5 important security questions...

[KingNeil]

I have some important security questions that I would like answered.

1. If you were to strip down a web browser to remove all plugins and Javacsript... are there any browser exploits that would work...? Can it still be hacked..?

2. How would you go about downloading something like Tor or Tails properly, given that the NSA has packet injection systems like QUANTUMINSERT (see Snowden docs)..? Couldn't they just send you a fake version of Tor, which has spying built into it..?

3. Can the BIOS of a computer communicate with the network, or not...? I've heard about BIOS keyloggers, but how could the BIOS even transfer that keylogged data to anywhere else on the system...? Surely, unless the main operating system requested data from the BIOS, then it couldn't obtain it in the first place...? Surely the BIOS can't just push out this data over the network by itself...?

4. If you were to use a tool like DBAN to totally write over the hard drive, would that totally wipe out any viruses...? I guess this goes back to the question on whether viruses can really hide in BIOS or not...

5. If you were to use a recording app on a phone or computer, would this prevent someone listening to the microphone in the background... picking up background noise...?? I have noticed on a computer that a microphone can only be accessed by one application at a time... Like, if you use Audacity and Windows sound recorder at the same time, it won't let you.... So, if I had an app constantly recording in the background, would that prevent someone from using a hack to listen to me in the background...?

Thanks

 

[carnageX]

1. All software can be breached - plugins/etc. just make it easier as that adds additional attack vectors.

2. Verify the MD5/SHA-1/etc. hashes from what you downloaded against what it's supposed to be. This goes for any file.

3. No the BIOS doesn't communicate over a network. There are, however, BIOS attacks such as BadBIOS (but aren't really widespread out in the wild).

4. Viruses/malware stored on the HDD yes.

5. Theoretically I suppose so, unless the malware was able to override the application and take over.

 

[Tech Assistant: Rob]

Without updating either software or apps, they can be breached.
I'd don't like NSA spying on me, especially when they're doing things like this.

 

[cb600fshornet]

5. If you were to use a recording app on a phone or computer, would this prevent someone listening to the microphone in the background... picking up background noise...?? I have noticed on a computer that a microphone can only be accessed by one application at a time... Like, if you use Audacity and Windows sound recorder at the same time, it won't let you.... So, if I had an app constantly recording in the background, would that prevent someone from using a hack to listen to me in the background...?

Of course somebody can! Haven't you ever seen batman?!