Chrome OS – Computer Security Articles

Google Smart Lock: The complete guide

December 12, 2018 admin Android, chrome, Chrome OS, Security

Credit to Author: JR Raphael| Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2018 03:00:00 -0800

Think fast: How many times a day do you pick up your phone to look at something? Unless you live in the tundra or have far more self-control than most, the answer probably falls somewhere between “quite a few” and “more than any sane person could count.” Assuming you keep your device properly secured, that means you’re doing an awful lot of unlocking — be it with your face, your fingerprint, or the code you tap or swipe onto your screen.

And that’s to say nothing of the number of times you type your password into your laptop or enter your credentials into an app or website during the day. Security’s important, but goodness gracious, it can be a real hassle.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Google Smart Lock on Chrome OS: 2 fast fixes and a power-user tip

October 30, 2018 admin Chrome OS, google, Security

Credit to Author: JR Raphael| Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2018 03:30:00 -0700

Google’s Smart Lock system for Chrome OS is one of those things that sounds spectacular on paper but then frequently falls flat in the real world.

You know about Smart Lock by now, right? It’s something Google created to turn your Android phone into a contact-free key for your Chromebook: Anytime the phone is close to the computer, Chrome OS will automatically detect its presence — and as long as the phone is unlocked, the laptop will let you skip the usual password prompt and hop right in with just a quick click on the sign-on screen.

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ComputerWorld Independent

A Chromebook can increase the protection of air-gapped computers

June 29, 2017 admin Chrome OS, Chromebooks, Security

Credit to Author: Michael Horowitz| Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2017 14:03:00 -0700

I used to think the best way to protect a computer hosting sensitive data was by not connecting it to any network, a process known as air gapping. Ah, the good old days.

WikiLeaks recently revealed that when a computer with the sensitive data is running Windows, even air gapped protection is insufficient. The CIA, using a software system codenamed Brutal Kangaroo, first infects a Windows computer connected to the internet, then infects any USB flash drive (a.k.a. thumb drive) plugged into that computer in the hope that the flash drive will eventually be plugged into the air-gap protected machines.

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ComputerWorld Independent

A Chromebook can increase the protection of air gapped computers

June 28, 2017 admin Chrome OS, Chromebooks, Security

Credit to Author: Michael Horowitz| Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2017 14:03:00 -0700

I used to think that the best way to protect a computer hosting sensitive data was by not connecting it to any network, a process known as air gapping. Ah, the good old days.

WikiLeaks recently revealed that when the computer with the sensitive data is running Windows, even air gapped protection is insufficient. The CIA, using a software system codenamed Brutal Kangaroo, first infects a Windows computer connected to the Internet, then infects any USB flash drive (a.k.a. thumb drive) plugged into that computer, in the hope that the flash drive will eventually be plugged into the air-gap protected machines.

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ComputerWorld Independent

2 handy yet hidden Chromebook security features

June 20, 2017 admin Android, Chrome OS, Mobile, Security

Credit to Author: JR Raphael| Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2017 09:04:00 -0700

Google’s Chrome OS is far more powerful and versatile than most folks realize — and one of the platform’s greatest strengths over traditional desktop OSes is its deceptively simple approach to security.

Chromebooks, you see, make security almost entirely automatic and thought-free from a user’s perspective. The devices receive regular behind-the-scenes updates with no action required on your behalf; they utilize sandboxing to keep every page and application in its own isolated environment; and their software relies on a special hardware-connected setup that ensures every computer is always running tamper-free and official Google software every time it powers up.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Triple your privacy with a Chromebook and two VPNs

March 31, 2017 admin Chrome OS, Data Privacy, Security

Credit to Author: Michael Horowitz| Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2017 15:27:00 -0700

Now that Republicans in Congress have sold us out, everyone is writing about technical ways to prevent your Internet Service Provider (ISP) from watching your on-line activity. The FBI and the British Government complain about bad guys going dark, but now the rest of us have to do so too, if we want any shred of privacy.

The generic, knee-jerk reaction is to use either a VPN or Tor. Both offer encryption that stealths you to your ISP. I wrote about them back in September (A Defensive Computing term paper on privacy: VPNs, Tor and VPN routers) but here I’m taking things a bit further.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Spyware on a Chromebook

January 25, 2017 admin Chrome OS, Chromebooks, Security

I think Chromebooks are great. They are cheap, fast laptops that can satisfy the computing needs of many users, if not for their primary computer, then as a secondary one. They are very secure and Chrome OS self-updates better than any other operating system. They startup and shutdown quickly, are lightweight, have no viruses, are great for sharing, and, if you shop around, you can find one that runs Android apps.

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