INTERNET SECURITY
t looks like there are some big changes
afoot for the internet in 2020, most of
which will be welcome to anyone
concerned about their online security and
privacy. First of all, LibreDNS (https://libredns.
gr) has now launched, offering “a public
encrypted DNS service that people can use to
maintain secrecy of their DNS traffic, but also
circumvent censorship.”
The DNS has been created by a group known
as LibreOps (https://libreops.cc). On its
GitHub page the group claims it is “a group of
hackers (re-)decentralizing the net. Doing our
part.” That ‘part’ includes creating “decentralized
services and tools that respect users’ privacy by
default.” As well as offering a DNS service,
LibreOps has also created Diaspora (https://
librenet.gr), a distributed social network,
Etherpad (https://pad.libreops.cc), an open
source online editor for collaborative editing, and
Jabber (https://gnu.gr), an open real-time
communication protocol, among other tools and
services. For anyone who is looking for an
alternative free and public DNS (Domain Name
System) service, which translates the domain
names you enter in a browser to the IP addresses
required to access the websites, this could be an
exciting new option.
In other positive internet news, a recent post
on the Chromium blog (http://bit.ly/
LXF260Cookies) titled ‘Building a more private
web: A path towards making third party cookies
obsolete’, the Chromium team has gone into
more detail over its Privacy Sandbox initiative,which aims to
banish the web’s
reliance on
cookies and help
increase people’s
privacy when
browsing the web.
“Privacy Sandbox can sustain a healthy,
ad-supported web in a way that will render third-
party cookies obsolete,” explains the blog post,
with the aim to phase out support for third-party
cookies in Chrome within two years. Google
moving away from a reliance on cookies (though
just third-party ones, mind you) is encouraging,
and while it will only affect Chrome andChromium-based browsers, we should see a
knock-on effect for other browsers as well.
It’s not all good news on the internet front,
with reports that researchers have found a new
attack using the outdated SHA1 cryptographic
hash algorithm. According to Ars Technica
(http://bit.ly/LXF260SHA1), this attack allows
malicious users to to create PGP encryption keys
that can be signed by the SHA1 algorithm and
used to impersonate targets. It’s worth reading
Ars Technica’s report, and it shows why internet
technologies need to keep innovating.LibreDNS and the death of cookies could change the
internet in 2020 for the better.
“PRIVACY SANDBOX CAN SUSTAIN A HEALTHY,
AD-SUPPORTED WEB IN A WAY THAT WILL
RENDER THIRD-PARTY COOKIES OBSOLETE”
Tightening internet
security in 2020
I
Newsdesk
THIS ISSUE: Internet security Mozilla troubles ZFS dislike
Nvidia GPUs Darktable development Evernote on Linux?
LibreOps is the name of a group of
ethical hackers that have created the
Libre DNS service.
_
6 LXF260 March 2020 http://www.linuxformat.comINTERNETSECURITY
tlooksliketherearesomebigchanges
afootfortheinternetin2020,mostof
whichwillbewelcometoanyone
concernedabouttheironlinesecurityand
privacy.Firstofall,LibreDNS(https://libredns.
gr)hasnowlaunched,offering“apublic
encryptedDNSservicethatpeoplecanuseto
maintainsecrecyoftheirDNStraffic,butalso
circumventcensorship.”
TheDNShasbeencreatedbyagroupknown
asLibreOps(https://libreops.cc).Onits
GitHubpagethegroupclaimsitis“agroupof
hackers(re-)decentralizingthenet.Doingour
part.”That‘part’includescreating“decentralized
servicesandtoolsthatrespectusers’privacyby
default.”AswellasofferingaDNSservice,
LibreOpshasalsocreatedDiaspora(https://
librenet.gr),adistributedsocialnetwork,
Etherpad(https://pad.libreops.cc),anopen
sourceonlineeditorforcollaborativeediting,and
Jabber(https://gnu.gr),anopenreal-time
communicationprotocol,amongothertoolsand
services.Foranyonewhoislookingforan
alternative free and public DNS (Domain Name
System) service, which translates the domain
names you enter in a browser to the IP addresses
required to access the websites, this could be an
exciting new option.
In other positive internet news, a recent post
on the Chromium blog (http://bit.ly/
LXF260Cookies) titled ‘Building a more private
web: A path towards making third party cookies
obsolete’, the Chromium team has gone into
more detail over its Privacy Sandbox initiative,whichaimsto
banishtheweb’s
relianceon
cookiesandhelp
increasepeople’s
privacywhen
browsingtheweb.
“PrivacySandboxcansustainahealthy,
ad-supportedwebinawaythatwillrenderthird-
partycookiesobsolete,”explainstheblogpost,
withtheaimtophaseoutsupportforthird-party
cookiesinChromewithintwoyears.Google
movingawayfromarelianceoncookies(though
justthird-partyones,mindyou)isencouraging,
andwhileitwillonlyaffectChromeandChromium-basedbrowsers,weshouldseea
knock-on effect for other browsers as well.
It’s not all good news on the internet front,
with reports that researchers have found a new
attack using the outdated SHA1 cryptographic
hash algorithm. According to Ars Technica
(http://bit.ly/LXF260SHA1), this attack allows
malicious users to to create PGP encryption keys
that can be signed by the SHA1 algorithm and
used to impersonate targets. It’s worth reading
Ars Technica’s report, and it shows why internet
technologies need to keep innovating.LibreDNSandthedeathofcookiescouldchangethe
internetin 2020 forthebetter.
“PRIVACY SANDBOX CAN SUSTAIN A HEALTHY,
AD-SUPPORTED WEB IN A WAY THAT WILL
RENDER THIRD-PARTY COOKIES OBSOLETE”
Tightening internet
security in 2020
I
Newsdesk
THIS ISSUE:Internetsecurity Mozillatroubles ZFSdislike
Nvidia GPUs Darktable development Evernote on Linux?
ethical hackers that have created the
Libre DNS service.
_
6 LXF260March 2020 http://www.linuxformat.com