Quick Assist is not in Administrator Mode by Default. Two Methods to enable Administrator Mode.

 Quick Assist is widely used to offer remote assistance to a remote computer. If you have ever encountered Quick Assist black screen admin when trying to run a program as an administrator, keep reading to realize two methods to go into Quick Assist administrator mode.

Method 1. Disable PromptOnSecureDesktop using Registry

Step 1. Press Win + R to invoke the Run dialog box, then type in “regedit” and press OK to open Registry.

Step 2. Navigate to: Computer > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Policies > System. On the right pane, find and double-click PromptOnSecureDesktop.

Step 3. Change its value data to 0 to disable it.

Method 2. Disable User Account Control in Group Policy

Step 1. Press Win + R to open the run dialog box, and type in “gpedit.msc” to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

Step 2. Navigate to:  Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options. Find and double-click User Account Control: Switch to the secure desktop when prompting for elevation.

Step 3. Change its status to Disabled.

Step 4. Open Windows PowerShell and run gpupdate /force to update your computer to the latest group policy settings.

Suppose you are using Quick Assist to provide others with remote support and can’t run programs as an administrator on their computers. In that case, we provide you with two methods to help you go into Microsoft Quick Assist administrator mode. But pay attention; disabling these two policies would also be a big security risk. So please do it after careful consideration.

What is a Proxy Server and How Does it Work?

 

What is a Proxy Server?

A proxy server acts as a gateway between you and the internet. It’s an intermediary server separating end users from the websites they browse. Proxy servers provide varying levels of functionality, security, and privacy depending on your use case, needs, or company policy.

If you’re using a proxy server, internet traffic flows through the proxy server on its way to the address you requested. The request then comes back through that same proxy server (there are exceptions to this rule), and then the proxy server forwards the data received from the website to you.

If that’s all it does, why bother with a proxy server? Why not just go straight from to the website and back?

Modern proxy servers do much more than forwarding web requests, all in the name of data security and network performance. Proxy servers act as a firewall and web filter, provide shared network connections, and cache data to speed up common requests. A good proxy server keeps users and the internal network protected from the bad stuff that lives out in the wild internet. Lastly, proxy servers can provide a high level of privacy.

How Does a Proxy Server Operate?

Every computer on the internet needs to have a unique Internet Protocol (IP) Address. Think of this IP address as your computer’s street address. Just as the post office knows to deliver your mail to your street address, the internet knows how to send the correct data to the correct computer by the IP address.

A proxy server is basically a computer on the internet with its own IP address that your computer knows. When you send a web request, your request goes to the proxy server first. The proxy server then makes your web request on your behalf, collects the response from the web server, and forwards you the web page data so you can see the page in your browser.

When the proxy server forwards your web requests, it can make changes to the data you send and still get you the information that you expect to see. A proxy server can change your IP address, so the web server doesn’t know exactly where you are in the world. It can encrypt your data, so your data is unreadable in transit. And lastly, a proxy server can block access to certain web pages, based on IP address.

Why Should You Use a Proxy Server?

There are several reasons organizations and individuals use a proxy server.

• To control internet usage of employees and children: Organizations and parents set up proxy servers to control and monitor how their employees or kids use the internet. Most organizations don’t want you looking at specific websites on company time, and they can configure the proxy server to deny access to specific sites, instead of redirecting you with a nice note asking you to refrain from looking at said sites on the company network. They can also monitor and log all web requests, so even though they might not block the site, they know how much time you spend cyberloafing.

• Bandwidth savings and improved speeds: Organizations can also get better overall network performance with a good proxy server. Proxy servers can cache (save a copy of the website locally) popular websites – so when you ask for www.varonis.com, the proxy server will check to see if it has the most recent copy of the site, and then send you the saved copy. What this means is that when hundreds of people hit www.varonis.com at the same time from the same proxy server, the proxy server only sends one request to varonis.com. This saves bandwidth for the company and improves the network performance.

• Privacy benefits: Individuals and organizations alike use proxy servers to browse the internet more privately. Some proxy servers will change the IP address and other identifying information the web request contains. This means the destination server doesn’t know who actually made the original request, which helps keeps your personal information and browsing habits more private.

• Improved security: Proxy servers provide security benefits on top of the privacy benefits. You can configure your proxy server to encrypt your web requests to keep prying eyes from reading your transactions. You can also prevent known malware sites from any access through the proxy server. Additionally, organizations can couple their proxy server with a Virtual Private Network (VPN), so remote users always access the internet through the company proxy. A VPN is a direct connection to the company network that companies provide to external or remote users. By using a VPN, the company can control and verify that their users have access to the resources (email, internal data) they need, while also providing a secure connection for the user to protect the company data.

• Get access to blocked resources: Proxy servers allow users to circumvent content restrictions imposed by companies or governments. Is the local sportsball team’s game blacked out online? Log into a proxy server on the other side of the country and watch from there. The proxy server makes it look like you are in California, but you actually live in North Carolina. Several governments around the world closely monitor and restrict access to the internet, and proxy servers offer their citizens access to an uncensored internet.

Now that you have an idea about why organizations and individuals use a proxy server, take a look at the risks below.

Proxy Server Risks

You do need to be cautious when you choose a proxy server: a few common risks can negate any of the potential benefits:

• Free proxy server risks 
  • You know the old saying “you get what you pay for?” Well, using one of the many free proxy server services can be quite risky, even the services using ad-based revenue models.
  • Free usually means they aren’t investing heavily in backend hardware or encryption. You’ll likely see performance issues and potential data security issues. If you ever find a completely “free” proxy server, tread very carefully. Some of those are just looking to steal your credit card numbers.

• Browsing history log
  • The proxy server has your original IP address and web request information possibly unencrypted saved locally. Make sure to check if your proxy server logs and saves that data – and what kind of retention or law enforcement cooperation policies they follow.
  • If you expect to use a proxy server for privacy, but the vendor is just logging and selling your data you might not be receiving the expected value for the service.

• No encryption
  • If you use a proxy server without encryption, you might as well not use a proxy server. No encryption means you are sending your requests as plain text. Anyone who is listening will be able to pull usernames and passwords and account information really easily. Make sure whatever proxy server you use provides full encryption capability.

Types of Proxy Servers

Not all proxy servers work the same way. It’s important to understand exactly what functionality you’re getting from the proxy server and ensure that the proxy server meets your use case.

Transparent Proxy

• A transparent proxy tells websites that it is a proxy server and it will still pass along your IP address, identifying you to the webserver. Businesses, public libraries, and schools often use transparent proxies for content filtering: they’re easy to set up both client and server-side.

Anonymous Proxy

• An anonymous proxy will identify itself as a proxy, but it won’t pass your IP address to the website – this helps prevent identity theft and keep your browsing habits private. They can also prevent a website from serving you targeted marketing content based on your location. For example, if CNN.com knows you live in Raleigh, NC, they will show you news stories they feel are relevant to Raleigh, NC. Browsing anonymously will prevent a website from using some ad targeting techniques, but is not a 100% guarantee.

Distorting proxy

• A distorting proxy server passes along a false IP address for you while identifying itself as a proxy. This serves similar purposes as the anonymous proxy, but by passing a false IP address, you can appear to be from a different location to get around content restrictions.

High Anonymity proxy

• High Anonymity proxy servers periodically change the IP address they present to the web server, making it very difficult to keep track of what traffic belongs to who. High anonymity proxies, like the TOR Network, is the most private and secure way to read the internet.

Proxy servers are a hot item in the news these days with the controversies around Net Neutrality and censorship. By removing net neutrality protections in the United States, Internet Service Providers (ISP) are now able to control your bandwidth and internet traffic. ISPs can potentially tell you what sites you can and cannot see. While there’s a great amount of uncertainty around what is going to happen with Net Neutrality, it’s possible that proxy servers will provide some ability to work around an ISPs restrictions.

Browser Security Settings for Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer: Cybersecurity 101

 

Tips for Secure Browsing with Google Chrome

These settings can be accessed through Chrome’s “Advanced Settings” menu or by navigating to “chrome://settings/."

• Enable phishing and malware protection: Make sure that Chrome’s phishing and malware protection feature is enabled under the “Privacy” section. This feature will warn you if a site you’re trying to visit may be phishing or contain malware.
• Turn off instant search: The Instant search feature should be turned off for optimal security. While it offers some convenience in searching, having this feature enabled means that anything you type in the address bar is instantly sent to Google.
• Don’t sync: Disconnect your email account from your browser under the “Personal Stuff” tab. Syncing your email account with your Chrome browser means that personal information such as passwords, autofill data, preferences, and more is stored on Google’s servers. If you must use sync, select the “Encrypt all synced data” option and create a unique passphrase for encryption.
• Configure content settings: Click “Content settings” under the “Privacy” section and do the following:
  • Cookies: Select “Keep local data only until I quit my browser” and “Block third-party cookies and site data.” These options ensure that your cookies will be deleted upon quitting Chrome and that advertisers will not be able to track you using third-party cookies.
  • JavaScript: Select “Do not allow any site to run JavaScript.” It is widely recommended that JavaScript be disabled whenever possible to protect users from its security vulnerabilities.
  • Pop-ups: Select “Do not allow any site to show pop-ups.
  • Location: Select “Do not allow any site to track my physical location.”
• Configure passwords and forms settings: Disable Autofill and deselect “Offer to save passwords I enter on the web” under the “Passwords and forms” section. Doing so will prevent Chrome from saving your logins, passwords, and other sensitive information that you enter into forms.

Tips for Secure Browsing with Mozilla Firefox

These settings can be accessed through the “Options” menu.

• Configure privacy settings: Under the “Privacy” tab, complete the following steps. These measures ensure that Firefox is storing only as much of your information as it needs to function normally.
  • Select “Use custom settings for history.”
  • Deselect “Remember my browsing and download history.”
  • Deselect “Remember search and form history.”
  • Deselect “Accept third-party cookies.”
  • Set cookie storage to “Keep until I close Firefox.”
  • Select “Clear history when Firefox closes.”
• Configure security settings: Under the “Security” tab, choose the following settings. These steps prevent Firefox from saving your passwords and keep you from visiting potentially harmful sites.
  • Verify that “Warn me when sites try to install add-ons,” “Block reported attack sites,” and “Block reported web forgeries” are all selected.
  • Deselect “Remember passwords for sites.”
• Disable javaScript: Deselect “Enable JavaScript” under the “Content” tab. JavaScript is notorious for containing security vulnerabilities and it is recommended that users only enable it for trusted sites.
• Enable pop-up blocking: Verify that “Block pop-up windows” is selected under the “Content” tab. This feature should be turned on by default as it protects users from unwarranted advertisements and windows.
• Don’t sync: Avoid using Firefox Sync. By doing so you prevent Firefox from storing your logins, passwords, and other sensitive information.
• Turn on automatic updates: Verify that “Automatically install updates” is selected in the “Update” tab under “Advanced.” Doing so will ensure that your browser receives critical security updates. Verify that “Automatically update Search Engines” is selected as well.
• Use secure protocols: Verify that “Use SSL 3.0” and “Use TLS 1.0” are selected in the “Encryption” tab under “Advanced.”

Tips for Secure Browsing with Microsoft Internet Explorer 10

These settings can be accessed through the “Internet Options” menu.

• Configure security settings: Under the “Security” tab, do the following:
  • Set security zones: IE offers the option to configure different security settings for different “zones,” including the Internet, local intranet, trusted sites, and restricted sites. Set up the zones for Intranet, Trusted Sites, and Restricted sites to your desired security level.
  • Set Internet zone security to “Medium High” or higher. This blocks certain cookie types, enables ActiveX filtering, and implements several other default settings for increased security.
  • Disable javaScript: Click “Custom Level,” locate the “Active Scripting” setting, and select “Disable.” It is recommended that users disable JavaScript because of the high amount of vulnerabilities it contains.
• Automatically clear history: Select “Delete browsing history on exit” under the “General” tab. Clearing your history at the end of each session helps to limit the amount of information IE saves when you browse.
• Configure privacy settings: Under the “Privacy” tab, complete the following steps:
  • Privacy setting: Set the Internet zone privacy to “Medium High” or higher. This blocks certain cookie types to prevent sites from tracking or contacting you without your consent.
  • Location: Select “Never allow websites to request your physical location.”
  • Pop-up Blocker: Double check that Pop-up Blocker is enabled.
• Configure Advanced Security settings: Scroll down to the “Security” section under the “Advanced” tab and do the following:
  • Ensure that all default settings are in place. If you aren’t sure, click “Restore advanced settings” before making any other changes.
  • Select “Do not save encrypted pages to disk.” This will delete files cached from HTTPS pages when the browser is closed.
  • Select “Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed.” This prevents IE from storing your personal info (logins, passwords, activity, etc) beyond your browsing session.
  • Turn off autoComplete: The AutoComplete feature should be turned off for forms and usernames/passwords. Keeping AutoComplete turned off ensures that your sensitive information isn’t being stored unnecessarily.
• Tracking protection: IE’s Tracking Protection feature keeps your browsing private from specified third-party websites. This feature can be accessed through IE’s “Safety” menu. In order to use Tracking Protection you will need to provide a Tracking Protection List that names all of the sites you don’t want your information being sent to. You can create a list yourself or download lists online.