Cyber Monday For the Security Nerd
Every year, we consume our turkey (or turducken in my case) and wait to see what deals the consumer gods have brought us on black friday. Inevitably, they are lack luster for us nerds… more bluetooth 2.0 devices which probably won’t last the winter, a few cool “nerdy” gadgets that we expect our well-intentioned in-laws to drop in our stockings, and lots and lots of “Internet of things” things, with questionable security. So what deals are there for us security minded nerds?
I’ve tried to create a round-up of #CyberMonday deals for us to spend too much on as we “save” money.
VPNs
I like to recommend products that I have used and I’ve tried the following VPNs throughout the years. I won’t provide a run down about the pros and cons of each one, and why there’s no excuse not to have a VPN at this point… because that’s for another post.
They are all known for their privacy, not storing logs, and having TOR enabled VPN connections, so I’ll try to provide some quick recommendations to help you pick.
For a no frills VPN checkout Private Internet Access (PIA). They even let you pay with bitcoins or gift cards for ultimate anonymity. However, I do not believe that you can take advantage of their black friday deal if you pay with gift cards.
Get the PIA deal here!
Some users prefer a slicker interface and turn to NordVPN. I recommend NordVPN to less technical users as they have invested in their user interface and usability. This is a great choice for those who don’t have a VPN yet (Also, why don’t you have a VPN yet?)
Get the NordVPN deal here!
Last but not least we have ProtonVPN. They hail from Switzerland and are protected by some of the strongest privacy laws out there. ProtonVPN is not yet ready for primetime. As of writing this, you’ll have to download an OpenVPN compatible client. But they should not be overlooked. The makers of ProtonVPN and ProtonMail are known for being staunch advocates of privacy and security. If you have the technical know-how and want to support a company dedicated to an open and secure Internet checkout ProtonVPN. The future Internet will thank you (and you’ll thank yourself).
Get the ProtonVPN deal here! You can save even more if you combine ProtonVPN with ProtonMail. Read about that deal here!
Gadgets
No Cyber Monday blog post is complete without being able to purchase things you can touch, hold, and eventually break in time to buy them again next year.
If you’re reading this, you are probably aware of the importance of multifactor authentication. Hopefully you’re using it on all major services (email, vpn, password managers, etc.). And hopefully you’re not using your cell phone as your multifactor token. But if you really want to show off your security consciousnesses to the world, why not carry it on your keychain? Meet the Yubico Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) device. You can use a slick USB key as your second factor.
Get the Yubico deal here!
All of this technology is pointless if we can’t get online. The traditional wi-fi setup, where we buy a device, drop it on the network and never update it or think about it again, is going away. But we still don’t want to have to think about it. Enter a new generation of wi-fi devices. They automatically update and provide superior user experiences. Following the KRACK vulnerability discovered earlier this year, it’s more important than ever that our wireless routers automatically update and are built with security in mind. There are many great products out there, but this is a post on Cyber Monday deals.
For a brand known for ease of access and family internet protections, choose Eero. Their mesh wireless package is easy to setup and they’re offering $50 off select products for Cyber Monday. If you sign up for their subscription protection plan (not on sale), they will bundle other great services to help you browse the Internet with a peace of mind.
Get the Eero deal here!
What do you think of when you think of “Google”? Probably “search engine” and then a whole suite of mixed thoughts and emotions. They’ve taken over the rest of our connected lives, why not let them physically into your home? For many privacy minded folks, there are many reasons why you shouldn’t. But for the standard consumer, a recognized brand with a user friendly product might just be the answer for your wi-fi woes.
Get the Google Wifi deal here!
Well that’s it. Please leave comments down below if I missed any deals. I’ll be updating this throughout the day. Hopefully next year we’ll have even more things we can save money on while making our connected lives safer. Happy Holidays or just Happy Winter if you do not recognize any yule adjacent celebrations.
*Updates*
Thanks Elpsy for the Shodan find! Use this to scan the internet for services, etc.
Linux Academy has a sale for anyone looking to learn Linux the prefered OS of many security minded folks.
One of my favorite programs, Little Snitch, is on sale today! With version 4, their app is more user friendly than ever. Little Snitch is local firewall that gives you granular control over your network connections. It has a redesigned silent mode for novices who want to easily manage what programs can talk to the Internet, but don’t want to get overwhelmed with notifications. However, it is eye opening to see how noisy our programs are in the background. You should definitely pick this up today!
