Posting your latest vacation photos to Facebook whenever you want is easy to do now even while abroad, especially as the EU has now capped roaming costs in Europe. Maximum price caps for data roaming have been introduced at 23 euro cents per Megabyte, with an automatic cost-brake kicking in to cut off the mobile Internet connection once the limit of 59.90 euros per month has been reached. That said, roaming charges further afield can be much higher, with costs varying depending on the cellular network provider even in a few European countries like Switzerland. You really need to know the terms of your cell phone contract, even if you only want to connect to the Internet occasionally to, for example, retrieve the weather forecast. Most installed apps communicate constantly with the Internet in the background; they also collect data, send location information, and attempt to download and install their latest versions. What’s more, it’s tedious and sometimes completely impossible to deactivate these resource-hungry apps.

Protect your wallet
The best thing to do is to contact your network provider before going on vacation, as contracts are not always clear and transparent – especially those notorious bundle deals which combine SMS, talk-time, and data allowances. If you use up your allowance for data and you’re still in credit in terms of your SMS and talk-time allowances, the bundle offer remains valid, but data is charged at a much higher standard price. In such cases, it makes more sense to buy a temporary international roaming bundle. Many providers offer these and they often include cheap-rate talk-time and SMS allowances. You can now also do this while abroad. They will send you information on the current tariff conditions when you first register with the foreign network and provide you with updated conditions afterwards.

Monitor your usage
Knowledge is power, and that also applies to the costs you accumulate. Many providers offer an app which lets you see how much you’ll be charged for the talk-time you’ve used. This lets you pull the emergency brake and deactivate the mobile data connection if it gets too expensive. Another option is to use your precious data resources more economically. Opera and Chrome browsers let you compress websites before you download them, resulting in data savings of 80 to 90%. However, this method has one disadvantage: since Opera and Google servers compress the data, they can tell which websites you’ve been visiting.

Pros and cons of WiFi hotspots
Privacy and data security are important vacation topics anyway. WiFi hotspots are often used to connect cheaply to the Internet. One global company offering access is Fon, which says it has over 13 million hotspots worldwide at around 3 US dollars per day to use. This would pave the way for unrestricted surfing, were it not for one or two digital threats lurking around every corner. WiFi hotspots are notorious for their lax security. Anyone can see the wireless signals, with communication often continuing over an unsecured connection once the user has logged in. The user has no influence on this as the hotspot provider defines how the connection is secured. What’s more, anyone who has access to the hotspot provider’s Wi-Fi network and is near the hotspot can see the data.

Best approach for now
The easiest way to avoid such risks is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). This encrypted tunnel protects information right from the start to the end of its transfer. To use it, you need to have software installed on your mobile phone, tablet or notebook and a node which creates the tunnel only after you have logged in correctly. Companies like OpenVPN and Hotspot Shield offer free or reasonably priced VPN connections. These types of connection are merely a restricted type of VPN where the connection between the device and the server is secured by the provider; after that, data packets escape into the Internet unencrypted. Despite this, at least third parties in the direct vicinity of the hotspot cannot eavesdrop on the network connection. That said, the question remains as to whether the VPN provider handles the information with due care; after all, it can read all the data as plain, unencrypted text.

Public PCs at hotel or Internet cafes can be extremely dangerous to use while on vacation. The computers are often infected with viruses and Trojans that log key strokes (with spyware known as ‘keyloggers’) to intercept your private data. If you absolutely need to transfer sensitive information using such a device, you should take a secure operating system environment with you on a DVD or write-protected USB stick and use this to boot the computer.

The best thing to do is to send as little personal information as possible over an unsecured connection while on vacation. In addition, you should enable the firewall on your device and install the latest version of a security software solution such as Avira Antivirus Pro, Avira Internet Security Suite or Avira Free Antivirus (also available for iOS & Android).

The post How to safely access the Internet while on vacation appeared first on Avira Blog.

Although not all things were better in the past, mobile phone batteries definitely were. The classic Nokias and Samsungs, which you could use only to make calls, would easily last for up to two weeks in standby mode. Conversely, you’ll be lucky to get a full 24 hours of battery power from one of the latest smartphones. This is due to improved and more powerful components, countless additional functions, and of course the energy consumption of dozens of apps. That said, even the most heavily used smartphones can have a bit longer battery-life if you follow a few simple tricks.

Built-in ways to save some power
A few hours of battery life can be gained by using your phone’s onboard tools. For instance, your screen is an immense consumer of energy. The screensaver should be activated as soon as possible; 30 seconds of waiting time is usually enough. Both Android and iOS offer automatic brightness controls that you should limit to lower maximum levels. One trick in particular helps save power on modern OLED and AMOLED (organic-LED) screens, such as those used on the Samsung S5: Only active pixels consume power; black pixels do not. Background images with large black areas are less draining on the battery than a colorful, bright image – so choose your images wisely.

Control larger data updates manually
Next up for making a big difference are the interfaces to the outside world. Bluetooth, WiFi, and GPS consume a disproportionately high amount of power. If you don’t need to use the smartphone’s wireless connections, deactivate them. In most cases, it’s also possible to throttle the data-connection speed and save power in the process by using UMTS instead of LTE or 3G instead of UMTS. A reduced bandwidth is also more than fine if you’re just checking your emails occasionally. What’s more, push services like email and regularly staying in touch via the Internet really drain the battery. If you collect your emails at the press of a button and also update Facebook manually, your battery will last much longer.

Be discerning about the apps you use
In this respect, apps that are sponsored by ads are also fatal. Compared to paid apps, they communicate more often with the developer to share location data and other information – pushing the charging indicator into the red. Widgets for weather forecasts or audio streaming of Internet radio services are power hungry as well. It’s also worthwhile to deactivate automatic app updates. Downloading an update doesn’t just require a lot of power; the apps constantly checking to see if a new version is available also drains battery. The Google Play Store is configured by default to download app updates automatically.

Double-check app permissions
Depending on your version of iOS or Android, it can become a real game of hide and seek to find out whether apps remain active in the background. Later mobile OS versions make it easier for users to find out which apps are the most power-hungry. In most cases you can also remove the app’s permission to remain active in the background. If the operating system doesn’t reveal any (or very little) information about how power is being consumed, other apps can help. One Touch Battery Saver (Android, free) provides information on how much power apps are consuming and switches off Bluetooth, WiFi, and GPS positioning automatically, according to predefined rules. Other apps like Juice Defender (Android, free) and Tasker (Android, € 4.49) use profiles for specific situations that only allow you to use essential apps and interfaces.

Apple makes it difficult for apps to save power actively. The security model implemented in iOS prevents intervening in other apps’ runtime behavior. As such, most apps primarily supply users with information, based on which they must then decide which apps they want to continue to have running. Battery HD+ (iOS, free) also does a detailed job of helping reveal the most power-hungry apps, as does Battery Doctor Pro (iOS, free). It’s worthwhile checking on a regular basis as even reliable apps suck the battery dry as a result of faulty updates. Scotty Loveless describes in even more detail all the steps for getting maximum life out of iOS devices in the “ultimate guide to solving iOS battery drain.”

The future is just… different
There is little to criticize when it comes to advancements in rechargeable batteries and technology. The memory effect of the past is no longer an issue for standard li-ion and li-polymer batteries, plus they’re charged to perfection using extremely smart charging circuits. The old rule of “only recharge the battery once it’s completely flat” is no longer valid. Modern batteries can and should be connected to the charger as often as possible. Extreme temperatures, however, are still public enemy number one, with heat in particular causing batteries to lose storage capacity rapidly. As such, never leave your smartphone or tablet in direct sunlight or in the car during summer.

And if, despite all of these tips and tricks, some of you find your battery doesn’t pack enough power to keep your smart phone running as long as you’d like, you can always buy an additional battery. These are available in stick form or as a slim gadget for handbag or briefcase. There are also some really stylish rechargeable battery packs out there which additionally serve as smartphone cases.

The post Tips and tricks how to improve smartphone battery life appeared first on Avira Blog.

How many USB devices do you own? At this moment, you probably have one or more of them connected to your computer. USB devices are everywhere, and they come in the form of flash drives, webcams, keyboards, and so on. One of the attractive things about a USB connection is that you just plug in a device and it works. That convenience, while nice to have, presents a real danger.

For years, many computer users have just plugged in USB devices without putting much thought into any vulnerabilities they might present, but hackers have found ways to prey on the carefree nature of USB usage. You may remember the Stuxnet worm that targeted nuclear facilities in Iran. USB flash drives were used to initiate the infections, and this brought a lot of attention to how USB devices could play a key role in IT attacks.

Fast-forward a few years to today and USBs are a hot security topic once again because of details revealed by security researchers about an exploit called BadUSB. Essentially, the BadUSB hack makes it possible to reprogram the firmware on USB devices, which means that they can then be used maliciously. Since the majority of USB devices will just accept any firmware update that they’re offered, it’s really difficult to know if the firmware on your device is secure or not.

That said, any malware introduced via USB can be detected, depending on the payload. It is why we can consider #BadUSB as being a means to install malware on a machine rather than being a specific virus or malware itself.

Because of the insidious way in which this hack works, protecting yourself from it is really difficult at this point. One of the most logical things that you can do is to make sure that the USB devices that you use have remained only in your possession. USB flash drives in particular tend to get passed between people on a regular basis, but based on this new information, that’s not always such a good idea.

The post The dangerous side of USB convenience appeared first on Avira Blog.

The “fasten your seatbelts” signs turn off and you can finally recline, fold down the tray table, and switch on your notebook or tablet. Many airlines now even offer WiFi access in the cabin, so you can surf the Internet, post to Facebook, and write emails without restriction. Hard to believe, given that it wasn’t long ago that you couldn’t even leave your cell phone switched on during the flight. So, is it safe and secure to use WiFi and portable devices? There are two major aspects to this question:

• First, whether airplane systems are secure, even though WiFi radio waves are used to communicate and passengers have access to the digital infrastructure aboard the airplane.
• And second, whether passengers’ devices are also safe and secure, as they share the airplane WiFi network with all other users in the cabin.

Hacking airplane systems

A clear answer can be given to the first question, at least at the moment: Yes, the airplane is still safe and secure. The radio waves are irrelevant to the onboard electronics in terms of power and frequency, as the cockpit and internal technology have to be able to cope with completely different types of possible interference. In addition, there is no potential risk of airplane systems being hacked into. Every airplane manufacturer separates the in-flight entertainment and WiFi systems from the critical airplane systems. Furthermore, they use data and signal formats to communicate, which are incompatible with Ethernet; they also don’t use the TCP/IP protocol. Frequently, additional security functions are integrated into the systems, such as specific transmitter restrictions and extremely strict time intervals, within which data must be exchanged between communication partners. And even if there was a widespread failure of the electronics system, irrespective of what measures are taken to deal with it, all flight-critical systems have a mechanical backup – cable controls and hydraulic systems instead of servos and electronic actuators.

This doesn’t mean, however, that airplanes are immune to potential security loopholes. Researchers are repeatedly discovering weaknesses in various systems, such as those involved in satellite communications, which could theoretically be exploited. By exploiting this bug, false positioning data can be transmitted to the airplane while in flight causing a change of course; however, other experts have given the all-clear. Even if a person were able to exploit this security loophole, the pilots themselves could just simply make a course correction. Other means of communication are available in each passenger airplane which allow verification of positioning data and flight plans. On top of this, the flight-control center would also spot each course change and alarm the pilots.

The statistical probability of mounting such attacks successfully is far below the other typical causes of failure, technical or human error, which are also rare. Airplane manufacturers also want to save costs and are trying wherever possible to integrate standard IT components that transfer and process data using standard IT formats.

Airline operators have set out countless operational cases where digital data would improve services, shorten ground times, and resultingly save costs. Whether over the short term or long term, manufacturers will eventually meet these requests and integrate an ever greater amount of standard IT equipment into airplanes. Hopefully the security measures will be tightened to meet the aviation industry’s more stringent requirements.

Security measures above the clouds

So how about the information on your notebook or tablet? WiFi access aboard an airplane is just like a standard public hotspot – no difference from the one in the airport or at Starbucks. Those who use the WiFi network share the wireless network with all other users. Whether airplane manufacturers integrate specific security measures in their switches and routers is information that currently only they know. For this reason exactly, the same security measures that are also suitable at Starbucks or in the airport should apply: Either you encrypt all data traffic using a virtual private network (VPN), which companies usually install on professional users’ devices anyway, or you encrypt each app’s data. In the case of email, this can be done using encryption programs like Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), EnigMail or GnuPG. For browser-based communications, it can be achieved using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology, usually identifiable by the little padlock icon in the address bar. Plug-ins for many browsers can also take care of this automatically if required, such as HTTPS Everywhere for Firefox and Chrome. Naturally, the internal firewall should be enabled on each device and the latest version of a security software solution such as Avira Antivirus Pro, Avira Internet Security Suite or Avira Free Antivirus should also be installed and active.

The post Airplane WiFi – Secure surfing or danger for onboard electronics? appeared first on Avira Blog.

Everything is possible online nowadays: reading newspapers, ordering books and clothes, flirting, checking out recipes – and of course booking vacations online. Hotel comparison sites are immensely popular, every airlines offer online booking services, and instead of combing through endless travel-agency brochures, you now simply visit Expedia, Opodo or Travelocity. While it’s all very easy and convenient, it isn’t without its risks. Whether it’s a dodgy low-cost website which goes bust before your vacation starts or a seemingly harmless invoice attached to an email which is infected with a virus – at Avira we find that a little caution goes a long way.

Many problems with online booking stem from legal issues. In some instances, the difference between provider, organizer or contracting party is not clear to the customer. In case of questions and complaints, it is important to know whom to contact. Whether you can even make any claims and how easy that is differs immensely depending on the location of the company you signed the contract with. On top of that, costs often aren’t as transparent as they could and should be, with hidden additional transfer costs or trip-cancellation insurance suddenly selected on the final page before the last confirmation click without it ever being mentioned beforehand.

Low-cost portal or not, no operator offers its services for free. The cheaper the offer, the greater the risk that the small print conceals hidden costs. Free hotel room? Perhaps a minimum stay is involved, or you need to pay service and agency costs. Extremely cheap flight and accommodation? There may be compulsory shopping trips planned involving visits to carpet makers, jewelers, and leather factories.

Internet transactions always involve risks – even if they have become safer over the years. You should always transfer money over an encrypted connection. For that, the online travel agent has to offer a SSL-secured Web session. Operators usually make a specific point of mentioning this at the virtual checkout, but you can also tell the session is encrypted by the little padlock icon or the different color of the Web browser’s address bar. This type of encryption is extremely secure and cannot be cracked without a reasonable amount of effort – effectively meaning no risk is involved.

However, other risks are beyond the user’s control. Hackers often manage to crack the websites of legitimate online travel operators. In 2005 the Japanese tour operator Club Tourism had to admit that hackers had stolen the information of over 90,000 customers. In 2009 a website in the USA which government officials use to book travel was compromised. And only in April 2013 Traveltainment, a subsidiary of the Amadeus Group, had to concede that hackers had broken into its servers and stolen the personal details, including payment information, of an unknown number of customers. This theft caused harm when customers opened their emails containing phishing software which the thieves were able to send as they knew the customers’ email addresses and booking details. A comprehensive security software solution like Avira Antivirus Pro offers protection against such attacks and should therefore be a staple on every computer.

The post Your holidays start on the Internet: tips for booking vacations online appeared first on Avira Blog.