Aga app has security issues with its remote control

A security researcher found the issues when considering whether to upgrade to the latest Aga model

An app that lets Aga cooker owners remotely control their ovens could be hijacked by hackers, a cybersecurity researcher has claimed.

Ken Munro of Pen Test Partners was thinking of upgrading his Aga when he found vulnerabilities in the apps used to control the newest models.

It means ovens could be turned on or off, though not in a way that makes the cookers dangerous.

Aga has said it has contacted the third party that provided the system.

"If you were maliciously motivated, it wouldn't be very difficult to switch off people's Aga's remotely," Mr. Munro said.

His investigation concerned the "iTotal Control" (TC) system, which Aga has marketed since 2012.

Among the security issues, he says he found is the fact that SMS messages - which are used by the system to turn the oven on or off - are not authenticated by the cooker.

Nor is the Sim card set up to send the messages validated on registration.

Mr. Munro also criticized the fact that user registration for the service allows lock passwords as short as five characters - security experts usually recommend using as many characters as possible, with a minimum of eight.

Email addresses are sent in plain text via the system, too, he explained - meaning personal data could be vulnerable to snoopers.

The mobile and web app allows user registration with a very short, five character, password

He also said that attempts to contact Aga about the problems, including a tweet and emails on 3 April, fell on deaf ears.

When he did get through to someone and advised them to take the Total Control website down, he got a disappointing response.

"I asked to speak to relevant departments, they couldn't put me through," he said.

Third party provider

"Aga Rangemaster operates its Aga TC phone app via a third party service provider," Aga said in a statement.

"Security and account registration also involves our [machine to machine] provider.

"We take such issues seriously and have raised them immediately with our service providers so that we can answer in detail the points raised."

However, the firm did not comment on Mr. Munro's claims that it ignored his disclosure of the problems. So until now, the best solution is to install some security apps on your phone to protect your personal data or use an app lock aplplication to prevent your private information leakage.

The Aga cookers are controlled via SMS messages sent via the remote control system

"It's kind of unacceptable that some random person could just take control of your Aga," said Professor Alan Woodward, a cybersecurity expert at the University of Surrey.

"Will hackers try it? Who knows, but it just shouldn't be possible."

He added that he was surprised there seemed to be a flat response from the firm when Mr. Munro tried to raise the issues.

"If somebody calls up, 'I found a problem with your system,' they should look at it," Prof Woodward said.

Keep prying eyes out of your Android applications

The one issue at the top of most smartphone users' minds should be security. We carry around so many precious data, and when it's lost, trouble often ensues. To that end, Android developers are always searching for new and improved methods to help give your ever-growing mobile world even more ways to secure that data.

There are instances when security can come in the simplest forms, such as keeping prying eyes out of certain apps. You might hand your phone over to someone so they can make a call or look at a picture. If you turn your back, that user could always dig into your data. Fortunately, there are ways to keep certain applications readily available while others are locked down. One such method is a third-party applock application called PrivateZone.

 

With PrivateZone, you can create a specific PIN code, a pattern lock or choose an app cover that can then be used to lock down whatever applications you wish to secure. It's incredibly simple to use. Here are some main features of this useful application:

Lock any app (Applock)

Privacy State Scan

Hide images

Hide videos

Break-in-Alert (Anti-snoopers)

Anti-Theft

Block incoming spam and unwanted calls

Disguise feature (with App Covers)

Theme support

Lock access to phone (Lock Screen)

Prevent uninstallation protection

Now let's look through the process of installation and using this handy Android security application.

Installation

The installation of PrivateZone is simple. Just follow these steps:

Open the Google Play Store

Search for "PrivateZone" (no quotes)

Locate and tap the app titled PrivateZone

Tap Install

Tap Accept

Once the installation has completed, locate the PrivateZone launcher in your app drawer and tap to launch.

First use

When you first launch PrivateZone, you'll have to set up your unlock password or pattern (Figure A). Enter a password that's at least four digits or set a pattern that's at least four points, and tap OK. You'll then be required to re-enter the same password or redraw the pattern and tap OK.

Figure A

PrivateZone running on a Verizon-branded Samsung device.

Locking apps

After you've confirmed your locking password or pattern, you'll find yourself on the Main Lock tab (Figure B). This is where you select apps you want to lock with the newly created password.

Figure B

Lock as many applications as you like from this window.

To lock an app, simply locate the app in the Main Lock tab, and then tap the lock icon associated with that particular app. Once they're added, those apps will require the locking password or pattern in order to open. You can also set up a relock policy, which dictates how often you must enter the locking password in order to open an app. The relock policy can be:

Auto lock after screen is locked

Always Lock (Relock after activating the app)

To set this relock policy, tap on the Setting tab, and then tap Relock Policy. In the popup, tap to select the policy you want to use.

After a lock is set, you can also rename the lock and even change the password or pattern. To rename the lock, follow these steps:

Open PrivateZone

Tap on the Tool tab at the upper left corner

Tap on Common Settings

Tape on Change Pattern/Password

Reset Pattern or tape on Change to Pin Code at the bottom

Tap on OK tab

Besides the App Lock features, there are many other cool features to secure your phone.

★ Lock Screen: Enjoy your amazing phone lock!

-Use screen lock protect your phone from intruders;

- Choose different themes or covers to customize your lock screen.

★ Harassment Intercept: Know your True caller to avoid spam and unwanted calls.

- Avoid spam, unwanted calls and put them on your blacklist.

- Share them with friends & family with one click.

★Hide Pictures: Protect your personal photos

- Easily hide pictures to our vault from your gallery.

- Keep snoopers away from private photos.

- Enjoy a private photo gallery that only you can view.

★Hide Videos: Protect private memories easily.

- Don’t worry about your private media in our video vault now.

- Protect your secret videos from prying eyes and nosy friends

★ Private Browsing: Keep your personal data secure

- Clean your search history immediately

- Keep the browse data spy from others.

- Surf your favorite websites in private browsing and secure your privacy.

- The fastest way to download your favorite photos, videos, and files.

★Privacy Status: Scan your privacy status with a single tap

- Know your potential privacy-leaking risk at any time.

- Protect your all secrets in real time.

★ Anti-theft: Lost and Found

- Lock all your apps with our advanced App Lock function to protect your privacy.

- Locate your phone on the map, give an alarm helps you to find it.

★ Break-in Alert: Intruder Selfie

- Capture a snapshot of anyone who tries to unlock apps behind you.

★Phone Boost: Speed up your Phone

- Boost the speed of your Android phone, clear junk and cache.

★Charging Screensaver: Monitor your phone power status smartly

- Show remaining charging time when you use it.

Best Apps for lock applications in 2017

Best Apps for lock applications in 2017

Do you want to set a password for applications and lock apps? It seems to happen with everyone that we have left the mobile phone without having locked it and in just one minute the private information that was has been exposed by a friend, relative or colleague who is aware of your unlock code. Then he can use it to extract information and gossip all information you have, either images or videos, and then he will be able to disclose them or blackmail you. Even worse, your information could be stolen without the need to hack your Wi-Fi.

If you have already tired of the usual pattern locks, which many times are not totally safe or the constant changes in applications that offer this type of security can’t make expected results, then we will introduce you to some better applications for a password where your more intimate information will be much safer. Here is a list of most effective app lock applications for privacy and security for Android mobile device.

Apps to lock apps on Android

1.       Super AppLock - Put password to applications

 

Super AppLock is one of the most complete apps blocking apps. As it not only blocks applications, it also allows you to block multimedia elements, such as photos or videos. The best thing about this application is that it is free and without advertising.

2.       App Defender - Protect Android apps with password

The application block with App Defender in quite easy to do seems a simple and current application, but when you use it you realize that it is not so.

This application shows you a list of applications that you can block, then allows you to pick the ones that interest you. Once this is done, you have to create the password to access blocked applications and you are ready.

The main attraction of this application is that if a user enters a wrong password, more than 5 times, the phone activates the camera and takes a photo of the person trying to enter, very useful, right?

3.       LOCX - Lock apps

If you're a fan of good design, and you like everything square with the Android interface, this application blocking application is right for you.

LOCK allows you to lock the most common applications, which could be considered daily, such as Contacts, Messages, WhatsApp etc. It does not have many advanced options, but it does well with its function.

4.       Lockdown - Lock apps

Another one for fans of the design, as it allows you to set custom lock screens and select many themes to protect applications on Android.

The developers assume that it blocks all the applications and makes it possible to set unlock patterns by password in different modes: common, calculator or schedule, the latter updates the password with the current time, ie if it is 20:40, the password will be 2040, Quite novel this system, but predictable if anyone knows the application.

5.       Privacy Protector - Lock Android apps

In addition to the main feature of locking applications, Privacy Protector allows you to customize the lock screen and block calls or messages. For the latter you just have to enter the numbers you want to block and it is enough for the application to block them.

6.       PrivateZone – App lock and Screen Lock

PrivateZone could be considered as a small security app, due to the options it presents. However, it focuses more on privacy than on lock apps itself, which of course is a present function.

This application, in addition to blocking applications, has a security box where you can enter photos or videos for example and will remain there, without anyone else you can access.

It has a feature that allows you to lock the phone remotely, which would be a kind of lock with a click, according to the developers just send a message to lock the phone and its applications.

Like App Defender, it allows you to set a lock, which is activated when a user enters the wrong password more than 3 times. With the advantage of taking a photo of the attacker at the time.

7.       Hexlock – Lock apps

An application that stands out for integrating with the appearance Material Desing of Android and that has the most options necessary to block applications with some aggregates.

In addition to blocking applications, it also allows you to block text messages, Block calls, pictures, messages.

It also allows you to establish up to 6 profiles, which will allow you to determine certain locks for each particular situation, for example, work, university, disco, etc.

That’s the list of the best apps to lock applications that currently exist. And you ... Do you know more? Interested in setting a password for applications on your Android Phone?

Block access to apps on your smartphone

- How to lock apps individually

The Android platform provides us with a very interesting security system so that we can keep informed of that we have our mobile phone away from the spying eyes. Although it is not something that comes when you activate factory defaults, we can find it when we enter the Settings menu or Settings of our phone. It is a screen lock system that puts a barrier on our phone. So we can avoid snooping problem before it happens. As we know, this is an option that the vast majority of users know about, and its utility is evident.

Now let's see another way to protect the phone. Basically, the system is the same, because like Android system does, what you have to do is to put a barrier to the access that can only be activated using a password or a lock pattern. But the difference is that these locking tools that we are going to see try to put the lock on the applications that we want individually, instead of putting a lock on the whole phone.

Have you ever left your Android phone at a friend's house, at a cafeteria table ... or have you lost sight of it for a while, not knowing where it was? If so it’s very probably that it has occurred to your mind that someone could enter and see your personal conversations in Whatsapp, your e-mails, your contacts ... we can imagine that how bad or offended you felt at that moment. But why not avoiding these undesirable moments, if we have tools at hand to do so?

So let's look at the best app lock solutions we can find right now on the Google Play Store. We have selected them for their versatility (they know how to offer what we need), easiness to set and manageability, both the app and the phone itself, once it starts to work.

Although, as you can see, there is a very varied list of applications, we will not have to download all of them in our mobile, because we may not need all the long list of options that offer us and more apps will only take more space in the memory of our Phone unnecessarily. It’s not true that the more functions an application have, the better it is. Its usefulness will be determined by if it can offer us exactly what we need.

Now take a look at this detailed analysis we have done. It includes from simple solutions to the most complicated ones. Yes, they all perfectly fulfill their mission.

One of the simplest solutions to protect our phone without locking it is using applock. There are plenty of apps you can find on Goggle Play Store, and PrivateZone is the one of the most popular of its kind. With its selective locking of applications, we can make the system more secure for our Android smartphone.

Are you worried about the curious colleagues or friends who like to peep on the other’s phones? PrivateZone will free you of this concern since others will only enter the apps that we have left with free access.

Our e-mail, Whatsapp, agenda ... everything private and personal will be locked. And to set a restricted access with it is very simple and fast. We can set a password to access quickly, or do it by a lock pattern. What’s more, you can use different app cover to create a fake lock UI to confuse others.

In addition, if we want to avoid that, in more complex situations, someone tries to uninstall this lock application and thus having free access to all the apps we have, we can just activate Uninstall Protection so that they will not make it in any case.

What is iOS Single App Mode and how you use it?

Many iOS users have the question: “Can I passcode lock a folder on iPhone or iPad?” The fact is that you can't. At least, you can't passcode lock an individual folder on your iPad without installing a third-party app. It just isn't something for which iOS allows. We do wonder if this will change in future, particularly if Apple wants iPad and iPhone to be a serious option in the business world. In this article, first - here is what you can lock on your iPad. It's possible this may solve the issues you are having if you want to keep secret the contents of a single folder.

If you want to allow someone - a child perhaps - to use a specific app on your iPad, but you don't want them to access the photos and email, you can lock your iPad to a single app with Single App Mode. 

Go to Settings, General, Accessibility, and select Guided Access. Flip the switch and tap Set Passcode to create a four-digit passcode. Make sure you can remember it!

Now in the app, you want to lock into Guided Access mode and launch it. Once it's up and running, quickly tap the home button three times.

When you're ready to lock to the app, press the Start button in the top right-hand corner of the screen. When it's time to put your iPhone or iPad back to normal, triple-click the home button and enter the four-digit passcode.

Alternatively, you could passcode lock the whole iPad. Really, this is only sensible, and you should do it for your iPad regardless of whether you choose to passcode lock an individual folder. It will prevent anyone who happens upon your iPad opening it up.

Go to Settings, General, Passcode Lock. You'll be asked to input a four-digit code on the onscreen display. Again, make sure it is one you can remember. You'll need to use it to unlock your iPad every time you use it.

Ok, now let’s look at how to solve this problem with Single App Mode on your iPhone.

What is Single App Lock?

Single App Lock is a feature for supervised devices that restricts the device to running only one app. While Single App Lock is enabled, the selected app will stay in the foreground.

This feature includes a number of additional options, such as the ability to:

•       Disable screen touch actions

•       Disable device rotation

•       Disable volume buttons

•       Disable ringer switch

•       Disable sleep/wake button

•       Disable auto-lock

•       Enable voice over

•       Enable zoom

•       Enable inverted colors

•       Enable assistive touch

•       Enable speak selection

•       Enable mono audio

•       Allow voice over adjustments

•       Allow zoom adjustments

•       Allow inverted colors adjustments

•       Allow assistive touch adjustments

Single App Lock is enabled by the MDM administrator in the SimpleMDM interface. To enable Single App Mode, complete the following steps:

1.      From the devices view, edit the group that you’d like to enable Single App Mode on.

2.      Select the “Configurations” tab.

3.      Check the “Single App Lock” checkbox. Select the app to use, check any additional desired options, and save changes.

Once you complete these steps, your supervised devices will enter Single App Mode.

What is Autonomous Single App Mode?

iOS allows some apps to provoke Single App Lock themselves, under certain scenarios. Apps need to have this functionality included in them, or if the app is developed internally, developers will need to add the functionality.

Since enabling Single App Mode is a powerful ability, an app needs to be given permission to do so. To give an app permission through MDM, complete the following steps in SimpleMDM:

1.      From the devices view, edit the group that you’d like to permit Autonomous Single App Mode for.

2.      Select the “Restrictions” tab.

3.      In the supervised restrictions section, you will find an area to enter the bundle ids of apps allowed to provoke Single App Mode. Enter them here.

4.      Save your changes. Your settings will automatically be applied to the supervised devices in the group.

Why your Wi-Fi speed sucks and how to deal with it

In some of our WiFi speed tests, it wasn't uncommon that a 802.11n connection with devices only a few meters apart (and with only wall in between) can fall back to a mere 2-15 Mbps. And here's where you run into problems:
· 0.5-2 Mbps: Is enough for all your basic chatting and mailing services, though it will slow down some content-heavy websites -- especially if you've got a 20+ Mbps downpipe.
· 4-5 Mbps: Enough for handling all websites and basic video streaming.
· 20+ Mbps: This is the minimum you need to even consider HD streaming. Even though, the typical bitrate of a 720p iTunes TV show is 2-6Mbps, your router needs to compensate for dropouts, other connected clients and prebuffering.
· 50+ Mbps: Enough for 1080p movies and over-the-air backups.
If you're sick of slow WiFi speed but hate to go back to Ethernet, we've got a handful of tips that'll help boost weak signals.

1. Check your router's eco settings
Some routers are set up with their "Power savings" mode on by default. The goal: save a few milliwatts. Unfortunately, this commendable approach reduced bandwidth disproportionately. Although my trusty Linksys WRT610N router wasn't set up with unnecessary power savings in mind, I turned on its low power modes just to see the effects:

If you value bandwidth over minimal power savings, check out the router's setting and look for entries called "Transmission Power" or various Eco modes. Turn them OFF. Also, do check if your router sports some sort of "Automatic" transmission setting. You may want to turn it off and go "100%" all the time.

2. Overcome the laws of physics
Unfortunately, the laws of physics sometimes stand in the way of proper wireless bandwidth and signal strength (where can I file a complaint?). First of all, the distance between your router and the wireless adapter is a more relevant factor than you might think. Here's a rule of thumb: Just by doubling the distance between router and client you can expect throughput to shrink to one-third of its original value. A wireless repeater, which will set you back $20-$100, should boost your signal noticeably.
In addition to distance, the other wireless signal killers are the objects and elements that are in the way of throughput, namely water and metal. Water acts as a blockade for 2.42GHz signals, so it may be wise to get all objects in your home or office that contain any form of liquids out of the way (this includes radiators and flower pots -- no kidding!). Also make sure that metal objects are not in the way of your router and your clients: this goes for metal furniture as well as metal boards, tech gear, etc.
Keep in mind that smooth and shiny surfaces are prone to reflecting signals and thus either creating drops or massive signal problems.

3. Upgrade your router's antenna
Packet loss and weak throughput is often caused by weak antenna design. Good news: You can replace the built-in antenna of your router with something much more powerful. It's a bit of a hassle, but it may make the difference between a slow connection (or none at all) and a speedy line to your router!
Depending on your setup, you'll want to go with either an omnidirectional antenna that scatters the signal throughout your home or a directional antenna if most of the devices that are in need for good throughput are in one room. Probably the best and most extensive guide for replacing antennas is Binary Wolf's.

4. Figure out the best spot for your router
Use a Wi-Fi heatmapping tool to measure the impact of distance, frequency changes and building structures on signal strength. Two tools that are great for this job are NetSpot for Mac and Heatmapper for Windows. Both tools allow you to track Wi-Fi coverage in your office or home. In this example, we're going to show you how NetSpot works: Once you've installed the software, type in a new "Site Survey" name and hit "Blank Map". You can also select a floor plan of your home or office and get an exact map. If you're more creative, I suggest you select the "Draw Map" feature and start drawing your own floor plan. Next, define the scale by determining the exact distance between two spots. Hit "Let's get started" and just walk around. Click the spot on the floor plan that you're currently standing in:

Obviously, the more points you scan, the more exact your Wi-Fi heatmap. Once you're done, you end up with a map that shows you not just the signal strength but also the throughput of your Wi-Fi network.

5. Varying CPU frequencies and their effect on wireless signals
Your computer's motherboard is also working in the "Gigahertz" spectrum. That "noise" is being picked up by your built-in Wi-Fi transmitter. Unfortunately, the higher that noise is, the more likely it is for your wireless adapter to lower bandwidth automatically (by lowering the link-rate and avoiding frequency interferences). As CPUs these days clock dynamically, the Wi-Fi adapter needs to constantly adapt the link rate which not only causes a variation in Mbps but may also be the cause for dropped connections. Especially on laptops, the Wi-Fi adapter is often built close to the memory and CPU bus, which is a major source for problems.

Of course, this all depends on the design of your Wi-Fi adapter, but if these symptoms sound familiar you might solve this issue by getting an external adapter. Some of these adapters, such as my Linksys adapter, even have a little stand that's connected via a long USB cable. Putting that kind of space between the Wi-Fi adapter and your CPUs noise is likely to help a lot. Of course, that's not too handy when you're traveling, but at home it's a viable option. Typical Wi-Fi adapters such as the Linksys AE2500 (802.11n dualband) or the MSI US310EX will set you back between $20 and $40 and they're worth every penny.

Share cycles Apps are heading in China

New cycle-share firms in China allow you to simply drop your bike wherever you want. They have caused colorful chaos – and world cities could be next.

Thousands of confiscated share bikes. Mobike alone has flooded China’s cities with more than a million of its orange and silver bikes in less than a year. Photograph: VCG via Getty Images

On a 30ft-wide screen in Hangzhou’s public bike share office, the counter ticks up relentlessly: 278,812 … 278,847 … 278,883 … Another 40 cycle rentals every couple of seconds. The system will easily top 350,000 before this bitterly cold winter day is out.

On the left of the giant screen, the world’s 15 biggest public bike shares are ranked. Thirteen of them are in China. (Paris is No 5 with 21,000 bikes, and London No 12, with 16,500). Hangzhou – an hour west of Shanghai by bullet train – is slightly larger than London by population, but its share system is five times the size. It comfortably tops the table with 84,100 cycles, almost twice as many as its nearest rival.

 

In many other large Chinese cities, though, it’s not the sturdy, official public hire bikes that stand out. It’s the rash of brightly colored “dockless” share bikes, haphazardly parked on the pavements in their thousands.

Dubbed “Uber for bikes”, they are the product of a whole host of new startups, aggressively competing for territory and investment.

The way it works is simple enough in theory. Users download an app that tells them where to find a cycle, which they unlock by scanning a QR code on their phones or using a combination they are sent. Unlike traditional rental services, however, which require bikes to be returned to a fixed docking station, riders are free to leave the bikes wherever their journey ends.

The scale is simply stunning. In less than a year, Mobike alone has flooded the streets of 18 Chinese cities with what is thought to be more than a million new bikes. Since last April, the company has placed more than 100,000 of their trademark orange-and-silver bikes in each of the cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

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In just the three months of 2017, Mobike – co-founded by Hu Weiwei and Davis Wang, former head of Uber Shanghai – has launched in six more cities; Changsha, Hefei, and Tianjin were added this past month. Already backed by the Chinese internet giant Tencent, a recent deal with Apple supplier Foxconn has doubled Mobike’s production capacity to 10m bikes a year.

Then there’s Ofo – which started in 2015 as a Peking University project and now claims 10 million users in 33 cities for its bright yellow bikes – and Bluegogo, Xiaoming and around a dozen more copycat firms, many of which have started up in the past six months.

Seven hundred miles to the southwest, on the streets of the fast-growing Pearl River manufacturing hub of Guangzhou, the colorful dockless share bikes are everywhere. They are parked up by the hundred outside shopping malls and metro stations, often blocking the pavement; others, rendered useless by missing saddles, broken the lock or scratched off QR code, are simply dumped in flowerbeds and bushes.

But after decades of decline – when a whole generation of Chinese, embracing economic freedom, worshiped the private car and saw cycling as backward – these sharing apps have clearly made cycling cool again in China. Most users appear to be in their 20s and 30s, many riding one-handed, smartphones glued to their ears. This popularity is new: the share of trips taken by bike in Guangzhou had dropped from above 20% in the late 1990s to around 5% a few years ago; Beijing’s cycle modal share had collapsed from a high of above 60% in the mid-1980s. No official estimates yet take account of the impact of these new share bikes, but there’s no escaping them on the streets of China’s big cities.

What’s more, they’re about to be exported worldwide. Mobike is launching in Singapore this year, while rival Bluegogo controversially started operations in San Francisco without official permission, Uber-style. (The city planning department issued warnings and could prosecute.) Ofo has a container of 500 bikes on its way to Cambridge, and there are rumours Mobike is targeting London, Birmingham, and Manchester.