Laptop & Phone Security

Digital Security Training

August 12th, 2017

Georgetown Law School

Alexandra Ulsh

Information Security Engineer

Mapbox

@AlexUlsh

Threat model

• Who's trying to hack you?
• Who and what are you worried about?
• You may need additional security measures than what this presentation covers.

Laptops - Passwords

• Use a password
• Use a strong, complex password that you can easily remember
• Sleep after 5 minutes of inactivity and require a password on wake

Phones - Passcodes

• A passcode is a type of password - use one!
• Use a long one - 12+ characters
• Alphanumeric > numbers only
• Strike a balance between usability and security
• Require a passcode immediately after sleep
• Android - don't use common lock patterns (e.g. letter M or S)
• iPhone - Enable erase data after 10 bad passcode attempts (take good backups!)

Biometrics

• Touch ID? Depends on your threat model
• Probably safe for the "average" person
• If Touch ID allows you to use a stricter passcode, then may be worth it
• Similar logic for iris scanner unlock on Android devices

Physical security

• Privacy screens for laptops when traveling or at coffee shops
• Don't leave your laptop or phone unattended
• Use a webcam cover or cover with tape
• Always lock your computer, even at work

Device tracking

• Enable Find My Mac, Find My iPhone, or Android Device Manager
  • Extra important to have 2FA on iCloud and Google accounts
• These allow for remote device wiping in case lost or stolen
• Peace of mind - locate device if lost
• Enabling carries privacy trade offs though (threat model)

Software updates

• Update your operating system frequently
  • Mac and iOS App Store = red numbers
  • Windows Update = yellow warnings
  • Android updates
• Update your apps frequently
  • Mac and iOS App Store
  • Google Play store
  • Automatically check for application updates

Laptop User Accounts

• Disable Guest account (if enabled)
• Don't use Apple ID or Microsoft account to login, use a local user account
• Windows - depending on your threat model, Microsoft login may be worth it for free device encryption and Find My Device features.
• Windows - Don't disable User Access Control (UAC) (enabled by default).

Firewalls

• Prevent attackers from connecting to your computer or installing malware that exfiltrates data from your computer
• Mac - enable firewall and stealth mode in network settings
• Windows - enable firewall in Windows Defender

Wifi security

• Ask to join wifi networks (both laptop and phone) - don't connect automatically to unknown networks
• Remove old wifi networks after using, e.g. United_Wifi and Starbucks
• Don't connect to open (password-less) wifi networks
• These are unencrypted and people can sniff traffic
• If you must, then use a reputable VPN service (including on United_Wifi)

Other network security

• If you don't need Bluetooth, disable it
• Disable Airdrop, only enable briefly when you need it

Laptop browser security

• Frequently update all of your browsers
• Browser vulnerabilities are a common way to get hacked
• Chrome and Firefox will automatically update by default
• Make sure to command + Q (fully quit) on a Mac to make sure they update
• Standard security extensions: HTTPS Everywhere, uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger (note: breaks websites)

Secure mobile browsing

• Some people browse the internet on their phones more than on a traditional computer
• iPhone
  • Firefox Focus - best option for privacy
  • Install content blockers like Ka-Block! for mobile Safari
• Android
  • Installed uBlock origin Firefox add-on
• Avoid using mobile Chrome on both iPhone and Android :( no content blockers

Encryption

• Prevents reading files (including cookies for login sessions) of a stolen or lost device
• Mac = FileVault
  • Don't store recovery key with Apple or with iCloud account - remember your computer login password instead
• Windows = BitLocker
  • Requires paid Windows Pro and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) hardware
• iPhones encrypted by default :)
• You should enable encryption on your Android phone

Backups

• Have multiple forms of backups (depends on threat model) for all of your devices
  • Cloud and local
  • Or multiple local
• Encrypt your backups, e.g. iTunes iPhone backups

File extensions

• Laptops - Enable seeing file extensions on files (.jpg,.docx, .html)
• Disabled by default on both Mac and Windows :(
• Prevents phishing attacks and opening malicious downloads
• cutepuppy.gif could really be cutepuppy.gif.exe

App security

• Only install applications or programs from trusted developers
• View the app developer website - do they seem reputable?
• Evaluate permissions the app requires - does a game really need access to your contacts?
• Mac Gatekeeper - keep default setting of apps from Mac App store and identified developers

Malware protection

• Windows = Free Windows Defender from Microsoft
• Macs? Lower malware risk than Windows, but getting worse every year
• No anti-virus software I can confidentally recommend for Mac
• Check out free Mac anti-malware tools from Objective-See
• Phones - only download reputable apps from App Store and Google Play store

Resources

• This presentation!
  • https://github.com/alulsh/device-security
• Personal security checklist
  • https://github.com/alulsh/personal-security-checklist
• Intro to Security for Developers
  • https://github.com/alulsh/intro-to-security-for-developers

Questions?

• Laptop and phone security workshop today
• @AlexUlsh on Twitter
• alexandra.ulsh@gmail.com