New Version of GoTrusted released for Mac and Windows.

We've completed rolling out the new GoTrusted client versions for our users. The new version 2.3.5.7 for Windows and version 2.2.5.6 for Mac should increase connectivity in regions that have found difficulty in the past due to internet issues in the area and offer more stability for all users. 

We'll continue to implement and improve features with future releases so keep an eye out!

And remember, our GoTrusted support is available if you run into any problems or have any questions.

Vodafone Server Hacked in Germany

A Vodafone server was recently hacked exposing over 2 million users accounts. The attack was detected at the beginning of September.

The hacker gained access to customers account information including names, addresses, birth dates, and bank account information. Vodafone, the world's second biggest mobile carrier, said the hacker did not gain access to cell phone numbers, credit card information, or customer PINs. It is believed that the hacker had insider knowledge on the systems in place.

This is one of the latest in a string of high profile hacking cases that have occurred in the last few months. Companies like Google, Twitter, and The NewYork Times have come under similar attacks.

You can read more on the attack on the Business Week website.

China experiences largest cyberattack in its history

Chinese internet was struck by the largest cyber attack in its history on Sunday, August 25th.

The massive 'denial of service' attack targeted .cn domains, including the popular Sina Weibo microblog site.

With a 'denial of service' attack of this scale usually bot-nets are used. These are comprised of possibly hundreds or thousands of computers. These computers are usually inadvertently infected with malware and other programs that cause them to take commands from the person running the bot-net. In this case the bot-net sent out thousands of request simultaneously to the domain servers which resulted in slow, or completely unreachable sites.

The attack was two-stroke with the first attack happening at 2am and a subsequent attack occurring at 4am. The second wave of attacks was 'long-lasting and large-scale' according to state media. The attack caused websites using the .cn domain to either resolve slowly, or not at all, resulting in many Chinese users not being able to reach the internet at all.

There is no clear motive or suspects currently and no one has taken responsibility for the attack. You can read more on this story on CNN.

New GoTrusted Version Available for Mac and PC

We've released new versions for both our Mac (v2.2.5.4) and PC (v2.3.5.5) clients today.

We've added a new Menu button to the status window of the PC version. This should make the settings menu much easier to navigate to. Clicking the button will bring up the same menu that right clicking the icon tray 'G' brings up in previous versions.

The next big change is that we have updated our regions selection to allow for more specific server selections. This has been added in both the PC and Mac versions. You'll now be able to choose from North American East, West, Central, and Auto. You'll also have Europe East, West, and Auto available as well. The Auto feature will be selected by default and the preferred for most people. Auto will find the fastest server available at that time and connect you to it. For those that would like to connect to somewhere more specifically the East/West/Central option will give you that functionality.

We hope everyone likes the changes that have been made. It's due to direct customer feedback that these new options have been added and they should further add to the ease of use our customers have come to expect using our VPN service.

Tor Network Attacked by Malware

Wired is reporting that the Tor network has recently come under attack this past Sunday.  Malware started popping up on multiple hosting sites over the network in the morning in something known as a 'Drive-by' hack attack.

Code was being delivered through a known Java exploit in Firefox and affects Windows users. The code would gather information on the users machine while they were connected to the Tor network.

The code was designed to grab a user's MAC address (a unique hardware identifier for the computer's network or WiFi card) and the target's Windows host name.

The Tor network uses proxies to try to provide anonymity to users. The concern is that the proxy points are run on a volunteer basis allowing anyone to run as a proxy point. This opens the network to break downs that can result in breaches of user information. This is something that full encryption running on the GoTrusted VPN service is not open to as all our VPN servers are secured, both physically and via encryption.

UK Net Filter to Be Controlled By Chinese Firm Huawei

It was announced that the new internet filter for the United Kingdom, known as HomeSafe, being pushed by Britain's Prime Minister will be run by the Chinese firm Huawei. The system has fallen under some scrutiny by US and UK politicians alike, according to the BBC.

The concern has been raised due to the close ties the company holds to the Chinese government and the lack of ministerial oversight of the rapid expansion of the company throughout UK infrastructure. The company was founded by Ren Zhengfei, a former officer in China's People's Liberation Army, which has also raised concerns that the company may be politically motivated and not just commercially so. Huawei has also been labeled a threat to national security by US intelligence committees.

An additional concern for many people is the fact that, even if you are opted out of the HomeSafe filtering, your searches and browsing are still sent through the Huawei databases causing many people to consider VPN services to ensure their privacy and access. Legitimate sites being blacklisted are also a concern as the system is automated and may blacklist sites that do not meet actual blacklist criteria.


The legislation is set to be passed through by the end of 2013. Making all ISPs within the UK compliant by mid-2014.

Google Glass Vulnerable to Wifi Attack According to Symantec

Symantec has uncovered another vulnerability within the Google Glass platform while testing in its labs.  The article was published on Tech Hive earlier this week.

The initial vulnerability was related to QR codes, the patchwork UPC-like patterns that can transfer information, such as a website, when scanned off a product, poster or periodical. Google Glass would scan a malicious QR code which would redirect the user to a website hosting a known Android 4.04 vulnerability which would give the host complete control over the device. That issue has since been patched.

The new vulnerability that was discovered relates to auto-connecting to known networks that a user has used before. This is something almost all wireless devices do as a convenience to the user. Unfortunately that convenience comes at the price of vulnerability. For as little as $100 a hacker can purchase a device that impersonates the known network and imitates it's SSID. This causes the user's device to automatically connect to the hacker's network without knowing.

A common scenario is your device will search for a WiFi hotspot. It will find the network, which may look to be a known WiFi connection, like Starbucks or AT&T, but it would be a spoofed network in disguise.  Your device would then connect to the malicious hotspot. Once you're connected to the device it will allow you to connect to the internet where it will be between you and the server you are accessing. This allows the device to spy on any and all unencrypted traffic going over the connection and is known as a man-in-the-middle attack (MITM).

This, of course, is not limited to just Google Glass. It can be an issue for any device connecting to a known network such as a coffee shop, library, or even your own network. The best deterrent for this that more and more people are turning to is running a VPN service. This way, even if the device is able to have you connect through it, the information being sent and received is unreadable. Effectively making you safe from possible MITM attacks.

The news highlights that even the latest technologies are vulnerable to such rudimentary attacks and additional steps should be taken to protect yourself. Running security software such as GoTrusted is one way to provide the protection you need from these kinds of MITM attacks, as well as the myriad of other systems hackers are actively using.