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Tracking your lost Android

Friday, December 5th, 2014
In a previous article we explained how you can track your Windows phone. This time around we look at Android tracking services

A. GOOGLE SERVICES

Requirements:

  • Your device is connected with your Google account.
  • Your device has access to the internet.
  • Allow Android Device Manager (ADM) to locate your device (turned on by default). This can changed in the Google Settings app.
  • Allow ADM to lock your device and erase its data (turned off by default).

Android Device Manager is a Google’s official and easy-to-use tool to track your Android phone or tablet. The best thing about it is that you don’t need to install an application to be able to track your devices. The only requirement is that your device is connected to your Google account, turned on and connected to the internet.

Besides tracking, letting your phone ring and wiping your phone (which has to be enabled manually), Android Device Manager doesn’t offer more options to remote control your phone. Hopefully, Google will work on that and offer more features, such as taking pictures in case it got stolen and you want to know who took it.

In case there’s no laptop around when you lose your device, you can also use someone else’s Android phone to track it. Instead of using the mobile browser, you can also use the Android Device Manager app. You can sign in using the guest mode and your Google account credentials. Now you should be able to track your lost device, let it ring or wipe its data.

  1. Activate the service on your phone
  2. Make sure Google Maps location services is enabled (www.google.com/android/devicemanager)

More information can be found here.

B. SAMSUNG TRACKING SERVICES 

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C. AVAST MOBILE SECURITY

[Free]

The anti-theft feature for this antivirus is actually a hidden component which can be remotely controlled via SMS commands sent from another phone or through the Web. You can log into Web controls to perform mobile tracking and/or give your phone commands.

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D. AVG ANTIVIRUS

[Free]

Besides protecting your devices from virus attacks, it also can locate your lost or stolen phone via Google Maps and lock your device to protect your privacy via a text message. If your phone or tablet is stolen or missing, you can also set a lock screen message to help the locator find you and make your device ring even when it’s on silent mode.

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E. NORTON MOBILE SECURITY LITE

[Free; Pro $29.99]

This software can give you total protection for all your devices. Lost devices can be located on a map, and the Pro version gives you a scream alarm to help you find your missing device. A nifty trick it has is that the phone is automatically locked once the SIM card is removed. It also backs up your data which can be easily restored.

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F. KASPERSKY MOBILE SECURITY

[$4.95]

This one has plenty of anti-theft protection, with remote block, remote wipe and device-tracking capabilities via GPS, Wi-Fi and Google Maps even if your SIM card has been replaced. Unwanted or unknown calls and text messages can also be blocked, and it lets you hide certain information from friends and family who borrow your phone for use.

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G. MCAFEE ANTIVIRUS 7 SECURITY

[Free to download; $30 a year to keep]

Here’s the award-winning software that will keep your smartphone safe from the inside out. It comes as a 7-day free trial but to keep it on your phone, it’s a $30/year subscription. For that sum, you get the regular anti-theft protection, antivirus protection, plus data backup and restore functions.

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H. LOOKOUT SECURITY 7 ANTIVIRUS

[Free; Premium: $2.99/month]

You can find your lost phone on Google Maps, sound a loud alarm (even from silent mode) and lock your phone remotely with this app. In the event that your phone has run out of battery, it will notify you of its last known location. Also has an automated backup and restore function which can be accessed from the website.

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I. ANDROID LOST FREE

[Free]

This app is not only perfect for finding your lost phone, it will also torment the thief (something which we’re sure they fully deserve). You can activate (via SMS or the Web) the alarm to ring with a flashing screen, enable and disable the GPS, data and Wi-Fi connection, remote wipe the SD card, and get their latest call list.

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 [Information supplied by M.Ridoh Rylands, IT HUB]

 

Google Chrome, portals and poodles

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014

At the end of October Google announced plans to disable fall back to version 3 of the SSL protocol in Chrome 39, and remove SSL 3.0 completely in Chrome 40. The decision follows the company’s disclosure of a serious security vulnerability in SSL 3.0 on October 14, the attack it dubbed Padding Oracle On Downgraded Legacy Encryption (POODLE). [SOURCE: www.venturebeat.com]

What does this mean in understandable language?

Some SU webpages were built on the Oracle infrastructure and make use of SSL protocol. This means that, if you use Google Chrome as your default browser, you might have problems accessing certain information. If you go to my.sun.ac.za and want to browse to Sun-e-HR, Exam results, meal reservations, etc. you might not be successful.

However, if you use Firefox or Internet Explorer, you won’t experience any hiccups. Alternatively you can use m.sun.ac.za to access selected options. This is only a temporary issue.

Information Technology will be working on a solution which involves an upgrade of portal software over this weekend. Due to this maintenance, some services will not be available from Saturday, 6 December at 12:00, as well as the whole of Sunday.

Services affected are all portal applications, my.sun.ac.za, Sun-e-HR, etc. OIC will also be down, therefore no payments can be made and the change password functionality will also not be available.

We hope to complete this action as soon as possible and provide a better service to users when it’s completed.

For any enquiries, send e-mail to helpinfo@sun.ac.za or call x4367.

Latest phishing scam

Thursday, November 27th, 2014

Scammers will even use something negative to ply their trade. With the South African Post Office strike going on for 3 months, companies that usually made use of the Post Office are resorting to using couriers to do deliveries. Scammers have made use of this and are flooding e-mail boxes (and sending scam SMSs) with messages from “courier companies” – like Fed-Ex and DHL – about parcels that need to be delivered. These mails trick you into filling in personal details on a  website to obtain the tracking code, or to download an attachment containing details of the shipment etc. Some might even address you personally.

In all cases these are phishing and spear-phishing attacks, no links or attached files should ever be clicked on or opened up as they might contain malware, compromise your security and personal details. In one particular case I received a mail from FedEx ( I was expecting a parcel) that was addressed to me personally, and only my naturally suspicious nature protected my computer from being infected with a particularly nasty Trojan virus. I was lucky this time but it only takes a click, opening up a infected attachment to ruin your day!

Please be very careful when receiving mail from couriers, especially if you are expecting deliveries. In most cases companies will contact you directly on your phone number or the original sending company will send you a tracking number to trace the progress of the parcel.

Lost your phone?

Friday, November 21st, 2014

It’s nerve-wracking when you can’t find your phone – whether it’s really lost or just stuck down the back of your settee. Over the next few weeks, we’ll give you all the information you need to protect and track your phone and your information.

First up this week, Windows phones.

Find My Phone can help lay your worries to rest when your phone has suddenly disappeared off the face of the earth. This free service in the My Phone section of windowsphone.com can ring, lock, erase or show your phone on a map from any Internet-connected computer. Find My Phone makes it easier to recover your phone – or to prevent someone from using it without your permission.

To learn more about what you can do at My Phone – such as seeing your OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) pictures and reinstalling applications – see My Phone FAQ.

Note

If you’re having trouble getting Find My Phone to work, see Error messages when using Find My Phone on windowsphone.com/my in Microsoft Support.

1. To map your phone’s location

  1. On your computer, open a web browser and go to windowsphone.com.
  2. Navigate to the My Phone drop-down menu, located in the top-right corner of the screen, then sign in with the same Windows Live ID you use on your phone.
  3. In the My Phone menu, click Find My Phone.
  4. Click Find My Phone, then follow the instructions in the dialogue box (you’ll only need to do this once – after that, your phone will automatically show up on the map when you go to Find My Phone).
  5. If your computer is connected to a printer, click Print to make a hard copy of your phone’s location.

Tips

    • Not seeing the latest location? Click Refresh.
    • If you’ve scrolled the map and lost track of your phone’s location on it, click Centre on map.

2. To make your phone ring

  1. On your computer, open a web browser and go to windowsphone.com.
  2. Navigate to the My Phone drop-down menu, located in the top-right corner of the screen, then sign in with the same Windows Live ID you use on your phone.
  3. In the My Phone menu, click Find My Phone.
  4. Click Ring, then follow the instructions in the dialogue box (you’ll only need to do this the first time you ring your phone).

Tip

    • When you ring your phone, it will ring even if the volume is off or it’s on vibrate mode.

3. To lock your phone and show a message

  1. On your computer, open a web browser and go to windowsphone.com.
  2. Navigate to the My Phone drop-down menu, located in the top-right corner of the screen, then sign in with the same Windows Live ID you use on your phone.
  3. In the My Phone menu, click Find My Phone.
  4. Click Lock, then follow the instructions in the dialogue box. If you don’t already have a password set up on your phone, you’ll need to enter one – you’ll use it to unlock the phone when you get it back. You can also type a message to display on your phone’s screen. Typically you’d enter an alternative phone number or an email address, so someone who finds your phone can contact you.

4. To erase your phone

  1. On your computer, open a web browser and go to windowsphone.com.
  2. Navigate to the My Phone drop-down menu, located in the top-right corner of the screen, then sign in with the same Windows Live ID you use on your phone.
  3. In the My Phone menu, click Find My Phone.
  4. Click Erase. On the confirmation screen, do one of the following:
    • To start erasing your phone, select I’m sure! Please erase my phone now, then click Erase.
    • If you’ve changed your mind, click Cancel.

WARNING

Be careful! This is your last chance to back out.

Note

It’s a good idea to let your mobile operator know that you’ve lost your phone.

5. To change settings for Find My Phone

You can set up Find My Phone to save your location every few hours or to use push notifications instead of text messages to send commands to your phone. Change these settings on your phone, not on your computer.

  1. On Start, flick left to the Application list, then press Settings.
  2. Press Find My Phone.
  3. Select one or both of the following:
    • Connect to these features faster (may use more battery). The Find My Phone service uses text messaging to send commands to your phone. Check this option to use push notifications instead. Why? Push notifications can be faster than text messages, and if your mobile operator charges you for each incoming text message, push notifications might also be cheaper. Also, My Phone can only send 15 text messages to your phone in a three-day period. With push notifications, there’s no limit.
    • Save my location every few hours for better mapping. Microsoft can save your phone’s location details every few hours so that if your phone is out of range or the battery dies, we can still show your phone’s last-known location on a map.

In two weeks’ time we’ll look at tracking on Android, Blackberry and Apple phones.

[Information supplied by M.Ridoh Rylands, IT HUB]

Even e-mails can be hijacked

Friday, November 21st, 2014

1102037_mailOver the past few weeks we’ve recorded an unsettling increase in phishing incidents at IT. This isn’t a new occurrence. Earlier this year a similar incident occurred at Tygerberg campus.

However, the risk of phishing is increasing rapidly due to our increased usage of social media with sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. These large websites are targeted as they provide an ample amount of user data to be harvested.

To access all these sites you also need a username and password and unfortunately most people have the tendency to consistently use the same password. By doing this, you make it easier for a cyber-criminal to, not only access your social networks, but other information as well. When you also use your sun e-mail address, you expose Stellenbosch University.

If a cyber-criminal gains access to your sun inbox, he not only has access to your own and SU information, but he can also send mass e-mails to anyone from your name. As a result SU e-mail servers are flooded by huge amounts of e-mails and this affects all users on campus negatively.

Secondly, it can also cause damage to your reputation since you’re the sender, even if you’re not responsible. Your address might even be blocked on our servers due to your unknowing behaviour.

In a recent incident IT only became aware of a staff member who fell victim to phishing after the office of the Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa, laid a complaint.

Never use your SU username or password to access any external website. Rather register your own, unique address at Google (www.gmail.com), Yahoo or any other free e-mail service. By doing this, you’ll ensure that your private and work information stays separate and the risk of exposing SU systems and sensitive information will be decreased.

Additional information regarding phishing can also be found on our wiki.

 

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