Singapore’s new licensing rules for online news sites called restrictive to Internet freedom
GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS – July 10, 2013 – Golden Frog, a global software and Internet application development company, announced today that it has added a new VyprVPN server cluster in Singapore. VyprVPN is a personal VPN (Virtual Private Network) service that encrypts Internet connections to defeat monitoring of online communications, protects online privacy and preserves an open and free Internet by providing access to restricted websites. The Singapore VPN server cluster is now available to all of Golden Frog’s VyprVPN customers.
“Singapore’s new policy to license news sites is yet another attempt by governments to censor and restrict Internet freedom, this is occurring around the globe. In addition to Singapore, censorship continues to be an issue for the citizens of a number of countries as evidenced by the recent news about Australia and Iran,” said Sunday Yokubaitis, President of Golden Frog. “We created VyprVPN to ensure a secure and open Internet experience because one of the best ways to protect your Internet freedom is to use a virtual private network (VPN).”
VyprVPN users now have unlimited access to the following server locations:
Asia – Hong Kong
Asia – Singapore New!
Canada – Toronto
Denmark – Copenhagen New!
France – Paris
Germany – Frankfurt
Luxembourg New!
Netherlands – Amsterdam
Romania – Bucharest New!
Russia – Moscow New!
Sweden – Stockholm New!
Switzerland – Zurich New!
U.K. – London
U.S. – Austin, TX
U.S. – Los Angeles, CA
U.S. – Washington, D.C.
We added a new VyprVPN server cluster in Singapore!
This is our second server cluster in the Asia Pacific, and we will continue to add additional clusters in the region throughout 2013.
Our approach is unique in the VPN industry – we own, engineer and manage our VPN servers so we can deliver fast and reliable connections. Other VPN providers use 3rd party companies to host their VPN servers. We don’t.
Our clustered solution makes it easy to connect. Simply choose a server location without scrolling through a long list of servers. Never worry about whether a server is overloaded or unavailable, supports your favorite protocol, or will kick you off and force you to reconnect.
Use the VyprVPN Desktop and Mobile apps to easily connect to VyprVPN with a single click or tap.
The Singapore VPN server cluster is available for all VyprVPN protocols, including PPTP, L2TP/IPsec and OpenVPN.
If you use VyprVPN Desktop, the new Singapore VPN server cluster is automatically available when choosing your server location. To choose the Singapore server cluster with VyprVPN Mobile, simply log out of your app and log back in.
If you have manually set up VyprVPN on your operating system, you can update your VyprVPN hostname to: sg1.vpn.goldenfrog.com
You now have unlimited access to the following server locations:
Asia – Hong Kong
Canada – Toronto
Denmark – Copenhagen
Europe – Luxembourg New!
France – Paris
Germany – Frankfurt
Russia – Moscow New!
Netherlands – Amsterdam
Romania – Bucharest
Singapore – Singapore New!
Sweden – Stockholm New!
Switzerland – Zurich New!
U.K. – London
U.S. – Austin
U.S. – Los Angeles
U.S. – Washington, D.C.
A United States Securities and Exchange Commission letter has asked the United States Senate Judiciary Committee to change the current ECPA reform bill (S.607) so that U.S. state and federal regulatory agencies could obtain a “quasi-warrant” to compel communication service providers to disclose their users’ “content” directly to them. This brand-new right of access to users’ private content would allow the U.S. government broad authority to seize information directly from the “cloud” without an actual criminal warrant. The cloud provider would surrender ALL files in the target account, including those that are irrelevant to the subject of the investigation, denying businesses their right to safeguard privileged information, and bypassing every consumer’s right to oppose or limit the government’s right of access. In many cases the consumer would never even know that some faceless bureaucrat has sought and obtained access to the consumer’s private information: private and even privileged emails; draft documents, pictures not intended for any public disclosure.
U.S. Constitution under Attack
The U.S. government is trying to take your property, without any due process. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proposal is a direct affront to the 1st, 4th, 5th and 14th amendments to the United States Constitution. If the U.S. Congress gives these bureaucrats what they want, each U.S. citizen would suffer a serious blow to their privacy rights. “Civil” investigations would be mere cloud-based fishing expeditions. And, as we now know from recent revelations, once the U.S. government gets information they can and will use it for any purpose; and it will be freely shared and ultimately made public.
Take Action
There are two things we can do. First, let your elected officials know that you expect their support for legislation that protects your privacy. Second, encrypt your communications wherever possible, both while in transit and then while in storage. If the United States Congress allows these agencies to access your information, you can still prevent them from making any sense of it through the simple act of transit and end-state encryption.
You hold the key to your own privacy. Turn that key – two times. Tell Congress to keep the government’s mitts off your private bits. Meanwhile, if you use Golden Frog’s VyprVPN, you can ensure that if and when they get your bits it is encrypted gibberish they cannot understand.
Transitory and end-state encryption won’t keep their mitts off your bits, but it will protect your privacy. Golden Frog has customers in more than 215 countries around the globe that share our belief that encryption helps protect your online privacy. Act now. Complain, but still encrypt!
Some may not be familiar with The Electronics Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). ECPA was enacted in 1986, when we lived in a very different electronic world than today; the “public” Internet did not even exist. The primary purpose for ECPA was to address the then-new communications technologies and services and govern how law enforcement could obtain information about “oral,” “wire” and “electronic” services, which at the time mostly consisted of bulletin boards and walled-garden portals. WebMail as we know it now did not exist and there were no cloud-based storage services.
ECPA addresses three levels of information: “customer information” which involves the customer name, billing address and other information such as length of service and payment method; “transactional information” which deals with communication-specific information like end-points and addresses, time and duration, and then the actual “content” of the communication. ECPA has three parts, addressing the communications market as it existed at the time. The first part addresses “wiretaps” – real-time “interception” of the content of a communication. The second part addresses “trap and trace” and “pen register” information dealing with calling and called numbers for an oral communication. The third part addresses “stored communications” – and (although they did not exist at the time) now cover WebMail and files stored in the “cloud.” Each ECPA part distinguishes between the three categories of information, and provides standards for law enforcement access to each of them, depending on context and the communications type.
There have been a number of amendments to ECPA over the years. Congress also passed the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) (1994), the USA PATRIOT Act (2001), (dealing with the physical means by which law enforcement actually obtains content for interceptions, after judicial or other authorization), the PATRIOT Act (The title of the act is a ten letter bacronym (USA PATRIOT) that stands for Uniting (and) Strengthening America (by) Providing Appropriate Tools Required (to) Intercept (and) Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001; it was recently renewed) and finally the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), (2008). Congress has tried (and has consistently failed) to keep pace with technology growth, but the results have uniformly and consistently reduced, not protected, individual liberties, privacy or freedom.
A new amendment (S.607) to ECPA (not CALEA, PATRIOT or FISA) is in the works, introduced by Senator Leahy (D-VT). The new amendment seeks to strengthen the law around electronic communications privacy. This bill would fix several long overdue privacy issues. It is not a total panacea, but it is a move in the right direction. Basically, S.607 would require all state and federal law enforcement (but not the CIA or NSA) to obtain a warrant, after a showing “probable cause,” to obtain the “content” of any electronic communication. Texas, having just signed into law an amendment to its own ECPA, now requires a warrant for content. The rest of the country needs to do the same thing.
Golden Frog develops products like VyprVPN to help preserve an open and secure Internet experience while respecting user privacy. VyprVPN is used in more than 215 countries around the globe by people that share our belief that encryption helps protect your online privacy.
Dump Truck can now be used on Otixo! Otixo provides a cloud aggregation service that lets individuals and businesses work and collaborate across many of their online services from a single application.
If you already use Otixo, connecting to Dump Truck is easy:
Otixo Setup Instructions for Dump Truck
What is Otixo?
Otixo is a web app used for managing files from multiple online storage accounts from one place. You can search, copy and share files between Dump Truck and other online storage services on both mobile and desktop devices using WebDAV.
Otixo also makes project collaboration easy and effective with Spaces, a useful tool combining several collaboration features:
Share your “Space” with colleagues by sending invitations and managing your Space collaborators quickly and easily
Attach files or folders from Dump Truck to your Space with just a few clicks
Keep control of your Space by determining which collaborators have write permission
Preview and share comments on files with others to stay informed on all your projects
Keep track of new comments, files, and downloads – use email notifications to stay informed in real time!
Collaborate with others regardless of what online storage service they use. Spaces creates a neutral place for working on files, so you can keep your versions under control.
Why use Otixo with Dump Truck?
With Otixo and Dump Truck, you can easily backup your data in several locations. Simply drag-and drop files from Dump Truck to other online storage services without having to download them to your computer. Collaborate with friends and colleagues across multiple online storage services and make life easier by managing all your files from one location.
We are constantly adding new setup instructions to help you use Dump Truck with your favorite applications. Share your feedback at Golden Frog Ideas and help us make Dump Truck even better!
GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS – June 19, 2013 – Golden Frog, a global software and Internet application development company, announced today that its cloud storage product, Dump Truck has been integrated with Otixo. Otixo provides a cloud aggregation service that lets individuals and businesses work and collaborate across many of their online services from a single application.
“As the cloud aggregation leader, we’re excited about adding Golden Frog’s Dump Truck product to our growing family of integrated cloud services,” said Shannon Thomas, CEO of Otixo. “Dump Truck users can now utilize Otixo to provide a single login and easy management for many of their cloud storage services.”
Otixo integrates a wide variety of consumer and business cloud services and joins them into a central online file system that can be reached by an intuitive web app or via Otixo’s own WebDav servers, enabling users to access Otixo from their laptop, tablet or smart phone. Please visit www.otixo.com to learn more.
“Otixo provides an easy to use solution for managing multiple cloud services,” said Liz Kintzele, Channel Director for Golden Frog. “We’re pleased to have Dump Truck integrated with Otixo and think our customers will find value in the single login and easy ability to manage all of their cloud storage services.”
Dump Truck is secure online storage that allows users to safely store, sync and share all of their files and access them anywhere from any device. All data uploaded to Dump Truck is encrypted, and Golden Frog doesn’t rely on 3rd parties to store user data or use data deduplication to inspect user data. Dump Truck for Mac and Windows automatically syncs all files from Dump Truck to the desktop. Dump Truck mobile apps for iOS and Android allow easy access to files while on the go.
In response to feedback on Golden Frog Ideas we recently added step-by-step instructions for setting up VyprVPN on any Android device with FEAT VPN. While VyprVPN for Android is preferred for devices running Android 3.1 or greater, FEAT VPN is an OpenVPN option for Android devices running versions 2.1 through 3.2.
Setting up a VPN on older versions of Android can be difficult which makes the easy FEAT VPN setup process stand out.
What is FEAT VPN?
FEAT VPN is a popular Android app that allows users to utilize OpenVPN without needing to root the device. Rooting an Android device carries a number of security risks, plus it voids the warranty. FEAT VPN is one of the only OpenVPN solutions compatible with any Android device right off the shelf.
The latest version of FEAT VPN offers better compatibility for Android devices that are connected to an IPv6 network. Most VPN services only support IPv4 however IPv6 is growing in popularity among app developers. For example, the built-in YouTube app utilizes IPv6. As a result, all of the YouTube traffic will not flow through the users IPv4 tunnel and isn’t encrypted or protected.
Why Use VyprVPN with FEAT VPN?
We wanted to make it easy for our users to combine the flexibility of FEAT VPN with the stability and security of VyprVPN. The entire setup process can be completed within a few minutes.
It was reported last week that the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has been incorrectly blocking access to hundreds of thousands of websites when it intended to target a single offender. Apparently ASIC was blocking IP addresses instead of domain names, an inaccurate method for blocking suspected fraudulent websites.
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) condemned ASIC’s actions and said it had serious concerns about transparency issues around the use of section 313 of Australia’s Telecommunications Act. This act requires carriers to do their best to prevent telecommunications networks and facilities from being used in, or in relation to, the commission of offences against the laws of the Commonwealth or of the states and territories.
Internet censorship is a global issue that can be a very explicit action by a government, an interpretation of legislation, or sometimes even a mistake. While effective legislation is important to help control censorship, it is not enough.
Golden Frog was founded on the belief that the Internet should be open and free and that users should enjoy an open and secure Internet experience that respects their privacy. I invite you to read a white paper entitled “Peace Prosperity and the Case for the Open Internet“. This paper discusses the global challenges to freedom and offers a solution as the Second Amendment of the Internet – encryption. Only encryption can provide the protection that legislation is unable to provide today.
In response to your feedback on Golden Frog Ideas we added Synology NAS (Network Attached Storage) setup instructions for VyprVPN! We are committed to providing an excellent user experience for all customers, on all devices, so please continue to share your feedback and help make VyprVPN even better.
If you already own a Synology NAS device you can connect to VyprVPN using either PPTP or OpenVPN:
PPTP Synology NAS Setup Instructions for VyprVPN
OpenVPN Synology NAS Setup Instructions for VyprVPN
Connecting to VyprVPN allows you to benefit from the speed and security of a VPN while using your Synology NAS device.
What is Synology NAS?
Synology NAS is a storage device engineered primarily for small businesses, however, users with large amounts of data to store use it as well. It is a popular solution because it offers elite performance and is easily scalable. Synology NAS’ primary function is to provide a centralized destination for storage, sharing, and onsite data backup that requires minimal ongoing maintenance. Synology NAS allows PC users to back up to their device with Synology’s Data Replicator while Mac users can utilize the native Apple Time Machine.
Why Use VyprVPN with Synology NAS?
We want all of our users to be able to take advantage of great storage solutions like Synology NAS without sacrificing security or privacy. When accessing sensitive information online it is important to secure your connection. VyprVPN uses 256-bit encryption and secure servers to prevent malicious 3rd parties from accessing your data and secure your connection from end to end.
We will continue to provide setup instructions and 24x7x365 support to ensure your security on all devices. Make sure to leave your feedback and suggestions at Golden Frog Ideas so we can help you use VyprVPN with your favorite device!
