Monthly Archives: June 2018

Social Media

Facebook Privacy & Security tips

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Many of us use Facebook for various reasons like socializing on the internet, managing and participating in groups, creating and managing company pages, keeping in touch with friends and colleagues, sharing our updates & pictures, etc. But many don’t pay attention to privacy and security aspects of using Facebook.

Here are some pointers on what areas of privacy & security you should be looking at in Facebook. This post does not give you what setting / configuration you should be keeping / selecting rather it makes you aware about those settings and you should select / configure the option based on your requirements.

  • Explore OTP / Two factor authentication using mobile / smartphone number / authentication app
  • Explore notifications over email & mobile
  • Explore options for your Cover & Profile picture – there is option to show your Profile picture to only your friends or network
  • Check whether your default posts are Public / shown to friends / shown to friends of friends / shown to friends except acquaintances
  • Check the type of groups you join: Public / Closed / Secret
  • Explore the privacy options like LIMIT YOUR OLD POSTS, Who can search you by email / phone, Who can see your friends list, etc.
  • Explore the options for people to Tag you in their posts
  • Explore the option to create custom username
  • Check the Location History option
  • Check which profiles in your network are Inactive / Spam / Without data / Suspect / Unknown. It’s best to remove them from your network by clicking UNFRIEND. Stay in touch with them over other mediums like Skype, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, SMS, Email, Signal, Google Hangout, etc.
  • Check the Apps & Website integration under Settings
  • Check the locations from where you are logged in under settings
  • Check your public posts by logging out & checking your profile or using the VIEW AS option under your profile
  • Check the setting whether search engines should link to your profile under privacy
  • Check the information in your profile added under ABOUT and who it is visible to on all sections and details of profile – Friends / Friends of Friends / Public / etc.
  • Check manage sections option in your profile and check privacy options for each of those sections
  • Check your advertisement preferences
  • Check the options which show your relationship with others under profile – whether it’s only shown to you, friends or friends of friends or public
  • Set up Trusted Contacts to recover your account
  • For your Facebook Mobile App check what permissions it has been given by the operating system (Android or iOS) under App permissions and review them based on your need
  • Check the people who are added as ADMIN for your company page if you manage one
  • There are a host of other options in settings for company pages too from which you can manage options like – from which country the visitors can see the page, whether tagging is allowed, age profile of your visitors, etc. If you are managing a company page you should explore them too
Cyber Security

Security tips for Google Drive & Android

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Google Drive:

  • Open Google Drive on web based browser like Chrome
  • On each of the folders if you see a person symbol it’s shared, if you don’t see the symbol its not shared
  • For each folder -> click SHARE -> Advanced -> Check which user has view rights and which user has edit rights -> Disable options to download, print, and copy for commenters and viewers -> Prevent editors from changing access and adding new people.
  • For each folder -> click SHARE -> Advanced -> SHARE SETTINGS -> Change -> Check settings there are 4 to 5 options
  • Note -> Even if your folder is not shared, files inside it can be in shared mode – This seems to be a big missing feature in Google Drive. There is no clear way to check this in one go for all files and we individually need to check each file. Workaround: Write Java code using Google Developers API to check this: https://developers.google.com/drive/

Android security settings to explore:

  • Emergency info – Settings -> Users -> Emergency info -> INFO & CONTACT – Note: Can be seen on locked screen
  • Settings -> Security -> Screen Lock
  • Encryption ON – at-least Android 6 required, by default it’s on from 6/7 onward – Settings -> Security
  • Settings -> Security -> Screen Lock -> Gear button -> Lock message
  • Security -> Install from unknown locations -> Should be OFF
  • Settings -> Users -> Guest user -> Turn on phone calls -> OFF
  • Settings -> Users -> Add users while screen is locked -> OFF
  • Settings -> Security -> Make password visible -> OFF
  • Settings -> Security -> Set up SIM card lock
Education

Do educational institutes fulfill their obligation to supply proper workforce?

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This question is negatively answered for most of the institutes across the globe. India is not an exception.

There is wide gap in the skills required by the industry vis-à-vis supplied by educational institutes. Over 75 per cent graduates are not employable.

What are the reasons for this gap, quantum and the nature of gap? It is observed that there is no link between the institutes and industry. Institutes are lagging to industry. Industry is actively working to beat the competition and hence brings innovations in the products, processes, strategies, business models and techniques.

Industry creates knowledge through research; it uses research in real life to solve problems. Industry pays for solving problems, this
motivates employee to perform. It is a question of survival and growth for industry and employee.

Institutes are designing curricula based on what has happened in the industry, rather than what will happen in the industry or market. Institutes have very narrow focus while they teach students. They are governed by rules rather than reality. The curriculum focuses on prescribed and sink knowledge.

Industry requires dynamism. Institutes teach to solve existing problems. Industry requires people who can solve new problems. Teacher and students’ performance is measured on wrong calibration of examinations.

Examination systems are built to test memories rather than ability to solve real life problems. Subject knowledge is imparted in isolation.

A good student may be capable to solve a problem in isolation, but real life situation in industry is complex; and hardly in isolation.  Real life problems are complex, dynamic and resolved through team work. Students are prepared and tested in isolation.

Team work and communication in industry is typical and sine-qua-non for success in industry. Education institutes fail to realize and gauge this problem.