OnePlus announces new bug bounty program and partnership with HackerOne.

After suffering two data breaches in its history, OnePlus is today launching a new bug bounty of its own that will pay between $50 up to $7000 dollars to security professionals who discover threats to its security systems. To make this happen, OnePlus created the Global OnePlus Security Response Center, which, the company says, "will engage academics and security professionals to responsibly discover, disclose and remediate issues that could affect the security of OnePlus' systems...". Security professionals can find details about the programs by visiting this website. OnePlus said a public version of the program will be available next year.

OnePlus also announced that it is partnering with HackerOne which will start as a pilot program. Select researches will be invited "to test out OnePlus' systems against potential threats." 

It's great to see OnePlus taking the security of its systems seriously to prevent any future mishaps.

Source: OnePlus

Opera browser for Android now comes with a free VPN built right into it.

I use Opera browser on my Windows Computer and the reason for that being that the browser comes with a VPN built right into it. A VPN allows users to browse the Internet in a secure way and I strongly recommend you use one when connected to a public network. Unfortunately, not all browsers offer this feature. But that changes today thanks to Opera. Users won't need to subscribe to a third party VPN.

Opera had a free dedicated VPN app for Android back in 2016. However, the app was shutdown in 2017. Two years later, Opera is now offering the VPN functionality right into the Opera browser for Android; which, if you ask me, is awesome.

Turning on the VPN is very easy. Simply tap the new VPN icon at the top left corner of the browser and toggle it on. It's as easy as that. As with the dedicated app, The VPN feature remains free to use.

The new VPN feature is available in version 51 of the app. The update is available in some countries to download. But it's not available yet in Mauritius at the time I'm writing this post. Do check out in Google Play Store as the update gets gradually rolling out. Safe browsing to you all.

Google adds new 'Confidential mode' to Gmail on Android to help you protect the sensitive data you share.

Technology makes life a whole lot easier when it comes to sharing data. But it's not without risk. Google is kind-of well aware of that and is introducing a new 'Confidential mode' in Gmail on Android. A new mode that will give users more control on the data they share with others.

Google has started rolling out 'Confidential mode' worldwide and to start using it, bring up the compose email window in Gmail. Tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of the screen and choose 'Confidential Mode'. Set an expiration between 1 day to 5 years. Once 'Confidential Mode' is activated, Gmail will prevent the receiver from copying, forwarding, and printing the email and its attachments. However, the receiver can take a screenshot and photo of your emails and attachments. Google also warns about malicious programs on the receiver's device that may still be able to copy and edit the data you're sharing.

Gmail users can also choose for a passcode or SMS passcode be sent to the receiver. Google will handle that for you. Just send the email and the receiver will be notified of your intention to share an email with them. The receiver must sign in with a Google account to view the email and attachments in a browser with the expiration date at the top. The default expiration date is 1 week. Additionally, the sender can revoke access at any time in their own inbox.

'Confidential mode' is a useful feature when sharing data such as health records, business plan or a copy of your passport. While it's an additional layer of protection, bear in mind that it is not entirely fool-proof.

'Confidential Mode' is already being pushed out to users. Just be patient if you do not see it yet, it's on the way. IF you do not use Gmail, you can download it free in Google Play Store.

OneNote for Android now supports password to sections, fingerprint unlocking. Read this how-to.

Today Microsoft has updated OneNote for Android to support password-protected sections with the goal to secure your notes, sensitive or not, “from prying eyes”. Securing notes is a feature that is already available in the Windows version of the app and it’s great to see Microsoft porting it to Android as part of its mobile strategy. Let’s see how to use the new feature on Android after installing the update.

After starting OneNote on your device, open a Notebook that has the sections you want to lock with a password. Tap and hold on one of your section and tap “Protect Section” in the menu to bring up the screen below where you’ll type your password twice and tap OK. After entering your password, OneNote will take you back to the Sections screen where you’ll see an unlock padlock next to your section name. Yes, OneNote does not lock the section right away. You’ll have to close and re-open the app for the password to come into effect. But wait, there’s more.

The update also includes support for fingerprints on devices with fingerprint scanners built-in. This feature does not appear right away. You must first setup a password as explained above and the next time you unlock a section, OneNote will have a toggle to enable “Unlock with fingerprint next time” you access your section. Users will still be given the option to unlock their sections with a password.

OneNote does not let you have more than one section unlocked. It will automatically lock a section after you navigate away to open another section. Which makes sense from a security perspective. However, I don’t get it why Microsoft added a “Lock All” feature in the context menu of a section. Tap and hold on an unlocked section and you will see “Lock All” there. Again, not sure why it’s there, but I may be missing a point.

This context menu also lets you change or remove the password. The former requires you enter the old password before entering your new one. To remove a password, type your password and you’re done. Note, you can do all this only after unlocking a section. These options won’t appear if you tap and hold on a locked section, obviously.

One very important detail: At the bottom of the unlock screen - see screenshot above -, there’s this very important note that says: “Important: If you lose or forget the password. OneNote can’t recover your data.” There does not seem to be a limit on the number of logon attempts. During my test, I typed a wrong password 10 times without any consequences. So, if you forget or lose your password, your notes will remain, you just won’t be able to access them anymore. Unless you remember your password. You’ve been warned.

The ability to lock sections in OneNote is a nice update for users who are security-minded. Check it out in Google Play Store.