much further and is recommended by people such as Edward Snowden. Be warned, while this will provide the most privacy possible, many people will be put off by the learning curve and lack of features/common applications.

There aren’t many non-Android or iOS alternatives. You could try out the Linux-based PINEPHONE, which offers a pared-down Linux experience and physical switches that can turn off the cellular radios, microphones, and more. It’s an inexpensive way to get robust privacy, but again, you will experience tradeoffs in usability.

One more privacy tip regarding your cellphones; don’t go with the major carriers. They will undoubtedly run credit checks and require all of your personal information when you sign up. Avoid these invasions by going with prepaid services. With these, you typically don’t have to give up any personal data if you don’t want to, and you can buy refills with cash at a variety of retail stores. They also tend to be significantly less expensive overall, and you’re also not locked into a burdensome contract. Furthermore, they all use the same networks that the big names do. It’s a no-brainer!

Alternative methods of payment

One of the worst feelings is seeing unaccounted-for charges on your credit card statements. It’s a hassle to reverse, and you may be without the stolen funds for days or weeks before it gets sorted out. It’s a situation that seems all too common in modern times, and most people accept it as a necessary hazard when putting your credit card information online. This doesn’t have to be the case!

You can protect your banking information by using payment services that provide users with masked credit card numbers. Companies like Abine Blur let you load up prepaid virtual cards that can be used anywhere (even for booking hotels). For privacy-conscious people, it allows the peace of mind that’s so sought after when making online purchases.

Social Media

Social media is tough to replace. The first recommendation we have is not to use Facebook. For businesses and those wanting to keep in touch with friends, this is a tricky proposition. If you don’t absolutely need it, however, do not use it. If you must, only put the bare minimum amount of personal information on it. There have been multiple scandals and instances of Zuckerberg’s company selling user data and behavior analysis to third parties without consent. This goes for its popular acquisitions, too, such as Instagram and WhatsApp.

As far as other platforms go, we recommend:

Invidious. This is a YouTube front-end that doesn’t track your behavior. It has other great features, such as the ability to download videos in various formats/qualities. Invidious also blocks all advertisements, and you can listen to the audio when the screen is turned off, making it fantastic for podcasts.

Like SearX for search engines, you have to use a specific instance, and we recommend www.yewtu.be, which doesn’t have much downtime. With this instance, you can even create an account not linked to your identity where you can maintain subscriptions to your favorite content creators. It’s the best way to enjoy YouTube.

Mastodon. Mastodon is a Twitter replacement that’s fully decentralized. It’s an open-source project that is entirely un-monetized. So, you’ll never see advertisements or promoted posts, and there’s no incentive to collect data since it won’t be sold. Of course, the community isn’t as large as Twitter’s, but it is growing steadily and is engaging enough to try out.

Messaging

Messing apps are an important way to talk to friends and family without using insecure SMS text messages. However, if you’re using Big Tech solutions like Facebook Messenger, GChat, or even the end-to-end encrypted WhatsApp (owned by Facebook), your communications aren’t necessarily private. If you want a more secure messaging app, use open-source, encrypted options like Telegram and Signal.

File sharing

Sending and storing files via the cloud is a convenient way to have all your documents at your fingertips. However, if you use common programs like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive, your content is also at the greedy fingertips of Big Tech. Prevent corporate surveillance and data mining by using the decentralized, distributed AXEL Go.

AXEL Go combines secure blockchain technology, the InterPlanetary File System, and hardened military-grade encryption to provide the best privacy platform for sharing and storing your data. Sign up today and receive a free 14-day trial of our Premium service with all features unlocked.

The privacy revolution

As you can see, protecting your digital privacy isn’t impossible. You may have to make concessions or change your daily workflow a bit, but with the growing community around privacy-based software and services, you can stay out of the watchful gaze of Big Tech while still enjoying the utility of the internet.  We hope you give some of our suggestions a shot and see that the current reality of corporate surveillance and censorship doesn’t have to carry on into the future.

With your help, we can usher in a new era of the internet that delivers on its initial promise of expanding human interaction and knowledge without privacy issues. Join the privacy revolution. Change the world.

[1] Statista, “Share of internet users who are more alarmed than ever about their online privacy vs. their willingness to accept certain risks to their online privacy to make their life more convenient as of December 2019, by country”, Statista.com, Dec. 2019, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1023952/global-opinion-concern-internet-privacy-risk-convenience/

[2] Statista, “Market share held by leading desktop internet browsers in the United States from January 2015 to March 2021”, Statista.com, March 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/272697/market-share-desktop-internet-browser-usa/

How to Rebuild Trust in Tech

It’s safe to say that reality has not lived up to the utopian vision of a highly advanced technological society. The optimism present in the 80s during the microchip boom and again in the 90s with the internet revolution has given way to a rather dreary outlook. This pessimistic view has various causes, including the proliferation of mass surveillance systems and the overall erosion of fundamental privacy rights. Can this be fixed? AXEL believes it can, but tech corporations will have to pursue alternative business models and practices for it to happen.  Let’s look at how we got into this mess and how we can get out of it.

Initial promise leads to technocratic dystopia?

So, where did this pessimism come from recently? After all, it was only a decade ago that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was touting his social media platform as a way for people all over the world to connect meaningfully. Social media and the convenience of Big Tech services were supposed to advance the human race. And, for a while, it appeared like they might. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter helped facilitate significant historical events, such as the 2010 Arab Spring[1]. However, as the years passed, it became apparent that these services had a darker side.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal first reported on in 2015 was the tipping point. It’s where Facebook got caught selling vast amounts of its users’ personal information to the data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica. This firm used the data in an attempt to influence the outcome of the 2016 United States elections. While it is unknown exactly how successful this was (after all, Ted Cruz’s ill-fated campaign was the first to use this data), what was obvious is that Facebook collected and sold an alarming amount of information without consent.

Looking back, people should have known all along. Enormous tech platforms require thousands of skilled employees and significant backend infrastructure to maintain. Since they are typically free to use, how do they make money? Personalized advertising due to mass surveillance.

Trust in Big Tech hits all-time lows

Since the Cambridge Analytica scandal, education regarding how Big Tech analyzes and sells data has improved. The average consumer now understands that there shouldn’t be an expectation of privacy when using these services. In fact, according to a 2020 survey, over 85% of people are “very concerned” about how companies like Facebook and Google handle their personal data[2]. We feel this is a great trend, but there will need to be an aggressive demand from consumers for better privacy protections for any actual progress. The unfortunate truth is that even if there is a tacit understanding of the current reality, consumers either feel trapped in the situation or are otherwise willing to put up with the status quo.

This is evidenced by a 2019 panel discussion where business leaders and academics talked about the ethics of data collection[3]. Throughout the roundtable, the majority of the audience and the panel itself agreed to give up their privacy for small monetary benefits.

We believe this line of thinking is short-sighted and naïve. One point that kept coming up was that most trusted the firms collecting their data not to misuse it and to protect it. We know from countless stories that neither of these assumptions is prudent. Not only will companies sell data without consent, but they can’t guarantee hackers won’t pilfer it illicitly. Even organizations spending adequate resources on cybersecurity get compromised routinely. Many of the largest businesses in the world have had terrible breaches. Putting that kind of faith in Big Tech’s trustworthiness will only end in disappointment.

The way forward

As a company that values user privacy, here are our tips for ushering in a new era of tech that delivers on the optimistic vision of previous generations:

Opt-in for advertising rather than opt-out. So far, organizations attempting to remedy privacy concerns have relied on providing opt-out clauses for data collection. We feel this puts the burden on the consumers, who tend to be busy. Most people don’t read privacy policies or want to click through a maze of links to get to the opt-out page. Privacy should be the default. If there really are benefits worthy of people giving up their personal info, the company should state their case clearly and provide a link to opt-in to the advertising.

Move away from free-to-use business models. We’ve covered this topic in a previous blog, but it’s a necessary shift if people truly value privacy. Free software and services create bad incentives to misuse data because it’s the only way to monetize users. This can be alleviated by normalizing paid software again. Consumers didn’t always have the expectation of free software. With a coordinated education outreach, paid software may make a comeback.

Transparency. One of the most disturbing aspects of the Cambridge Analytica scandal was that Facebook sold information without consent. If an organization wants to offer free services to those who opt-in to personalized advertising, it should go the extra mile and be transparent about how it uses that data. This would lead to fewer surprises and major scandals. Users could make informed decisions and weigh the tradeoffs accordingly.

AXEL leads the way

At AXEL, we provide data storage and sharing solutions that prioritize privacy and security. Not only is our leading platform, AXEL Go, built with secure implementations of blockchain technology, decentralized servers, and robust encryption, but our entire data collection policy centers around the philosophy that less is more. Just take a look at AXEL Go compared to other popular cloud drives. AXEL does not collect data linked to your identity. Period.

You can sign up for a free trial of our Premium AXEL Go service today and get the peace of mind that nobody is mining your content or selling your data. We can bring about change together. Join the privacy revolution.

Jose Antonio Vargas, “How an Egyptian Revolution Began on Facebook”, The New York Times, Feb. 17, 2012, https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/books/review/how-an-egyptian-revolution-began-on-facebook.html

[2] Allen Bernard, “Most consumers do not trust big tech with their privacy”, TechRepublic, July 29, 2020,  https://www.techrepublic.com/article/most-consumers-do-not-trust-big-tech-with-their-privacy/

[3] “How can we rebuild trust in the digital world? A discussion with Professor Michael Sandel”, Fujitsu.com, May 16,2019, https://www.fujitsu.com/global/vision/insights/201905event/