How to Use miniLock - a Simple Way to Encrypt Files

I originally posted this entry on our family’s Wordpress blog, back in 2015. I decided to update and repost the content here, since it’s still relevant and it fits better here anyway… miniLock is no longer actively maintained and is no longer recommended as an encrypton option. There are lots of different ways to encrypt a file and today I want to cover one of the more obscure, and I believe more unique methods....

Restricting Connections to ncat

We’ve already seen the usefulness of ncat, including ncat SSL sessions and running chat servers. Now we address the potential issue of unintended users of our listening ncat sessions. Why would you want to limit access to an ncat listener? If you’re competing in a Capture the Flag event and you’ve managed to establish an ncat listener, it would be no good to take a host you worked so hard to gain and gice it away to the other competitors....

Using ncat as a Chat Server

Sometimes a quick and easy channel for communication can come in handy. ncat has a nice option for just such a chat server. Start it up Start the server using the -l and --chat flags: ubahmapk@laptop:~ > ncat --chat -l -p 8888 Note that you will not see any of the chat traffic in this window, but if you add the -v flag, you will at least see the connections as they are established:...

Using SSL Connections Over ncat

ncat is a full rewrite from the nmap team of the traditional netcat (nc) network “Swiss Army Knife”. ncat is full of really slick new features, but the one I will cover here is the ability to do all the wonderful things nc could do, but over an SSL connection. (Yes, yes, yes: I should call it a TLS connection instead, but since the ncat documentation still refers to it as “SSL”, I will do the same here....

Filtering Home Internet with Circle

Meet Circle from Disney. According to Disney, using Circle you can “manage all of your home’s connected devices” and “parents can filter content, limit screen time and set a bedtime for every device in the home.” Circle is an extremely easy and simple to use home web filter, and one which is at least relatively effective with time controls, since I can hear my kids groan every time their alloted time has been spent....